Patent ID: 7500865

Claim:
An electrical connector comprising: a first connector part having a first high-load (“HL”) housing and a first low-load (“LL”) housing movably connected to the first HL housing to move along a plug-in path in opposite first and second directions; a second connector part having a second HL housing and a second LL housing; wherein the connector parts are movable relative to one another along the plug-in path to join together and to separate from one another; wherein the HL housings join together upon the connector parts joining together; wherein the LL housings join together after the first LL housing is moved in the first direction along the plug-in path toward the second LL housing while the connector parts are joined together; a lock associated with the connector parts, wherein upon being accessed the lock is movable between a locked position in which the lock fastens the connector parts together when the connector parts are joined together and an unlocked position in which the lock allows the connector parts to separate from one another; and a slider movably connected to the first connector part, wherein the slider is transversely movable relative to the plug-in path between a first position in which the slider engages the first LL housing to prevent the first LL housing from moving along the plug-in path and a second position in which the slider disengages from the first LL housing such that the first LL housing is movable along the plug-in path; wherein when the slider is in the first position the slider enables access to the lock and the lock engages the slider to prevent the slider from moving from the first position until the lock is in the locked position, and when the slider is in the second position and the lock is in the locked position the slider prevents access to the lock and the lock disengages from the slider to enable the slider to move from the second position; wherein the first LL housing engages the slider to prevent the slider from moving from the second position while the LL housings are joined together, and the first LL housing disengages from the slider to allow the slider to move from the second position while the LL housings are separated from one another as a result of the first LL housing moving in the second direction along the plug-in path away from the second LL housing.