EP0964484A3 - Two-part electrical connector housing - Google Patents

Abstract

A housing (10) for a two-part electrical connector comprising amale member (12) having a front face (24) and a lower side (30) with an open-sidechannel (34) formed in the lower side, extending in an axial direction (A),and opening through the front face; a female member (14) having a bore (70)for receiving the male member on relative movement in the axial direction, thefemale member having a front face (60) and a lower side (66) with an open-sidechannel (72) formed in the lower side, extending in the axial direction,and opening through the front face; a first coding member (16) having a frontface (38) and a lower side (44), the first coding member being separatelyformed from the male member and positioned in the channel in the malemember with the front faces, and with the lower sides of the male member andthe first coding member, being substantially aligned; a second coding member(18) having a front face (76), and an upper side (80), the second codingmember being separately formed from the female member and positioned inthe channel in the female member with the front faces of the female memberand the second coding member being substantially aligned, and with the upperside of the second coding member defining a lower surface of the bore (70) inthe female member; wherein the lower side of the first coding member and theupper side of the second coding member have corresponding aligning means(96,98) which align with one another, and engage with one another, on matingof the male and female members. The use of separately formed codingmembers allows a large number of variants without the need to change thedesign of the male and female housing members.