Patent ID: 8152554

Claim:
An apparatus for use in securing an electrical connection, said electrical connection being formed by a mating structure including prongs of a male assembly and receptacles of a female assembly, wherein said electrical connection is broken by withdrawal of said prongs from said receptacles, said apparatus comprising: a female assembly housing supporting said receptacles, said housing having a stationary front surface, defining an interface area between said male assembly and female assembly, and peripheral surfaces extending transverse to said front surface between said male assembly and said female assembly; a clamping element including first and second clamping surfaces moveable between a clamping configuration, wherein said first and second clamping surfaces clamp on first and second opposite sides, respectively, of one or more of said prongs of said male assembly, and a release configuration, wherein said clamping element holds said mating structure in a connected state in said clamping configuration, and a withdrawal force tending to withdraw said prongs from said receptacles causes angular deflection of said clamping element such that said withdrawal force concomitantly urges said first clamping surface against said first side of said prong and urges said second clamping surface against said second side of said prong; and a release mechanism for releasing said clamping element from said clamping configuration, said release mechanism including a user release element, that is accessible to a user when said prongs are engaged in said receptacles and said clamping element is in said clamping configuration, for use in allowing said user to move said clamping element into said release configuration, said user release element being free of any structure extending outwardly from said peripheral surfaces of said housing.