Power terminal for arcless power connector

An electrical connector matable to and unmatable from a separable mating electrical connector, the electrical connector comprising:

• a housing having a mating end and a wire end;
• a power terminal received in and held by the housing, the power terminal being matable with and unmatable from a mating power terminal of the mating electrical connector, the power terminal comprising:
• a terminal beam configured to be electrically coupled to a power wire extending from the wire end of the housing, the terminal beam having a mating surface configured to be mated with the mating power terminal;
• a protective thermal coupler bridge positioned adjacent the terminal beam, the protective thermal coupler bridge having a bridge conductor, an insulating substrate and a bridge pad, the bridge conductor provided on the insulating substrate, the bridge pad provided on the insulating substrate and being electrically coupled to the bridge conductor, the bridge pad having a mating surface configured to be mated with the mating power terminal;
• and
• a variable resistive member electrically coupled between the terminal beam and the bridge conductor, the variable resistive member providing a shunt so that arcing does not occur when the power terminal is disconnected from the mating power terminal of the mating electrical connector;
• wherein the mating surface of the terminal beam is separable from the mating power terminal of the mating electrical connector before the mating surface of the bridge pad is disconnected from the mating power terminal of the mating electrical connector so that the resistance in the variable resistive member increases after disconnection of the main power terminal from the mating power terminal and prior to disconnection of the bridge pad from the mating power terminal to shunt the current through the bridge conductor and the variable resistive member during unmating.