(19)
(11) EP 0 961 357 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
12.06.2002 Bulletin 2002/24

(43) Date of publication A2:
01.12.1999 Bulletin 1999/48

(21) Application number: 99109682.7

(22) Date of filing: 17.05.1999
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC)7H01R 13/436
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
Designated Extension States:
AL LT LV MK RO SI

(30) Priority: 29.05.1998 EP 98109924

(71) Applicant: THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Wilmington, Delaware 19808 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Machill, Andreas
    65510 Idstein (DE)
  • Jaklin, Ralf
    65835 Liederbach (DE)

(74) Representative: Heinz-Schäfer, Marion 
Tyco Electronics Logistics AG Ampèrestrasse 3
9323 Steinach
9323 Steinach (CH)

   


(54) Electrical connector with a contact locking element


(57) An electrical plug connector (1) with a housing (2) and with a locking element (13) is specified, the housing (2) being of substantially cuboid-shaped design with a front face (3), a cable-side end face (4) and four side walls (5 to 8), and the housing (2) comprising at least two chambers (10) for each receiving one electrical contact (11) and that extend from the front face (3) to the cable-side end face (4), the housing (2) having an opening (12) through a first side wall (5), that runs perpendicular to the chambers (10) between the chambers (10) and into that the locking element (13) can be pushed in order to lock the electrical contacts (11) in the chambers (10), the locking element (13) having at least two opposite wall parts (14, 15) that reduce the clear width of the chambers (10) when the locking element is inserted, the locking element (13) having a recess (20) between the two wall parts (14, 15), and the two wall parts (14, 15) being connected to one another by way of a guide rib (16), in such a way that the wall parts (14, 15) are designed to be flexible towards the recess and rigid perpendicular thereto, in the direction of insertion.










Search report