The present disclosure generally relates to electrical assemblies and headers, including electrical assemblies and header assemblies that may, for example, include and/or be connected to wiring harnesses and/or wiring harness connectors, such as for vehicle applications.
This background description is set forth below for the purpose of providing context only. Therefore, any aspect of this background description, to the extent that it does not otherwise qualify as prior art, is neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the instant disclosure.
Some designs may not be sufficiently adaptable or modular and/or may require significant redesign activities for even small changes. For example, some existing headers (e.g., terminal headers) may be compatible with only one connector terminal layout.
There is a desire for solutions/options that minimize or eliminate one or more challenges or shortcomings of electrical assemblies and headers. The foregoing discussion is intended only to illustrate examples of the present field and is not a disavowal of scope.
In embodiments, an electrical assembly may include a circuit board, a terminal header connected to the circuit board and including a plurality of aperture, and/or a plurality of electrical terminals connected to the terminal header. The plurality of electrical terminals may include a first electrical terminal having a first terminal configuration and/or a second electrical terminal having a second terminal configuration. The plurality of apertures may include a first aperture, a second aperture, and/or a third aperture. The first electrical terminal may include a first terminal first tail disposed at least partially in the first aperture. The second electrical terminal may include a second terminal first tail disposed at least partially in the second aperture. The second electrical terminal may include a second terminal second tail disposed at least partially in the third aperture.
The foregoing and other potential aspects, features, details, utilities, and/or advantages of examples/embodiments of the present disclosure will be apparent from reading the following description, and from reviewing the accompanying drawings.
While the claims are not limited to a specific illustration, an appreciation of various aspects may be gained through a discussion of various examples. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and certain features may be exaggerated or hidden to better illustrate and explain an innovative aspect of an example. Further, the exemplary illustrations described herein are not exhaustive or otherwise limiting, and embodiments are not restricted to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings or disclosed in the following detailed description. Exemplary illustrations are described in detail by referring to the drawings as follows:
Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with embodiments and/or examples, they do not limit the present disclosure to these embodiments and/or examples. On the contrary, the present disclosure covers alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
With embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
With embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In embodiments, electrical terminals 28 may have a plurality of tails 74-78, such as with the second configuration and/or the third configuration. The tails 74-78 may be separated by a common distance 90 (e.g., the same center-to-center distance). For example, a first tail 74 may be separated from a second tail 76 by the distance 90, and/or a second tail 76 and a third tail 78 may be separate by the distance 90. The distance 90 may correspond to the distance 60 between apertures 52. In some configurations, the distances 60, 90 may be substantially the same (e.g., within manufacturing tolerances). The distance 90 may, for example and without limitation, be 2.54 mm.
With embodiments, a tail 74-78 may include one or more of a variety of configurations. For example and without limitation, a tail 74-78 may be rectangular and may extend away from the first portion 70. For electrical terminals 28 with a plurality of tails 74-78, the tails 74-78 may be parallel to each other. With the second configuration and/or the third configuration, the tails 74, 76 may be disposed at opposite sides of a centerline 92 of the terminal 28. With the third configuration, the third tail 78 may be disposed between the first tail 74 and the second tail 76, and/or may be aligned with the centerline 92.
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In some embodiments, a tail 74-78 may include a foot 96 disposed at a distal end of the tail 74-78. A foot 96 may be configured for soldering with the circuit board 24, such as for a surface mount configuration. In other configurations, a foot 96 may extend into and/or through a circuit board 24, such as for a through hole configuration.
With embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
With some embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
With embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
Referring again to
In embodiments, a plurality of electrical terminals 28 may be connected to the terminal header 26 in a first arrangement. A second plurality of electrical terminals 28′ may be connected to the second terminal header 26′ in a second arrangement that may be different than the first arrangement. For example and without limitation, the first arrangement may correspond to a first connector configuration of a first electrical connector 40, and/or the second arrangement may correspond to a second connector configuration of a second electrical connector 40 that may be different than the first connector configuration. An arrangement of electrical terminals 28 may include which electrical terminals 28 of the first configuration, second configuration, and/or third configuration are connected to which apertures 52 of a terminal header 26. A first arrangement may, for example and without limitation, include a row with electrical terminals 28 all having the first configuration (see, e.g., row 541 of terminal header 26). A second arrangement may, for example and without limitation, include a row with electrical terminals 28′ having the first configuration and electrical terminals 28′ having the second configuration (see, e.g., see row 541′ of the second terminal header 26′). The first arrangement and the second arrangement may not be completely different, in some instances. For example, the first arrangement and the second arrangement may each include a row with electrical terminals 28, 28′ having the first configuration and electrical terminals 28, 28′ having the third configuration (see, e.g., rows 542 and 542′).
With embodiments, such as generally illustrated in
In embodiments, some or each of the apertures 52 in some or each of the groups 58 of apertures 52 may be configured to receive a first terminal first tail 741. Some or each of the adjacent pairs of apertures 52 in some or each of the groups 58 of apertures 52 may configured to receive a second terminal first tail 742 and a second terminal second tail 762. Some or each of the sets of three adjacent apertures 52 in some or each of the groups 58 of apertures 52 may be configured to receive a third terminal first tail 743, a third terminal second tail 763, and a third terminal third tail 783.
Embodiments of electrical assemblies 20 may include modular configurations. For example, a plurality of electrical terminals 28 having different configurations may be connected in different ways to the same terminal header 26, such as for connection with electrical connectors 40 having different configurations. In some instances, the same terminal header configuration may be compatible with a variety of connectors 40 of a connector family, such as connectors 40 with the same configuration of a housing 42 and different terminal modules 44.
With embodiments of electrical assemblies 20, for an additional/different connector family, a single new mold may be created for forming a second configuration of a terminal header 26 that may be used with multiple connectors 40 in the additional family, and/or modification of an insertion machine 120, if needed, may only involve a software modification. With other designs, a different terminal header configuration and a corresponding new/different mold may be required for each connector in a family. Additionally or alternatively, with other designs, a terminal insertion machine may need to be physically modified to accommodate each connector and/or each family.
In embodiments, a method of assembling the electrical assembly 20 may include connecting the plurality of electrical terminals 28 with the terminal header 26 and/or connecting the terminal header 26 to a circuit board 24 such that a bottom side 102 of the terminal header 26 faces the circuit board 24. Connecting the plurality of electrical terminals 28 with the terminal header 26 may include inserting a first terminal first tail 741 of a first terminal 281 into a first aperture 521, inserting, from a top side 100 of the terminal header 26, a second terminal first tail 742 of a second terminal 282 into the second aperture 522, and/or inserting, from the top side 100 of the terminal header 28, a second terminal second tail 762 of the second terminal 282 into a third aperture 523. A portion 94 that may connect the tails 742, 762 may limit an insertion depth of the second terminal 282 and/or tails 742, 762 into the terminal header 28.
In embodiments, connecting the plurality of electrical terminals 28 with the terminal header 26 may include inserting, from a top side 100 of the terminal header 26, a third terminal first tail 743 of a third terminal 283 into a fourth aperture 524, inserting, from a top side 100 of the terminal header 26, a third terminal second tail 763 of the third terminal 283 into the fifth aperture 525, and/or inserting, from the top side 100 of the terminal header 28, a third terminal third tail 783 of the third terminal 283 into a third aperture 523.
With embodiments, the method may include inserting a second plurality of electrical terminals 28′ into a second terminal header 26′, and/or connecting the second terminal header 26′ to the circuit board 24. The terminal header 26 and the second terminal header 26′ may have a common header configuration (e.g., may be substantially the same) and/or may be separate unitary/monolithic components. Connecting a terminal header 26 to a circuit board 24 may include electrically connecting a plurality of electrical terminals 28 with the circuit board 24 and/or inserting one or more portions of the terminal header 26 into the circuit board 24.
Any dimensions shown in the drawings, such as in
Various examples/embodiments are described herein for various apparatuses, systems, and/or methods. Numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the overall structure, function, manufacture, and use of the examples/embodiments as described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It will be understood by those skilled in the art, however, that the examples/embodiments may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known operations, components, and elements have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the examples/embodiments described in the specification. Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the examples/embodiments described and illustrated herein are non-limiting examples, and thus it can be appreciated that the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein may be representative and do not necessarily limit the scope of the embodiments.
Reference throughout the specification to “examples, “in examples,” “with examples,” “various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the example/embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, appearances of the phrases “examples, “in examples,” “with examples,” “in various embodiments,” “with embodiments,” “in embodiments,” or “an embodiment,” or the like, in places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more examples/embodiments. Thus, the particular features, structures, or characteristics illustrated or described in connection with one embodiment/example may be combined, in whole or in part, with the features, structures, functions, and/or characteristics of one or more other embodiments/examples without limitation given that such combination is not illogical or non-functional. Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the present disclosure without departing from the scope thereof.
It should be understood that references to a single element are not necessarily so limited and may include one or more of such element. Any directional references (e.g., plus, minus, upper, lower, upward, downward, left, right, leftward, rightward, top, bottom, above, below, vertical, horizontal, clockwise, and counterclockwise) are only used for identification purposes to aid the reader’s understanding of the present disclosure, and do not create limitations, particularly as to the position, orientation, or use of examples/embodiments.
Joinder references (e.g., attached, coupled, connected, and the like) are to be construed broadly and may include intermediate members between a connection of elements, relative movement between elements, direct connections, indirect connections, fixed connections, movable connections, operative connections, indirect contact, and/or direct contact. As such, joinder references do not necessarily imply that two elements are directly connected/coupled and in fixed relation to each other. Connections of electrical components, if any, may include mechanical connections, electrical connections, wired connections, and/or wireless connections, among others. Uses of “e.g.” and “such as” in the specification are to be construed broadly and are used to provide non-limiting examples of embodiments of the disclosure, and the disclosure is not limited to such examples. Uses of “and” and “or” are to be construed broadly (e.g., to be treated as “and/or”). For example and without limitation, uses of “and” do not necessarily require all elements or features listed, and uses of “or” are inclusive unless such a construction would be illogical.
While processes, systems, and methods may be described herein in connection with one or more steps in a particular sequence, it should be understood that such methods may be practiced with the steps in a different order, with certain steps performed simultaneously, with additional steps, and/or with certain described steps omitted.
All matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes in detail or structure may be made without departing from the present disclosure.
This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Pat. Application Serial No. 63/339,372, filed on May 6, 2022, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety as though fully set forth herein.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63339372 | May 2022 | US |