Yazaki North America, Inc.

Michael Paul Osterhart

Vijay Keshavamurthy

Kent Edward Younglove

A connector assembly according to the present disclosure includes a connector body, a lock reinforcement, and a secondary lock. The connector body has a plurality of terminal cavities and a plurality of lock projections configured to engage a plurality of terminals to retain the terminals in the terminal cavities. The lock reinforcement is slidable relative to the connector body for engagement with a subset of the lock projections to maintain the lock projections engaged with a first subset of the terminals. The secondary lock is slidable relative to the connector body for engagement with a second subset of the terminals to retain the terminals in the terminal cavities independent from the lock projections. The secondary lock is coupled to the lock reinforcement such that moving one of the lock reinforcement and the secondary lock moves the other one of the lock reinforcement and the secondary lock.

Cam-actuated independent secondary lock

A connector is provided that may include first and second housings. The first housing may include a first body and a lock arm. The first body may include a first receptacle. The lock arm may be pivotably coupled to the first body. The second housing may include a second body having a second receptacle and a support member. The first and second housings may be engageable with each other in a first position and a second position and movable relative to each other from the first position to the second position. The lock arm may be deflectable relative to the support member when the first and second housings are in the first position. The support member may restrict deflection of the lock arm when the first and second housings are in the second position.

Connector

An electrical terminal has a frame with an inner spring element for making electrical contact. The spring element has a base section near a wire connect portion of the terminal and an elevated section extending from the base section toward a mating end of the terminal. A raised projection is formed between the base and elevated sections to strengthen the spring element where it bends. The projection is made by punching an indentation in adjacent lower surfaces of the base and elevated sections. The elevated section has an apex with a center contact strip bordered on each side by a recess in the elevated section to avoid a sudden increase in a mating terminal insertion force. A guide member on the frame blocks a mating terminal from being inserted under the elevated section. A support member on the frame underneath the elevated section prevents excessive deflection of the spring element.

Electrical terminal with contoured contact element

A vehicle wire harness type connector for making an electrical connection between terminated wire sets through the wall of a sealed chamber in airtight fashion. The connector includes an internal bulkhead with solid male terminals passing through the bulkhead with an airtight seal, and an exterior airtight seal to the ambient or external side of the wall of the sealed chamber. The end of the connector inserted in the sealed chamber is adapted to receive individual female-terminated wires in direct connection with the male terminals, and the ambient or external end of the connector is adapted to receive a group of female terminals housed in a mating connector. An orthogonal locking member is stored in the end of the connector inserted in the sealed chamber in a pre-lock position allowing the individual female terminals to be inserted, and is movable thereafter to a full-lock position to prevent their withdrawal. The bulkhead-embedded portions of the male terminals are provided with sealant accumulating surfaces to improve their airtight seal to the bulkhead.

Growing community of inventors

Milford, MI, United States of America

Michael Paul Osterhart