Electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing having a mating end for mating with a complementary mating connector, the mating end including an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls at opposite sides of the upper wall defining an opening for receiving the mating connector, and the housing being elongated between said side walls; a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array longitudinally thereof, the terminals having contact portions exposed at said opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector; a shutter plate movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning the opening between said side walls for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at said opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector; and complementary interengaging flexible locating means between at least one side of the shutter plate and an adjacent one of the side walls of the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing during movement between said positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

Claim 3

The electrical connector of claim 1 , one of said flexible locating means between both opposite sides of the shutter plate and the pair of side walls of the housing.

Claim 4

The electrical connector of claim 1 , including biasing means between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position.

Claim 5

The electrical connector of claim 3 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one coil spring.

Claim 6

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said flexible locating means comprises a spring member.

Claim 7

The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein said spring member comprises a metal leaf spring.

Claim 8

The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein said leaf spring includes a retention hook engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.

Claim 9

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said shutter plate has a front abutment surface engageable by the mating connector for moving the shutter plate from its protective position to said retracted position automatically in response to mating of the mating connector.

Claim 10

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said flexible locating means include retention means engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.

Claim 11

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing having a mating end for mating with a complementary mating connector, the mating end including an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls at opposite sides of the upper wall defining an opening for receiving the mating connector, and the housing being elongated between said side walls; a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array longitudinally thereof, the terminals having contact portions exposed at said opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector; a shutter plate movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning the opening between said side walls for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at said opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector; biasing means between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position; and complementary interengaging flexible locating means between opposite sides of the shutter plate and said side walls of the housing to center the shutter plate relative to the housing and to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing during movement between said positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

Claim 12

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing having a mating end for mating with a complementary mating connector, the mating end including an upper wall and a pair of depending side walls at opposite sides of the upper wall defining an opening for receiving the mating connector, and the housing being elongated between said side walls; a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing in a side-by-side array longitudinally thereof, the terminals having contact portions exposed at said opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector; a shutter plate movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning the opening between said side walls for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at said opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector; biasing means between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position; and complementary interengaging flexible locating means between opposite sides of the shutter plate and said side walls of the housing to center the shutter plate relative to the housing and to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing during movement between said positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

Claim 13

The electrical connector of claim 10 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one coil spring.

Claim 14

The electrical connector of claim 10 wherein each of said flexible locating means comprises a spring member.

Claim 15

The electrical connector of claim 12 wherein said spring member comprises a metal leaf spring.

Claim 16

The electrical connector of claim 13 wherein said leaf spring includes a retention hook engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.

Claim 17

The electrical connector of claim 10 wherein said shutter plate has a front abutment surface engageable by the mating connector for moving the shutter plate from its protective position to said retracted position automatically in response to mating of the mating connector.

Claim 18

The electrical connector of claim 10 wherein said flexible locating means include retention means engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.

Claim 19

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing defining an opening for receiving at least a portion of a complementary mating connector; a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing and having contact portions exposed at said opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector; a shutter member movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning at least a portion of said opening for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at said opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector; and complementary interengaging flexible locating means between the shutter plate and the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing laterally of its movement between said positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

Claim 20

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing defining an opening for receiving at least a portion of a complementary mating connector; a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing and having contact portions exposed at said opening for engaging appropriate contacts of the mating connector; a shutter member movably mounted on the housing for movement from a protective position spanning at least a portion of said opening for covering and protecting the contact portions of the terminals at said opening, to a retracted position upon mating of the mating connector to allow the contact portions of the terminals to engage the contacts of the mating connector; and complementary interengaging flexible locating means between the shutter plate and the housing to allow the shutter plate to yield relative to the housing laterally of its movement between said positions and prevent binding of the shutter plate upon movement relative to the housing.

Claim 21

The electrical connector of claim 17 , including biasing means between the shutter plate and the housing for biasing the shutter plate toward its protective position.

Claim 22

The electrical connector of claim 18 wherein said biasing means comprises at least one coil spring.

Claim 23

The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein said flexible locating means comprises a spring member.

Claim 24

The electrical connector of claim 20 wherein said spring member comprises a metal leaf spring.

Claim 25

The electrical connector of claim 21 wherein said leaf spring includes a retention hook engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.

Claim 26

The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein said flexible locating means include retention means engageable with the shutter plate to define said protective position of the shutter plate.