The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 22, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1999
Darrin F. Wilber, Metamora, MI (US);
Robert J. Flowers, Ortonville, MI (US);
Cardell Corporation, Auburn Hills, MI (US);
Abstract
A connector includes a first housing half and a second housing half, with one of the connector halves being a socket half, and the other connector half being a plug half. A latching mechanism is provided so that when the connector halves are assembled, they are latched together in the assembled position. A CPA device is also provided which is independent of the connector halves. The CPA device may be securely mounted on one of the connector halves prior to assembly of the connector halves. Following latching of the connector halves into the assembled condition, the CPA device may be slid forward to a final position to lock the latching mechanism to prevent the connector from being inadvertently unlatched. Also, if the connector halves are not fully and properly assembled, it is not possible to slide the CPA device into the final position. Additionally, after the CPA device is seated in its final position, the two connector halves cannot be disconnected from each other unless the CPA device is manually slid back to the initial or “ready” position. However, in order to disassemble the connector, the CPA device must be manually disengaged from the final locked position, and moved to the initial unlocked position, before the latch may be manually unlatched so that the connector halves may be unmated.