CA1301873C - Electrical connector - Google Patents
Electrical connectorInfo
- Publication number
- CA1301873C CA1301873C CA000556526A CA556526A CA1301873C CA 1301873 C CA1301873 C CA 1301873C CA 000556526 A CA000556526 A CA 000556526A CA 556526 A CA556526 A CA 556526A CA 1301873 C CA1301873 C CA 1301873C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- tubular member
- apertures
- terminals
- abutments
- outboard
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
- 230000014759 maintenance of location Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 68
- 125000006850 spacer group Chemical group 0.000 claims abstract description 34
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 5
- 230000013011 mating Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 230000002093 peripheral effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 abstract description 4
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 description 5
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000003566 sealing material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004743 Polypropylene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001010 compromised effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007812 deficiency Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- -1 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 229920001155 polypropylene Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002904 solvent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000003466 welding Methods 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
- H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
- H01R13/436—Securing a plurality of contact members by one locking piece or operation
- H01R13/4364—Insertion of locking piece from the front
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
- H01R13/42—Securing in a demountable manner
- H01R13/422—Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, e.g. by friction; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means
Landscapes
- Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
Abstract
Abstract of the Disclosure A separable electrical connector for a plurality of axially connectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the threads of insulated wires and having an annular external recess on each of the terminals. The connector includes an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough and a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with the tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of the tubular member. A plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers is included upon a central land located within the tubular member. A spacer engages with the central land for displacing the terminal guide fingers in the direction of the ramping retention abutments so that the terminals will be retained securely within the connector assembly.
Description
~3~ 3 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
This invention relates to an electrical connector for connecting a plurality of pairs of electrical conductors.
Electrical connectors typically comprise an internal terminal assembly constructed of an electri-cally conducting material and an outer housing surrounding the terminal so as to insulate the terminal, thereby preventing the terminal Prom contacting any other portion of an electrical apparatus. Such terminals are frequently of the separable, axially connectable type in which male and female terminal halves are axially mated in order to make the electrical connection. To achieve axial connection of the terminal halves, force must be applied to the terminals, but because the terminal halves are usually encased within an outer housing, the terminal halves may become detached from their respective outer housings in the event that they are not properly retained within the outer housings.
A variety of schemes have been implemented for retaining terminals within connector housings. Such schemes generally fall into two categories. In the first category, are found electrical connector apparatus in which the terminal is inserted into a housing and retained by the interaction of the housing and the terminal with no further steps. Examples of such electrical connector apparatus are shown in U.S. Patents ~k ,~
~ . . ._., _ ~ 3~ 73 3,170,752, 3,430,185, 4,124,264, and 4,133,599. The types of connectors shown in the aforementioned patents suffer from a deficiency inasmuch as the force reguired to insert the terminal into the connector housing can be quite high and this may cause undesired deformation of the terminal. Alternatively, if e~cessive insertion forces are mitigated, the retention force of the terminal within the connector housing may be compromised. Figure 1 shows such a connector.
In an effort to achieve ~oth reasonable insertion forces for inserting terminals within connector I housings, while at the same time providing a connector assembly in which high forces will be needed to separate the terminal from the connector housing, designers have utilized ~ultiple component connector housings in which a spacer i8 employed for the purpose of c~anging a dimension of the connector housing once the terminals have been inserted. An eYample of such a connector is shown in U.S. Patent 3,937,545, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Although the connector illustrated in '545 patent is of the multiple component design, the force required to separate the terminals from the connector housing is limited because the retention structures of the terminals are engaged by relatiYely small detents mounted at the center of the ¦ connector assembly. Because these detents can embrace only a small portion of an esternal recess formed on each terminal, the retention force of the terminals within the connector assembly is not acceptable for certain applications, such as the wiring of electrical devices ¦ found in certain areas of an automobile. Moreover, as the size of a connector is reduced in order to improve its package efficiency, the area of contact between the detent device and the terminal will be reduced and this reduction will necessitate increased expenditures to reduce manufacturing tolerances in order to assure that adequate retention capability is maintained.
The present invention is directed towards the provision of an electrical connector in which the cover of the connector housing is integral with the spacer assembly. In this manner, the tubular portion of the connec or housing may be open in the front, and this will, according to the present invention, allow the provision of outboard ramping retention structures.
These outboard structures, embracing up to one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of the electrical terminals included in the connector, will greatly enhance the push-out/pull-out strength of the connector. It should be noted that for the purposes of this document, push-out/pull-out" refers to axial displacement of the terminal from the connector housing.
It is a feature of the present invention that a connector according to this invention will be more easily manufactured because the design of the connector assembly is more forgiving of manufacturing tolerance errors.
According to one aspect of the present in~ention, a separable electrical connector comprises an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, with a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments . , .
13~.tl~3~73 formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of the tubular member so that each of the said apertures has at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments e~tending radially inward into the aperture. A connector according to the present invention further comprises a plurality of axially connectable, cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular eYternal recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said ¦ terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular eYternal recess of eacll terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments. An electrical connector according to the present invention further comprises a central land located within the tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of aYially estending terminal guide fingers, with ~ach of said fingers having a portion e~tending in justaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments. A connector according to the present invention further camprises spacer means aYial~y engaged with central land, for displacing said terminal guide finqers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
j A spacer means for an electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of blades with each of said blades interposed between at least two of said terminal guide fingers, said spacer means further preferably comprising cover means for said connector. Said cover means includes a plurality of apertures eYtending through the cover for receiving a plurality of terminals with at least one of said '3 apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member.
The outboard ramping retention abutments included in an electrical connector according to the present invention will preferably engage from one-quarter to one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
Each of the plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers preferably comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross-section body having a semi-circular guideway formed on an outboard surface thereof, with each of said fingers being cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member.
In order to prevent the electrical terminals of the present connector from moving out of the connector in the direction in which the terminals were previously inserted into the connector, the tubular me~ber preferably further comprises non-ramping abutment means for engaging the mating ends of the terminals.
In a second preferred embodiment, a connector according to the present invention further comprises a plurality o~ inboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said terminal guide fingers with at least one o~ said inboard abutments extending radially outward into each of said apertures in correspondence of said outboard ramping retention abutments.
The invention is described further, by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a prior art electrical connector having a one-piece housing;
Figure 2 is an elevation showing various component parts of an electrical connector according to the present invention:
i~ ~f~
i3~73 Figure 3 is an elevation of the connector of Figure 2 taken in the direction of Arrow 3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an elevation of the connector shown in Figure 2, taken in the direction of Arrow 4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is an elevation of an integral cover and spacer assembly according to the present invention;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a spacer assembly shown in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the spacer-assembly of Figure 6 taken in the direction of Arrow ~7 of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is an end elevation of the spacer assembly shown in Figure 6 taken in the direction of Arrow 8 of Figure 6;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the spacer assembly o~ Figure 5 taken along the Line 9-9 of Figure 5;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the spacer assembly of Figure 7 taken along the Line 10-10 of Figure 7;
Figures 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of a connector according to the present invention taken along the Line 11-11 of Figure 3;
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view o~ the connector of Figure 12 taken along the Line 13-13 of Figure 12:
Figure 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view o~ the connector shown in Figure 11 taken along the Line 14-14 Or Figure 11; and Figure 15 i8 a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a connector according to the present invention.
As shown in Figure 2, an electrical connector according to the present invention has an outer housing comprising generally tubular member 8 and cover 26. It 13S~ 73 will be understood in view of this disclosure that only one-half of a connector assembly having the female portion of mating electrical terminals is shown, it being understood that the other half of the connector assembly, having the male portion of the mating electrical terminals, would normally be constructed in similar fashion to the construction shown herein.
As shown in Figures 2 and 11-13, generally tubular member 8 is an elongated, rigid, nonconductive member having a plurality of apertures 10 extending therethrough. Apertures 10 extend from one end of generally tubular member 8 to the other end thereof.
Because generally tubular member 8 is open at both ends, it is possible to mold and thereby form integrally with tubular member 8 a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments 12. Ramping retention abutments 12 are pre~erably formed upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of generally tubular member 8 so that each of the apertures 10 extending through the generally tubular member has at least one of said ramping retention abutments extending radially inward into each aperture.
The function of outboard ramping retention abutments 12 may be understood with reference to Figures 11-13. As hown in Figure 11, electrical terminal 16 at the upper portion of Figure 11 is being ~ f.A~.
~3(~73 inserted into an aperture 10 within generally tubular member 8. The long cylindrical portion of the electrical terminal is allowed to ride up over outboard ramping retention abutment 12 until an annular e~ternal recess 18 on the terminal becomes engaged with outboard ramping retention abutment 12. At such time as the outboard ramping retention abutment and the annular e~ternal recess become engaged, the terminal will be seated within ¦ the connector a shown in the lower portion of Figure 11 and in Figure 12.
Passage of the terminal into aperture 10 is assisted by terminal guide fingers 20. Terminal guide fingers 20 each have a portion extending in ju~taposition 1 15 to one of ramping retention abutments 12. Eac~ guide I finger 20 comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross-section body having a semi-circular guideway 22 ¦ formed on an outboard surface thereof with each of the fingers being cantilevered from bulkhead 36 which e~tends . 20 transversely across the interior of tubular member 8.
The details of the terminal guide fingers are shown with particularity in Figures 11-13. As shown in Fiqure 11, a . terminal being inserted into one o apertures 10 is pushed along semi-circular guideway 22 formed on one of terminal guide fingers 20. The terminal guide fingers are allowed to elastically deform as shown in Figure 11 so that the cylindrical front portion of terminal 16 will be allowed to ride up and over outboard ramping retention abutment 12 as previously described. Figure 14 shows another view of terminal 16 being inserted into the connector assembly. The upper two terminals shown in Figure 14 are in the process of riding up and over outboard ramping retention abutments 12 whereas the lower terminal in the figure is fully seated with its annular e~ternal reces engaged with an outboard ramping ~3~ 373 retention ahutment. The nature of the outboard ramping retention abutments may be further understood by ~iewing Figures 3 and 4 which show end views of the abutments.
Each outboard ramping retention abutment 12 engages at least one-quarter of the circumference of the annular eYternal recess lB of a corresponding electrical terminal 16. Preferably, one-half of the circum~erence of the annular e~ternal rece~s of each of the electrioal terminals is engaged.
Once the plurality of terminals 16 have been inserted into the connector assembly and the ramping retention abutments have been engaged with the circular eYternal recesses on the terminals, the terminals are prevented from being pulled out of the connector by any tension imposed upon the terminal by conductors 17.
Furthermore, the seated terminals are restrained from moving out of the connector in the direction in which the terminals were inserted into the connector by means of a plurality of non-ramping abutments 34 which are preferably integral with generally tubular member ~.
; Non-ramping abutments 34 are best shown in Figures 3 and 11 .
After each of terminals 16 has been seated in its respective aperture 10, a spacer means is axially engaged with the central land for displacing the terminal guide fingers in the direction of the ramping retention abutments so that the ramping retention abutments will retain the terminals within the apertures. As best shown in Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10, a preferred spacer means comprises a plurality of blades 24, with each of the blades interposed between at least two of the terminal guide fingers 20. As shown in Figures 5-10, spacer ~3~ 73 blades 24 are joined with integral cover 26 which has a plurality of apertures 28 for accepting male terminals inserted through the apertures and mating with female terminals 16 contained within the electrical connectorO
1 5 The spacer assembly also includes a plurality of terminal ! guideways 30 which mate with terminals 16 as the spacer assembly is inserted into the generally tubular mem~er 8. These terminal guideways as before comprise semi-circular channels molded integrally into the spacer assembly.
The spacer assembly and generally tubular member 8 are preferably molded of polypropylene havin~
I glass filling of about 30%. Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure, however, that a connector according to the present invention could be I molded of a variety of other materials known to those ¦ skilled in the art.
As shown in Figure 6, a plurality of coves ¦ attaching pins 32 is integrally m~lded with cover 26 of the spacer assembly. The cover attaching pins mate with apertures 33 ~ormed within g~nerally tubular assembly 8, as shown in Figure 4. The attaching pins perform two functions. The first function of attaching pin 32 is, as previously stated, to attach the spacer assembly, including the cover, to the balance of the connector~
The second function of the cover attaching pin 32 is to index the cover portion of the spacer assembly properly to the front face of the generally tubular member 8.
Unli~e prior art connectors which have the cover molded with the remainder of the connector body in one integral part, the present spacer assembly, by virtue of its inclusion of the connector's cover, offers an advantage in that the front face of generally tubular member 8 is 13~7~
allowed to be open. In turn, because the front face of tubular member 8 is open, it is possible to mold the ramping rotention abutments within member 8.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view o this disclosure that the cover and spacer assembly disclosed herein may be attached to the balance of the connector not only by the means illustrated herein, but also by such methods of chemical bonding, solvent welding, or through the use of threaded fasteners, or other types of barbed structures known to those skilled in the arts.
As shown in Figures 3 and 14, the outboard ramping retention abutments engage approximately one-half of the circumference of the annular e~ternal recess 18 formed on each terminal 14. Because terminals 16 are retained for about one-half of the circum~erence of the annular e~ternal recess, the holding powes of the connector upon the terminals is much greater than that of prior art connectors such as that shown in U.S. Pat~nt 3,937,545. As a result, a connector according to the present invention will be more resistant to failure occasioned by dislocation of the terminal8 due to pulling forces impoxed by conductors 17, or pushing forces imposed by the insertion of a male terminal portion into the female connectors shown in the drawings herein.
Another advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the superior terminal retention ability provided by a connector according to this invention may allow the overall size of the connector, particularly the diameter of the generally tubular member, to be reduced wi~hout sacrificing the integrity of the connector~
- ~3~ 3 A connector according to the present invention offers a further advantage inasmuch as the connector should be more easily manufactured because the superior ¦ 5 terminal retention capability of the rampinq retention abutments will render the connector more ~forgiving~ of manufacturing tolerance variations which could cause the molded parts of a connector to change dimensionally during a lengthy production run. In other words, because a more substantial structure is provided for retaining the terminals within the connector assembly, minor . deviations in the dimensions of the molded portion of the connector, which would normally be suficient to render ¦ other types of connectors inoperative, will not affect ¦ 15 the integrity of a connector according to the present invention.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view ~ of this disclosure that a connector according to the 20 present invention could be constructed with more than the four terminals shown herein, it being understood that any number of pairs of terminals could be contained within a : connector according to the present invention. Those . skilled in the art will further appreciate in view oF
this disclosure that the conductors or wires entering an electrical connector according to the present invention could be sealed into the connector housing by means of a sealing material, such as rubber, with the sealing material placed within tubular member 8 in the area identiied by numeral 38 in Figure 2.
Figure 15, which is similar to Figure 12, illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in which not only outboard ramping retention abutments but also inboard ramping retention abutments 19 ~u~
are employed. Each inboard ramping retention abutment is formed integrally with a terminal guide finger such that at least one of said inboard abutments e~tends radially outward into each of the apertures of the generally tubular member, in correspondence with an outboard ramping retention abutment.
- The connector shown in Figure 15 could be emp~oyed in the event that even greater retention capability for the terminals 16 is desired. It should be understood, however, that addition of the inboard ramping retention abutments 14 will cause the overall diameter of the connector to be increased. This increase may not be de~irable in certain applications and may, therefore, preclude inclusion in the connector of the inboard I ramping retention abutments.
I Various modifications and variations will no doubt occur to those skilled in the various arts to which 2~ this invention pertains. All such variations and modifications which basically rely on the teachings through which this disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.
This invention relates to an electrical connector for connecting a plurality of pairs of electrical conductors.
Electrical connectors typically comprise an internal terminal assembly constructed of an electri-cally conducting material and an outer housing surrounding the terminal so as to insulate the terminal, thereby preventing the terminal Prom contacting any other portion of an electrical apparatus. Such terminals are frequently of the separable, axially connectable type in which male and female terminal halves are axially mated in order to make the electrical connection. To achieve axial connection of the terminal halves, force must be applied to the terminals, but because the terminal halves are usually encased within an outer housing, the terminal halves may become detached from their respective outer housings in the event that they are not properly retained within the outer housings.
A variety of schemes have been implemented for retaining terminals within connector housings. Such schemes generally fall into two categories. In the first category, are found electrical connector apparatus in which the terminal is inserted into a housing and retained by the interaction of the housing and the terminal with no further steps. Examples of such electrical connector apparatus are shown in U.S. Patents ~k ,~
~ . . ._., _ ~ 3~ 73 3,170,752, 3,430,185, 4,124,264, and 4,133,599. The types of connectors shown in the aforementioned patents suffer from a deficiency inasmuch as the force reguired to insert the terminal into the connector housing can be quite high and this may cause undesired deformation of the terminal. Alternatively, if e~cessive insertion forces are mitigated, the retention force of the terminal within the connector housing may be compromised. Figure 1 shows such a connector.
In an effort to achieve ~oth reasonable insertion forces for inserting terminals within connector I housings, while at the same time providing a connector assembly in which high forces will be needed to separate the terminal from the connector housing, designers have utilized ~ultiple component connector housings in which a spacer i8 employed for the purpose of c~anging a dimension of the connector housing once the terminals have been inserted. An eYample of such a connector is shown in U.S. Patent 3,937,545, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Although the connector illustrated in '545 patent is of the multiple component design, the force required to separate the terminals from the connector housing is limited because the retention structures of the terminals are engaged by relatiYely small detents mounted at the center of the ¦ connector assembly. Because these detents can embrace only a small portion of an esternal recess formed on each terminal, the retention force of the terminals within the connector assembly is not acceptable for certain applications, such as the wiring of electrical devices ¦ found in certain areas of an automobile. Moreover, as the size of a connector is reduced in order to improve its package efficiency, the area of contact between the detent device and the terminal will be reduced and this reduction will necessitate increased expenditures to reduce manufacturing tolerances in order to assure that adequate retention capability is maintained.
The present invention is directed towards the provision of an electrical connector in which the cover of the connector housing is integral with the spacer assembly. In this manner, the tubular portion of the connec or housing may be open in the front, and this will, according to the present invention, allow the provision of outboard ramping retention structures.
These outboard structures, embracing up to one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of the electrical terminals included in the connector, will greatly enhance the push-out/pull-out strength of the connector. It should be noted that for the purposes of this document, push-out/pull-out" refers to axial displacement of the terminal from the connector housing.
It is a feature of the present invention that a connector according to this invention will be more easily manufactured because the design of the connector assembly is more forgiving of manufacturing tolerance errors.
According to one aspect of the present in~ention, a separable electrical connector comprises an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member having a plurality of apertures extending axially therethrough, with a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments . , .
13~.tl~3~73 formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of the tubular member so that each of the said apertures has at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments e~tending radially inward into the aperture. A connector according to the present invention further comprises a plurality of axially connectable, cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular eYternal recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said ¦ terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular eYternal recess of eacll terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments. An electrical connector according to the present invention further comprises a central land located within the tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of aYially estending terminal guide fingers, with ~ach of said fingers having a portion e~tending in justaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments. A connector according to the present invention further camprises spacer means aYial~y engaged with central land, for displacing said terminal guide finqers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
j A spacer means for an electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of blades with each of said blades interposed between at least two of said terminal guide fingers, said spacer means further preferably comprising cover means for said connector. Said cover means includes a plurality of apertures eYtending through the cover for receiving a plurality of terminals with at least one of said '3 apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member.
The outboard ramping retention abutments included in an electrical connector according to the present invention will preferably engage from one-quarter to one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
Each of the plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers preferably comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross-section body having a semi-circular guideway formed on an outboard surface thereof, with each of said fingers being cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member.
In order to prevent the electrical terminals of the present connector from moving out of the connector in the direction in which the terminals were previously inserted into the connector, the tubular me~ber preferably further comprises non-ramping abutment means for engaging the mating ends of the terminals.
In a second preferred embodiment, a connector according to the present invention further comprises a plurality o~ inboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said terminal guide fingers with at least one o~ said inboard abutments extending radially outward into each of said apertures in correspondence of said outboard ramping retention abutments.
The invention is described further, by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a prior art electrical connector having a one-piece housing;
Figure 2 is an elevation showing various component parts of an electrical connector according to the present invention:
i~ ~f~
i3~73 Figure 3 is an elevation of the connector of Figure 2 taken in the direction of Arrow 3 of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an elevation of the connector shown in Figure 2, taken in the direction of Arrow 4 of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is an elevation of an integral cover and spacer assembly according to the present invention;
Figure 6 is a side elevation of a spacer assembly shown in Figure 5;
Figure 7 is an end elevation of the spacer-assembly of Figure 6 taken in the direction of Arrow ~7 of Figure 6;
Figure 8 is an end elevation of the spacer assembly shown in Figure 6 taken in the direction of Arrow 8 of Figure 6;
Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view of the spacer assembly o~ Figure 5 taken along the Line 9-9 of Figure 5;
Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view of the spacer assembly of Figure 7 taken along the Line 10-10 of Figure 7;
Figures 11 and 12 are cross-sectional views of a connector according to the present invention taken along the Line 11-11 of Figure 3;
Figure 13 is a cross-sectional view o~ the connector of Figure 12 taken along the Line 13-13 of Figure 12:
Figure 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view o~ the connector shown in Figure 11 taken along the Line 14-14 Or Figure 11; and Figure 15 i8 a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a connector according to the present invention.
As shown in Figure 2, an electrical connector according to the present invention has an outer housing comprising generally tubular member 8 and cover 26. It 13S~ 73 will be understood in view of this disclosure that only one-half of a connector assembly having the female portion of mating electrical terminals is shown, it being understood that the other half of the connector assembly, having the male portion of the mating electrical terminals, would normally be constructed in similar fashion to the construction shown herein.
As shown in Figures 2 and 11-13, generally tubular member 8 is an elongated, rigid, nonconductive member having a plurality of apertures 10 extending therethrough. Apertures 10 extend from one end of generally tubular member 8 to the other end thereof.
Because generally tubular member 8 is open at both ends, it is possible to mold and thereby form integrally with tubular member 8 a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments 12. Ramping retention abutments 12 are pre~erably formed upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of generally tubular member 8 so that each of the apertures 10 extending through the generally tubular member has at least one of said ramping retention abutments extending radially inward into each aperture.
The function of outboard ramping retention abutments 12 may be understood with reference to Figures 11-13. As hown in Figure 11, electrical terminal 16 at the upper portion of Figure 11 is being ~ f.A~.
~3(~73 inserted into an aperture 10 within generally tubular member 8. The long cylindrical portion of the electrical terminal is allowed to ride up over outboard ramping retention abutment 12 until an annular e~ternal recess 18 on the terminal becomes engaged with outboard ramping retention abutment 12. At such time as the outboard ramping retention abutment and the annular e~ternal recess become engaged, the terminal will be seated within ¦ the connector a shown in the lower portion of Figure 11 and in Figure 12.
Passage of the terminal into aperture 10 is assisted by terminal guide fingers 20. Terminal guide fingers 20 each have a portion extending in ju~taposition 1 15 to one of ramping retention abutments 12. Eac~ guide I finger 20 comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross-section body having a semi-circular guideway 22 ¦ formed on an outboard surface thereof with each of the fingers being cantilevered from bulkhead 36 which e~tends . 20 transversely across the interior of tubular member 8.
The details of the terminal guide fingers are shown with particularity in Figures 11-13. As shown in Fiqure 11, a . terminal being inserted into one o apertures 10 is pushed along semi-circular guideway 22 formed on one of terminal guide fingers 20. The terminal guide fingers are allowed to elastically deform as shown in Figure 11 so that the cylindrical front portion of terminal 16 will be allowed to ride up and over outboard ramping retention abutment 12 as previously described. Figure 14 shows another view of terminal 16 being inserted into the connector assembly. The upper two terminals shown in Figure 14 are in the process of riding up and over outboard ramping retention abutments 12 whereas the lower terminal in the figure is fully seated with its annular e~ternal reces engaged with an outboard ramping ~3~ 373 retention ahutment. The nature of the outboard ramping retention abutments may be further understood by ~iewing Figures 3 and 4 which show end views of the abutments.
Each outboard ramping retention abutment 12 engages at least one-quarter of the circumference of the annular eYternal recess lB of a corresponding electrical terminal 16. Preferably, one-half of the circum~erence of the annular e~ternal rece~s of each of the electrioal terminals is engaged.
Once the plurality of terminals 16 have been inserted into the connector assembly and the ramping retention abutments have been engaged with the circular eYternal recesses on the terminals, the terminals are prevented from being pulled out of the connector by any tension imposed upon the terminal by conductors 17.
Furthermore, the seated terminals are restrained from moving out of the connector in the direction in which the terminals were inserted into the connector by means of a plurality of non-ramping abutments 34 which are preferably integral with generally tubular member ~.
; Non-ramping abutments 34 are best shown in Figures 3 and 11 .
After each of terminals 16 has been seated in its respective aperture 10, a spacer means is axially engaged with the central land for displacing the terminal guide fingers in the direction of the ramping retention abutments so that the ramping retention abutments will retain the terminals within the apertures. As best shown in Figures 5, 6, 9 and 10, a preferred spacer means comprises a plurality of blades 24, with each of the blades interposed between at least two of the terminal guide fingers 20. As shown in Figures 5-10, spacer ~3~ 73 blades 24 are joined with integral cover 26 which has a plurality of apertures 28 for accepting male terminals inserted through the apertures and mating with female terminals 16 contained within the electrical connectorO
1 5 The spacer assembly also includes a plurality of terminal ! guideways 30 which mate with terminals 16 as the spacer assembly is inserted into the generally tubular mem~er 8. These terminal guideways as before comprise semi-circular channels molded integrally into the spacer assembly.
The spacer assembly and generally tubular member 8 are preferably molded of polypropylene havin~
I glass filling of about 30%. Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view of this disclosure, however, that a connector according to the present invention could be I molded of a variety of other materials known to those ¦ skilled in the art.
As shown in Figure 6, a plurality of coves ¦ attaching pins 32 is integrally m~lded with cover 26 of the spacer assembly. The cover attaching pins mate with apertures 33 ~ormed within g~nerally tubular assembly 8, as shown in Figure 4. The attaching pins perform two functions. The first function of attaching pin 32 is, as previously stated, to attach the spacer assembly, including the cover, to the balance of the connector~
The second function of the cover attaching pin 32 is to index the cover portion of the spacer assembly properly to the front face of the generally tubular member 8.
Unli~e prior art connectors which have the cover molded with the remainder of the connector body in one integral part, the present spacer assembly, by virtue of its inclusion of the connector's cover, offers an advantage in that the front face of generally tubular member 8 is 13~7~
allowed to be open. In turn, because the front face of tubular member 8 is open, it is possible to mold the ramping rotention abutments within member 8.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view o this disclosure that the cover and spacer assembly disclosed herein may be attached to the balance of the connector not only by the means illustrated herein, but also by such methods of chemical bonding, solvent welding, or through the use of threaded fasteners, or other types of barbed structures known to those skilled in the arts.
As shown in Figures 3 and 14, the outboard ramping retention abutments engage approximately one-half of the circumference of the annular e~ternal recess 18 formed on each terminal 14. Because terminals 16 are retained for about one-half of the circum~erence of the annular e~ternal recess, the holding powes of the connector upon the terminals is much greater than that of prior art connectors such as that shown in U.S. Pat~nt 3,937,545. As a result, a connector according to the present invention will be more resistant to failure occasioned by dislocation of the terminal8 due to pulling forces impoxed by conductors 17, or pushing forces imposed by the insertion of a male terminal portion into the female connectors shown in the drawings herein.
Another advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that the superior terminal retention ability provided by a connector according to this invention may allow the overall size of the connector, particularly the diameter of the generally tubular member, to be reduced wi~hout sacrificing the integrity of the connector~
- ~3~ 3 A connector according to the present invention offers a further advantage inasmuch as the connector should be more easily manufactured because the superior ¦ 5 terminal retention capability of the rampinq retention abutments will render the connector more ~forgiving~ of manufacturing tolerance variations which could cause the molded parts of a connector to change dimensionally during a lengthy production run. In other words, because a more substantial structure is provided for retaining the terminals within the connector assembly, minor . deviations in the dimensions of the molded portion of the connector, which would normally be suficient to render ¦ other types of connectors inoperative, will not affect ¦ 15 the integrity of a connector according to the present invention.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate in view ~ of this disclosure that a connector according to the 20 present invention could be constructed with more than the four terminals shown herein, it being understood that any number of pairs of terminals could be contained within a : connector according to the present invention. Those . skilled in the art will further appreciate in view oF
this disclosure that the conductors or wires entering an electrical connector according to the present invention could be sealed into the connector housing by means of a sealing material, such as rubber, with the sealing material placed within tubular member 8 in the area identiied by numeral 38 in Figure 2.
Figure 15, which is similar to Figure 12, illustrates a second preferred embodiment of the present invention in which not only outboard ramping retention abutments but also inboard ramping retention abutments 19 ~u~
are employed. Each inboard ramping retention abutment is formed integrally with a terminal guide finger such that at least one of said inboard abutments e~tends radially outward into each of the apertures of the generally tubular member, in correspondence with an outboard ramping retention abutment.
- The connector shown in Figure 15 could be emp~oyed in the event that even greater retention capability for the terminals 16 is desired. It should be understood, however, that addition of the inboard ramping retention abutments 14 will cause the overall diameter of the connector to be increased. This increase may not be de~irable in certain applications and may, therefore, preclude inclusion in the connector of the inboard I ramping retention abutments.
I Various modifications and variations will no doubt occur to those skilled in the various arts to which 2~ this invention pertains. All such variations and modifications which basically rely on the teachings through which this disclosure has advanced the art are properly considered within the scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.
Claims (18)
1. A separable electrical connector comprising:
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a plurality of axially connectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, with each of said terminals having an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, and with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engaged with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a plurality of axially connectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, with each of said terminals having an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, and with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engaged with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
2. An electrical connector according to Claim 1 wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of blades with each of said blades interposed between at least two of said terminal guide fingers.
3. An electrical connector according to Claim 2 wherein said spacer means further comprises cover means for said connector.
4. An electrical connector according to Claim 3 wherein said spacer means has a plurality of apertures extending through said cover means for receiving a plurality of terminals, with at least one of said apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member.
5. An electrical connector according to Claim 1 wherein each of said outboard ramping retention abutments engages at least one-quarter of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
6. An electrical connector according to Claim 1 wherein each of said outboard ramping retention abutments engages approximately one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
7. An electrical connector according to Claim 1 wherein each of said axially extending terminal guide fingers comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross section body having a semi-circular guideway formed on an outboard surface thereof, with each of said fingers being cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member.
8. An electrical connector according to Claim 1 wherein said tubular member further comprises non-ramping abutment means for engaging the mating ends of said terminals for preventing said terminals from moving out of said connector in the direction in which said terminals were inserted into said connector.
9. A separable electrical connector comprising:
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and a plurality of inboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said terminal guide fingers, with at least one of said inboard abutments extending radially outward into each of said apertures in correspondence with said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a plurality of axially interconnectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments and at least one of said inboard ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engageable with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said outboard ramping retention abutments so that said inboard and outboard ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and a plurality of inboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said terminal guide fingers, with at least one of said inboard abutments extending radially outward into each of said apertures in correspondence with said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a plurality of axially interconnectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments and at least one of said inboard ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engageable with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said outboard ramping retention abutments so that said inboard and outboard ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures.
10. An electrical connector according to Claim 9 wherein each of said axially extending terminal guide fingers comprises a generally elongate, rectangular cross section body having a semi-circular guideway formed on an outboard surface thereof, with each of said fingers being cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member.
11. An electrical connector according to Claim 9 wherein said spacer means comprises a plurality of blades with each of said blades interposed between two of said terminal guide fingers.
12. An electrical connector according to Claim 11 wherein said spacer means further comprises cover means for said connector.
13. An electrical connector according to Claim 12 wherein said spacer means has a plurality of apertures extending through said cover means for receiving a plurality of terminals, with at least one of said apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member.
14. An electrical connector according to Claim 9 wherein each of said ramping retention abutments engages at least one-quarter of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
15. An electrical connector according to Claim 9 wherein each of said ramping retention abutments engages approximately one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
16. A separable electrical connector comprising:
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member substantially open at either end;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a plurality of axially connectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engaged with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures, said spacer means comprising a unitary cover having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for receiving a plurality of terminals, with at least one of said apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member, said spacer means further comprising a plurality of blades cantilevered to said cover, with each of said blades interposed between two of said terminal guide fingers.
an elongated, rigid, nonconductive, generally tubular member substantially open at either end;
a plurality of apertures extending axially through said tubular member;
a plurality of outboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said tubular member upon at least one inner surface of a radially outboard portion of said tubular member so that each of said apertures has at least one of said abutments extending radially inward into said aperture;
a plurality of axially connectable cylindrical electrical terminals adapted for coupling to the ends of insulated wires, where each terminal has an annular external recess in its cylindrical peripheral surface, with one of said terminals seated in each of said apertures such that said annular external recess of each terminal is engaged with at least one of said outboard ramping retention abutments;
a central land located within said tubular member and defining a portion of each of said apertures with said central land comprising a plurality of axially extending terminal guide fingers cantilevered from a bulkhead extending transversely across the interior of said tubular member, with each of said fingers having a portion extending in juxtaposition to one of said ramping retention abutments; and spacer means axially engaged with said central land for displacing said terminal guide fingers in the direction of said ramping retention abutments so that said ramping retention abutments will retain said terminals within said apertures, said spacer means comprising a unitary cover having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for receiving a plurality of terminals, with at least one of said apertures corresponding to each of said apertures in said tubular member, said spacer means further comprising a plurality of blades cantilevered to said cover, with each of said blades interposed between two of said terminal guide fingers.
17. An electrical connector according to Claim 16 wherein each of said outboard ramping retention abutments engages approximately one-half of the circumference of the annular external recess of each of said electrical terminals.
18. An electrical connector according to Claim 16 further comprising a plurality of inboard ramping retention abutments formed integrally with said terminal guide fingers, with at least one of said inboard abutments extending radially outward into each of said apertures in said tubular member, in correspondence with said outboard ramping retention abutments.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| US07/005,066 US4714437A (en) | 1987-01-20 | 1987-01-20 | Electrical connector |
| US005,066 | 1987-01-20 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1301873C true CA1301873C (en) | 1992-05-26 |
Family
ID=21713991
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000556526A Expired - Lifetime CA1301873C (en) | 1987-01-20 | 1988-01-14 | Electrical connector |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4714437A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1301873C (en) |
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| US4806123B1 (en) * | 1987-02-03 | 1997-12-23 | Furukawa Electric Co Ltd | Electrical connector device with a number of terminals |
| US4810205A (en) * | 1987-10-13 | 1989-03-07 | United Technologies Automotive, Inc. | Electrical connector with secondary wedge lock |
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| US4820198A (en) * | 1987-10-23 | 1989-04-11 | Chrysler Motors Corporation | In-line cable assembly, lock bar therefor |
| US4776813A (en) * | 1987-12-08 | 1988-10-11 | Molex Incorporated | Sealed connector assembly |
| JPH067581Y2 (en) * | 1988-05-30 | 1994-02-23 | 矢崎総業株式会社 | Double locking structure of terminals in connector |
| US4934963A (en) * | 1988-08-25 | 1990-06-19 | Molex Incorporated | Electrical connector |
| JPH0528689Y2 (en) * | 1988-08-26 | 1993-07-23 | ||
| US5009615A (en) * | 1988-09-26 | 1991-04-23 | Interlock Corporation | Terminal assembly with fixed and flexible tab receptacle retainers |
| EP0361771A3 (en) * | 1988-09-26 | 1990-10-31 | Interlock Corporation | Terminal assembly with fixed and flexible tab receptacle retainers |
| US4971579A (en) * | 1988-10-14 | 1990-11-20 | Interlock Corporation | Electrical connector with removable terminal guide and lock |
| JPH07105246B2 (en) * | 1988-12-09 | 1995-11-13 | 矢崎総業株式会社 | Connector terminal locking structure |
| JPH02165580A (en) * | 1988-12-19 | 1990-06-26 | Yazaki Corp | electrical connectors |
| JPH0690940B2 (en) * | 1989-05-25 | 1994-11-14 | 矢崎総業株式会社 | Electrical connector with double locking structure for terminal fittings |
| JPH031463A (en) * | 1989-05-29 | 1991-01-08 | Yazaki Corp | Connector terminal detaining tool |
| US4955827A (en) * | 1989-09-14 | 1990-09-11 | United Technologies Automotive, Inc. | Double-locked subminiature terminal pin with opposed locking openings |
| DE8912596U1 (en) * | 1989-10-24 | 1991-02-28 | Siemens AG, 80333 München | Cable connector |
| US4992063A (en) * | 1990-07-02 | 1991-02-12 | General Motors Corporation | Electrical connector |
| US5071374A (en) * | 1990-09-24 | 1991-12-10 | Molex Incorporated | Floatable electrical connector with terminal position assurance component |
| JP2512095Y2 (en) * | 1990-11-26 | 1996-09-25 | 日本エー・エム・ピー株式会社 | Double lock electrical connector |
| US5071369A (en) * | 1990-12-05 | 1991-12-10 | Amp Incorporated | Electrical connector having a terminal position assurance member |
| US5120234A (en) * | 1991-02-20 | 1992-06-09 | Omega Special Products, Inc. | Electrical connector |
| US5100346A (en) * | 1991-03-15 | 1992-03-31 | Cardell Corporation | Micropin connector system |
| US5328382A (en) * | 1993-04-13 | 1994-07-12 | Molex Incorporated | Electrical connector with external seal and internal terminal retaining means |
| US5385491A (en) * | 1993-12-21 | 1995-01-31 | Molex Incorporated | Electrical connector with flexible terminal latch means and terminal position assurance device |
| US5490802A (en) * | 1994-02-24 | 1996-02-13 | United Technologies Automotive, Inc. | Secondary terminal lock plug through stuffer |
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| US5730624A (en) * | 1995-11-30 | 1998-03-24 | Itt Corporation | Secondary contact lock arrangement |
| US6065999A (en) * | 1997-09-30 | 2000-05-23 | The Whitaker Corporation | Secondary locking shroud for an electrical connector |
| US6089902A (en) * | 1998-12-01 | 2000-07-18 | Lucent Technologies, Inc. | Miniature connector assembly, a miniature connector retrofit kit and a method for making and using the same |
| US7077701B2 (en) * | 2003-06-06 | 2006-07-18 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Sealed electrical connector |
| US20060292928A1 (en) * | 2005-06-23 | 2006-12-28 | Morello John R | Electrical connector |
| US7384309B1 (en) | 2007-01-18 | 2008-06-10 | Delphi Technologies, Inc. | Electrical connector body having cantilevered terminal hold-down beams |
| US20090247011A1 (en) * | 2008-03-27 | 2009-10-01 | John Mark Myer | Connector assembly having primary and secondary locking features |
| JP5508927B2 (en) | 2010-04-22 | 2014-06-04 | 日本航空電子工業株式会社 | Connector and waterproof connector |
| PL2595251T3 (en) * | 2011-11-21 | 2014-09-30 | Cie Deutsch Gmbh | Connector assembly |
| JP6359903B2 (en) * | 2014-07-17 | 2018-07-18 | 矢崎総業株式会社 | connector |
| US9905956B2 (en) * | 2015-12-22 | 2018-02-27 | Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd. | Preventing unwanted contact between terminals |
| US10128594B2 (en) | 2015-12-22 | 2018-11-13 | Biosense Webster (Israel) Ltd. | Connectors having three-dimensional surfaces |
| EP3713018B1 (en) * | 2019-03-20 | 2024-03-20 | Rosenberger Hochfrequenztechnik GmbH & Co. KG | Electric connector |
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| US3170752A (en) * | 1962-10-18 | 1965-02-23 | Nu Line Ind Inc | Electrical connector apparatus |
| US3430185A (en) * | 1967-10-11 | 1969-02-25 | Berg Electronics Inc | Connector block |
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| US4045112A (en) * | 1976-04-05 | 1977-08-30 | General Motors Corporation | Unitary insulator housing with secondary latch means and electrical connector utilizing same |
| JPS52134681U (en) * | 1976-04-05 | 1977-10-13 | ||
| JPS534287U (en) * | 1976-06-30 | 1978-01-14 | ||
| US4133599A (en) * | 1976-07-12 | 1979-01-09 | International Telephone & Telegraph Corp. | Socket contact |
| DE3313193A1 (en) * | 1983-04-12 | 1984-10-18 | BBC Aktiengesellschaft Brown, Boveri & Cie., Baden, Aargau | CONTACT APPARATUS FOR CONTACTING ELECTRICAL CABLE LADDERS WITH BUSBARS |
| US4565416A (en) * | 1984-04-11 | 1986-01-21 | Amp Incorporated | Latching means and locking means for retaining terminals in a connector |
| US4557542A (en) * | 1984-06-11 | 1985-12-10 | Amp Incorporated | Connector with means for retaining terminals and verifying seating |
-
1987
- 1987-01-20 US US07/005,066 patent/US4714437A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
1988
- 1988-01-14 CA CA000556526A patent/CA1301873C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| US4714437A (en) | 1987-12-22 |
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