Patent ID: 7645156

Claim:
An electrical connector comprising: first and second connector parts movable to engage with one another along a plugging direction, the first connector part having a latching element including a pair of legs connected to a crossbar in which the legs extend along the plugging direction and the crossbar extends perpendicular to the plugging direction, the second connector part having a latching contour, wherein the crossbar moves along and over the latching contour as the connector parts move toward one another and engages the latching projection in order to latch the connector parts together; and a connection element connected to the first connector part such that the connection element is displaceable with respect to the first connector part between first and second latching positions extending along the plugging direction; the connection element having an outer portion extended substantially from a top wall to a bottom wall of the first connector part, a pair of locking tabs with a spring positioned in between the locking tabs, the locking; tabs extending along the plugging direction adjacent respective ones of the legs of the latching element and the spring extending along the plugging direction between the legs of the latching element; wherein the spring engages the crossbar of the latching element until the crossbar engages the latching contour such that the connection element is fixed in the first latching position, wherein the spring disengages from the crossbar of the latching element when the crossbar engages the latching contour such that the connection element is enabled to be displaced between the first and second latching positions; wherein the locking tabs engage the crossbar when the crossbar moves along the latching contour such that the locking tabs remove load from the spring when the crossbar moves along the latching contour; wherein while the connection element is in the second latching position the locking tabs extend over the crossbar to secure the engagement of the crossbar to the latching contour such that the connector parts are securable latched to one another; wherein the first connector part is a plug connector part and the second connector part is a socket connector part.