Electrical connector having a fixing member

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of side by side longitudinally extending terminal receiving chambers for receiving and holding electrical terminals of the connector which extend thereinto through a rear end thereof, each of said terminal receiving chambers having a cantilever-like resilient locking piece having a free end and normally inclined from a non-inclined position gradually inwardly into the corresponding terminal receiving chamber to a normally inclined position so that the free ends of said locking pieces are within corresponding said terminal receiving chambers, said locking pieces being adapted to be pressed outwardly of said terminal receiving chambers by the action of terminals when the terminals are inserted into said terminal receiving chambers to a fully inserted position and being adapted to return to said non-inclined position in which said locking pieces engage in locking notches in the terminals for blocking removal of the terminals from the terminal receiving chambers, the free ends of said locking pieces extending toward the front end of said terminal receiving chambers; a cap-like fixing member fitted around the forward ends of said terminal receiving chambers for engaging the outwardly pressed free ends of said locking pieces for pressing and holding said locking pieces engaged in said locking notches for locking the terminals inserted into said terminal receiving chambers in place; a portion of each said locking piece which is engaged by a terminal when the terminal is inserted into a terminal receiving chamber having a shape, for when a terminal is only partially inserted into a said terminal receiving chamber at least to a position less than the fully inserted position for causing the free end of said locking piece to lie outside the outer surface of the corresponding said terminal receiving chamber for blocking movement of said cap-like fixing member onto said terminal receiving chambers; and one of said cap-like fixing member and said locking pieces having a locking projection thereon and the other of said cap-like fixing member and said locking pieces having a locking recess therein opposed to said locking projection, said locking projection engaging in said locking recess when said cap-like fixing member is in position on said terminal receiving chambers and the terminals are in the fully inserted position in said terminal receiving chambers and said locking pieces are pressed outwardly to the non-inclined position, whereby said cap is prevented from being pulled off said terminal receiving chambers and holds said locking pieces in engagement with the corresponding terminals, said locking projection having a dimension such that said locking projection fails to engage in the locking recess when said locking piece is in its normally inclined position, and the free end of said locking piece blocks movement of said fixing member onto said terminal receiving chambers when said locking piece lies outside the outer surface of said terminal receiving chambers.