Lear Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Ut Automotive Dearborn, Inc.

Roger W Wayt

Nathan J Moore

Brent A Kuhn

Phil Seminara

An electrical connecting system for electrically connecting a vehicle door to a vehicle body includes a wiring harness with first and second electrical connectors. The wiring harness extends between the vehicle door and body and is surrounded by a flexible covering which protects the wiring harness from outside contaminants. A fastener holds the first and second electrical connectors securely together and partially extends through the flexible covering such that the fastener is easily accessible. A tight seal is provided between the fastener and the flexible covering and between the flexible covering and the vehicle door and body.

Sealed connector

The invention relates to a method of welding terminal end connectors to wires in a flat flexible cable for use in vehicle wiring harnesses. The flat flexible cable includes a plurality of wires spaced apart from one another and surrounded by an insulating coating. A terminal with a tab is welded to each wire in the flat flexible cable. The welding method includes placing the tab portion of the terminal underneath one of the wires in the flat flexible cable. A tooling base supports the tab and the flat flexible cable. A tooling head engages the insulating coating along the top surface of the wire and moves in a path along the wire. The heat resulting from the friction between the tooling head and the insulating coating causes the insulating coating to flow away from the tooling head to expose the wire and frictionally weld the bottom surface of the wire to the top surface of the tab.

Method of welding a terminal to a flat flexible cable

The invention relates to a device for ensuring that a first and a second electrical connector are properly connected and locked together. The first electrical connector includes a latching member for latching two together when properly mated. A locking member is secured to the first electrical connector in a space between the first electrical connector and the latching member. The locking member is moveable between an unlocked and locked position and can only be moved to the locked position when the first electrical connector is latched to the second electrical connector.

Connector position assurance

Flat flexible cable includes at least one conductor with an insulating film disposed thereabout. The cable further includes an opening through the film not in contact with the conductor. A connector for use with the flat flexible cable, includes an opening and a means for retaining the cable within the opening. The opening receives the cable such that one end of the cable is within the connector. The means for releasably retaining the cable within the opening is disposed through the opening in the cable, so that any force on the cable is transferred to the connector.

Growing community of inventors

Dearborn, MI, United States of America

Roger W Wayt