Yazaki North America, Inc.

Yazaki Corporation

Jonathan Mark Gregory, Ii

Bryan Donald Cole

Brian L Wagner

Brian Christopher Schweitzer

A bussed electrical center (BEC) assembly includes a BEC having a BEC connector on its lower surface, and a lower housing adapted to be secured in position within an automobile engine compartment. Flexible retaining arms extend upwardly from the housing and engage a connector and secure it in a pre-set position in the housing. When the BEC is later mounted to the housing, the connector is automatically aligned with the BEC connector and a shroud extending downwardly from the BEC contacts the retaining arms and deflects them outwardly so that the connector is released from the pre-set position and is free to slide upwardly toward the BEC connector. A bolt passes through the BEC connector and engages a captive nut in the connector so that rotation of the bolt draws the connector upwardly into engagement with the BEC connector. The apparatus permits the BEC to be installed in an automotive vehicle without requiring that the connector be mated with the lower side of the BEC before attaching the BEC to the vehicle.

Bussed electrical center assembly with connector pre-set

A connector bracket for holding two or more multi-wire electrical connectors for mating engagement with a junction block or other electrical component has a wire shield which is attached to the bracket after the connectors are inserted therein. The wire shield has retention arms which contact rear surfaces of the connectors to prevent the connectors from being dislodged from their proper positions within the bracket during mating of the bracket with the junction block.

Connector bracket wire shield with connector retention arms

A floating connector assembly allowing for axial movement of joined wire harness terminal connectors as a unit, thereby preventing rubbing and wear of their electrical contacts or terminals. The floating connector assembly comprises a first connector having electrical terminals and a spring-receiving surface, and a spring bracket assembly which secures the first connector to a fixed surface on a vehicle with axial spring force greater than a terminal-connecting force between mating electrical terminals of the first connector and a second connector. A bellows-type seal designed to accommodate the axial spring compliance of the connector is also disclosed. The spring bracket assembly is loaded into a compressed state when the second connector is placed in a final position by a mounting surface or electrical device. Forces tending to loosen or disengage the mated electrical terminals of the first and second connectors are absorbed by the spring bracket assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America

Jonathan Mark Gregory, Ii