Cardell Corporation

Jonathan Childs

Charles R Schotthoefer

Jeffery A Price

A connector position assurance (CPA) device for use with the latching mechanism of a two-part connector includes a transverse body portion, two spaced, parallel, flexible side arms, and a flexible, generally Z-shaped bottom arm. The bottom arm has a pivot point which causes the distal end of the arm to pivot upon assembly of the connector and consequent flattening of the bottom arm. The rotation of the distal end releases the CPA from a rest position upon complete latching of the components to permit the CPA to move to an engaged position which locks the latch mechanism.

Connector position assurance component

An electrical connector consists of a blade terminal and a formed metal receptacle having four independently acting resilient contact beams, housed within a rectangular hood or sleeve, which create four points of electrical contact between the blade and the body. The contact beams deflect and twist to absorb probing forces or blade removal torque, and additionally provide plural high pressure contacts which absorb mating blade angularity. The four points of contact are offset from each other, two on top of the blade and two underneath, providing a stable electrical connector between the blade and the receptacle to thereby eradicate concerns associated with fretting corrosion caused by unstable conditions often created by point or dimple contacts.

Torsional blade receptacle

Electrical connector components, for example, a pin terminal constructed from a solid wire pin and a formed metal body, are attached to a web carrier and fed through an inductive heating station, thereby bonding the components together. The components are pre-treated with a conductive bonding material which can be cured, flowed, or set by applying heat. The web carrier may be wound on a first spool, fed through the inductive heating station, and wound onto a second spool, for ready feed to and from successive production steps. The temperature of the heating operation may be controlled by varying the speed of the web feed and the strength of the inductive field, so as to ensure repeatable, uniform heating, at a high economical speed. In addition, the tip of the pin can be cooled during the heating operation, to prevent heat damage or contamination of the pin.

Method of inductively soldering electrical connector elements

Method and apparatus for inductively soldering electrical connector

An electrical connector having a spring-arm receptacle is surrounded by a hood which is rectangular in cross-section. The hood guides a plug-type terminal tip into the receptacle. The receptacle includes at least one spring arm which is generally convex and defines transverse contact lines which engage opposite surfaces of the terminal tip when it engages the receptacle. At least one arm includes a central portion between the transverse contact lines, which forms a concave spring upon deflection.

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Rochester, MI, United States of America

Jonathan Childs