Electrical connector and retaining member therefor

摘要

An electrical connector is provided that includes a hood (23) surrounding a terminal housing (24) having an open front end and a plurality of adjacent terminal receiving chambers (25) for receiving and holding electrical terminals (T), and each terminal receiving chamber (25) is provided with a resilient locking piece (27) having a free end extending toward the open front end. The resilient locking pieces can be resiliently deflected by a respective terminal from a normal position upon insertion of the terminal within a respective terminal receiving chamber and can resiliently return to the normal position upon complete insertion of the electrical terminal to thereby engage a portion of the electrical terminal to prevent removal from the terminal receiving chamber. Additionally, an insertion space (31) is formed between a wall of the terminal housing and the plurality of terminal receiving chambers, and a retaining member is configured to be inserted within the insertion space. The retaining member includes at least one retaining surface arranged to correspond with a respective resilient locking piece to prevent deflection thereof from the normal position. At least one recess (30) is formed in the retaining member and positioned within an outermost end of a respective terminal receiving chamber to facilitate contact of only an outermost end of the respective electrical terminal by an end face of a probe pin of a test unit. When the retaining member is fully inserted within the insertion space, an outermost end of the retaining member lies substantially coextensive with an outermost end of the front end of the terminal housing. The retaining member also includes a flange (11) projecting outwardly therefrom at the outermost end to facilitate removal thereof from the insertion space, and a recess (36) is formed in the wall of the terminal housing for receiving the flange when the retaining member is fully inserted within the insertion space. A notch (33) is formed in the wall and positioned within the recess, the notch permitting ready access to the flange for engagement of the flange by a tool to facilitate removal of the retaining member.