Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Delco Electronics Corporation

Richard Louis Kidd

Paul Di Liello

Robert W Rimko

Anthony Joseph Corso

David Glen Siegfried

Philip Jerome Engler

Jeffrey Michael Hickox

Jeffrey A Reeves

Thomas M Jackson

Jerry A Graf

Daniel Griffith Mathey

Thomas Alan Lubert

Daniel J Jilg

Marc Lynn Mansell

Bobbi S Dankert

Joseph A Svette, Jr

Song-Chin S Lu

A connection system includes a connector plug for fiber optic cables. The connector plug has a subassembly comprising a ferrule and a seal sleeve that are attached to a fiber optic cable by one or two crimp rings. One crimp ring fits around an extension of the seal sleeve that fits over a collar of the ferrule. A second connector for fiber optic cables has a subassembly comprising a ferrule and a coil spring that are attached to a fiber optic cable by an attachment member that engages the coil spring at one end and is crimped to the fiber optic cable at the other end.

Fiber optic cable connector

An electrical connection includes a wiring harness and an electrical device. The electrical device has a molded plastic support and a flexible printed circuit. The molded plastic support has an end wall that includes mechanical locks and the flexible printed circuit has a connector portion that overlies the end wall. The wiring harness includes a second flexible printed circuit and a plastic end connector that backs a connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit. A clamp bracket is attached to the end wall of the molded plastic support by mechanical locks and clamps the plastic end connector and the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit against the end wall with the connector portion of the second flexible printed circuit engaging the connector portion of the flexible printed circuit of the electrical device. The clamp bracket may be insert molded or an integral part of an automotive trim piece, such as inner door panel or instrument panel fascia.

Electrical connection for flex circuit device

An electrical connection system with terminals connecting multiple flex circuits for use as a power distribution system in automotive vehicles is disclosed. The system comprises a housing first and second templates (266, 244), wherein the first template includes a first cavity having a first internal housing wall and the second template includes a second cavity having a second internal housing wall (246), wherein the first and second templates are positioned so that the first and second cavities are aligned with each other, a terminal (200) extending through the first and second cavities and having a first fork-shaped portion (208) and a second fork shaped portion (203), wherein each of the first and second fork-shaped portions have open and closed ends and a free extending fork arm (206, 202), wherein the closed end of the first fork-shaped portion is affixed at the open end of the second fork-shaped portion; an external edge on each free-extending fork arm including a rounded protrusion (204), wherein the terminal comprises a singular planar piece; and first and second flex circuits (16, 14) substantially overlaying the templates, each with a part between one of the internal housing walls and one of the rounded protrusions.

Electrical connection system with terminals connecting multiple flex

A modular buss center for an automotive vehicle is provided including a first plug connector; an intermediate terminal having a first male end and a second female end and at least one arm, the first end being electrically connected to the first plug connector; a first template with a hole for receipt of the intermediate terminal; at least one flex circuit, the flex circuit having at least one cut-out flag, the flag making contact with the intermediate terminal arm; a second template separated from the first template by the flex circuit, the second template having a hole for receipt of the intermediate terminal second end; and an electrical component positioned on the second template opposite the flex circuit, the electrical component being electrically connected to the intermediate terminal second end.

Automotive vehicle modular buss

A vehicle signal connection arrangement is provided including a male member having a body with first and seconds ends, the body mounting a plurality of leads extending therethrough, the body having a multi-dimensional axial inner hole with a first end and a second end with a shoulder separating the first and second ends of the hole, the shoulder having a generally oblong passage extending therethrough; a female member having a body with first and second ends for mounting a plurality of leads extending therethrough to make contact with the leads of the male member, the female body having a multi-dimensional generally axial inner hole with a first end and a second end and a shoulder separating the first and second ends of the hole, the shoulder having a generally oblong passage extending therethrough; a protrusion connected with one of the members for a snap interference fit into a depression of the other member; and a mounting member pivotally mounting the female member.

Modular connection system

A vehicle door and signal connection arrangement is provided including a first panel; a first connective member having a body mounting a plurality of leads extending therethrough, the first connective member having a bore extending therethrough and also being rigidly connected to the first panel; a second panel extending generally laterally adjacent the first panel with arms extending toward the first panel, at least one of the arms having a finger; a second connective member having a body mounting a plurality of leads extending therethrough for mating with the leads of the first connective member, the second connective member having a bore extending therethrough aligned with the bore of the first connective member, the second connective member being slidably mounted on the arms of the second panel and entrapped on the arms by the finger; and a fastener extending through the first and second connective members, causing the connective members to mate with one another and also causing the second connective member to contact the finger pulling the second panel to positionally set the second panel with respect to the first panel.

Vehicle door modular connection system

A blind assembly electrical connective arrangement is provided for mating an electrical component with a first structure to a flexible circuit, the flexible circuit being positioned adjacent a second structure, the second structure having first and second surfaces penetrated by an aperture, the arrangement including a male slider, the slider having a platform projecting in a first direction, the platform providing a presentation surface for the flexible circuit, the slider also having at least one set of fingers juxtaposing the second structure, at least one of the fingers being compliant, and the male slider also having an alignment post; and a female housing connected with the electrical component, the female housing having a cavity to receive the platform in the alignment post of the male slider, the female housing having at least one terminal biased for contact with the flexible circuit and wherein movement of the electrical component in a second direction opposite the first direction toward the second structure causes the slider to move in a first plane to align itself with the female housing and to establish an electrical connection.

Self-aligning electrical connective arrangement

An electrically insulated connector housing has a cable receiving end and a mating end and a plurality of spaced cavities extending longitudinally therethrough for receiving terminals crimped onto electrical cables which are positioned within the cavities. The connector assembly also includes an alignment overlay overlying the mating end of the connector housing and which is adhesively secured thereto. The overlay has openings therethrough which are arranged in a plurality of predetermined patterns and which are aligned with certain ones of the terminal cavities in the housing. The housing block has projections extending from the mating end at certain locations and the alignment overlay has notches at certain locations for receiving the projections to ensure that the overlay can only be adhesively secured to the housing if properly oriented relative to the housing block. A plurality of electrical devices for connection with the terminals in the connector housing having projecting terminals arranged in a pattern which can only be inserted through a predetermined pattern opening in the alignment overlay and mated to the proper terminals in the block housing so that the alignment overlay prevents the electrical devices from being misconnected to the housing block.

Alignment overlay for connector housing block

A flat electromagnetic relay comprises a lead frame having six stamped insert molded circuit leads, an armature frame pivotally supporting a balanced beam armature which carries two contact bars, a coil assembly and an electromagnetic frame having two diagonally arranged pole wings which are on opposite sides and ends of the armature. The armature is biased into a first operative position where the contact bar at one shunts two circuit leads. When the coil is energized, the armature is pivoted into a second operative position where the contact bar at the other end shunts two other circuit leads. The circuit leads are shaped and arranged to provide three pairs of functionally related circuit leads that have respective pairs of male terminal blades that have terminal blades that are on opposite sides of and equidistant from an imaginary centerline of the relay so that the relay is reversible.

Flat electromagnetic relay

A flat electromagnetic relay comprises a lead frame having six stamped insert molded circuit leads, an armature frame pivotally supporting a balanced beam armature assembly that carries two contact bars, a coil assembly and an electromagnetic frame having two diagonally arranged pole wings which are on opposite sides and ends of the armature. The armature is biased into a first operative position where the contact bar at one shunts two circuit leads. When the coil is energized, the armature is pivoted into a second operative position where the contact bar at the other end shunts two other circuit leads. The armature assembly includes an armature having integral support pintles and an elastomeric oval shaped dome attached to one end of the armature so that it shrouds the contact bar at the one end and engages the lead frame to bias the contact bar at the one end of the armature away from the normally open contacts and the contact bar at the other end of the armature into engagement with the normally closed contacts.

A door trim panel assembly is comprised of a rigid trim panel having a decorative trim material attached on the inner face thereof. A sheet of flexible plastic or other electrically non-conductive material is imprinted with foil conductor strips to comprise a printed electrical circuit and is attached to the outer face of the rigid trim panel. The flexible plastic sheet is coextensive in size with the rigid trim panel so that the plastic sheet will provide a vapor barrier. The rigid door trim panel is comprised of plastic or hardboard or some other dielectric material so that the foil conductor strips are electrically insulated from one another by the rigid trim panel. The flexible plastic sheet insulates the foil conductor strips from the metal of the door inner panel. The foil conductor strips have terminal devices at the ends thereof for connection to the various electrical devices mounted in the door cavity and to various switches which are mounted on the trim panel assembly for operating the electric windows and other electric devices. The door trim panel assembly may be mounted on the door either manually by an assembly worker or robotically.

Door trim panel assembly

A steering wheel pad keyboard switch assembly is mounted on a steering wheel. The preassembled switch assembly comprises a base, a printed circuit board which has an array of open contact grids, an elastomeric switch member which has an array of movable contacts, a guide plate and a push button sub-assembly. The guide plate has a plurality of guide bosses and guide holes disposed in the same predetermined array for guiding the stem pieces of the push buttons into operative contact with the movable contacts of the switch member and a pad portion for supporting a horn switch. The push button sub-assembly comprises a frame member which is attached to the base to provide the unit handle switch assembly, a plurality of push buttons which are slideably retained in respective slide chambers of the frame and a soft decorative cover which includes a depressible horn switch pad to operate the horn switch and cut-outs to provide access to the push buttons. The guide plate and the stem pieces of the push buttons are made of a translucent material and form part of the back lighting system for the push button legends.

Growing community of inventors

Stow, OH, United States of America

Richard Louis Kidd