referring to the drawings in greater detail , fig1 - 3a show an embodiment of an electrical connector incorporating a two - part housing , and fig4 - 7 show an embodiment of the invention incorporated in a one - piece connector housing . as will be fully described hereinafter , the primary difference between the two embodiments is that the two - part connector housing of fig1 - 3a is used to deform the insulation displacement terminal , whereas a terminating tool is used in the embodiment of fig4 - 7 . otherwise , the unique , deformable flat terminal of the invention is the same in both embodiments . referring to fig1 an electrical connector , generally designated 10 , is shown to include a two - part housing including a base part , generally designated 12 , and a cover part , generally designated 14 . base part 12 mounts a plurality of terminals , generally designated 16 , and cover part 14 is effective to engage the terminals and deform the terminals into insulation - displacing condition with respect to a plurality of insulated electrical wires , as will be described hereinafter . more particularly , and still referring to fig1 base part 12 of the two - part housing includes a pair of stepped latch bosses 18 on each opposite longitudinal side thereof . cover part 14 includes a pair of u - shaped latch arms 20 on each longitudinal side thereof for latchingly engaging latch bosses 18 . each latch arm 20 has a latch shoulder 20a defined on the inside of the u - shaped configuration thereof . generally , base part 12 has a row of terminal - receiving passageways 22 each adapted for receiving one of the terminals 16 . cover part 14 includes a plurality of wire - receiving passages 24 which are aligned with terminal - receiving passageways 22 when the two parts of the housing are engaged . in fact , as seen in fig1 terminal - receiving passageways 22 have enlarged , rounded center areas 22a of a size similar to wire - receiving passages 24 . cover part 14 of the connector housing is unitarily molded of dielectric material such as plastic or the like . therefore , latch arms 20 are resiliently flexible for snappingly engaging latch bosses 18 . referring to fig2 and 2a , base part 12 of the connector housing includes a unitarily molded plastic body 26 substantially surrounded by a shield 28 of conductive material , such as metal . the shield defines a mating cavity 30 for receiving a complementary electrical connector , as described hereinafter . referring to fig2 and 2a in conjunction with fig1 each terminal 16 includes a terminating section , generally designated 32 , and a blade section 34 which projects through a hole 36 ( fig2 ) in body 26 and into mating cavity 30 within shield 28 . the terminal blade forms a male contact for engaging a female contact portion of a terminal in the mating connector which is inserted into cavity 30 . the terminal further includes an intermediate body section 38 press - fit into an enlarged area 40 of each terminal - receiving passageway 22 in body 26 of the base part of the connector housing . terminating section 32 of each terminal 16 includes a fixed portion 42 and a deflectable portion 44 which , in turn , is connected by a deformable web to a rigid portion 48 solidly joined to body portion 38 . deflectable portion 44 is joined to body portion 38 by a narrow deformable neck area 50 . lastly , each of fixed portion 42 and deflectable portion 44 include teeth 42a and 44a , respectively , for piercing and , therefore , displacing the insulation of an electrical wire 52 which defines a longitudinal axis 54 thereof . fig2 and 2a show electrical connector 10 in a pre - terminating condition wherein cover part 14 of the two - part connector housing has its latch arms 20 snappingly engaging a first step 56 of each latch boss 18 . in this condition , electrical wire 52 is readily inserted through a respective wire - receiving passage 24 in cover part 14 in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; a &# 34 ; and to a position between fixed portion 42 and deflectable portion 44 of terminating section 32 of the respective terminal 16 . now , referring to fig3 and 3a , cover part 14 of the two - part connector housing is shown having been moved in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; b &# 34 ;, whereby latch shoulders 20a of latch arms 20 have engaged second steps 58 of latch bosses 18 . in addition , a deflecting boss 60 on the inside of cover part 14 has engaged within a recess 62 adjacent deformable web 46 of terminating section 32 of terminal 16 . it should be noted that fixed portion 42 of the terminating section rigidly abuts the inside of cover part 14 , as at 64 . therefore , fixed portion 42 remains stationary or fixed at all times during termination . however , deflectable portion 44 can be seen deflected in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; c &# 34 ; toward fixed portion 42 , as the terminating section of the terminal deforms at deformable web 46 and neck area 50 . it also can be seen that teeth 44a of deflectable portion 44 have been driven through insulation 52a of insulated wire 52 and into contact with a conductor or core 52b of the wire . teeth 42a of fixed portion 42 also have been driven through the insulation into contact with the conductor . it should be understood that , although cover part 14 is shown in fig3 and 3a in a latched condition with respect to base part 12 of the connector housing , with terminating section 32 in its deformed condition , the cover part is not necessary to maintain the deformed or insulation - displacing condition of the terminal . that is because the terminal is stamped in a flat configuration and is disposed within the connector in a plane coincident with longitudinal axis 54 of insulated wire 52 . in other words , deformable web 46 and neck area 50 deform in a direction coplanar with the plane of the metal material which forms the terminal or at least the terminating section thereof . this is in contrast to deflecting the metal material transverse to its plane which would result in a resilient or &# 34 ; spring - back &# 34 ; condition . by deflecting the terminal in its plane , the deflected portions ( i . e . deformable web 46 and neck area 50 ) will be permanently deformed . fig4 - 7 show an alternate embodiment of the invention wherein an electrical connector , generally designated 10 &# 39 ;, is shown to include a one - part housing 70 having a plurality of terminal - receiving passageways 72 with enlarged areas 72a for receiving an insulated wire 52 in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; d &# 34 ; ( fig4 ). only one passageway 72 is shown in the drawings for receiving a respective one of terminals 16 &# 39 ; which is very similarly configured to terminal 16 in fig1 - 3a . therefore , like numerals have been applied to like components or portions of terminal 16 &# 39 ; corresponding to similar portions of terminal 16 described above . in the one - part housing connector 10 &# 39 ; of fig4 - 7 , there is no cover part for effecting insulation displacement termination between terminal 16 &# 39 ; and insulated wire 52 . therefore , fig5 shows a terminating tool 74 having a distal end provided with a deflecting boss 76 which corresponds to deflecting boss 60 inside cover part 14 as described above . fig4 shows insulation displacement section 32 of terminal 16 &# 39 ; in an unstressed or non - terminating condition . fig5 shows tool 74 having been forced downwardly in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; e &# 34 ; to deform terminating section 32 at deformable web 46 and neck area 50 , as described above , to drive deflecting portion 44 and its teeth 44a in the direction of arrow &# 34 ; c &# 34 ;. lastly , fig6 and 7 are substantially identical to fig4 and 5 , except that electrical wire 52 has been inserted between deflectable portion 44 and fixed portion 42 of terminating section 32 of the terminal to show the insulation displacement effect in connector 10 &# 39 ; and how the action is substantially identical to that described above in relation to connector 10 in fig2 - 3a . it might be noted that fixed portion 42 is not rigidly backed by the housing in an area corresponding to area 64 in the embodiment illustrated in fig3 . however , the base of fixed portion 42 where it is joined to body portion 38 is much wider than either neck area 50 or deformable web 46 and , therefore , deflectable portion 44 will be moved while fixed portion 42 experiences little movement . when terminating tool 74 ( fig7 ) is removed , terminating section 32 ( i . e . deformable web 46 and neck area 50 ) will maintain the deformed condition shown , with deflectable portion 44 of the terminal fully terminated to insulated wire 52 . it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof . the present examples and embodiments , therefore , are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive , and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein .