Electrical connector with improved terminal latching means

Claim 1

In an electrical connector which includes, a dielectric housing having generally rigid wall means defining an elongated terminal-receiving passageway, a terminal adapted to be inserted longitudinally into the passageway, the terminal having a longitudinal axis and a mating portion adapted to mate with a complementary terminal inserted into the passageway, and latch means to hold the terminal in the terminal-receiving passageway in the housing, wherein the improvement in said latch means comprises: at least one latch wall disposed within and extending longitudinally of the terminal-receiving passageway of the housing, the latch wall defining opposite longitudinal edges thereof, one longitudinal edge being joined to the generally rigid wall means of the housing, the other longitudinal edge being free and projecting into the passageway for transverse flexing about the one joined edge and a latch shoulder on the latch wall at least on a flexing portion of the wall, the latch wall adapted to be located between said rigid wall means and said terminal when said terminal is inserted into said passageway, and said terminal including a latch shoulder for snapping behind the latch shoulder of the latch wall when said terminal is inserted longitudinally into said passageway to prevent removal of the terminal from the passageway.