Terminal position assurance member, electrical connector comprising the same, and electrical connector assembly comprising the same

1 . An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a terminal receiving opening and a locking projection; and

a TPA member comprising first and second side cantilever arms and at least one bottom cantilever arm, the first and second side cantilever arms extending from both ends of the TPA member and the at least one bottom cantilever arm extending from a lower portion of the TPA member,

wherein, in a preliminary mounting position, the locking projection of the housing prevents the TPA member from being separated from the housing; and

wherein, in a final mounting position,

the first and second side cantilever arms are positioned outside a sidewall of the housing and are latch-coupled to the housing,

the at least one bottom cantilever arm is positioned outside a bottom of the housing and is latched-coupled to the housing, and

the TPA member is mounted outside the terminal receiving opening to fix a position of a terminal.

2 . The electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein, in the preliminary mounting position, the locking projection prevents the TPA member from being separated in a direction opposite a mating direction.

3 . The electrical connector of 1 ,

wherein the housing and the TPA member are formed by injecting molding a single time in a single injection mold and are disposed in the preliminary mounting position as they are.

4 . The electrical connector of claim 1 ,

wherein the housing further comprises a guide rib to guide a movement of the TPA member when the TPA member moves from the preliminary mounting position to the final mounting position.

5 . The electrical connector of claim 1 ,

wherein the TPA member further comprises a plurality of toothed portions which are disposed outside the plurality of terminal receiving openings of the housing in the preliminary mounting position.

6 . The electrical connector of claim 5 ,

wherein each of the plurality of terminal receiving openings of the housing comprises a finger portion disposed therein to prevent the terminal from being separated or shaking in a direction perpendicular to a receiving direction of the terminal after the terminal is mounted in the terminal receiving opening.

7 . The electrical connector of claim 6 ,

wherein, in the final mounting position, each of the plurality of toothed portions prevents the terminal from being separated or shaking forward and backward in the receiving direction of the terminal in cooperation with the finger portion of the corresponding terminal receiving opening.

8 . The electrical connector of claim 1 ,

wherein the housing further comprises a connecting portion which is disposed on a side to be coupled with another electrical connector, and

wherein the connecting portion of the electrical connector has rotational symmetry with a connecting portion of the another electrical connector.

9 . The electrical connector of claim 8 ,

wherein the plurality of terminal receiving openings have terminal receiving openings of a first group and terminal receiving openings of a second group which are arranged in two rows one on the other.

10 . The electrical connector of claim 8 ,

wherein the housing comprises a female latch portion on one side and a male latch portion on the other side facing the one side, and

wherein the male latch portion has a bending portion of a cascade shape.

11 . A TPA member comprising:

first and second side cantilever arms, the first and second side cantilever arms extending from both ends of the TPA member; and

at least one bottom cantilever arm, the at least one bottom cantilever arm extending from a lower portion of the TPA member,

wherein, in a preliminary mounting position, the TPA member is prevented from separating from a housing of an electrical connector by a locking projection of the housing; and

wherein, in a final mounting position,

the first and second side cantilever arms are positioned outside a sidewall of the housing and are latch-coupled to the housing,

the at least one bottom cantilever arm is positioned outside a bottom of the housing and is latch-coupled to the housing, and

the TPA member is mounted outside a terminal receiving opening of the housing to fix a position of a terminal.

12 . The TPA member of claim 11 ,

wherein the TPA member further comprises a plurality of toothed portions which are disposed outside a plurality of terminal receiving openings of the housing in the preliminary mounting position, and

wherein, in the final mounting position, each of the plurality of toothed portions is inserted into the corresponding terminal receiving opening to prevent separation or shaking forward and backward in a receiving direction of the terminal.

13 . An electrical connector assembly comprising:

the electrical connector according to claim 6 ; and

an electrical conductive terminal which is inserted into and fixed to the electrical connector, and has a terminal holder which is coupled with the finger portion of the electrical connector after being inserted into the electrical connector.

14 . The electrical connector assembly of claim 13 ,

wherein the electrical connector is able to be coupled with another electrical connector of the same shape as the electrical connector in a rotational symmetry state.