Patent ID: 7025610

Claim:
An electrical connector arrangement, comprising: a first connector arranged in a housing; and an actuation lever arranged on the first connector, the actuation lever having at least one tooth located at a free end, configured to engage a mating connector, and movable between a free position in which the first connector and the mating connector are unmated and a coupled position in which the two connectors are fully mated; a portion of the actuation lever being disposed between the first connector and the housing, and having thereon a clamping projection which, in the coupled position, is in engagement with a mating clamping projection on the housing; wherein the first connector has a mating clamping projection on each of two diametrically opposing sides thereof, the actuation lever is constructed as a two-armed lever having a respective lever arm on each of the two diametrically opposing sides of the first connector, and the lever arms each having a clamping projection positioned to engage the respective mating clamping projection; wherein the clamping projections of each lever arm comprise a deflectable spring tab cut to protrude from the lever arm with a clamping projection on the spring tab; wherein the actuation lever is constructed to be approximately U-shaped and has two limbs of this U-shape which each form one of the two lever arms, each of the limbs connected to a handle portion and terminating in a free end; and wherein each of the two limbs of the U-shaped actuation lever has an opening at the free end for receiving a pivot peg arranged on the first connector.