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:
Aug. 07, 2001
Filed:
Apr. 30, 1999
Randy L. Fink, Warren, OH (US);
Robert W. Rimko, Transfer, PA (US);
Delphi Technologies, Inc., Troy, MI (US);
Abstract
A pre-staged electrical connector system including mutually seatable first and second connector halves. A female terminal retainer is seated in the first connector half, having a front face, a rear face and a plurality of terminal cavities for each receiving a portion of a terminal, wherein the terminal has an annular abutment. A plurality of flexible locking fingers extend from the front face, each straddling two adjacent terminal cavities. Each flexible locking finger includes a pair of spaced apart locking shoulders, one for each straddled terminal cavity, each locking shoulder having a terminus. When the female terminal is passed into a terminal cavity from the rear face, the terminus of the locking shoulder thereat interferingly abuts the terminal abutment, thereby preventing rearward withdrawal of the female terminal through the rear face. A secondary lock system is provided wherein at least one arm is positioned on at least one groove of the terminal retainer so as to abut the terminal abutment of any terminals received into the terminal retainer. A slide assist system is provided for assisting seating of the first and second connector halves, wherein a first pre-stage retains the first connector half configured for initial seatin, thereinto by the second connector half, and wherein at a second pre-stage, the first and second connector halves are intermediately seated, mutually held together, and the slide assist system is operable to provide full seating of the first and second connector halves.