Electrical connector assembly

摘要

An electrical connector assembly 20 has a male connector 26 which mates to a female connector 28 thereby electrically engaging male terminal blades 24, locked to a male connector body 30, to female terminals locked to a female connector body 32. The blade of each male terminal project into a blind bore defined by a shroud 40 of the male connector body. Prior to mating of the electrical connector assembly, a retractable terminal blade stabilizer 22 is snap fitted into a blade alignment position 34 with the male connector via a dual fastening feature 58 constructed and arranged between the male connector body and the stabilizer, which prevents withdrawal of the stabilizer from the male connector and restricts further insertion of the stabilizer into the blind bore. When the stabilizer is in the blade alignment position, the tips of the blades are disposed within respective apertures 50 of the stabilizer and aligned to their respective female terminals and the remaining portion of the blades are shielded and thus protected from possible damage. During mating of the electrical connector assembly, the female connector body is press fitted to an axial projecting member 72 of the stabilizer, prior to the stabilizer moving out of the alignment position. Once the stabilizer is fitted to the female connector, continued mating causes the stabilizer to move out of the alignment position and into a seated position 36 as the blades travel through the apertures and into the female terminals of the female connector. When the electrical connector assembly is being unmated, the female connector, being tightly fitted to the stabilizer pulls the stabilizer, out from the seated position and back into the blade alignment position. Because the engagement of the stabilizer to male connector in the blade alignment position is stronger than the tight fit of the stabilizer to the female connector, continued un-mating of the female connector disengages the stabilizer from the female connector leaving the stabilizer in the blade alignment position as the female connector is completely separated from the male connector. The stabilizer is thus retracted and placed back into the alignment position for protecting and maintaining alignment of the terminal blades of the male connector.