Patent Application
20240222907
This application is directed to a connector assembly with a flexible lock and an event driven wedge.
Electrical connector assemblies having terminal module frames that are axially loaded into an outer connector housing requires additional clearance between the face of a flexible locking arm of the outer connector housing and the corresponding locking surface of an inner terminal module frame, thereby creating additional axial variation between the outer connector housing the inner terminal module frame, which in turn affects terminal-to-terminal contact overlap of the terminals in the female connector terminal modules and the terminals in a male connector or header pin in the connector assembly. Electrical connector assemblies having terminal modules that are laterally loaded into an outer connector housing reduce the clearance with respect to terminal-to-terminal contact overlap but increases the overall package size of the electrical connector assembly. Flexible locking arms are typically not reinforced so the retention force between the inner terminal module frame and the outer connector housing provided by the flexible locking arms is low.
According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, an electrical connector assembly includes a plurality of terminal modules, each configured to contain one or more electrical terminals connected to one or more electrical cables; an inner module frame in which the plurality of terminal modules is secured; and a female outer housing having a plurality of cantilevered locking arms with primary surfaces and secondary surfaces on inner sides of the locking arms configured to secure the inner module frame to the female outer housing. Latch surfaces of the inner module frame engage the primary surfaces when the inner module frame is inserted within the female outer housing. The female outer housing is configured to receive a header having side walls surrounding a plurality of mating electrical terminals. The locking arms define ramp features on outer sides of the locking arms configured to push the locking arms inwardly when the side walls contact the ramp features of the locking arms as the header is inserted within the outer housing, thereby engaging the secondary surfaces with the latch surfaces.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in the preceding paragraph, the secondary surfaces are arranged closer to free ends of the locking arms than the primary surfaces.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the latch surfaces are substantially parallel to the primary surfaces and nonparallel to the secondary surfaces.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the secondary surfaces are nonparallel with the primary surfaces.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one the preceding paragraphs, a first force applied to the latch surfaces when the primary surfaces engage the latch surfaces is less than a second force applied to the latch surfaces when the secondary surfaces engage the latch surfaces.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, a magnitude of the first force is zero.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one the preceding paragraphs, the secondary surfaces are angled and configured to provide the second force on the latch surfaces due to a wedging interface between the secondary surfaces and edges of the latch surfaces when the side walls of the header are in contact with the ramp features.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, a first clearance distance between the primary surfaces and the latch surfaces when the side walls of the header are not in contact with the ramp features is greater than a second clearance distance between the secondary surfaces and the latch surfaces when the side walls of the header are in contact with the ramp features.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the second clearance distance is less than 0.1 mm when the side walls are in contact with the ramp features.
In some aspects of the connector assembly described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the second clearance distance is 0 mm when the side walls are in contact with the ramp features.
According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, a method of assembling an electrical connector includes:
In some aspects of the method described in the preceding paragraph, the method further includes applying a first force to the inner module frame via the locking arms when the primary surfaces engage the latch surfaces and applying a second force to the latch surfaces via the locking arms when the secondary surfaces engage the latch surfaces. The first force is less than the second force.
In some aspects of the method described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the secondary surfaces are angled and configured to provide the second force on the latch surfaces due to a wedging interface between the secondary surfaces and edges of the latch surfaces when the side walls of the header are in contact with the ramp features.
In some aspects of the method described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, the secondary surfaces are angled and provide the second force on the latch surfaces due to a wedging interface between the secondary surfaces and edges of the latch surfaces when the side walls of the header are in contact with the ramp features.
In some aspects of the method described in any one of the preceding paragraphs, a first clearance distance between the primary surfaces and the latch surfaces of the inner module frame when the side walls of the header are not in contact with the ramp features is greater than a second clearance distance between the secondary surfaces and the latch surfaces of the inner module frame when the side walls of the header are in contact with the ramp features.
The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Returning now to
The terminal module 202 includes an inner module frame 302 illustrated in
As shown in
As shown in
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
As the header connector 104 is inserted to the female outer housing as shown in
The second force F2 is greater than the first force F1. The first force F1 may have zero magnitude.
There may be a first clearance distance between the primary surfaces 508 and the latch surfaces 904 when the side walls 404 of the shroud 402 are not in contact with the outer wedge shaped ramp features 512. This first clearance distance is greater than a second clearance distance between the secondary surfaces 510 and the latch surfaces 904 when the side walls 404 of the shroud 402 are in contact with the outer wedge shaped ramp feature 512. The second clearance distance may be less than 0.1 mm when the side walls 404 are in contact with the outer wedge shaped ramp feature 512 and is preferably 0 mm, meaning there is no clearance between the secondary surfaces 510 and the latch surfaces 904.
STEP 1910, INSERT AN ELECTRICAL TERMINAL WITHIN A TERMINAL MODULE, includes inserting one or more electrical terminals 306 connected to one or more electrical cables within a plurality of terminal modules 304;
STEP 1920, INSERT THE TERMINAL MODULE WITHIN AN INNER MODULE FRAME, includes inserting the plurality of terminal modules 304 within an inner module frame 302;
STEP 1930, SECURE THE INNER MODULE FRAME TO A FEMALE OUTER HOUSING VIA A CANTILEVERED LOCKING ARM, includes securing the inner module frame 302 to a female outer housing 106 via a plurality of cantilevered locking arms 502 having primary surfaces 508 and secondary surfaces 510 on inner surfaces 506 of the locking arms 502. Latch surfaces 904 on the inner module frame 302 engage the primary surfaces 508 when the inner module frame 302 is inserted within the female outer housing 106; and
STEP 1940, INSERT A HEADER WITHIN THE OUTER HOUSING, includes inserting a shroud 402 of a header connector 104 having side walls 404 surrounding a plurality of mating electrical terminals 406 within the female outer housing 106. The locking arms 502 define ramp features 512 on their outer surfaces 514 that are configured to push the locking arms 502 inwardly when the side walls 404 contact the ramp features 512 of the locking arms 502 as the shroud 402 is inserted within the female outer housing 106, thereby engaging the secondary surfaces 510 with the latch surfaces 904 of the inner module frame 302.
The connector 100 provides at least following benefits:
While the example presented herein is directed to an electrical connector assembly, alternative embodiments of the connector assembly may be envisioned that are configured to interconnect fiber optic cables, pneumatic tubes, hydraulic tubes, or a hybrid connector assembly having a combination of any of these types of conductors.
While the invention has been described with reference to an exemplary embodiment(s), it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment(s), but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.
As used herein, ‘one or more’ includes a function being performed by one element, a function being performed by more than one element, e.g., in a distributed fashion, several functions being performed by one element, several functions being performed by several elements, or any combination of the above.
It will also be understood that, although the terms first, second, etc. are, in some instances, used herein to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first contact could be termed a second contact, and, similarly, a second contact could be termed a first contact, without departing from the scope of the various described embodiments. The first contact and the second contact are both contacts, but they are not the same contact.
The terminology used in the description of the various described embodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the description of the various described embodiments and the appended claims, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. It will be further understood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
As used herein, the term “if” is, optionally, construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “in response to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on the context. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a stated condition or event] is detected” is, optionally, construed to mean “upon determining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [the stated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the stated condition or event],” depending on the context.
Additionally, while terms of ordinance or orientation may be used herein these elements should not be limited by these terms. All terms of ordinance or orientation, unless stated otherwise, are used for purposes distinguishing one element from another, and do not denote any particular order, order of operations, direction or orientation unless stated otherwise.
