Electrical connectors – Coupling part including flexing insulation – Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-04
2001-06-19
Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Coupling part including flexing insulation
Hinged or flexed detent on insulation engaging to secure...
C439S752000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247966
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to electrical connectors and especially to electrical connectors that have molded latches forming a part of a molded connector housing. These molded latches serve as primary retention members to secure electrical terminals or contacts in the housing. This invention is also related to electrical connector assemblies that uses a mechanical assist, such as a lever, to overcome large mating forces between connectors having a large number of mating terminals or contracts mounted in two mating connectors.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Crimp snap terminals are commonly used in mating electrical connectors that employ a large number of mating terminals. These terminals are first crimped to wires that may be part of an electrical harness, and the terminals are then inserted into cavities in a molded connector housing. Many of these conventional crimp snap terminals have metal tangs or lances protruding from the terminal. These tangs or lances are deflected as the terminals are inserted into the housing cavities, and the lances then snap back to their normal position engaging a surface on the connector to secure the terminals in the housing cavities after they have been completely inserted. In many applications, such as automotive and motor vehicle assemblies, these protruding metal lances pose problems. The protruding lances can become snagged on the wires causing difficulties during assembly, or the lances can be damaged so that they do not adequately retain the terminal in the housing. When two connectors are mated, and mating force between terminals can then dislodge improperly seated terminals.
An alternative to the use of metal lances is to mold resilient plastic latches as part of the molded electrical connector housing. These molded latches are typically located on one side of the housing cavities in which the terminals are positioned. When the terminals or contacts are inserted, each plastic latch is separately deflected outwardly to permit the terminal to move to its fully seated position. When the terminal is fully seated, the plastic latch can return to its neutral position where it will engage a shoulder or and edge of the terminal to retain the terminal during mating. In many of the connectors of this type, a gap is formed between the plastic latches and an adjacent housing wall, typically an outer housing wall. The adjacent wall then serves as a back-up preventing excessive deflection of the molded latch, either during terminal insertion or removal. Often a separate terminal position assurance member is then inserted into the gap between the wall and the molded latch. This terminal position assurance member can only be inserted into this gap if the terminal has been fully inserted allowing the molded latch to return to its normal position. However, the need to provide a back-up wall and a gap to provide space both for latch deflection and for insertion of a terminal position assurance member results is a larger connector by increasing the height of the housing.
Some prior art electrical connectors have eliminated the outer back up wall from the housing and have placed the molded latches on an external surface of the connector housing. Representative examples of this approach are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,021 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,998. However, to prevent excessive deflection of the molded latches and overstressing of the plastic, these prior art connectors have still employed overstress projections which limit outward deflection of the molded latches. These overstress projections can also add height to the connector housing unless they do not extend beyond connector latches or other structures located on the exterior of the housing. However, when the sides of the connector are otherwise free of projecting structures, these overstress projections increase the size and height of the connector. The size of the opening or pocket in which the connector is to be located is thereby affected, or the spacing on which the connectors are to be mounted is adversely affected.
Another prior art approach that has been employed to back-up molded latches located on the exterior of the housing is to use an outer shell that fits over the external latches and is usually inserted over the mating end of the housing or from the side. This shell can protect the molded latches when the connector is in use, but they can only be assembled after the terminals have been fully inserted. The shells therefore serve as a terminal position assurance member, but they do not function as a back-up or anti-overstress member to protect the molded latches during terminal insertion or removal. These outer shells also add another layer with a resultant increase in the height and size of the electrical connector assembly.
One application in which the height or lateral dimension of an electrical connector is important is when the connector must be mated in a shroud or shield, especially one having a standard or predetermined size. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,448 discloses am electrical connector having a lever actuated mechanism for mating a connector containing receptacle contacts to a pin header. That connector includes an outer shroud or shield to which a lever mechanism is attached. An electrical connector is fitted into a pocket in the shroud and the lever engages a rack on a mating pin header to simplify mating two multi-position electrical connectors. Although not included in that disclosure, the electrical connector, with which that assembly is used, employs contacts having metal lances to secure the contact in the connector housing cavities. However. as previously discussed that configuration requires less space than a conventional connector employing molded plastic contact retention latches.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One of the objects of this invention is to provide an electrical connector that can fit into a shroud of a lever actuated connector assembly that is conventionally employed with terminals having metal contact retention lances. This invention employs molded contact retention lances in a shroud or shield that is substantially the same size as the prior art shroud.
This invention also provides for overstress prevention by limiting the deflection of the plastic latch without including structure that increases the height or lateral dimension of the connector housing.
Another object successfully achieved by this invention is to include anti-overstress protection for molded latches in a connector housing that can be efficiently molded.
These and other objects of this invention are accomplished by an electrical connector that includes multiple electrical contacts located within cavities in a molded housing. The housing has molded cantilever resilient latches to retain the contacts in corresponding cavities. Each latch is deflectable to permit insertion of the contact and to permit extraction of the corresponding contact. The electrical connector has a stop shoulder on a distal end of each cantilever latch and an opposed shoulder on the housing adjacent the latch distal end. The stop shoulder engages the opposed shoulder to prevent overstressing of the molded cantilever latches when deflected to disengage the corresponding contact. Both the shoulders are located on the mating end of the housing. The latch includes a frame on the distal end which defines a portion of the cavity entrance which receives a pin in a mating header when this connector is mated to the header. The stop shoulder on the latch is preferably located on the side of the latch.
This connector can be used in an electrical connector assembly that also includes an outer shroud. The electrical connector is positioned within the outer shroud. The shroud includes a lever engagable with a mating connector to apply a mating force to mate the electrical connectors. The housing includes the deflectable molded latches on opposed external sides of the housing. The opposed stop means on the latches and the housing prevent excessive deflection of the lat
Klein David Allen
Simpson Billy Hayes
Abrams Neil
Dinh Phoung
Tyco Electronics Corp.
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