Patent ID: 7686631

Claim:
An electrical connector, comprising: a generally box-shaped connector housing; a lever pivotally connected to the connector housing and operative to move from a first fixed position to a second fixed position; and at least one pivot pin interconnecting the connector housing and the lever, wherein, in the first fixed position, the lever is releasably connected to the connector housing to prevent the lever from moving towards the second fixed position, in the second fixed position, the lever is releasably connected to the connector housing to prevent the lever from moving towards the first fixed position, and upon releasing the lever from the first fixed position, the lever is operative to pivotally move from the first fixed position to the second fixed position, wherein the lever includes at least one arm member having a distal-end forked portion with a pair of prong elements defining a recess therebetween and a latch mechanism connected to the at least one arm member, the at least one pivot pin disposed adjacent the distal-end forked portion, wherein the connector housing includes a latch hole formed therethrough and the latch mechanism includes a latch bar having a first latch bar end connected to the at least one arm member and a second latch bar free end disposed opposite the first latch bar end, the second latch bar free end having a latch projection extending therefrom and sized to be received by the latch hole, the latch mechanism movable to and between a latched state and a release state such that, in the latched state, the latch projection is received by the latch hole thereby rendering the lever in the first fixed position and, in the release state, the latch projection is at least partially withdrawn from the latch hole, the latch mechanism being resiliently biased towards the latched state, and wherein the latch projection has a pair of opposing latch projection side walls extending parallel to one another, a forward latch projection wall extending perpendicularly to the pair of opposing latch projection side walls and a pair of latch projection ramping walls, respective ones of the latch projection ramping walls obliquely interconnecting the forward latch projection wall and respective ones of the pair of opposing latch projection side walls.