Electrical connector having a connector position assurance element

An electrical connector comprising:

• a housing having a front end and defining a cavity at the front end that is configured to receive a mating connector therein, the housing having an upper wall above the cavity and a first protrusion extending above the upper wall;
• and
• a connector position assurance (CPA) element slidably coupled to the housing along the upper wall between an extended position and an inserted position, the CPA element, in the inserted position, disposed more proximate to the front end of the housing than when the CPA element is in the extended position, the CPA element including a base, an raised section extending from a rear end of the base for actuation of the CPA element between the extended position and the inserted position, and a first beam extending from a front end of the base towards the front end of the housing, the first beam having a first arm and a first finger at a distal end of the first beam, the first finger having an abutment wall at the distal end configured to abut against the first protrusion, the first finger having a tip configured to be engaged by the mating connector when received in the cavity, the tip being deflected from a blocked position to a released position as the mating connector is loaded into the cavity, the distal end engaging the protrusion in the blocked position to block movement of the CPA element from the extended position to the inserted position, the tip being deflected outside of the protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position,
• wherein the CPA element includes a latch block positioned below a latch of the electrical connector in the inserted position to block actuation of the latch.

An electrical connector comprising:

• a housing having a front end and defining a cavity at the front end that is configured to receive a mating connector therein, the housing having an upper wall above the cavity having a channel therethrough open at the front end configured to receive a tab of the mating connector, the housing having a first protrusion extending above the upper wall on a first side of the channel and a second protrusion extending above the upper wall on a second side of the channel, the housing having a deflectable latch above the upper wall configured to engage the tab of the mating connector when the mating connector is fully mated to the electrical connector;
• and
• a connector position assurance (CPA) element slidably coupled to the housing along the upper wall between an extended position and an inserted position, the CPA element, in the inserted position, disposed more proximate to the front end of the housing than when the CPA element is in the extended position, the CPA element including a base, an raised section extending from a rear end of the base for actuation of the CPA element between the extended position and the inserted position, a first beam extending from a front end of the base towards the front end of the housing, and a second beam extending from the front end of the base towards the front end of the housing and separated from the first beam by a gap aligned above the channel in the upper wall, the gap being configured to receive the tab;
• wherein the first beam has a first arm and a first finger at a distal end of the first beam, the first finger having an abutment wall at the distal end configured to abut against the first protrusion, the first finger having a tip configured to be engaged by the tab and being deflected outward away from the gap from a blocked position to a released position as the mating connector is loaded into the cavity, the distal end of the first finger engaging the protrusion in the blocked position to block movement of the CPA element from the extended position to the inserted position, the tip being deflected outside of the first protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the first protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position;
• and
• wherein the second beam has a second arm and a second finger at a distal end of the second beam, the second finger having an abutment wall at the distal end configured to abut against the second protrusion, the second finger having a tip configured to be engaged by the tab and being deflected outward away from the gap from a blocked position to a released position as the mating connector is loaded into the cavity, the distal end of the second finger engaging the protrusion in the blocked position to block movement of the CPA element from the extended position to the inserted position, the tip being deflected outside of the second protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the second protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position.