Patent ID: 7438594

Claim:
An electrical plug-and-socket connector comprising: a housing having a row of chambers for respectively receiving contacts, wherein each chamber includes latching elements which are operable with a contact received by the chamber to hold the contact in the chamber, the housing further having a first row of first openings and a second row of second openings on a side of the housing with pairs of the first and second openings leading into respective ones of the chambers through the side of the housing; and a flap pivotably attached to the side of the housing to move between an opened position in which the flap is opened away from the side of the housing and a closed position in which the flap is closed against the side of the housing, the flap having a first row of first projections and a second row of second projections on a side of the flap which closes against the side of the housing when the flap is in the closed position; wherein the first projections respectively extend through the first openings into the chambers when the flap is in the closed position to lock contacts held in the chambers; wherein the second projections respectively extend through the second openings into the chambers when the flap is in the closed position and when the contacts held in the chambers are positioned correctly in the chambers to engage the contacts and thereby reinforce the locking of the contacts held in the chambers.