Squib Connector with Improved Cover Connection

Abstract

Disclosed herein is an electrical connector. The electrical connector includes a base, a cover, and an electrical terminal. The base includes a front section and a rear section. The base includes at least one terminal receiving area. The front section includes a first portion of the terminal receiving area. The first portion of the terminal receiving area extends in a first direction. The rear section includes a first snap-lock ledge and a second portion of the terminal receiving area. The second portion of the terminal receiving area extends in a second direction. The first snap-lock ledge extends along a majority of a length of the rear section. The cover includes a top section and a first lateral side section extending from the top section. The first lateral side section receives the first snap-lock ledge. The electrical terminal is mounted between the base and the cover.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the present invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective top view of a conventional Squib connector;

FIG. 2 is a perspective bottom view of the housing base of the connector shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective top view of a housing base of an electrical connector incorporation features of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective bottom view of a housing cover for use with the housing base shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an elevational side view of the housing base shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an elevational side view of the housing cover shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of the housing cover shown in FIG. 6 taken along line 7-7;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an electrical connector comprising the housing base shown in FIG. 3 and the housing cover shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a housing base incorporating features of the invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the housing base shown in FIG. 9 from an opposite direction;

FIG. 11 is a partial enlarged perspective view of a portion of the housing base shown in FIGS. 9-10;

FIG. 12 is a partial enlarged perspective view of a portion of the housing base similar to FIG. 11 taken from another direction;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a housing cover for use with the base shown in FIGS. 9-12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the housing cover shown in FIG. 13 from an opposite direction;

FIG. 15 is a side view of the cover shown in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a cross sectional view of the cover shown in FIG. 15 taken along line 16-16; and

FIG. 17 is a top plan view of the housing cover shown in FIG. 13.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: a base comprising a front section and a rear section, wherein the base comprises at least one terminal receiving area, wherein the front section comprises a first portion of the terminal receiving area extending in a first direction, wherein the rear section comprises a first snap-lock ledge and a second portion of the terminal receiving area extending in a second direction,and wherein the first snap-lock ledge extends along a majority of a length of the rear section;a cover comprising a top section and a first lateral side section extending from the top section, wherein the first lateral side section receives the first snap-lock ledge; andan electrical terminal mounted between the base and the cover.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the rear section further comprises a front portion and a rear portion, and wherein the first snap-lock ledge extends from the front portion to the rear portion.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the rear section further comprises a second snap-lock ledge opposite the first snap-lock ledge, and wherein the second snap-lock ledge extends along the majority of the length of the rear section.

4. The electrical connector of claim 3 wherein the cover further comprises a second lateral side section extending from the top section, wherein the second lateral side section receives the second snap-lock ledge.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1 wherein the first lateral side section of the cover further comprises a groove, wherein the first snap-lock ledge is disposed within the groove.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5 wherein the groove comprises open opposite ends along a length of the first lateral side section.

7. An electrical connector housing comprising: a housing base comprising a front section and a rear section, wherein the front section is adapted to receive a first portion of a terminal, wherein the rear section extends from the front section in a general cantilever fashion, and wherein the rear section is adapted to receive a second portion of the terminal; anda housing cover having a rear section with a general U-shaped cross-section attached to the housing base, wherein the housing cover comprises opposing lateral side sections, wherein each of the opposing lateral side sections comprises a snap-lock groove, and wherein the snap-lock grooves are configured to provide a clamping force along a majority of a length of the rear section.

8. The electrical connector housing of claim 7 wherein the snap-lock grooves comprise open opposite ends along a length of each of the lateral side sections.

9. The electrical connector housing of claim 7 wherein the rear section of the housing base comprises opposing snap-lock ledges disposed within the snap-lock grooves.

10. The electrical connector housing of claim 9 wherein the rear section of the housing base further comprises channel areas extending between the front section and a rear side of the rear section, and wherein the snap-lock ledges extend along a majority of a length of the channel areas.

11. The electrical connector housing of claim 9 wherein the rear section of the housing base further comprises a front portion and a rear portion, and wherein each of the snap-lock ledges extend from the front portion to the rear portion.

12. The electrical connector housing of claim 7 wherein the housing cover further comprises grooved surfaces extending from a top section of the housing cover, wherein the grooved surfaces are configured to provide a clamping force to the terminal in response to the clamping force along the majority of the length of the rear section.

13. An electrical connector comprising: a base comprising a front section and a rear section, wherein the base comprises at least one terminal receiving area, wherein the front section comprises a first portion of the terminal receiving area extending in a first direction, and wherein the rear section comprises a second portion of the terminal receiving area extending in a second direction;a cover connected to the base, wherein the cover comprises a top section, opposing lateral side sections,and bend sections connecting the lateral side sections to the top section, wherein the lateral side sections comprise a snap-lock hole, and wherein the bend sections extend from the snap-lock hole to a rear side of the base; andan electrical terminal mounted between the base and the cover.

14. The electrical connector of claim 13 wherein the rear section of the base further comprises side walls disposed laterally outward from the second portion of the terminal receiving area, and wherein lateral legs extend from bottom portions of the side walls adjacent the rear side.

15. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein the side walls further comprise a rear extension area above the lateral legs.

16. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein each of the lateral side sections of the cover further comprise a notch, wherein the notch receives the lateral leg.

17. The electrical connector of claim 15 wherein each of the lateral side sections of the cover further comprise a rear extension portion, wherein the rear extension area is configured to accommodate the rear extension portion.

18. The electrical connector of claim 17 wherein each of the rear extension portions extend from the lateral side sections and terminate at the rear side of the base.

19. The electrical connector of claim 14 wherein each of the side walls further comprise a top side and a snap-lock ledge, wherein a top of the snap-lock ledge extends above the top side of the side wall.

20. The electrical connector of claim 13 wherein a thickness of the lateral side sections and a thickness of the bend sections of the cover are each greater than a thickness of the top section of the cover.