Patent ID: 8011938

Claim:
An electrical connector assembly, comprising: a housing for mating with a mating connector along a mating axis, the housing having at least one terminal receiving cavity extending therethrough; a mating assist member operatively connected to the housing; and an actuator member, being movable relative to the mating assist members and the housing and causing movement of the mating assist member, upon movement of the actuator member relative to the housing along the mating axis, wherein each mating assist member is comprised of a rotary mating assist member, and the rotary mating assist member has gear teeth which cooperate with gear teeth on the mating connector, and each rotary mating assist member further comprises a lever connected to the rotary member at one end thereof, and having a contact member at the opposite end of the lever, and the actuator member comprises a first contact surface, whereby upon linear movement of the actuator member, the first contact surface engages the contact member, rotating the rotary mating assist member.