Delphi Technologies, Inc.

Aptiv Technologies Limited

Thomas Andrew Volpone

Troy A Iler

Terry A George

Mark D McCall

Dale Joseph Smutny

Bruce D Taylor

William C Lovitz

Eric B Poma

Daniel J Erdman

Michael Bashkin

Masahiro Yoshino

Eric Haverkate

An electrical connector including a mounting flange defining a mounting hole extending therethrough that is configured to receive a threaded fastener and a deformable crush rib extending from the mount flange and surrounding the mounting hole is presented herein. A method of assembling an electrical connector to a panel including the steps of inserting a fastener within a mounting hole of a mounting flange defining the mounting hole extending therethrough and a crush rib surrounding the mounting hole, applying a clamping force to the mounting flange via the fastener, and deforming the crush rib via the clamping force applied by the fastener such that the deformed crush rib at least partially fills a gap between an inner wall of the mounting hole and the fastener is also presented herein.

Electrical connector with a mounting flange and method of assembling same

A wire cable assembly, such as those used in electric or hybrid electric vehicles, having a plurality of shielded wire cables that are spliced together is presented. The assembly. A resilient shield clip electrically interconnects the shield conductors of at least a portion of the plurality of shielded wire cables. The shield clip defines a first wire receiving portion that is characterized as being omega-shaped in cross section. A first shield conductor portion is received within the first wire receiving portion. The shield clip further defines second and third wire receiving portions in which the second and third shield conductor portions are received respectively. A conductive shield sleeve is in electrical contact with the shield clip and encloses the first, second, and third shield conductor portions. A method of splicing shielded wire cables using such a shield clip is also presented herein.

Device and method for splicing shielded wire cables

A wire harness assembly includes a housing defining an interior volume which extends into the housing along an axis and also defines an outer surface having a retention protuberance extending outward therefrom. A seal is received within the interior volume and a wire extends through the seal into the interior volume. A seal includes skirt segments which extend from the seal retainer wall such that each of the skirt segments is positioned laterally to the outer surface and such that one of the skirt segments is a lock arm having a lock aperture which captures the retention protuberance therein, thereby retaining the seal retainer to the housing. A flex limiting strap joins the lock arm to an adjacent one of the skirt segments and limits the extent to which the lock arm flexes away from the axis.

Wire harness assembly and seal retainer therefore

A wire cable assembly, such as those used in electric or hybrid electric vehicles, having a plurality of shielded wire cables that are spliced together is presented. The assembly includes a splicing device having a generally planar bus bar formed of a conductive material, wherein the exposed core conductors of the shielded wire cables are welded to the bus bar, thereby electrically interconnecting the exposed core conductors. A conductive sleeve encloses bus bar and interconnects the shield conductors of the shielded wire cables, providing shielding for the exposed core conductors and continuity for the shield conductors. An outer insulator enclosing the conductive sleeve. A method of splicing shielded wire cables using such a device is also presented herein.

A wire harness assembly and a method of forming such a wire harness assembly is presented. The wire harness assembly includes a plurality of wire cables and a wire support defining elongate slots having open and closed ends. The cables are disposed within the slots. Retaining teeth are defined by side walls of the slots and are configured to separate one wire cable from another wire cable in the same slot. The wire harness assembly also includes a slug formed of a moldable material that encases the wire support. The slug also encases a portion of each of the wire cables. The wire harness assembly further includes a grommet encircling the slug. The slug may be formed by disposing the cables within the slots of the wire support, arranging the wire support and the cables in a mold, injecting a moldable material into the mold, and curing the moldable material.

Wire harness assembly with a grommet having a wire spacing retainer and method for manufacturing same

A low insertion force female terminal that is configured to make electrical contact with a male pin. The terminal includes a spring portion configured to be deflected by the pin as the pin is inserted into the terminal. The spring portion is also configured to urge a contact feature formed into the spring portion toward the pin to make electrical contact with the pin. The contact feature is characterized by an asymmetrical shape configured so a leading-edge ramp angle of the contact feature is less than a trailing-edge ramp angle of the contact feature. The asymmetrical shape reduces the peak insertion force for the terminal when compared to terminal designs that have symmetrically shaped contact features with similar dimensions.

Low insertion force terminal

A plastic component is attached to a mounting structure by a fastener that extends at least into a mounting hole in the plastic component. The mounting hole is located near an edge corner of a cantilevered mounting tab that forms part of the plastic component. The mounting tab comprises a generally flat plate that has a depending flange that extends around a rounded corner near which the mounting hole is located and a depending sleeve that is contiguous with the mounting hole. The mounting tab has a break away portion so that the plastic component can be removed for recycling easily. Three variations of the breakaway portion are disclosed.

Plastic component having breakaway feature

An electrical housing has a first member and a second member that can be locked and unlocked with a cover lock. The cover lock itself can include a male member disposed on one of the members, and a female member disposed on the other of the members for mating with the male member. A rib can also be provided on either the first or second member to help mate the male member with the female member.

Cover lock

A connector includes a housing, a base extending from an outer surface of the housing, and a deflectable, cantilever locking arm extending from an outer surface of the base. A window is formed in the locking arm at a location proximate the base. The locking arm and base are shaped to resist breakage of the locking arm and base when the lock arm is bent away from the outer surface of the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Cortland, OH, United States of America

Thomas Andrew Volpone