GB1590478A

GB1590478A - Housing for an electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB1590478A
Application number: GB40856/76A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Ward & Goldstone (auto & Aircraft Equipment) Ltd; Ward and Goldstone Ltd
Current assignee: Ward & Goldstone (auto & Aircraft Equipment) Ltd; Volex PLC
Priority date: 1977-10-13
Filing date: 1977-10-13
Publication date: 1981-06-03

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A HOUSING FOR AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR (71) We, WARD & GOLDSTONE (AUTO & AIRCRAFT EQUIPMENT) LIMITED, a British Company of Frederick Road, Salford 6, Lancashire, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: - This invention relates to a housing for an electrical connector as used in the electrical circuitry of a motor vehicle and is concerned particularly with a housing for an electrical connector connecting the live wiring on the engine compartment through the bulkhead to the wiring in the passenger compartment and serving to render the electrical connector splash proof.

According to the present invention there is provided a housing for an electrical connector and for securement within an aperture of a motor vehicle bulkhead, the housing comprising an open-sided body defining a plurality of side-by-side compartments, each adapted to receive in electrical connection from the engine and passenger compartments of the motor vehicle complementary parts of an electrical connector secured onto the vehicle wiring harness, each compartment at one open side of the body having a pair of opposed flexible clips adapted releasably to engage behind the electrical connector part inserted into the compartment at said open side.

Preferably also one of the connector parts of each electrical connector has a peripheral divergent shoulder at its wire securement end to prevent it being wholly inserted into its compartment, a complementary-shaped cover being provided (preferably at the engine compartment side) which cover is releasably securable to the housing and has an inward flange for engagement behind said shoulder.

The complementary connector parts may be one wholly female and one wholly male or each may be inhibited as is fairly customary in the electrical connector art.

A gasket is preferably disposed between the housing and the bulkhead.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an exploded view of the housing, bulkhead and plug halves; Figs. 2 and 3 are views of opposed faces of the housing; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of the housing.

A motor vehicle bulkhead 10 is provided at a convenient location with a rectangular aperture 11 into which is fitted a rectangular plastics housing 12 having an outwardly directed peripheral flange 13 through which the housing 12 is bolted via bolt holes 14 to the bulkhead 10 with a sealing gasket 15 interposed therebetween.

The gasket 15 is received in a recess 16 in the flange 13.

The housing 12 is compartmentalised by three division walls 17 to provide four sideby-side compartments 18 each of which is adapted to receive an electrical connector in two parts 19A, 19B, one (19A) from the passenger compartment side and the other (19B) from the engine compartment side, the connector parts 19A, 19B being moulded onto appropriate harnesses 20.

The housing 12 at the passenger compartment side has for each compartment 18 two opposed flexible clips 21 which snap behind the connector part 19A releasably to secure it within its compartment 18. The other and complementary connector part 19B has a divergent shoulder 22 at its wiring end which impedes its complete entry into its compartment 18 and in order to prevent inadvertent extraction of these connector parts 19B a rectangular platics cover 23 is secured through an outwardly-directed flange 24 to the housing 12 by the bolts (not shown) securing the latter to the bulkhead 10, the cover 23 having an inwardly-directed flange 25 which engages behind said shoulders 22 to prevent such extraction. This cover 23 also assists in the splash-proofing of the arrangement.

Claims

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: -

1. A housing for an electrical connector and for securement within an aperture of a motor vehicle bulkhead, the housing comprising an open-sided body defining a plurality of side-by-side compartments, each adapted to receive in electrical connection from the engine and passenger compartments of the motor vehicle complementary parts of an electrical connector secured onto the vehicle wiring harness, each compartment as one open side of the body having a pair of opposed flexible clips adapted releasably to engage behind the electrical connector part inserted into the compartment at said open side.

2. A housing as claimed in claim 1 and having an outwardly-directed peripheral flange through which it is securable to the bulkhead.

3. A housing as claimed in claim 2, in which the peripheral flange is recessed to receive a sealing gasket disposable between the bulkhead and flange.

4. A housing as claimed in claim 2 or 3 comprising a cover having a peripheral flange securable to the housing peripheral flange and having an inwardly-directed flange for engagement behind a peripheral divergent shoulder of the electrical connector part which is insertible from the other side.

5. A housing for an electrical connector and for securement within an aperture of a motor vehicle bulkhead, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.