초록 ▼

A multi-blade electrical connector featuring a guidingly movable blade stabilizer which prevents blade misalignment and foreign article entry into the blade environment. A shroud provides a shroud cavity which communicates with terminal cavities. A bladed terminal is received in a respective termina

A multi-blade electrical connector featuring a guidingly movable blade stabilizer which prevents blade misalignment and foreign article entry into the blade environment. A shroud provides a shroud cavity which communicates with terminal cavities. A bladed terminal is received in a respective terminal cavity, wherein the blade thereof projects into the shroud cavity. The shroud has a top wall and a bottom wall and have formed therein at least one pair of mutually opposed slot sets, each being composed of a prestage slot and a staging slot mutually aligned and separated by a prestage detent. The blade stabilizer has a plurality of blade apertures for snugly receiving a blade, respectively. Opposing edges of the blade stabilizer each have at least one staging nib for being respectively received into the at least one prestage and staging slots, wherein the blade stabilizer is at a prestage position when the staging nibs are at the prestaging slots, and at a sliding staging position when at the staging slots.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A multi-blade electrical connector comprising:a connector body having a first end characterized by a shroud and a second end characterized by a plurality of terminal cavities, said shroud defining a shroud cavity therewithin which communicates with said plurality of terminal cavities, each said t

1. A multi-blade electrical connector comprising:a connector body having a first end characterized by a shroud and a second end characterized by a plurality of terminal cavities, said shroud defining a shroud cavity therewithin which communicates with said plurality of terminal cavities, each said terminal cavity being aligned parallel with respect to a terminal axis; a blade stabilizer located within said shroud cavity, said blade stabilizer having a plurality of blade apertures formed therein, each blade aperture being aligned with a respective terminal cavity; a releasable interlock interfaced with said shroud and said blade stabilizer which releasably holds said blade stabilizer at a prestage position within said shroud cavity, said blade stabilizer being held at said prestage position by said releasable interlock unless at least a predetermined level of force is applied to said blade stabilizer in a direction parallel to said terminal axis; and a plurality of bladed terminals, each bladed terminal having a blade, each bladed terminal being received in a respective terminal cavity wherein the blade thereof projects into said shroud cavity; wherein when said blade stabilizer is at said prestage position each blade is guidably received by a respective said blade aperture; wherein said blade stabilizer has an edge periphery, said releasable interlock comprising: at least one pair of opposed staging nibs formed at said edge periphery; and at least one pair of mutually opposed slot sets formed in said shroud, wherein each staging nib is receivable into a respective slot set; wherein each said slot set comprises a prestage slot and a staging slot mutually axially aligned parallel to said terminal axis and mutually separated by a prestage detent, wherein when said staging nibs are located in said prestage slots, said blade stabilizer is at said prestage position; and wherein when said staging nibs are at said staging slots, said blade stabilizer is at a range of staged positions so as to be slidable to a location distal from said prestage detent whereat said blade stabilizer is at a fully staged position; and wherein when at least the predetermined level of force is applied to said blade stabilizer, said blade stabilizer snappingly moves from said prestaged position to said range of staged positions.