Molex Corporation

Scott P Marceau

Paul Christopher Berg

John O Higgins, Jr

Stephen A Colleran

Frank Keyser

Thomas G Premo

Edward J Plocek

Kevin C Benes

Frederick J Gierut

Paul D Cecil, Jr

Harry N Etters

Russell L Mackowiak

Kenneth T Stead

Alexander Popa

Jonathan D Lohman

Frank L Geoghegan

Bradley M Dick

Christopher Dillon

Mark A Cole

Theo Poll

David Richard Kalal

Brenda R Courim

Robert Olson

Matt Bailey

Cristopher Dillon

The present disclosure is directed to TPA connectors. The TPA connectors of the present disclosure can have a connector body that can include a plurality of cavities for receiving terminals. The TPA connectors can also include a retainer for locking the terminals in their seated position and for locking to the connector body to prevent unwanted removal thereof. The connector body can include posts with stop surfaces which can prevent the retainer from moving from a pre-lock position to a fully locked position by engaging contact surfaces on the locking arms of the retainer. The locking arms can be cantilevered and have outwardly directed projections to engage the posts for locking the retainer to the connector body. The locking arms can be deflected inwardly with a squeezing or pinching motion to disengage the contact surfaces from the stop surfaces of the posts and permitting the retainer to move to the fully locked position by pushing retainer towards the connector body. Once the projects pass the post, locking arms can be release to allow the projections to engage the posts to lock the retainer to the connector body.

Electrical connector having finger-actuated retainer

An electrical connector termination assembly includes a dielectric pin holder. A plurality of elongated terminal pins extend through the pin holder in a pattern of at least two rows of pins with the pins in the respective rows being aligned transversely of the rows. Each of at least some of the terminal pins defining a longitudinal axis and including an arm at a termination end of the pin offset from the longitudinal axis. The arm is bent to define a termination pad extending transversely of the longitudinal axis.

Electrical connector assembly

An interface system is provided for adhering a pair of electrical connector components together. A first connector component has a first interface surface with a first set of elongated, mutually spaced adhesive flow fins. A second connector component has a second interface surface with a second set of elongated adhesive flow fins for disposition between the first set of adhesive flow fins. The flow fins of at least one of the first or second sets thereof are tapered from enlarged ends of the fins to reduced ends thereof for forcing liquid adhesive material between the interface surfaces longitudinally of the fins from the enlarged ends thereof toward the reduced ends thereof automatically when the interface surfaces are brought together.

Adhesive interface for electrical connector components

A female electrical terminal has a contact end and a terminating end. The contact end includes a pair of opposing walls for receiving a male terminal therebetween. A flexible element is disposed in the contact end for pressing against the male terminal. The flexible element includes a mounting section with spaced wall portions juxtaposed inside the opposing walls of the contact end. Complementary interengaging latches are provided between the opposing walls and the spaced wall portions of the mounting section of the flexible element. An abutment is provided in the contact end to prevent inward collapsing of the spaced wall portions and, thereby, to maintain the latches in interengagement.

Female electrical terminal

A connector position assurance system is provided for an electrical connector adapted to mate with another mateable connecting device. The connector includes a housing, and a primary locking arm is mounted on the housing for movement between a first position when the connector is fully mated with the mateable connecting device and second position of incomplete mating of the connector with the device. The primary locking arm includes a latch for mechanically interlocking with a cooperating latch of the mateable connecting device. A locking slider is mounted directly on the primary locking arm. The slider is slidable on the locking arm between a first position allowing movement of the locking arm and mating of the connector and the device, and a second position blocking movement of the locking arm from its second position with the connector and the device fully mated. The locking arm, in its second position, blocks movement of the locking slider from its first position to its second position and thereby indicates that the connector and the device are not fully mated.

Electrical connector position assurance system

An electrical 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. A terminal is insertable into the cavity from the rearward terminating end of the housing. A TPA device is selectively engageable with the housing in two positions, preloaded and fully loaded, at the terminating end of the housing, with a terminal retention portion insertable into the cavity in locking engagement with the terminal. Complementary interengaging abutments are provided between the terminal and the TPA device for moving the terminal from at least one incomplete position of insertion to a fully inserted position in response to moving the TPA device from the preloaded position to the fully loaded position thereof. The TPA device is held on the housing in either of the preloaded position or the fully loaded position thereof in such a manner as to allow the TPA device to be readily removed from the housing along with the terminals therewith.

Electrical connector with terminal position assurance device that

A connector position assurance system is provided for an electrical connector adapted to mate with another mateable connecting device. The connector includes a housing having an interior cavity. A flexible locking arm is provided on the housing and is adapted for locking engagement with appropriate lock means of the mateable connecting device. The locking arm is flexibly movable between a locking position when the connector is fully mated with the device inwardly to an unlocking position of incomplete mating of the connector with the device. A locking member is mounted substantially within the interior cavity of the connector housing and includes an actuating portion exposed exteriorly of the housing. The locking member is movable between a first position allowing movement of the locking arm and mating of the connector and the device, and a second position blocking inward movement of the locking arm away from its locking position when the connector and the device are fully mated. The locking arm in its unlocking position of incomplete mating of the connector and the device blocks movement of the locking member from its first position to its second position, thereby indicating that the connector and the device are not fully mated.

An electrical connector includes a dielectric 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. A terminal is insertable into the cavity from the rearward terminating end of the housing. A TPA device is selectively engageable with the housing at the terminating end thereof, with a terminal retention portion insertable into the cavity in locking engagement with the terminal. An abutment shoulder on the TPA device engages an aperture in the terminal for moving the terminal from at least one incomplete position of insertion to a fully inserted position in response to engaging the TPA device with the housing and fully inserting the terminal into the cavity.

Growing community of inventors

Plainfield, IL, United States of America

Scott P Marceau