Programmable sealed connector

Claim 2

A sealed electrical connector for use with a plurality of wires, comprising: an insulative housing having a plurality of cavities located in an array of terminal positions; a plurality of terminals located in a least some of the cavities, each terminal including means for termination to a wire; elastomeric sealing means for establishing a seal around each wire, the sealing means having a plurality of holes located at each terminal position, each hole being aligned with a cavity; and a plate positioned adjacent the sealing means, the plate initially having a plurality of selectively removable projections in a pattern corresponding to the array of terminal positions, projections corresponding to the locations of terminals terminated to wires extending from the terminals through holes in the elastomeric sealing means having been removed, remaining projections extending through holes in the elastomeric sealing means, aligned with unoccupied terminal positions, to establish a seal at each terminal position in the array.

Claim 3

The sealed electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the plate includes indentations aligned with the projections on the opposite side of the plate from the projections, selected projections being removable by punching out the material in the corresponding indentation.

Claim 4

The sealed electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric sealing means comprises a single piece family seal having a plurality of holes.

Claim 5

The sealed electrical connector of claim 3 wherein the family seal is secured to the insulative housing.

Claim 6

The sealed electrical connector of claim 4 wherein the family seal is positioned between the plate and the insulative housing, the plate being attached to the housing to secure the family seal to the housing.

Claim 7

The sealed electrical connector of claim 5 wherein the insulative housing includes a shroud, the family seal and the plate being positioned within the shroud.

Claim 8

The sealed electrical connector of claim 6 wherein the family seal has at least on peripheral sealing rib for establishing sealing integrity with an interior surface of the shroud.

Claim 9

The sealed electrical connector of claim 7 wherein the plate comprises a cap attachable to the shroud, the cap having a connector latch comprising means for attaching the sealed electrical connector to another connector.

Claim 10

The sealed electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the array of terminal positions are located in a plurality of rows.

Claim 11

The sealed electrical connector of claim 9 wherein the terminal positions in adjacent rows are staggered.

Claim 12

A sealed electrical connector assembly for use in establishing sealed interconnection to conductors at any arbitrary location in an array of terminal positions, the connector assembly comprising: first and second connectors: the first connector further comprising; an insulative housing having a plurality of cavities located in the array of terminal positions, the housing having terminal latches at each of the terminal positions; terminals insertable into the cavities at any arbitrary location in the array of terminal locations; a secondary lock attachable to the insulative housing, on a mating face thereof, in a first and a second position, the terminal latches being received within pockets in the secondary lock when the terminal latches properly secure the terminals in the insulative housing, the secondary lock being shiftable from the first to the second position only when the terminal latches properly secure the terminal in the insulative housing; a peripheral interfacial seal; a conductor seal located on a rear face of the insulative housing; a programmable plate located on the rear face of the insulative housing, the plate being selectively punctured at the arbitrary locations to permit insertion of a terminal, terminated to a conductor at the arbitrary locations, through the plate, the conductor seal and into the cavities.

Claim 13

A sealed electrical connector assembly for use in establishing sealed interconnection to conductors at any arbitrary location in an array of terminal positions, the connector assembly comprising: first and second connectors: the first connector further comprising; an insulative housing having a plurality of cavities located in the array of terminal positions, the housing having terminal latches at each of the terminal positions; terminals insertable into the cavities at any arbitrary location in the array of terminal locations; a secondary lock attachable to the insulative housing, on a mating face thereof, in a first and a second position, the terminal latches being received within pockets in the secondary lock when the terminal latches properly secure the terminals in the insulative housing, the secondary lock being shiftable from the first to the second position only when the terminal latches properly secure the terminal in the insulative housing; a peripheral interfacial seal; a conductor seal located on a rear face of the insulative housing; a programmable plate located on the rear face of the insulative housing, the plate being selectively punctured at the arbitrary locations to permit insertion of a terminal, terminated to a conductor at the arbitrary locations, through the plate, the conductor seal and into the cavities.

Claim 14

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the conductor seal comprises a single piece family seal having holes at each of the terminal positions, the programmable plate having selectively removable projections insertable into the holes in the family seal to close other than the arbitrary locations in the array of terminal positions.

Claim 15

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the peripheral seal is located between the secondary lock and the rear face of the insulative housing.

Claim 16

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the secondary lock is attachable to the insulative housing in the first and the second position by a two position retainer.

Claim 17

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the second connector comprises a pin header.

Claim 18

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 15 wherein the pin header comprises a shrouded header having a connector shroud in which the first connector is insertable when the secondary lock is in the second position, the peripheral seal establishing sealing integrity between the insulative housing and the connector shroud on the header.

Claim 19

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 15 wherein the pin header includes a plurality of stamped and formed pins, each of the pins having a plug crimped on the interior thereof to seal a leak path through the pin.

Claim 20

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 17 wherein the programmable plate is part of a cap secured to the rear face of the insulative housing, the cap including a connector latch engagable with the pin header when the first and second connectors are mated.

Claim 21

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 11 wherein the secondary lock has a honeycomb structure comprising a plurality of pockets, the latches being received in corresponding pockets, to permit movement of the secondary lock from the first to the second positions only when the terminal are properly secured in place by the latches.

Claim 22

The sealed electrical connector assembly of claim 19 wherein the array of terminal positions comprise staggered rows, the pockets being formed by diagonal wall sections and the latches in adjacent rows being at least partially overlapping so that the terminal positions can be densely spaced.