Retainer system for electric cable couplers

A method for securing terminal ends of an electric cable together, including the steps of:

• providing a retainer system for couplers at the terminal ends of the electric cables including a coupling pair including a fixed half and a pivoting half;
• the pivoting half adapted to pivot to releasably engage the fixed half;
• the coupling pair including a prong and a gap, the gap sized to receive the prong within the gap, the prong attached to a first one of the coupling pair and the gap attached to a second one of the coupling pair;
• and one of the coupling pair attached to a first one of the pair of electric cables and one of the coupling pair attached to a second one of the pair of electric cables;
• configuring the terminal ends of the electric cables as a female coupler and a male coupler capable of interfacing with each other and creating an electrical connection therebetween;
• inserting the male coupler into the female coupler until the prong enters the gap thereby securing the male coupler within the female coupler;
• wherein said providing step includes the fixed half of the coupling pair having the gap and the pivoting half of the coupling pair having the prong;
• wherein the gap includes a slit located behind a face of a female coupler of the pair of electric cables, the slit extending at least partially into a surface of the female coupler;
• and
• wherein the prong is located on an ear pivotably attached to a male coupler of the pair of electric cables, the male coupler adapted to be coupled to the female coupler with the prong engaging the gap, the ear defining part of a side wall surrounding a recess in which conductors of the male coupler are located.