United Technologies Automotive Inc.

Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Framatome Connectors Interlock, Inc.

Dhirendra C Roy

Zenon Hotra

Robert G Szudarek

Richard J Chutorash

John N Topolewski

George A Wooldridge

Richard J Kakkuri

Michael Jerome Gniewek

Robert J Cue

Paul Jerome Brzyski

Steven K Heckman

Thomas C Morgan, Iii

George E Hyde

John A Salerno

Roosevelt Johnson

Gregory J Balazich

An inventive rear lamp module for a vehicle incorporates a trailer tow connector to provide electrical signals to a trailer that is to be pulled by the vehicle. Preferably, two separate connectors are formed on a rear face of an electric lamp module. A first connector receives input signals from the vehicle and a second connector is an optional connector to be connected to a trailer connector when the trailer is connected to a vehicle. The present invention eliminates the need of a separate wire harness for the trailer connector, and thus reduces cost. In addition, by positioning the trailer tow connector within a plastic part mounted in a secure position in the vehicle, the trailer tow connector is easily maintained.

Rear lamp module with trailer tow connector

An electrical receptacle terminal comprising a frame, and a leaf spring. The frame has a receptacle section for a male terminal. The receptacle section has a general shell configuration with one side of the shell having a seam therein. The seam is located to section the side of the receptacle section into two cantilevered side sections with each side section being cantilevered from an opposite wall of the receptacle section parallel to the seam. The leaf spring is movably captured within the receptacle. The leaf spring is biased against the shell of the receptacle section with opposite ends of the leaf spring contacting the side of the shell. The leaf spring has two pairs of support surfaces. One pair of the support surfaces is located at each of the opposite ends of the leaf spring. One support surface of each pair of support surfaces contacts a corresponding one of the cantilevered side sections adjacent the wall of the receptacle section from which the side section cantilevers so that when the male terminal is inserted into the receptacle section, the leaf spring is urged against the shell without substantially spreading the seam.

Electrical receptacle terminal with a contact spring biased against a

A connector is provided having a set of spaced blades that cooperate to penetrate the coating of a wire to make electrical contact with the wire while the connector is bent therearound. The blades are disposed circumferentially about the wire at approximately 120.degree. intervals. The connector may have a plurality of sets of blades. Further, a method of forming a connection between a wire having a coating and a connector is disclosed having the steps of extending a first, a second and a third blade from a connector body, the second blade disposed between the first and third blades, and bending the body about a portion between the first and second blades and about a portion between the second and third blades so that the blades engage the wire through the coating.

Bladed wire connector and method for forming same

A female electrical connector has a wire attachment segment and a receptacle segment. A pair of apertures are juxtapositioned within the receptacle segment circumferentially separated from one another by solid portions of the receptacle segment therebetween. A male electrical connector has a wire attachment segment, a bulged segment and a shaft segment. The male electrical connector has a longitudinal channel positioned within the shaft segment. Considered individually or together, these electrical connectors substantially reduce required insertion forces.

Female and male electrical connectors requiring low insertion forces

This invention relates to a seal assembly having a radially diffusive barrier surrounding a compressible combination seal. The combination seal has a radial seal portion and an axial seal portion, providing axial and radial sealing properties as they relate to both diffusive and convective mass flows.

Submergible seal with diffusive radial barrier

A sealing member of the present invention is used in an automotive vehicle electrical connector assembly and has a pentagonal cross sectional shape thereto with an inside surface defining an aperture centrally therein. A first electrical connector half has an electrical contact proximate therewith and is surrounded by a support structure. A second electrical connector half has an electrical contact proximate therewith and has a body segment and a mating segment within which extends an outer peripheral wall. Furthermore, the second connector half outer peripheral wall has an outside surface and an inside surface which are joined by a peripheral edge therearound. The sealing member is juxtapositioned between the inside surface of the second connector half and the outside surface of the first connector half supporting structure.

Seal for an automotive electrical connector assembly

The present invention anti-rotational fastener for an automotive vehicle comprises a cap portion suitable for attachment to an electrical apparatus and a barbed shaft. The shaft has a pair of broad sides and a pair of thin sides, all of which extend perpendicularly downward from the cap portion for attachment to an automotive vehicle body panel. This difference in shaft side dimensions corresponds to an elongated slot cut within the vehicle body panel, thereby preventing rotation of the fastener and, in turn, the electrical apparatus. Furthermore, an upper portion of the shaft broad sides has a pair of wings oppositely extending outward therefrom in order to mechanically stabilize the fastener against rotational movements in vertical planes which would otherwise tend to loosen the fastener. In an alternative embodiment, the anti-rotational fastener of the present invention can be used to retain and prevent rotation of a portion of a wire harness.

Anti-rotational fastener

A cover plate for use in covering an opening in an automotive vehicle body panel is comprised of a substantially flat base having an appearance face and a hidden face bordered by a peripheral edge. The peripheral edge has a tapered frame around a majority thereof. The cover plate is further comprised of a pair of flexible legs each having a shortened member projecting from the hidden face and having an elongated member extending beyond the peripheral edge of the base partially coincidental to an overhanging portion of the base. The cover plate also has a wedge ramp with a triangular-shaped segment being mounted upon the hidden face of the base such that an intersection is created between a hypotenuse of the wedge ramp and the base. The base has a first portion which is juxtaposed to this intersection. A fastening protrudes from the hidden face of this first portion. Accordingly, the cover plate covers the opening of the body panel by engagement of the pair of legs and the overhanging portion of the base around an edge of the body panel surrounding the opening. The cover plate is also attached upon the body panel by insertion of the fastening post within a hole adjacent to the opening such that an auxiliary fastener can be secured upon the inserted fastening post. Moreover, the wedge ramp serves to locate the cover plate into a desired relationship with the opening to ensure proper engagement thereagainst.

Cover plate

A subminiature terminal (10; FIGS. 5 and 6A & 6B) for mechanically holding and electrically interconnecting a wedge-base bulb (1; FIGS. 1 & 2) into a circuit in, for example, an automotive application, in which the electrical and mechanical retention forces balance out, in a preferred manner (FIGS. 4 & 4A), preventing undesired rotation (tilting) of the bulb held between opposed terminal pairs seated in a connector system (not illustrated). The terminal includes conductor and insulation grips (11), a body or base (12) (the structural part), a mechanical retention spring (13), and an electrical contact spring (14). The mechanical retention spring is a leaf spring clamped at the rear and dimensioned to hold the bulb at its detent; while the electrical contact spring is a torsion spring on the opposite side approximately a one half winding (14A) formed between two lever arms, one lever arm (14B) clamped at the front of the terminal, while the other one (14C) is essentially free to deflect, as required by the wedge-base (3) of the bulb (1) to ensure electrical contact independent of filament wire deformation or its history. The free arm is smooth along its length and in particular in its contact surfaces with its respective filament wire.

Snap-in-terminals for wedge-base bulbs

A subminiature electrical connector for use particularly in the automotive industry including an insulating plastic body (3) housing an exemplary three terminal pins (1A-C), which are initially locked into place by resilient internal fingers (6) having outwardly directed locking tabs (6A), which are lockingly engaged into inner openings (19) in the terminal pins. After the terminal pins have been inserted and seated, a resilient, exteriorly applied radial locking ring (4) is applied about the body, laterally straddling it, providing a second, double lock for the terminal pins. The locking rings include three, inwardly directed, radial tabs (42A-C) which extend through external body openings (3A) and which lockingly extend into outer, mating openings (18) in the terminal pins. The radial finger tabs and the radial ring tabs are oppositely positioned and conjunctively provide a double lock on each of the pins seated within the connector body. Circumferentially extending guide rails (11) properly longitudinally locate the radial lock on the exterior of the body. The body (16) of the terminal pin in its central, mechanical load bearing area (16) is preferably rectangular in its lateral cross-section, with the outer and inner, female locking openings (18, 19) and mating male tabs (42, 6A) having appropriate geometry with direct, positive, straight edge, face-to-face, orthogonal, locking interfacing with the front edges of the windows.

Electrical connector with externally applied radial lock

A terminal pin which can be used in a subminiature electrical connector system ('C') for use particularly in the automotive industry, which system includes a body (3) housing an exemplary three terminal pins (1), which are initially locked into place by resilient internal fingers (6) having outwardly directed locking tabs (6A), which lockingly engage inner openings (19) in the terminal pins. A resilient, exteriorly applied radial locking ring (4) is applied about the body, straddling it, providing a second, double lock for the terminal pins. The locking ring includes three inwardly directed, radial tabs (42A-C) which extend through body openings (3A) and which lockingly extend into outer, mating openings (18) in the terminal pins. The finger tabs and the radial ring tabs are oppositely positioned and conjunctively provide a double lock on each of the pins seated within the connector body. Circumferentially extending guide rails (11) properly locate the radical lock on the exterior of the body. The body (16) of the terminal pin in its central, mechanical load bearing area is rectangular in its lateral cross-section, with the open, outer and inner, female locking openings (18, 19) and mating male tabs (42, 6A) of appropriate geometry and includes polarizing darts (21) on the other, narrower planes of the main terminal body. An integral, resilient, leaf spring member (25) with clamped ends is included on the end portion of the terminal pin opposite the tip's seam (26) and has a dimple 27 at the middle to ensure a positive contact and to improve thereby the dynamic stability of the pin connection interface.

Double-locked subminiature terminal pin with opposed locking openings

A unitary resilient bracket (1) for mounting a plurality of electrical component housings (70, 76) to a mounting surface (80) in a space saving vertical arrangement using a minimum of individual fasteners while allowing access to the components located within the housings. Bracket (1) includes keyways (21, 23, 25, 27, 29) for accommodating a multiplicity of keys (74, 78) located on housings (70, 76 respectively) in combination with housing retaining members (60) and flange lock (4) interacting with flange (72) to secure the housings to the bracket. Bracket (1) is secured to mounting surface (80) by fasteners passing through fastening flanges (2) and a primary lock tab (62) which is disposed in a receiving slot (82) located in mounting surface (80).

Resilient electrical component housing bracket

A rattle-free peripheral interface between a housing and a top latched thereto including at least generally vertically extending, integral, resilient members which are resiliently deformed when the top is latched to the cover, with the integral resilient members providing the sole contact between the opposed peripheries of the top and of the housing. A first form of resilient member includes a pair of oppositely extending, diagonal legs extending down from the top and terminating in feet which resiliently contact rigid shelves or facing areas on the opposed housing (FIG. 4), the housing having a castellated, interdigitated interface with the resilient member. A second form of resilient member includes a vertically extended, thin member on the underside of the top, which is resiliently deformed and in contact with an opposed rigid shelf when the top is latched onto the housing (FIGS. 5A and 5B). A pair of opposed, pivoting latching arms are integrally provided at opposite ends of the top, with each having a fixed restraint limiting the outward movement of the top of the arm, preventing overstressing of the latching system including the integral junction between the arm and the top. With the contact between the top and housing being limited to the resilient members, the balance of their opposed peripheries being generally out of contact, the top has a relatively rattle-free interface with the housing avoiding the need for, for example, a foam gasket.

Integral latching arm

An electrical component housing assembly having a main housing body (2) containing a matrix (12) of receptacle cavities (34) being adapted to accommodate mating single receptacles (4) or mating double receptacles (6). The electrical receptacles include polarizing tabs (170, 270) which are received in polarizing slots (40) of the receptacle cavities (34) upon the condition that the receptacles are properly oriented with respect to the receptacle cavities. Locking tabs (172, 272) located on the receptacle (4, 6) respectively engage with the recessed channels (42) and walls (43) to secure the receptacles within the cavities (34). A locking bar (8) interacts with a locking member (37) that engages cutout portion (168, 268) of a receptacle (4, 6) to further secure the receptacles within the cavities. Contact portion (22) of power lead terminal (20) employs a plurality of holes (24) in combination with a fastener for each hole to provide improved electrical contact between the power lead terminal (20) and the bus bar (14).

Growing community of inventors

Canton, MI, United States of America

Dhirendra C Roy