Multi-contact electrical connector with secondary lock

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of terminals: an insulative housing, the terminals being positioned rearwardly of a mating face of the insulative housing in at least two rows; a plurality of latches comprising means for securing the terminals in the insulative housing; and a secondary housing member mountable in telescoping relationship to said mating face of the insulative housing, the secondary housing member having a plurality of pockets arranged in at least two rows, the latches being dimensioned to fit within corresponding pockets so that the secondary housing member can be telescopically shifted into surrounding relationship to the latches.

Claim 3

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein each terminal is secured by two opposed latches, the two latches securing each terminal being received in the same pocket.

Claim 4

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the secondary housing member is retained on the insulative housing member by a two position retainer means, the secondary housing member being shiftable from a first position to a second position, the latches being received in respective pockets only in the second position.

Claim 5

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the terminals are positioned in three rows, the terminals in the center row being staggered with respect to the terminals in the outer two rows, the pockets in the secondary housing member also being in three rows with the pockets in the center row being suggested with respect to the outer two rows, the latches being positioned to enter the pockets in the secondary housing member when the terminals are properly secured in the insulative housing.

Claim 6

The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein terminals in adjacent rows are staggered.

Claim 7

The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein first latches securing terminals in one row at least partially overlap second latches securing terminals in an adjacent row.

Claim 8

The electrical connector of claim 6 wherein the pockets in one row at least partially overlap the pockets in an adjacent row.

Claim 9

The electrical connector of claim 7 wherein individual pockets are substantially diamond shaped with apices of pockets in adjacent rows overlapping.

Claim 10

The electrical connector of claim 8 wherein the secondary housing member has a base having a plurality of apertures, each aperture communicating with one aligned pocket.

Claim 11

The electrical connector of claim 9 wherein each latch has a tapered cross section so that exterior surfaces of each latch converge to an apex with distance away from the respective terminal.

Claim 12

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of terminals: an insulative housing, the terminals being positioned within the insulative housing in at least two rows; a plurality of latches comprising means for securing the terminals in the insulative housing, each latch having a tapered cross section so that the exterior surfaces of each latch converge to an apex with distance away from the respective terminal, the latches being positioned in at least two adjacent rows so the apices of latches in adjacent rows are staggered and juxtaposed; a secondary housing member having a plurality of diagonal wall sections, the secondary housing member being attachable to the insulative housing so that each diagonal wall section fits between adjacent surfaces of two adjacent latches in two adJacent rows.

Claim 13

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of terminals: an insulative housing, the terminals being positioned within the insulative housing in at least two rows; a plurality of latches comprising means for securing the terminals in the insulative housing, each latch having a tapered cross section so that the exterior surfaces of each latch converge to an apex with distance away from the respective terminal, the latches being positioned in at least two adjacent rows so the apices of latches in adjacent rows are staggered and juxtaposed; a secondary housing member having a plurality of diagonal wall sections, the secondary housing member being attachable to the insulative housing so that each diagonal wall section fits between adjacent surfaces of two adjacent latches in two adJacent rows.

Claim 14

The electrical connector of claim 11 wherein the diagonal wall sections define a plurality of diamond shaped pockets, the latches being insertable in the diamond shaped pockets.

Claim 15

The electrical connector of claim 11 wherein the latches in one row at least partially overlap the latches in an adjacent row.

Claim 16

The electrical connector of claim 13 wherein the latches are resiliently deflectable, the diagonal wall sections being configured to fit between two adjacent latches only when the latches are in an undeflected configuration.

Claim 17

The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the secondary housing member is mountable on the insulative housing, the secondary housing member being shiftable relative to the insulative housing member to a position with the diagonal wall sections fitting between two adjacent latches only when the latches are in an undeflected configuration.

Claim 18

The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the insulative housing has a base having a plurality of openings in rows corresponding to rows of terminals, the latches comprising beams extending inwardly from the base.

Claim 19

The electrical connector of claim 11 wherein each terminal is secured in place by two opposed resilient latches on opposite sides of the row containing the terminal.

Claim 20

The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein the apices of latches in one row overlap the apices of latches in an adjacent row.

Claim 21

The electrical connector of claim 11 wherein the secondary housing member is retained in a first position on a mating face of the insulative housing, the secondary housing member being shiftable to a second position in which the diagonal wall sections fit between adjacent latches.

Claim 22

The electrical connector of claim 19 wherein the secondary housing member has a plurality of apertures in a outer partition, each aperture being offset from diagonal wall sections in the secondary housing member so that mating terminals can be received in the apertures.

Claim 23

An electrical connector for use in establishing a densely populated array of electrical connections, comprising: a plurality of terminals arranged in at least three rows, terminals in a center row being staggered relative to terminals in two outer rows; an insulative housing including means for positioning the terminals in three staggered rows; a plurality of latches for securing the terminals in the insulative housing, the latches projecting toward a mating face on the insulative housing; a secondary lock mountable on a mating face of the insulative housing, the secondary lock including means matable with the latches only when the terminals are properly secured in the insulative housing; and two position retainer means for attaching the secondary lock to the insulative housing in first and second alternative positions, the secondary lock being disengaged from the latches when the secondary lock is in the first position and engagable with the latches in the second position only when the terminals are properly secured in the insulative housing, the secondary lock being telescopically shiftable from the first to the second position.

Claim 24

An electrical connector for use in establishing a densely populated array of electrical connections, comprising: a plurality of terminals arranged in at least three rows, terminals in a center row being staggered relative to terminals in two outer rows; an insulative housing including means for positioning the terminals in three staggered rows; a plurality of latches for securing the terminals in the insulative housing, the latches projecting toward a mating face on the insulative housing; a secondary lock mountable on a mating face of the insulative housing, the secondary lock including means matable with the latches only when the terminals are properly secured in the insulative housing; and two position retainer means for attaching the secondary lock to the insulative housing in first and second alternative positions, the secondary lock being disengaged from the latches when the secondary lock is in the first position and engagable with the latches in the second position only when the terminals are properly secured in the insulative housing, the secondary lock being telescopically shiftable from the first to the second position.

Claim 25

The electrical connector of claim 21 wherein the two position retainer means comprises a finger on the insulative housing, an outer strap on the secondary lock, and two spaced apart shoulders on the secondary lock, the secondary lock being attached to the insulative housing in a first position with the finger being latched to one shoulder and abutting the outer strap, the secondary lock being shiftable to a second position by depressing the finger beneath the outer strap and shifting the finger into latching engagement with the second shoulder upon telescoping movement of the secondary lock toward the insulative housing.

Claim 26

The electrical connector of claim 21 wherein the insulative housing has a mating envelope formed by opposite endwalls and opposite sidewalls extending from the means for positioning the terminals toward the mating face, the latches being positioned within the envelope.

Claim 27

The electrical connector of claim 23 wherein the three rows extend between the opposite endwalls and parallel to the opposite sidewalls of the insulative housing, the two position retainer means comprising a finger in at least one of the endwalls and spaced apart mating shoulders on ends of the secondary lock.

Claim 28

The electrical connector of claim 24 wherein the two shoulders comprise an internal shoulder and an external shoulder, each shoulder being located in a channel on an end of the secondary lock.

Claim 29

The electrical connector of claim 25 wherein the internal shoulder comprises two spaced apart ridges adjacent edges of the channel and the external shoulder is centrally positioned within the channel laterally between the two spaced apart ridges.

Claim 30

The electrical connector of claim 23 wherein the insulative housing has a shroud at a rear end thereof, the shroud protruding beyond the sidewalls.

Claim 31

The electrical connector of claim 27 further comprising a cap received within the shroud at the rear end, the cap having a connector latch protruding beyond the shroud for securing the electrical connector to a mating connector.

Claim 32

The electrical connector of claim 27 wherein grooves are provided in each sidewall and interfitting tongues extend from sides of the secondary lock, the pattern of tongues and grooves providing keyed orientation between the housing and the secondary lock.

Claim 33

The electrical connector of claim 29 wherein each of the tongues has platform integral with the outermost end of the tongue, the platforms being positioned on the exterior of the sidewalls when the secondary lock is attached to the insulative housing.

Claim 34

The electrical connector of claim 21 wherein the secondary lock comprises a honeycomb structure having a plurality of pockets, individual latches being received within individual pockets when the secondary lock is in the second position.

Claim 35

The electrical connector of claim 31 wherein the honeycomb structure of the secondary lock is formed by a plurality of interwoven wall sections extending inwardly from a base, the base having a plurality of apertures, individual apertures communicating with individual pockets.

Claim 36

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of terminals; an insulative housing, the terminals being positioned within the insulative housing in at least two rows; a plurality of outwardly deflectable resilient latches comprising means for securing the terminals in the insulative housing when in an undeflected configuration; a secondary lock movable telescopically between a first and a second position relative to the insulative housing when all of the latches are in the undeflected configuration, outwardly deflected latches abutting an inner face of the secondary lock to prevent movement of the secondary lock from the first to the second position, the inner face of the secondary lock having protrusions aligned with corresponding latches to limit outward deflection of the corresponding latch so that an outwardly deflected latch will not be broken when a force is applied to the secondary lock in an attempt to push the secondary lock from the first to the second position.

Claim 37

An electrical connector comprising: a plurality of terminals; an insulative housing, the terminals being positioned within the insulative housing in at least two rows; a plurality of outwardly deflectable resilient latches comprising means for securing the terminals in the insulative housing when in an undeflected configuration; a secondary lock movable telescopically between a first and a second position relative to the insulative housing when all of the latches are in the undeflected configuration, outwardly deflected latches abutting an inner face of the secondary lock to prevent movement of the secondary lock from the first to the second position, the inner face of the secondary lock having protrusions aligned with corresponding latches to limit outward deflection of the corresponding latch so that an outwardly deflected latch will not be broken when a force is applied to the secondary lock in an attempt to push the secondary lock from the first to the second position.

Claim 38

The electrical connector of claim 33 wherein the secondary lock has pockets in which undeflected latches are received when the secondary lock is in the second position.

Claim 39

The electrical connector of claim 34 wherein the insulative housing has a shroud surrounding a plurality of rows of latches, outwardly facing latches engaging the shroud to limit latch deflection, inwardly facing latches abutting the protrusions to limit latch deflection.

Claim 40

The electrical connector of claim 35 wherein each pocket has a diamond shape, a protrusion being located on at least one apex of each pocket.

Claim 41

The electrical connector of claim 36 wherein the pockets are defined by a plurality of diagonal walls, a protrusion being located at the intersection of diagonal walls.

Claim 42

The electrical connector of claim 37 wherein each protrusion comprises a convex bump.