Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Kevin Paul Phillips

Joseph Matthew Senk

Randall Kent Smith

Frederick Edward Mlakar

James William Borzi

James D Daugherty

William G Strang

William L Stein, Sr

John M Sova

Sharon Elizabeth Arkwright

William R Stein, Sr

David A Simoni

Sharon Elizabeth Wingert Arkwright

An electrical connector uses a single flex circuit having two banks of electrical conductors each engaged to a series of terminals disposed or engaged in first and second carriers. The carriers are stacked upon one another and then inserted into a shroud of the electrical connector from a lateral direction. A clip retainer is then inserted from the rear into the shroud of the electrical connector between the first and second carriers to assure the position of the individual terminals within the respective carriers. The single flex circuit is replaced by a plurality of individual electrically insulated conductors in a second embodiment.

Flex circuit electrical connector

A sleeve terminal which provides a continually assured level of normal force with respect to a received pin terminal, even as the sleeve member thereof may tend to relax over time. The sleeve terminal includes a sleeve member having a slot which allows the sleeve member to be resiliently expanded when a pin terminal is inserted therewithin. A pair of resilient arms characterized by an opposing V-shape are formed integrally with the sleeve member on opposing sides of the slot. The apex of the resilient arms provides a contact location with the inner surface of a barrel which is concentrically receives the sleeve terminal. A free end of each resilient arm is spaced a predetrmined distance from the sleeve member. A wire mount is connected to the sleeve member opposite the slot. In operation, a pin terminal is inserted into the sleeve member, causing the sleeve member to be resiliently expanded as the slot widens. The sleeve terminal is then received into a barrel, during which operation the resilient arms tend to become flattened, eventually resulting in the free ends abutting the sleeve member, whereupon any further compression of the resilient arms is accompanied by an increased application of normal force against the inner surface of the barrel in one direction and against the sleeve member, and in turn the pin terminal, in the opposite direction.

Sleeve terminal

An electrical distribution center assembly and a method of constructing the same which eliminates the need to flip an electrical distribution center over in order to couple a wire harness connector to the electrical distribution center. The electrical distribution center assembly includes an electrical distribution center, a wire harness connector, and a connector retainer carried by a vehicle for temporarily holding the wire harness connector in position while the wire harness connector is coupled to the electrical distribution center.

Top down electrical distribution center assembly

An electrical connector with positive lock retention comprising: a connector housing with a first wall having first and second ramp locks at first and second longitudinal positions along the first wall; and a positive lock retention component comprising a first longitudinally extending lock feature including a first cross member forming a T-shape in the first lock feature, extending first and second lateral directions therefrom, wherein the positive lock retention component is locked in a first state of insertion engagement with the connector housing when the first cross member is located longitudinally between the first and second ramp locks and wherein the positive lock retention component is locked in a second state of insertion engagement with the connector housing when the first cross member is locked behind the second ramp lock.

Electrical connector with positive lock retention

An electrical connector comprises a relatively rigid circuit board of thermoplastic material, a support plate of the same material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board. Each of the bus strips has a flanged female terminal portion comprising a pair of cantilevered contact fingers which engage pin terminals inserted in pin holes of the support plate. Each bus strip has a perpendicular male terminal portion at the opposite end which is disposed in an integral connector body of the circuit board.

Low profile electrical connector

Growing community of inventors

Chagrin Falls, OH, United States of America

Kevin Paul Phillips