Patent ID: 7563118

Claim:
A high temperature electrical connector, comprising: a ceramic connector body comprising a pair of ceramic body portions, each ceramic body portion having a terminal side and a retainer side, a terminal end and a connection end, and a pivot portion on the terminal side proximate the sensor pocket, the ceramic body portions disposed with the terminal sides and connections ends proximate one another and the pivot portions in touching contact; at least two conductive terminals located within the sensor pocket of each ceramic body portion, each terminal having a contact portion located within the sensor pocket and a termination portion which extends from the ceramic body portion, each conductive terminal being electrically isolated from every other non-associated conductive terminal; a retainer having a pair of retainer bands each having a generally u-shaped or c-shaped profile with a base portion and a pair of opposed extending legs, the legs of each band extending toward the other in opposing arrangement to provide the retainer, each retainer band having an outer surface, an inner surface, a hinge end and an insertion end, the legs of the respective bands which are in opposing arrangement are joined together by a respective pair of outwardly arched hinges proximate the hinge end; the ceramic connector body disposed in the retainer with the retainer sides of respective ceramic body portions abutting the inner surfaces of the respective base portions with the arched hinges located proximate the terminal ends and terminal side of the ceramic body portions, wherein the ceramic body portions are operative to open about the hinges and pivot portions to a clamshell configuration.