Patent attributes
An electrical connector includes a housing having an upper wall and a first protrusion and a CPA element slidably coupled to the housing along the upper wall between an extended position and an inserted position. The CPA element includes a base and a first beam extending from the base having a first arm and a first finger including an abutment wall configured to abut against the first protrusion and a tip configured to be engaged by a mating connector when received in the housing. The tip is deflected from a blocked position to a released position with the distal end engaging the protrusion in the blocked position and the tip being deflected outside of the protrusion to the released position where the tip is able to clear past the protrusion to allow the CPA element to be moved from the extended position to the inserted position. The CPA may be configured so that in the extended position it is to block release of a pivotal latch used to retain the connector to a mating connector.
