High voltage connector assembly having improved female and male housings with a female terminal position assurance (tpa) device, and an improved method for improving clearance and creepage in the high voltage connector assembly

Abstract

A high voltage connector assembly having improved female and male housings with a female terminal position assurance (TPA) device, and a method for improving clearance and creepage of the electrical path in the high voltage connector assembly. The female housing includes an intermediate upper portion having apertures for respectively receiving front downward extending members of frontward extending members of the female TPA device to finally lock high voltage electrical terminals in the female housing, and to place the female TPA device in a full-lock position inside the female housing. When fully assembled, the clearance and creepage of the electrical path in the high voltage connector assembly extends in a substantially vertical direction from the high voltage electrical terminals, and extends along a separator wall of the male housing and towards a rear portion of the female housing in a substantially horizontal direction across an intermediate upper portion of the female housing and into adjacent high voltage electrical terminals. Also, when in a full-lock position, the TPA device, in its entirety, resides outside of the female housing with the exception of the downward extending members in such a manner as to not require any part of the TPA device to enter the cavities that house the terminals while being assembled or while resting in a pre-lock position to allow the terminals to be substantially fully encapsulated in all directions by a continuous insulating material.