EP0227288A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical connector with connector position assurance/assist device
Assignee: Motors Liquidation Co
•
Filing: 1986-11-13
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2006-11-13
Abstract
Abstract An electrical connector device for electric circuit terminals includes mating male and female connectors (30,10), one of which has resilient extended lock arm (37) that will lock behind a lock bar (17) of a sized window of the other connector. When the two connectors are mated, a connector positions assurance/assist device (50) is inserted axially along a tracked slot (39) and displaces the void between the sized window and under the extended lock arm with this device including releasable, resilient lock tab (54) to retain it in operative engagement with the connectors. If the connectors are only partly interconnected, upon initially insertion of the connector position assurance/assist device through the connector with the extended lock arm it will assist the two connectors to become fully and rigidly mated, whereas if the device is initially inserted via the connector with the sized window it will refuse the further mating of the connectors and actually effect their separation whereby to prevent any type of partial engagement or intermittent electrical connection to occur.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary C. Detter
- 👤 Samuel A. Norling
- 👤 Janet S. Penney
- 👤 Emil J. Tolnar, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 15:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/64; H01R13/641; H01R13/62; H01R13/627; H01R13/6271; H01R13/6272; H01R13/639
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
424 words
An electrical connector comprising a female connector (10), a male connector (30), and a connector position assurance/assist device (50), the female connector having a male plug receiving socket (12) at its inboard mating end, and the male connector having a male plug (32) at its inboard mating end for engagement in the male plug receiving socket; one (10) of the male or female connectors having stepped support extensions (15) extending from a wall (10a) thereof and a cross-piece lock bar (17) extending between the stepped support extensions to define with the wall (10a) an open sized window of a predetermined height, a portion of the stepped support extensions defining a first set of shoulders (18); the other (30) of the male of female connectors having side walls (36) upstanding from a wall (35) thereof, the side walls having a locking arm (37), which is resilient, extending therefrom, the locking arm (37) having a lock tab (40) at its free end adapted to pass through the open sized window for locking engagement with the cross-piece lock bar (17) when the male and female connectors are fully mated; the connector position assurance/assist device (50) having an enlarged push head (51), a shank (52) of a predetermined height and axial extent extending from the enlarged push head, and guide and lock tabs (53), including tapered lock tabs (54) which extend outwardly, positioned on opposite sides of the shank; characterised in that the side walls (36) define a second set of shoulders (36a) facing the first set of shoulders (18) and spaced therefrom when the male and female connectors are mated; in that the wall (35) of the said other connector (30), side walls (36) and locking arm (37) defining a substantially T-shaped guide slot (39) having a tracked slot portion; in that the shank (52) is slidably receivable in the T-shaped guide slot (39) and the open sized window whereby the shank is operative to effect and retain the locking engagement of the lock tab with the cross-piece lock bar; and in that the guide and lock tabs (53) are slidably receivable in the tracked slot portion of the T-shaped guide slot (39) whereby when the connector position assurance/assist device is operatively connected to the male and female connectors, the tapered lock tabs (54) are operatively positioned between the first and second sets of shoulders (18,36a) to effect axial retention of the connector position assurance/assist device while being positioned so as to permit manual release of the tapered lock tabs to allow disassembly of the electrical connector.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
424 words
An electrical connector comprising a female connector (10), a male connector (30), and a connector position assurance/assist device (50), the female connector having a male plug receiving socket (12) at its inboard mating end, and the male connector having a male plug (32) at its inboard mating end for engagement in the male plug receiving socket; one (10) of the male or female connectors having stepped support extensions (15) extending from a wall (10a) thereof and a cross-piece lock bar (17) extending between the stepped support extensions to define with the wall (10a) an open sized window of a predetermined height, a portion of the stepped support extensions defining a first set of shoulders (18); the other (30) of the male of female connectors having side walls (36) upstanding from a wall (35) thereof, the side walls having a locking arm (37), which is resilient, extending therefrom, the locking arm (37) having a lock tab (40) at its free end adapted to pass through the open sized window for locking engagement with the cross-piece lock bar (17) when the male and female connectors are fully mated; the connector position assurance/assist device (50) having an enlarged push head (51), a shank (52) of a predetermined height and axial extent extending from the enlarged push head, and guide and lock tabs (53), including tapered lock tabs (54) which extend outwardly, positioned on opposite sides of the shank; characterised in that the side walls (36) define a second set of shoulders (36a) facing the first set of shoulders (18) and spaced therefrom when the male and female connectors are mated; in that the wall (35) of the said other connector (30), side walls (36) and locking arm (37) defining a substantially T-shaped guide slot (39) having a tracked slot portion; in that the shank (52) is slidably receivable in the T-shaped guide slot (39) and the open sized window whereby the shank is operative to effect and retain the locking engagement of the lock tab with the cross-piece lock bar; and in that the guide and lock tabs (53) are slidably receivable in the tracked slot portion of the T-shaped guide slot (39) whereby when the connector position assurance/assist device is operatively connected to the male and female connectors, the tapered lock tabs (54) are operatively positioned between the first and second sets of shoulders (18,36a) to effect axial retention of the connector position assurance/assist device while being positioned so as to permit manual release of the tapered lock tabs to allow disassembly of the electrical connector.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
62 words
An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein a wall (10b) of the male plug receiving socket (12) has a central longitudinal slot (14) provided therein and wherein the male plug (32) includes a guide key (34) which is slidably receivable in the central longitudinal slot to assist in effecting mating alignment of the male plug in the male plug receiving socket.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
81 words
An electrical connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the female connector (10) and the male connector (30) are of a first coloured dielectric plastic material and wherein the connector position assurance/assist device (50) is of a second contrasting coloured dielectric plastic material whereby when the electrical connector is properly assembled, opposite ends of the connector position assurance/assist device will be clearly visible to serve, in effect, as a signal flag, indicating a proper assembly of the electrical connector.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
An electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each guide and lock tab (53) is substantially U-shaped with a resilient longitudinal finger portion (53a) transversely spaced from a side of the shank (52) with the tapered locking tab (54) located thereon.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
An electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the open sized window is on the female connector (10) and the locking arm (37) is on the male connector (30).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.