Patent ID: 9640895
Date: 2017-05-02
CPC Classifications: H01R

Claim:
1. An electrical connector comprising: a housing having a mating end at a front of the housing and a base at a rear of the housing, the housing having a plurality of terminal towers extending forward of the base toward the mating end, each terminal tower having a terminal channel therein configured to receive a corresponding terminal therein, the terminal towers being spaced apart from each other and surrounded by gaps, the gaps defining a central cavity between the plurality of terminal towers; and a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the central cavity, the TPA device being front loaded into the central cavity through the mating end in a loading direction toward the base, the TPA device including a plurality of latches received in corresponding terminal towers, the latches having latching fingers positionable in the corresponding terminal channels in blocking positions to block removal of the terminals from the terminal channels, the TPA device including a locking block received in the central cavity to lock the TPA device in the central cavity, the locking block being positioned relative to the latches to hold the latches in the blocking positions.