High density electrical connector

An electrical connector comprising:

• an insulative housing;
• a plurality of terminals positioned within the insulative housing;
• a connector latch on the insulative housing for latching the insulative housing in mating engagement with a mating connector;
• terminal position assurance means engageable with the terminals for holding the terminals in the housing;
• and
• connector position assurance means engageable with the connector latch for holding the latch in engagement with the mating connector;
• the connector being characterized in that the terminal position assurance means and the connector position assurance means each include laterally protruding resilient latching springs for engagement with the insulative housing, the insulative housing receiving in side by side relation the terminal position assurance means and the connector position assurance means.

An electrical connector comprising:

• an insulative housing;
• a plurality of stamped and formed terminals positioned within the insulative housing, each terminal including a wire crimp, an insulation barrel having a height greater than the wire crimp and a projection in front of the wire crimp and the insulation barrel, the projection extending above the wire crimp and the insulation barrel;
• terminal position assurance means insertable into the rear of the insulative housing over the wire crimp and the insulation barrel to engage the terminals to hold the terminals in the housing, the terminal position assurance means abutting the at least one projection on each terminal to hold said terminal in the housing;
• the connector being characterized in that each projection is bent inwardly towards the other with a flat side facing the rear of the terminal above the wire crimp and the insulation barrel, the terminal position assurance means engaging the flat side of the projection instead of an edge of the projection to increase the retention on the terminal provided by the terminal position assurance means.

An electrical connector comprising:

• an insulative housing;
• a plurality of stamped and formed terminals positioned within the insulative housing, each terminal including a projection extending upward from a base;
• and
• terminal position assurance means engageable with the terminals for holding the terminals in the housing, the terminal position assurance means abutting at least one projection on each terminal to hold said terminal in the housing;
• the connector being characterized in that each projection includes an inwardly formed ear overlapping the base, the terminal position assurance means abutting the inwardly formed ear overlapping the base, said projections extend upwardly from opposite sides of the base, inwardly formed ears on opposite projections having opposed free ends and the terminal position assurance means includes at least one finger abutting the projections on each terminal and the connector includes a connector latch on the insulative housing and a connector position assurance means insertable beneath a portion of the connector latch from the rear of the housing.

An electrical connector comprising:

• an insulative housing having a plurality of cavities with a resilient housing latch protruding into each cavity;
• a plurality of stamped and formed terminals positioned within the insulative housing, each terminal including a contact section on the front end, a wire crimp, an insulation barrel having a height greater than the wire crimp and a projection between the wire crimp and the contact section, the projection extending above the wire crimp and the insulation barrel;
• terminal position assurance means insertable into the rear of the insulative housing over the wire crimp and the insulation barrel to engage the terminals to hold the terminals in the housing, the terminal position assurance means abutting the projection on each terminal to hold said terminal in the housing;
• the connector being characterized in that the terminal contact section comprises a pin and each cavity includes an aperture between the center and a first side of the corresponding cavity through which the pin extends, the resilient housing latch extending into each cavity on a second opposite side and the terminal position assurance means extends into the rear of the cavity along the second side and urges each terminal toward the first side of the corresponding cavity to prevent lateral movement of the pin.