Molex Corporation

Reed Devices, Inc.

Lawrence E Geib

Stephen A Colleran

Robert J Gugelmeyer

Anthony J Pill

Bill B Wilson

Paul D Cecil, Jr

Herbert C Naylor

Fred L Krehbiel

Michael J Gardner

James S Zielinski

Duane M Fencl

Kenneth T Stead

William R Bailey

Weng H Cheong

Chandrasekaran Krishnaswamy

Gregory Paul Meyer

A terminal module is provided for coupling between a printed circuit board and a relatively movable component. The module includes an elongated dielectric housing defining a longitudinal axis extending between opposite ends of the housing. One opposite end of the housing has a coupling for interengagement with the relatively movable component and for allowing relative movement between the component and the printed circuit board. A slot extends axially into the housing from an open end thereof at an opposite end of the housing for embracing an edge of a printed circuit board inserted axially into the slot. A conductive terminal is mounted on the housing through an open side of the housing generally parallel to the slot. The terminal has a contact portion extending into the slot for engaging an appropriate circuit trace on the printed circuit board.

Electrical terminal module for receiving an edge of a printed circuit board

An electrical connector assembly is disclosed for terminating the conductors of an electrical cable. A dielectric housing includes a plurality of terminal-receiving passages for receiving a plurality of terminals terminated to the conductors of the cable. A discrete dielectric cover is removably mounted on the housing over a termination end thereof. A discrete dielectric strain relief member is mounted on the housing near the termination end thereof and to which the electrical cable can be fixed. The cover is mounted to the housing independently of the strain relief member, whereby the cover can be removed from the housing without removing the strain relief member and the affixed cable. The strain relief member can be mounted on the housing at a plurality of different locations, whereby the cable can exit the connector from the housing in different locations and orientations.

Electrical connector with cable strain relief

An electrical connector includes a housing having a forward mating end and a rearward terminating end and at least one terminal-receiving cavity extending along an axis in a direction between the ends. A terminal is insertable into the cavity from the rearward terminating end of the housing. The terminal has a transversely enlarged portion located at a given axial position when the terminal is fully inserted into the cavity. A TPA device is engageable with the housing at the rearward terminating end thereof. The TPA device includes at least two parts interconnected for relative movement transversely of the axis between open and closed positions. The parts define a passage therebetween for receiving the terminal therethrough when the parts are in their open position. The parts are adapted to abut the enlarged portion of the terminal to prevent movement of the parts to their closed position in the event the terminal is not at least substantially inserted into the cavity and, thereby, indicating a condition of incomplete insertion of the terminal.

Electrical connector with a rear end mounted terminal position assurance

A terminal position assurance system is provided for an electrical connector which is adapted to mate with another mateable connecting device. The connector includes a housing having a forward mating end and a rearward terminating end and at least one terminal-receiving cavity extending in a direction between the ends. The forward mating end has an opening for receiving the mateable connecting device. A terminal is insertable into the cavity from the rearward terminating end of the housing. A primary locking arm is provided on the housing in the cavity for movement between a first position when the terminal is fully inserted into the cavity and a second position of incomplete insertion of the terminal. A TPA device is at least partially positioned within the opening at the forward mating end of the housing and includes a passage therethrough for the mateable connecting device. The TPA device is movably between a first position allowing movement of the locking arm and insertion of the terminal and a second position blocking movement of the lock arm away from its first position with the terminal fully inserted. The primary locking arm in its second position blocks movement of the TPA device from its first position to its second position.

Connector with a front end mounted terminal position assurance system

A strain relief structure is provided for connecting a flat flexible cable to a circuit board. The flat flexible cable includes an array of parallel conductors, flexible insulation disposed around the conductors and a web of insulation disposed between adjacent conductors. The strain relief structure includes a body having at least one cable receiving aperture extending therethrough. A deflectable strain relief extends into the cable receiving aperture for engaging the web of insulation between at least a pair of conductors. Transverse walls, independent of the strain relief structure, extend into the cable receiving aperture for biasing at least one of the conductors out of the plane of the flat flexible cable.

Strain relief structure for connecting flat flexible cable to a circuit

An electrical connector is provided with a housing having a plurality of terminal-receiving passages extending between a forward end of the housing and a rear end thereof. A plurality of terminals are received in the passages. A plurality of primary locks are operatively associated between the housing and the terminals and are provided for locking the terminals in the passages. A terminal position assurance device is mounted on the housing for movement between first and second positions only when all of the terminals are properly positioned in their respective passages. The device is mounted on the housing for movement to a third position whereat it engages the primary locks to move the locks to an unlocking condition in response to moving the terminal position assurance device to the third position, thereby allowing removal of the terminals.

Electrical connector with terminal position assurance device

A low profile panel mountable retainer is provided for mounting an elongated electrical connector in an elongated generally rectangular opening in a panel. The retainer is molded of plastic material and includes an elongated, generally rectangular housing insertable into the panel opening for receiving the connector. The housing has end walls and flexible elongated side walls defining a connector-mounting aperture. A pair of resilient wings extend along the outside of each side wall of the housing. Each pair of wings includes an inner snap-in wing, made up of a plurality of discrete snap-in wing portions, spaced from the respective side wall for passing through the panel opening and for bearing against an opposite side of the panel. Each snap-in wing portion provides a discrete retaining area to assure secure mounting of the retainer to the panel. Each pair of wings also includes an outer stop wing spaced from the respective inner snap-in wing for bearing against an entry side of the panel. A plurality of integral living hinges are positioned along each side wall of the housing to join each inner snap-in wing to the respective side wall and a plurality of integral support beams extend from the hinges to join each outer stop wing to the respective inner snap-in wing. The retainer construction provides a low insertion, high retention connection to the panel.

Low profile panel mountable retainer for electrical connectors

A terminal retention system is provided in an electrical connector for terminating a conductor. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a terminal-receiving passage. A terminal is received in the passage. The passage includes an opening for access therethrough of a crimping tool, and the terminal includes a crimp section aligned with the opening for engagement by the crimping tool to deform the crimp section into crimping engagement with the conductor. A cavity is provided in the passage aligned with the crimp section of the terminal and into which the crimp section can deformably expand to retain the crimped terminal in the passage as a function of crimping the crimp section onto the conductor.

Electrical connector with improved terminal retention

A male terminal is provided with a male contact portion and a shroud portion disposed about the male contact portion. The male contact portion is integral with and folded into the interior of the shroud portion whereby the shroud portion protects the male contact portion. An electrical connector assembly includes a female connector having a housing which includes channels for receiving the shroud portion of the male terminal, and a female terminal in the housing mates with the male contact portion of the male terminal when the shroud is received in the channels of the housing.

Shrouded electrical connector

A connector provides wire termination, without the need for any tools, facilitating electrical connection and trimming of excess wire by way of pressure applied by a human finger. Connection is accomplished by means of a rotational mechanism comprising an insulative base housing, a conductive electrical terminal and a non-conductive cam lever. The cam lever is configured around a rotating hub and has a wire passageway therethrough. the conductive electrical terminal, has a first insulation displacement contact and a second feedthrough/trimming contact, and fits slidably in the insulative base housing. With a wire installed through the wire passageway and feedthrough/timming contact, manual rotation of the cam lever and exertion of finger pressure terminates the wire in the conductive terminal and trims excess wire. A detent retains the cam lever in the engaged position. Reverse rotational movement of the cam lever frees the wire for removal.

Wire termination connector and terminal block

An improved electrical connector includes a housing extending in an axial direction between a rear conductor entry end and a forward mating end. A plurality of terminal receiving recesses extend between the ends of the housing. A plurality of electrical terminals are slideably insertable into the recesses from the conductor entry end. A terminal lock is supported for movement on the housing between a terminal load position in which the terminal lock does not obstruct the recesses and a lock position in which the terminal lock engages terminals in the recesses. The improvement in accordance with which the terminal lock includes a forward portion disposed adjacent the forward end of the housing and permitting mating of the mating end of the housing only when the terminal lock is in the lock position. An electrical connection assembly includes in combination first and second electrical connectors releasably mateable with one another. Each of said connectors includes a housing supporting a plurality of electrical terminals. The first connector includes a terminal lock movable relative to the housing of the first connector between a released position and a locked position in which the terminal lock engages the terminals of the first connector. The improvement in accordance with which the lock includes a portion engageable with the housing of the second connector, and the second connector housing includes a portion engaged by the portion of the lock for preventing mating of the connectors unless the lock is in the lock position.

Electrical connector

An electrical connector in which electrical terminals are retained within a connector housing in a simple and reliable manner to withstand expected pulling forces without unwanted release of the terminals from the housing. The housing has one or more passageways for receiving respective terminals, an abutment at the inner end of each passageway to limit the insertion depth of the associated terminal, a V-grooved abutment in each passage cooperative with yieldable tines of an associated terminal to retain the terminal in place after insertion into its passage, and walls defining each passage for maintaining the associated terminal in position after insertion into the housing.

A connector assembly is provided for automotive fuel injectors or temperature sensors. The connector comprises an insulator housing having a plurality of locking members disposed therein for locking engagement with conductive terminals. The housing is constructed to prevent improper orientation of the terminals therein. The locking members are further constructed to prevent insertion of a second terminal until the first terminal has been properly and fully seated and locked within the insulator housing. A TPA (terminal position assurance) component can be engaged on the insulator housing prior to insertion of the terminals to define a subassembly for shipment to a final assembly location. Movement of the TPA component into a second position on the housing assures proper positioning and alignment of the terminals therein.

Electrical connector for fuel injector and terminals therefor

A pair of electrical connectors are provided to enable quick connection or disconnection of a lead from an automotive battery. The connectors include mateable pin and socket terminals that are of split tube design to achieve inward deflection of the pin terminal and outward deflection of the socket terminal with correspondingly high contact forces and large contact surface areas. The terminals are securely mounted in housings that are mateable with one another. One housing preferably includes helically formed cam slots that are dimensioned to receive cam followers unitarily molded with the opposed housing. The helical cam slot provides a desirable mechanical advantage during mating and unmating and contributes to the plural directional wiping of the terminals insert molded therein.

Quick disconnect automotive battery connector

A wiring harness assembly includes an electrical connector terminated to a cable including several electrical conductors. The connector is mounted in a cavity defined between front, rear and side walls of a retainer including snap mounting structure for securing the retainer in a panel opening. A connector doorway in a retainer side wall permits the connector to be loaded into the side wall in a direction transverse to the connector mating direction, and the rear wall prevents contact mating forces from pushing the connector from the retainer. The connector is releasably retained in the cavity, and can be removed in the transverse direction for repair or replacement. The connector has freedom of movement within the retainer to facilitate automated assembly.

Growing community of inventors

Bartlett, IL, United States of America

Lawrence E Geib