GB2034131A

GB2034131A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2034131A
Application number: GB7934521A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Current assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
Priority date: 1978-10-23
Filing date: 1979-10-04
Publication date: 1980-05-29
Also published as: CA1138973A; JPS5557276A; JPS645376U; IT1164054B; ES485184A1; FR2440094B1; GB2034131B; DE2942569A1; FR2440094A1; IT7950590A0

Abstract

A weatherproof electrical connector has an interface sealing arrangement comprising a plug connector body 12 having at least one tower 26 which slides into corresponding terminal cavity enlargements 42 in a mating socket connector body 14. An apertured seal pad 64 is mounted on the or each tower and sealingly engages a projecting shroud 62 of the socket connector body 14. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connectors This invention relates to sealed electrical connectors and more particularly to an interface sealing arrangement for inter-engageable electrical connector bodies.

Electrical systems of automotive vehicles, particularly passenger cars, are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. This in turn results in increased usage of low current subsystems which, in some instances, require low current electrical connectors in a location, such as at the vehicle underbody, exposed to weather conditions. For proper functioning, a low current electrical connector must be kept free of contaminants, particularly water and moisture. Yet at such a location, the connector is subjected to road splash, snow accumulation and other harmful weather effects.

According to the present invention, in an electrical connector assembly comprising interengageable elongate plug and socket connector bodies, and male and female terminals retained therein at the one ends thereof, said plug connector body has extending longitudinally therethrough at least one open-ended cavity a portion of which extends within a longitudinal tower at the other end of said plug connector body, said female terminal being retained in said cavity; said socket connector body has extending longitudinally therethrough at least one openended cavity a portion of which at the other end of said socket connector body is enlarged for the slidable reception therein of the tower of said plug connector body; said socket connector body has longitudinally projecting from said other end a shroud providing an internal peripheral sealing surface forwardly of and spaced radially outwardly from said enlarged portion of said socket connector body cavity, said male terminal being retained in said socket connector body cavity; and a seal pad mounted on said tower in sealing engagement therewith is in sealing engagement with the internal peripheral sealing surface of said shroud when said connector bodies are interengaged.

Such a connector assembly provides an interface sealing arrangement for the connector bodies which protects the internal connections from weather conditions which are to be expected during the operation of a motor vehicle, the arrangement incorporating a long barrier path which opposes the entry of water and moisture without substantially increasing the overall length of the connector bodies.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a sealed electrical connector having an interface sealing arrangement in accordance with this invention; Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of figure 1; Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a sealed electrical connector 10 comprising an elongate plug connector body 12 and an elongate socket connector body 14 each made of a moulded dielectric plastic material such as nylon.

The plug connector body 12 has a pair of longitudinal cavities 1 6 extending there-through, each cavity 16 having an enlarged rearward portion 18 of circular outline which its open at the rear of the plug connector body 1 2 for the insertion therein of a female terminal 20 attached to an insulated lead wire 22.

The forward portions 24 of the cavities 1 6 are respectively defined by a pair of laterally spaced longitudinal towers26 at the forward end of the plug connector body 12. Each forward cavity portion 24 has a chamfered opening at the forward end of its associated tower26 and pilot means comprising four inwardly protruding pads 28 at the forward portion of the cavity and an internal annular rib29, which also serves as a latch shoulder, at the rearward portion of the cavity.

The female terminal 20 has a forwardly extending elongate socket 30 in the form of a split tube which is located in the forward cavity portion 24 and is guided by the pads 28 and the annular rib 29. The split tube 30 includes a pair of diametrically opposed latch tangs which cooperate with the rib 29 to retain the female terminal 20 in the cavity 1 6. The rearward portion of the female terminal 20 has stop wings 31 and an attachment portion 32 comprising spaced pairs of lugs one pair of which is crimped on to the conductor wire of the lead 22 and the other pair of which secures on the lead a multiple lip cable seal 34.

The plug connector body 12 has an integral hinged flap 36 which is movable to a closed latched position after a female terminal 20 is inserted into each of the cavities 1 6. In its closed position, the flap 36 co-operates with the cable seals 34 to retain the female terminals 20 in their respective cavities in the event that the terminal latch tangs are damaged.

The plug connector body 12 also has an external latch projection 38 for locking the socket connector body 1 4 in its inter-engaged position therewith.

The socket connector body 14 has a pair of longitudinal cavities 40 which extend through the socket connector body to provide openings at each end. Each of the cavities 40 has a forward enlarged portion 42, an intermediate reduced portion 44 and an enlarged rearward portion 46.

The rearward portion 46 is of circular outline and of a size to engage and seal against a cable seal 48 attached to a lead wire 50 by a male terminal 52 in the same manner as the female terminal 20.

The male terminal 52 has an intermediate split barrel portion which in this instance is supported on guide means in the intermediate cavity portion 44 comprising four pads 54, equispaced around the inner surface of the cavity, and a rearward annular shoulder 56. The male terminal 52 further comprises an elongate contact 58 at its forward end which fits in the elongate socket 30 of the female terminal 20 in a biased engagement.

The male terminal 52 is retained in the cavity 40 by lock tangs engaging the annular shoulder 56. Substantially the entire elongate contact 58 is located in the enlarged forward cavity portion 42 in a central position spaced radially from the side wall 60 of the enlarged cavity portion 42 which slidably receives an associated tower 26 of the plug connector body 1 2. The tip of the elongate contact 58 is preferably spaced rearwardly of the forward end of the enlarged cavity portion 42 so that the associated tower 26 initially engages the side wall 60 to guide the socket 30 into engagement with the elongate contact 58.

The sliding fit of the towers 26 in the side wall 60 of the enlarged cavity portions 42 forms part of an interface sealing arrangement which further comprises a longitudinally projecting shroud 62 at the forward end of the socket connector body 14, and a seal pad 64. The shroud 62 surrounds the rearward end portions of the towers 26 and provides an internal peripheral sealing surface 66 which is forward of and spaced radially outwardly of the enlarged cavity portions 42. The seal pad 64 is made from an elastomeric material and has a pair of longitudinal apertures 68 extending through its body by means of which the seal pad 64 is mounted on the towers 26. These apertures 68 are slightly undersized with respect to the rearward end portions of the towers 26, so as to effect a good seal with the tower surfaces when mounted in the position shown in Figure 1.The seal pad 64 also has a plurality of flexible radial sealing lips 70 which are deformed into sealing engagement with the sealing surface 66 of the shroud 62 when the connector bodies 12 and 14 are inter-engaged.

The seal pad 64 provides the primary barrier against water and moisture entering the cavities 1 6 and 40 via the interface of the mated connector bodies 12 and 14. The radial spacing of the sealing surface 66 outwardly of the forward enlarged cavity portions 42 is a second barrier and the sliding fit between the towers 26 and the enlarged cavity portions 42 is yet a third barrier.

The effectiveness of the interface sealing arrangement is enhanced by making the overlap of the inter-engaged connector bodies 12 and 14 in the longitudinal direction as long as possible. This is accomplished by placing nearly all of the elongate sockets 30 of the female terminals 20 in their respective towers 26 and substantially the entire elongate contacts 58 of the male terminals 52 in the enlarged cavity portions 42.

While the interface sealing arrangement has been shown in connection with a two-way connector, the arrangement is applicable to other multiple connectors (for example, three-way and four-way) and even one-way connectors. The sealing arrangement, however, is especially suitable for such multiple connectors intended for low current applications to avoid arcing or the bridging of adjacent sets of inter-engaged terminals by water or moisture.

Multiple connectors may employ an indexing means to ensure fitting together of the bodies in the proper orientation. In the two-way connector shown in the drawing, this indexing means takes the form of a longitudinal slot 72 in one of the towers 26 and a complementary longitudinal rib 74 in the enlarged cavity portion 42 which slides into the slot 72 when the connector bodies are fitted to each other.

The socket connector body 14 also has a hinged flap 76, which is movable to a closed latched position to provide a secondary lock for the male terminals 52, and a resilient latch arm 78 which co-operates with the latch projection 38 to lock the connector bodies 12 and 14 in their interengaged position.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising, inter-engageable elongate plug and socket connector bodies, in which male and female terminals are retained therein at the one ends thereof, and in which said plug connector body has extending longitudinally therethrough at least one open-ended cavity a portion of which extends within a longitudinal tower at the other end of said plug connector body, said female terminal being retained in said cavity; said socket connector body has extending longitudinally therethrough at least one open-ended cavity a portion of which at the other end of said socket connector body is enlarged for the slidable reception therein of the tower of said plug connector body; that said socket connector body has longitudinally projecting from said other end thereof a shroud providing an internal peripheral sealing surface forwardly of and spaced radially outwardly from said enlarged portion of said socket connector body cavity, said male terminal being retained in said socket connector body cavity; and a seal pad mounted on said tower in sealing engagement therewith is in sealing engagement with the internal peripheral sealing surface of said shroud when said connector bodies are inter-engaged.

2. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1, in which said plug connector body has therein a plurality of said cavities the towers of which are laterally spaced from each other, said seal pad being mounted on said towers, and that said socket connector body has therethrough a plurality of said cavities for the reception of said towers, said shroud extending forwardly of, and being spaced radially outwardly of, the enlarged portions of said socket body cavities.

3. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 or2, in which said seal pad has a plurality of flexible radial lips in sealing engagement with the inner peripheral surface of said shroud.

4. An electrical connector assembly according to any of claims 1 to 3, in which said female terminal has at one end thereof an elongate socket disposed in said tower and that said male terminal has at one end an elongate contact inserted in said female terminal socket when said connector bodies are inter-engaged.

5. An electrical connector assembly according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which said socket connector body cavity has an intermediate reduced portion in which an intermediate portion of said male terminal is supported and retained.

6. An electrical connector assembly according to any of claims 1 to 5 in which said terminals are each secured to an insulated conductor and to a seal pad which forms a seal with said conductor and with the wall of the cavity in the respective connector body at said one end thereof.

7. An electrical connector assembly constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.