Patent ID: 8414315

Claim:
A connector assembly comprising: a first connector including a generally rectangular housing for carrying first electrical contacts, said housing having an access channel for receiving a lever assembly; said lever assembly having a generally U-shape with opposite extending end portions; a drive gear carried on the inner portion of each end portion, said drive gear having a lever lobe extending from one side and a plurality of drive teeth extending from another side; a pair of mating gears rotatably carried by said first connector, each mating gear having a lever lobe extending from one side and a plurality of mating teeth extending from another side, said mating gears having their mating teeth in mating relationship respectively with said drive teeth of said drive gears; a second connector defining a generally rectangular header for carrying second electrical contacts for respective connection to said first electrical contacts in response to said second connector being fully engaged with said first connector; said header including a pair of cam tracks on each longitudinal side of the header for respectively receiving the lever lobes of the drive gears and mating gears; said lever assembly having a first position whereat said header is in an unengaged position with respect to said first connector; said lever assembly is rotatable to a second position whereat said drive gears and associated mating gears are moved to cause said lever lobes within said cam tracks to move said header to said fully engaged position; said first connector includes a first blocking member for preventing the lever assembly from moving from the first position to the second position prior to engagement of the first and second connectors and a second blocking member for preventing said lever assembly from moving in a direction opposite the direction from the first position to the second; and said first blocking member is positioned on an inner surface adjacent one of said lever lobes and said second connector includes a release member positioned adjacent said cam track associated with said one of said lever lobes for releasing said blocking member to permit movement of said lever assembly to the second position.