Electrical connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector, comprising: (a) a connector housing having a plurality of terminal compartments arranged in upper and lower rows each having the same number compartments; (b) a plurality of terminals, each of the terminals being accommodated in each terminal compartment of the connector housing, wherein each of the terminals has both longitudinal ends and has an upper side and a lower side opposite to the upper side, which comprises: (i) an electrical wire connecting section to which an electrical wire is connected, the electrical wire connecting section being formed at one end of the terminal on the upper side thereof; and (ii) a tab receptacle section provided at the other end of the electrical terminal on the lower side thereof, the tab receptacle section comprising a first tab receptacle to which a mating terminal in a mating connector housing is to be fitted and a second tab receptacle adjacent to the first tab receptacle, which are aligned toward the longitudinal direction of the terminal, wherein the terminals are accommodated in the terminal compartments in such a manner that the tab receptacle sections of the terminals in the upper and lower compartments are face to face through a partition between the upper and lower compartments; and (c) a joint terminal to be fitted to the second tab receptacle of selected terminals for achieving electrical connection between selected terminals, the joint terminal comprising at least two tab portions to be fitted to the second tab receptacle of the terminals, a base portion connected between the tab portions, and an insulating holder mounted on the base portion of the joint terminal, wherein the insulating holder of the joint terminal is placed between the electrical wire connecting sections of the terminals accommodated in the upper and lower rows of the terminal compartments when the joint terminal is properly fitted to the terminals in the connector housing.