Cam slide electrical connector

Details Cam slide electrical connector Cam slide electrical connector

2000-02-04

2001-03-13

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Coupling part including flexing insulation

Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06200164

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to electrical connectors. This electrical connector included a laterally shiftable member or cam slide that is used to apply mating force between two connectors. This electrical connector is also a sealed electrical connector including separately sealed compartments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cam slides are used to increase the force available to mate two electrical. U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,251 is an example of a plug connector that uses a laterally shiftable cam slide that includes cam slots which engage cam follower pins. U.S. Pat. No. 5,618,194 is another example of an electrical connector that includes a laterally shiftable cam slide. Prior art connectors of this type have been used to connect automotive wiring harnesses to components in motor vehicles. For example, a cam slide connector of this type could be employed as part of an anti-lock braking system of the type shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,766,026.
Electrical connectors of this type are typically sealed and include multiple signal terminals and power terminals having a current rating and a size greater than that of the signal terminals. In some cases, separate connectors are employed to connect power and signal wires to multiple input/output headers on an electronic module. However, space is often a consideration, so that it is desirable that as many terminations as possible be made in the same connector. However, when the same connector must include power terminals, seals and a force augmenting member such as a cam slide it becomes more difficult to incorporate them all into a relatively simple connector. Since simpler connectors are as a rule less expensive to manufacture so it is important to keep the connectors as simple as possible. For example, if the connector and component housings can be molded by the use of simple straight pull tooling, without side cores, the connector can be more cost effectively manufactured. Elimination of molding operations in which sections of the mold must travel for a relatively long distance when the part is extracted from the mold will also reduce cost and improve the reliability of the mold tooling. For example, one prior art cam slide connector included a channel in which the cam slide is shiftable. This channel extends along the entire length of the rectangular connector housing. The channel is formed by blades on the mold which shift in a direction parallel to the longest dimension of the connector housing making the tooling travel relatively long and reducing the density of the cavities in the mold.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention described in terms of the representative embodiment depicted herein combines a cam slide with sealed connectors in which the principal molded components of the connectors can be manufactured without side pulls or long core pins or mold sections that must be moved a great distance during molding.
This invention also permits selected power terminals to be located in a separate compartment from the signal terminals. The power terminals can be separately sealed and a failure of a seal surrounding these power terminals will not adversely affect the signal circuits.
Another advantage of this cam slide connector is that the cam slide can be inserted into either end of the cam slide channel. This connector can therefore be use in different applications because the cam slide actuator can be inserted from the direction where surrounding components permit the most clearance. Conversely, the use of this connector will also permit other components to be located with less concern for interference with the connector.
This invention comprises a cam slide electrical plug connector matable with a mating connector. The cam slide connector includes a molded housing, electrical terminals, and a cam slide shiftable to move the plug connector to a fully mated position with the mating connector. The plug connector housing includes top molded rails staggered laterally relative to bottom molded rails. The top and bottom rails can be molded by sections of a molding cavity shiftable parallel to the terminal cavities and perpendicular to top and bottom surfaces of the housing, and therefore perpendicular to the longest dimension of the housing. These top and bottom rails support the cam slide as the cam slide moves the plug connector to the fully mated position. The cam slide can also be inserted into channels formed by the rails from opposite ends of the housing.
Alternatively, a cam slide electrical connector comprising this invention a connector housing has a mating face and a rear face including housing body containing multiple terminal cavities. A rear wall extends beyond opposite sides of the housing body, and sidewalls extend from the rear wall toward the mating face. The sidewalls are spaced from the housing body to form channels between the sidewalls and the housing body. The sidewalls include rail segments extending inwardly toward the housing body adjacent the mating face and openings in the rear wall staggered relative to the rail segments. A cam slide is shiftable in the channels. The cam slide is held in the channels by the rail segments and by portions of the rear wall extending between the housing body and the sidewalls between the openings.
The preferred embodiment of this electrical connector assembly also comprises terminals, a housing with a resilient terminal latch, and cavities containing sealing surfaces that are engaged by seals attached to the terminals. A combination terminal position assurance member and seal retainer holds interfacial seals surrounding some of the terminals. The housing includes a pair of side by side cavities extending between a front and rear surface of the housing. The terminals are positioned in each housing cavity with each terminal attached to a wire. The resilient latch extends into each cavity toward the front surface. This resilient latch functions as a primary latch to secure each terminal into the corresponding cavity. Pockets at the rear of each cavity include peripheral surfaces separately engagable with wire seals surrounding individual wires attached to each terminal. The terminal position assurance member is attachable on the front surface of the housing and surrounds the pair of cavities. The terminal position assurance member includes a projection extending into each cavity. The projection supports a corresponding resilient latch when fully inserted. Each cavity includes at least one shoulder adjacent to each resilient latch and the terminal position assurance member includes at least one snap latch engagable with a corresponding shoulder to attach the terminal position assurance member to the connector housing without adversely affecting the sealing integrity of the connector.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4973268 (1990-11-01), Smith et al.
patent: 5158391 (1992-10-01), Fujitani et al.
patent: 5462447 (1995-10-01), Boiret et al.
patent: 5786226 (1999-03-01), Tsukakoshi et al.
patent: 6004158 (1999-12-01), Ward

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