Connector having improved contact retainers

Claim 1

An electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating housing having a mating face and a rear face which is directed oppositely with respect to the mating face, a plurality of contact-receiving cavities extending through the housing from the rear face to the mating face, the cavities being in side-by-side parallel relationship in a row, a contact terminal in each cavity, each terminal having a contact portion which is proximate to the mating face and having a crimp portion which is crimped onto a wire, the crimp portion being between the mating face and the rear face, the wire extending from the crimp portion through the cavity and beyond the rear face, the connector being characterized in that: each of the cavities has a cavity floor, the housing having a recess extending therein from the rear face towards the mating face, the recess intersecting the cavity floors, the recess having an inner end and having a shoulder at the inner end which is directed towards the rear face, a terminal retainer inserted through the rear end of the recess is provided in the housing, the terminal retainer having a common support which extends from the rear end of the housing to the shoulder and which fills the recess, the common support having a plurality of fingers extending therefrom, each of the fingers extending into one of the cavities and having a free end which is against the terminal in the one cavity, each finger being supported by the cavity floor against deflection whereby, the terminals are retained by the fingers in their respectve cavities, and the terminals cannot be inserted into, or removed from, the cavities when the terminal retainer is assembled to the housing.