Electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector for holding a plurality of electrical terminals comprising: a body of molded insulating material adapted for receiving, supporting and fixedly holding a plurality of terminals in said body; a plurality of openings in said body, each opening having (a) an axial passageway along the length of the body, each axial passageway having means mounted therein for fixedly holding a terminal inserted in the axial passageway, and (b) a radial passageway extending outwardly from the axial passageway so that a terminal can be axially and radially inserted in and removed from the body of the connector; and a plurality of hinges operatively joined to the body, each hinge being adjacent an opening and operable for enlarging the adjacent opening in order to facilitate the assembly or disassembly of terminals within the openings provided therefor.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1 wherein the body of the connector is formed from flexible, resilient material and the hinges are integral with the body and are operable to bend the body at the integral hinges in order to enlargen the openings for inserting or removing the terminals.

Claim 4

J. The connector of claim 1 or 2 wherein said body includes an entrance at one end, a wall at the other end, a plurality of collars integral with said wall, each collar for holding a terminal fixedly in place, an axial passageway extending outwardly through said wall, said integral hinges including a bendable portion of said collars disposed opposite said radial passageways and a void in said wall adjacent said bendable collar portion.

Claim 5

An electrical connector for fitting into a hydraulic valve body having a cavity adapted to have an inner cavity wall for snugly fitting against an outer connector wall, the inner cavity wall having recessed portions therein for accommodating projecting portions of a connector, said connector comprising: a body of molded flexible insulating material having an outer wall, a plurality of projecting portions on the surface of said outer wall for engaging and fitting into the recessed portions of the connector cavity inner wall, an entrance at one end of said body for accommodating a mating connector and an end wall at the other end of the outer wall; a plurality of collars integral with the end wall, extending therefrom and each collar having an opening therein for accommodating and fixedly holding an electrical terminal; a plurality of elongated tab portions, integral with said outer wall aligned with said projecting portions and long enough to extend beyond said cavity when said projecting portions are fitted into said recessed portions whereby said electrical connector is removable from its cavity by manipulating the elongated tabs to move toward each other, thereby withdrawing said aligned projecting portions from said recessed portions of the cavity.

Claim 6

An electrical connector for fitting into a hydraulic valve body having a cavity adapted to have an inner cavity wall for snugly fitting against an outer connector wall, the inner cavity wall having recessed portions therein for accommodating projecting portions of a connector, said connector comprising: a body of molded flexible insulating material having an outer wall, a plurality of projecting portions on the surface of said outer wall for engaging and fitting into the recessed portions of the connector cavity inner wall, an entrance at one end of said body for accommodating a mating connector and an end wall at the other end of the outer wall; a plurality of collars integral with the end wall, extending therefrom and each collar having an opening therein for accommodating and fixedly holding an electrical terminal; a plurality of elongated tab portions, integral with said outer wall aligned with said projecting portions and long enough to extend beyond said cavity when said projecting portions are fitted into said recessed portions whereby said electrical connector is removable from its cavity by manipulating the elongated tabs to move toward each other, thereby withdrawing said aligned projecting portions from said recessed portions of the cavity.

Claim 7

The connector of claim 4 wherein the electrical connector has two integral elongated tab portions and two corresponding, aligned projecting portions.

Claim 8

The connector of claim 4 or 5 further comprising a resilient seal member disposed adjacent the end wall of the connector, having a plurality of holes corresponding to the number of terminals mounted in said collars for sealingly engaging said terminals and adapted to bear against a chamfered bearing portion of the cavity and thereby act upon said conductor body in order to seal the end wall from the cavity and resiliently urge said projecting portions into the recessed portions of the cavity.

Claim 9

The connector of claim 6 wherein said terminals comprise a solid, elongated body having a crimpable portion projecting through the openings in the resilient seal for crimping said terminal to an electrical wire and thereby providing a continuous, solid, seal surface adjacent said end wall.

Claim 10

The connector of claim 6 or 7 wherein the end wall comprises four collars for fixedly holding and supporting four electrical terminals and the resilient seal comprises a number of openings corresponding to a desired number of conductors up to and including four conductors.

Claim 11

An electrical connector for holding a plurality of electrical terminals and for fitting snugly into a cavity of a hydraulic valve, said electrical connector comprising: a body of molded, insulating resilient material adapted for receiving, supporting and fixedly holding a plurality of electrical terminals in said body; an opening at one end of said body for accommodating a plurality of electrical receptacles; a cylindrical outer wall formed from two elongated tab portions and two shorter tab portions, said elongated tab portions having projecting portions extending from the outer surface thereof for engaging corresponding recessed portions of said valve cavity; a wall at the other end of said connector body integral with said tab portions; a plurality of collars integral with said end wall and extending therefrom toward said entrance for accommodating and fixedly holding a plurality of electrical terminals therein; an axial passageway extending through each collar, and a radial passageway extending from each axial passageway through said end wall to the outer wall; a plurality of hinges integral with said end wall and each operatively associated with a corresponding collar, said hinges including a bendable portion of said collar opposite and in alignment with said radial passageway and a void portion in said end wall adjacent said bendable collar portion; whereby electrical terminals may be inserted or removed from said collars by manipulating said end wall to enlargen said axial and radial passageways in order to permit the axial or radial insertion or removal of terminals in said collars and said connector may be readily inserted or removed from said hydraulic valve cavity by manipulating said elongated tabs of said outer wall portion of said electrical connector.

Claim 12

An electrical connector for holding a plurality of electrical terminals and for fitting snugly into a cavity of a hydraulic valve, said electrical connector comprising: a body of molded, insulating resilient material adapted for receiving, supporting and fixedly holding a plurality of electrical terminals in said body; an opening at one end of said body for accommodating a plurality of electrical receptacles; a cylindrical outer wall formed from two elongated tab portions and two shorter tab portions, said elongated tab portions having projecting portions extending from the outer surface thereof for engaging corresponding recessed portions of said valve cavity; a wall at the other end of said connector body integral with said tab portions; a plurality of collars integral with said end wall and extending therefrom toward said entrance for accommodating and fixedly holding a plurality of electrical terminals therein; an axial passageway extending through each collar, and a radial passageway extending from each axial passageway through said end wall to the outer wall; a plurality of hinges integral with said end wall and each operatively associated with a corresponding collar, said hinges including a bendable portion of said collar opposite and in alignment with said radial passageway and a void portion in said end wall adjacent said bendable collar portion; whereby electrical terminals may be inserted or removed from said collars by manipulating said end wall to enlargen said axial and radial passageways in order to permit the axial or radial insertion or removal of terminals in said collars and said connector may be readily inserted or removed from said hydraulic valve cavity by manipulating said elongated tabs of said outer wall portion of said electrical connector.

Claim 13

An electrical connector comprising a connector body formed of electrically-insulating material and having a plurality of through-passageways formed for receiving respective ones of a plurality of electrical terminals, a plurality of divisions being formed in the connector body each associated with a respective one of said through-passageways and extending generally transversely thereto throughout the length thereof between the respective through-passageway and the external surface of the connector body, and the connector body being formed so as to enable parts thereof on either side of each of said divisions to be moved apart to enlarge the respective division and permit insertion of a terminal therethrough and into the respective communicating through-passageway and then to be returned together so as to removably capture the terminal in the respective through-passageway.

Claim 14

An electrical connector comprising a connector body formed of electrically-insulating material and having a plurality of through-passageways formed for receiving respective ones of a plurality of electrical terminals, a plurality of divisions being formed in the connector body each associated with a respective one of said through-passageways and extending generally transversely thereto throughout the length thereof between the respective through-passageway and the external surface of the connector body, and the connector body being formed so as to enable parts thereof on either side of each of said divisions to be moved apart to enlarge the respective division and permit insertion of a terminal therethrough and into the respective communicating through-passageway and then to be returned together so as to removably capture the terminal in the respective through-passageway.