Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Richard James Polenick

William G Strang

Jay Harold Garretson

John M Chupak

William L Stein, Sr

An electrical connector has a socket connector body that has a lock ramp, a plug connector body that mates with the socket connector body and that has a lock arm that engages the lock ramp of the socket connector body to lock the plug and socket connector bodies together when the connector bodies are mated, and a connector position assurance (CPA) device that is slideably retained on the plug connector body for assuring that the connector bodies are properly mated and locked together. The CPA device has a top wall and depending sidewalls at respective longitudinal edges of the top wall that overlap and slide on spaced side walls of the plug connector body. The lock arm is between the sidewalls of the plug connector body and connected to the side walls midway between its ends to provide a release lever. The top wall of the CPA device has a depending pusher portion at one end for pushing the lock arm into engagement with the lock ramp and a target portion at the opposite end of the top wall for applying a force to the CPA device. The CPA device is retained in a first detent or pre-stage position and a second detent position with respect to the plug connector. The top wall of the CPA device has a release lever that operates the release lever of the lock arm when the CPA device is in the pre-stage position and the target portion of the CPA device has a strap that disables the release lever of the lock arm when the CPA device is in the second detent position.

Electronic connector with CPA device

An electrical connector is provided including a first connector body for mounting a first terminal, the first connector body having a lock ramp, a second connector body for mounting a second terminal, the second connector body having a base portion with a flexible lock arm, the lock arm having a slot to receive the lock ramp of the first connector body to secure the first and second connector bodies together upon relative movement of the first and second connector bodies toward one another, and a connector assurance clip slidably mounted on the second connector body with a pusher block and a target, the connector assurance clip being slidably mounted on the second connector body adjacent the lock arm, the connector assurance clip having a first detented position with respect to the second connector body securing the connector assurance clip with the second connector body with the pusher block of the connector assurance clip being positioned within the slot of the lock arm, and wherein a force applied to the target of the connector assurance clip can move the connector assurance clip to a second detented position with respect to the second connector body, and wherein the connector assurance clip cannot be moved from the first detented position to the second detented position without the lock ramp of the first connector body moving the pusher block of the connector assurance clip from the lock arm slot.

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Warren, OH, United States of America

Richard James Polenick