Arrangement for preventing mismating of connectors having different numbers of terminals

Claim 1

An electrical connector assembly comprising: a first electrical connector comprising an insulative housing, the insulative housing comprising a plurality of silos protruding forward therefrom and a latch formed thereon; and a second electrical connector comprising an insulative housing, the insulative housing of the second electrical connector comprising a plurality of receptacles defined therethrough and a latch lug formed thereon to engage with the latch of the first electrical connector, a number of the receptacles being equal to a number of the silos of the first electrical connector and each receptacle receiving one silo of the first electrical connector, the insulative housing of the second electrical connector forming a first block thereon to stop a latch of a third electrical connector similar in structure to the first electrical connector and having silos of a number different from the number of the silos of the first electrical connector to prevent a mating between the second and the third electrical connectors; wherein the latch of the first or the third connector comprises an abutment section on a front end thereof and the first block comprises a stopping face for abutting with the abutment section of the latch of the third connector; wherein the first block is disposed beside one side of the latch lug; wherein a second block is formed beside a side of the latch lug opposite to the side where the first block is disposed, both the first and second blocks extending forwardly beyond the rest of the second connector; wherein the silos of the first electrical connector are arranged in a plurality of rows and the receptacles of the second electrical connector are arranged in a corresponding number of rows, a number of the silos in one row being equal to a number of the silos in an other row and a number of the receptacles in one corresponding row being equal to a number of the receptacles in an other.