Patent Grant
7556537
The present disclosure relates to electrical connectors and electrical devices and more particularly to an assembly of an electrical device such as a motor or solenoid and an electrical connector having improved reliability.
The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Compact electrical devices such as motors and solenoids are often housed in cylindrical housings which correspond generally to the active components of the device: a rotor surrounded by a cylindrical stator in the case of a motor or a plunger surrounded by a cylindrical coil in the case of a solenoid. Such cylindrical housings are efficient packages for such devices as they generally require a minimum of material and result in a package having minimum dimensions.
Since one end of a typical motor or solenoid will include an output feature, either a shaft or a plunger, it is frequently convenient to arrange the electrical input or terminals on the opposite end. Input connections or terminals so located also maintain the cylindrical symmetry of the housing.
A problem may develop with such an arrangement, however, especially in smaller devices in which the spacing between the motor shaft, solenoid plunger or other electrically components associated with them and the electrical terminals is limited. In such situations, conductive foreign matter may bridge the gap between an electrical terminal and the shaft or plunger and intermittently or permanently short circuit the device.
This problem can be especially acute in motors and solenoids for automotive applications because of the constant demand for weight saving which generally encourages lighter and therefore smaller devices and the fact that they are often exposed to deleterious atmospheric conditions such as dirt, metallic debris and other contaminants and particulates. Furthermore, a failure of the motor or solenoid due to a short circuit to ground may cause consequential failure of related components or controllers. The present invention addresses this difficulty with motors, solenoids and other similar electrical devices.
The present invention provides a solenoid and electrical connector assembly which includes a solenoid body having a pair of electrical terminals disposed on opposite sides of a plunger component and a connector having two corresponding electrical terminals and a non-conductive blade or tongue disposed therebetween. When assembled, the tongue of the connector seats between the terminals on the solenoid body and inhibits ingress of foreign matter in the region between the terminals of the solenoid. The service life and reliability of the solenoid are thus greatly improved.
The invention is also suitable for and may be utilized with a motor having a bearing at one end and a pair of electrical terminals disposed on opposite sides of the bearing. The electrical connector includes a pair of electrical terminals correspondingly arranged and a blade or tongue which seats between the terminals of the motor and protects the bearing from foreign matter thereby reducing the likelihood of a short circuit.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a solenoid and connector assembly having a tongue disposed between a pair of terminals.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a solenoid having a pair of terminals on opposite sides of a plunger component and a connector having a corresponding pair of terminals and a tongue between the terminals which protects the plunger component when the solenoid and connector are assembled.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a solenoid having a pair of terminals on opposite sides of a plunger and a connector having a corresponding pair of terminals and a tongue between the terminals which covers the plunger when the solenoid and connector are assembled to inhibit ingress of foreign matter.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a motor having a pair of terminals on opposite sides of a bearing and a connector having a corresponding pair of terminals and a tongue between the terminals which protects the bearing when the motor and connector are assembled.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a motor having a pair of terminals on opposite sides of a bearing and a connector having a corresponding pair of terminals and a tongue between the terminals which covers the bearing when the motor and connector are assembled to inhibit ingress of foreign matter.
Further objects, advantages and areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein. It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way.
The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, or uses.
With reference now to
At the end of the cylindrical housing 14 adjacent the second axial guide, pole piece or stop 24 is disposed a terminal assembly 30. The terminal assembly 30 is fabricated of a plastic, insulating material, for example, ABS or nylon, and is shaped to generally conform to the housing 14 of the solenoid 12 and includes a flat, chordal surface 32 flanked by two smaller perpendicular surfaces 34a and 34b. The terminal assembly 30 defines a pair of rectangular slots 36a and 36b parallel to and adjacent the surfaces 34a and 34b. The terminal assembly 30 is secured to the housing 14 by a positioning or register pin 38 which is received within a suitably sized and appropriately located opening 42 and a resilient or flexible latch 44 which is releasably received within a second opening 46 having a flat or chordal edge which is engageable by the flexible latch 44.
The terminal assembly 30 includes a centrally disposed aperture 48 which receives a portion of the second guide, pole piece or stop 24. The terminal assembly 30 also includes a pair of spaced apart electrical terminals 50a and 50b disposed adjacent and on opposite sides of the center aperture 48. Each of the terminals 50a and 50b is connected by one of a pair of electrical leads or wires 52 to the electrical coil 16.
Referring now to
The pair of electrical terminals 64a and 64b in the electrical connector 60 are flat, resilient, blade-like components which may be crimped to respective electrical leads 84 and which may be molded in-situ in the electrical connector 60 or secured there by other conventional, for example, mechanical, means. Generally aligned with the center flange 76 is a resilient latch member 86 which releasably engages a cross member 88 of the terminal assembly 30, as illustrated in
Referring now to
The second embodiment motor and electrical connector assembly 100 includes the electric motor 102 which may be either uni- or bi-directional and which has a generally cylindrical housing 104 which is preferably fabricated of metal, for example, steel, aluminum or an alloy of these or other metals. The cylindrical housing 104 locates, supports and protects a stator and electrical coil 106. The stator and electrical coil 106 generally surrounds a rotatable armature 108 having a shaft 110 which defines an axis of rotation. The armature 108 cooperates with and is supported by a first guide or bearing 112 and a second guide or bearing 114 which together define the axis of motion or rotation of the armature 108.
At the end of the cylindrical housing 104 opposite the first guide or bearing 112 is disposed a terminal assembly 120. The terminal assembly 120 is fabricated of a plastic, insulating material, for example, ABS or nylon, and is shaped to generally conform to the housing 104 of the electric motor 102 and includes a flat, chordal surface 122 flanked by two smaller perpendicular surfaces 124a and 124b. The terminal assembly 120 defines a pair of rectangular slots 126a and 126b parallel to and adjacent the surfaces 124a and 124b, respectively. The terminal assembly 120 is secured to the cylindrical housing 104 by a positioning or register pin 128 which is received within a suitably sized and appropriately located opening 132 and a resilient latch 134 which is releasably received within a second opening 136 having a flat or chordal edge which is engageable by the latch 134.
The terminal assembly 120 includes a centrally disposed aperture 140 which receives a portion of the second guide or bearing 114. The terminal assembly 120 also includes a pair of spaced apart electrical terminals 142a and 142b disposed adjacent and on opposite sides of the center aperture 140. Each of the terminals 142a and 142b is connected to a respective one of the electrical leads or wires 144 of the electric coil 106 of the electric motor 102.
An electrical connector 150, also fabricated of an insulating material, for example, ABS or nylon, includes a complexly configured body 152 which receives, supports and positions a pair of electrical terminals 154a and 154b and a cover 156 which is removably retained on the body 152 by a latch assembly 68 (illustrated in
The pair of electrical terminals 154a and 154b in the electrical connector 150 are flat, resilient, blade-like components which may be crimped to respective electrical leads 172 and which may be molded in-situ in the electrical connector 150 or secured there by other conventional, for example, mechanical, means. Generally aligned with the center flange 166 is a resilient latch member 176 which engages, as illustrated in
It will be appreciated that in the first embodiment solenoid and electrical connector assembly 10, the center flange or tongue 76 effectively covers and protects the center aperture 48 inhibiting the ingress of foreign material which could cause a short circuit between one of the electrical terminals 50a and 50b and the chassis ground through the second guide, pole piece or stop 24 when the electrical connector 60 is assembled to the terminal assembly 30. Likewise, in the second embodiment motor and electrical connector assembly 100, the center flange or tongue 166 effectively covers and protects the center aperture 140 inhibiting the ingress of foreign material which could cause a short circuit between one of the electrical terminals 142a and 142b and the chassis ground through the second guide or bearing 114 when the electrical connector 150 is assembled to the terminal assembly 120.
The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6152775 | Pavlovic | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6234843 | Pavlovic | May 2001 | B1 |
| 6547596 | Pavlovic et al. | Apr 2003 | B1 |
| 6979216 | Maeda et al. | Dec 2005 | B2 |
| 7241175 | Johannes et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20090130868 A1 | May 2009 | US |
