SELF-REJECTING AUTOMOTIVE HARNESS CONNECTOR

Connector (10, 110) for connecting to a receptacle includes a housing including fins (16) or tripping structures (120), an electrically conductive terminal (12) in the housing, locking beams (11) or latches (113) in the housing, a spring (15, 128), and a slider (7) slidingly coupled to the housing and having blocking beams (7B) extending in a mating direction. Alternatively, a slider (114) includes blocking structures (117) and trippable structures (121) extending in the mating direction and that cooperate with the tripping structures (120). The fins (16) or tripping structures (120) engage with the blocking beams (7B) or trippable structures (121), respectively, during an initial stage of movement between the housing and slider (7, 114) against bias of the spring (15, 128) while inward deflection of the locking beams (11) or latches (113) is allowed. The blocking beams (7B) or trippable structures (121) prevent inward deflection of the locking beams (11) or latches (113) after a final stage of the movement between the housing and slider (7, 114), and the connector (10, 110) has an electrically interconnected state only when in the final stage.