The Whitaker Corporation

Tyco Electronics Corporation

Amp LLC

Bobby Gene Ward

Wolfgang Hoelscher

Donald G Stillie

William Batty

Larry George Novotny

Donald W Hughes

David Allen Klein

James R Coller

Joseph Edward Geniac

Earl J Hayes, Sr

Jeff C Wu

Gary W Hawk

Alexander Hunt, Iii

Michael Henry Banas

David Charles Strausser

Frank L Duncan

Donald J Zutaut

Paul P Siwinski

A connector assembly comprising a cap member having a plurality of fixed cap terminal position assurance mechanisms defined thereon, and a plug member having one or more of fixed plug terminal position assurance mechanisms defined thereon, wherein each of the cap terminal position assurance mechanisms fixably mate with each of the plug terminal position assurance mechanisms, wherein each of the cap and plug terminal position assurance mechanisms comprise a post projecting outwardly from each of the cap member and the plug member, and a cutout configured to fixably mate to the post. The cutout maybe configured adjacent the post, wherein the cap/plug terminal position assurance mechanisms are arranged proximate an outer rim of the cap/plug member or the cap/plug terminal assurance mechanism may be located generally in the center of the interface manifold.

Terminal position assurance with forward interlocking face keying

Electrical connector apparatus is provided having a cap and a plug which can be mated together, each of the cap and plug having a respective terminal position assurance device associated therewith, wherein each of the cap, plug and terminal position assurance devices has a box-like configuration, such that when assembled, the connector has a box-in-box-in-box-in-box construction which assures that mechanical and electrical connections will be maintained in high vibration environments.

Electrical connector apparatus, methods and articles of manufacture

A commoning electrical connector includes multiple insulation displacement terminals mounted in a molded electrical connector housing . The connector can be used to common wires in automotive wiring harnesses and provides a low profile package for mounting wires in a confined space, such as in an automobile headliner. The terminated connector can be adhesively bonded to a substructure, such as an automobile headliner. The molded housing also includes wire retention members on exterior faces of side walls so that the housing can be molded without side pulls. Wires are laced in a termination fixture , and the connector aligned by fixture posts and alignment holes on the connector, which is then pushed onto the termination fixture to terminate wires in insulation displacement slots

Wire retaining connector block

An electrical connector assembly includes a pin header that can be mounted in an opening in an electrically conductive case . The pin header includes a molded pin header housing that can be used in unfiltered as well as filtered and shielded versions. The filtered and shielded versions include a ground shield or that includes segmented cantilever tangs or extending along peripheral edges of the shield member or . These tangs or mechanically grip the electrically conductive case to establish ground continuity. One version of the ground shield can be mounted on a printed circuit board to which filter capacitors are soldered.

Filtered and shielded electrical connector

A terminal position housing ( ) is used with an alignment plate ( ) to align male terminals or blades ( ) extending from a printed circuit board assembly ( ). A plug connector ( ) having multiple female terminals or receptacles ( ) is mated to the blades ( ) with the assistance of the terminal position housing ( ) and the alignment plate ( ). The terminal position housing ( ) includes a stationary plate ( ) having apertures ( ) through which the blades ( ) are inserted. The stationary plate apertures ( ) are aligned with apertures ( ) in the movable alignment plate ( ), and these aligned apertures keep the blades ( ) aligned with the receptacles ( ) even if the blades ( ) may be deflected due to forces applied by mechanical assist members, such as bolts ( ).

Terminal position housing assembly

A sealed electrical connector assembly comprises a cap connector,matable with a plug connector,. The cap connector housing comprises a front section,and a separate rear section,, which includes a shroud,. The two housing sections are attached and two sliding secondary lock plates,are trapped between the two housing components. Each secondary lock plate includes a protrusion,extending through openings,in the front housing section.,so that the locks can be shifted from the front of the housing. The plug connector housing has a similar structure. A gasket seal,is mounted in the plug connector,to engage a lip on the cap connector shroud,. An alignment plate,includes camming fingers that insure that the secondary locks,are laterally shifted to a fully inserted position during mating.

Sealed electrical connector with secondary locking

An electrical connector assembly (,) is primarily intended for use in connecting portable electronic devices (,), such as cellular telephones, to the electrical system of a motor vehicle. The electrical connector assembly (,) includes a plug connector (,) that can be attached to a cord (,) for connection to the portable electronic device. A mating receptacle connector (,) is permanently mounted in the motor vehicle and is attached to an automotive wiring harness. The receptacle connector (,) includes a secondary lock or terminal position assurance member (,) that forms the front cover of the receptacle connector (,) when properly positioned. Primary terminal latches (,) securing receptacle terminals (,) in a housing (,) are exposed on the top and bottom surfaces and the secondary lock (,) surrounds these primary latches (,) when properly positioned on the connector. Terminals (,) can therefore be positioned on the relatively close centerlines characteristic of electrical connectors used with portable electronic devices.

Automotive cellular phone connector assembly

An electrical connector assembly is provided having a plurality of terminal receiving cavities for housing a plurality of terminals connected to conductors. The terminals are held in the cavities by primary latches which are reinforced by projections on a shroud which extend behind the primary latches. The shroud provides wire dressing and strain relief for the conductors while providing a terminal position assurance function and secondary locking for the terminals.

Shroud for electrical connector

A multiposition optical connector 2 and a mating header 4 are disclosed. The connector includes a plurality of ferrules 10 for terminating individual plastic optical fiber cables 6. An alignment fixture 100 is used to precisely align each ferrule relative to the other ferrules and relative to peripheral mating surface protrusions 52 on a molded alignment plate 12. The ferrules are ultrasonically bonded to the alignment plate. True positioning for multiple fibers located in the multiposition connector relative to active optoelectronic devices 90 located in the header can be achieved when the connector and the header are mated. A previously assembled harness assembly using the optical connector 2 and a hybrid electrical and optical connector 202 is suited for use in making multiple connections to products, such as automobiles, in which the final assembly is completed in an assembly line.

Sealed multiposition fiber optic connector

An electrical connector 2, especially intended for automotive applications includes a receptacle connector housing 4 and a mating plug connector housing 6. A movable alignment plate 10 is located between the two connector housings and locking plates 12 are insertable into each housing to provide for additional retention of terminals 100 also held in terminal cavities 34 by resilient latches 50. The connector 2 also includes a cover 8 that is attached to the receptacle connector housing 4 by molded cantilever cover latches 20. Backup beams 28 are movable into engagement with the cover latches 20 for support. Each locking plate 12 is insertable into a locking plate slot 30 on the end of one of the housings and includes recesses 70 into which the molded resilient terminal latches 50, which span the locking plate slot 38, are received when the locking plate 12 is fully inserted. Locking tabs 72, 74, 76, engage the terminals 100 beside the resilient latches 50 provide additional retention of the terminals 100.

Electrical connector with secondary locking plates

An electrical connector assembly (1) having a housing (10) and a subassembly (80) connected thereto for eliminating circuit-degrading EMI. Subassembly (80) includes a substrate (20) mounted to a frame (30). Substrate (20) comprises a rigid board with circuit traces (25,26), electrical components (28), and a pin array (22) thereby defining an electrical circuit path. Frame (30) is electrically connected to the circuit path and comprises a robust, metallic piece having locking clips (36) for electrically and mechanically attaching subassembly (80) to housing (10).

Filtered circuit connector with frame

A shielded and filtered electrical connector (2) includes surface mount capacitors (52) positioned in engagement with contact terminals (4) on the rear face (18) of a connector housing (10). A cylindrical electrically conductive member (36) having an elastomeric core (38) with a conductive laminate layer (42) on the exterior of a film (40) surrounding the elastomeric core (38) engages conductive ends (54) of each chip capacitor to urge it into contact with a corresponding contact terminal (4). The resilient electrically conductive member (36) is located in a central lateral channel (20) on the rear housing face (18) and the chip components (52) are located in pockets (24) between the channel (20) and corresponding terminals (4). The resilient electrically conductive member (36) and the chip components (52) are inserted using conventional pick and place techniques. A shield or ground member (26) surrounds the housing and the sides of the shield (26) trap the ends of the resilient electrically conductive member (36) to form a stable connection.

Filtered and shielded electrical connector using resilient electrically

An electrical connector assembly (10) is mounted on a printed circuit board (18) and includes a flexible etched circuit (FEC) (15) with electrical traces thereon. The FEC (15) is part of an electrical circuit which includes electrical components (22,24), electrical contacts (23), a ground path (12, 12a), and an electrical connection (90). The FEC can include various electrical components (22,24), for example, in order to filter the electrical circuit.

Flexible etched circuit assembly

An apparatus and method for filtering and grounding individual electrical circuits in an electrical connector is disclosed. The electrical connector is based on standard configurations, such as a printed circuit board header 10 having a standard footprint. A filtering subassembly includes a programmable filter printed circuit board 16 to which surface mount components 56, 66 are soldered. Printed circuit board terminals, such as right angle printed circuit board pins 14 are inserted in plated through holes 38 and electrical connection is established intermediate the ends of the terminals. A solderless compliant pin section 30 can be used. Capacitors 56 can be selectively used to filter certain individual circuits or lines and zero value resistors 66 can be used to ground other lines. These surface mount components are preferable loaded using programmable pick and place equipment and are soldered between pin surface mount pads 44 and adjacent grounded surface mount pads 46. The grounded pads are commoned to a shield layer 52 on one side of the printed circuit board and a peripheral ground strip 40 on the other side so that the board can be mounted in two opposite orientations.

Growing community of inventors

King, NC, United States of America

Bobby Gene Ward