Connector housing with an integral connector position assurance device

Abstract

A connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body includes a pair of longitudinal struts that extend from the connector body and are oriented substantially parallel to a mating axis of the connector body. The longitudinal struts each define an enclosed lateral slot having a closed end and a connector position assurance (CPA) device that is interlocked within the lateral slots and moveable from an initial position to a final position along the mating axis after the connector body is coupled to the corresponding mating connector body. The CPA device has a lateral cross bar extending into each of the lateral slots thereby retaining the cross bar in the lateral slots. The CPA device and the connector body are integrally formed by an additive manufacturing process.

Claims

1. A connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body, comprising: a pair of longitudinal struts extending from the connector body parallel to a mating axis each defining an enclosed lateral slot having two closed ends; and a connector position assurance (CPA) device interlocked within the lateral slots and moveable along the mating axis after the connector body is coupled to the corresponding mating connector body, said CPA device having a lateral cross bar extending through each of the lateral slots, wherein the lateral cross bar defines retaining beams outboard of each of the pair of longitudinal struts that are substantially perpendicular to the lateral cross bar.

2. The connector body according to claim 1, wherein the retaining beams are substantially parallel to the pair of longitudinal struts.

3. The connector body according to claim 1, wherein a cross section of the retaining beam and the cross bar form an L-shape.

4. The connector body according to claim 1, wherein the cross section of the retaining beam and the cross bar form a T-shape.

5. The connector body according to claim 1, wherein the retaining beams are configured to prevent removal of the lateral cross bar from the lateral slots.

6. The connector body according to claim 1, wherein the CPA device and the connector body are integrally formed by an additive manufacturing process.

7. The connector body according to claim 6, wherein the additive manufacturing process is selected from a list consisting of stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), fused filament fabrication (FFF), selective laser sintering (SLS), selecting heat sintering (SHS), multi-jet modeling (MJM), and 3D printing (3DP).

8. A connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body, comprising: a pair of longitudinal struts extending from the connector body parallel to a mating axis each defining an enclosed lateral slot having a closed end; and a connector position assurance (CPA) device interlocked within the lateral slots and moveable along the mating axis after the connector body is coupled to the corresponding mating connector body, wherein each lateral slot extends through the longitudinal strut, wherein each lateral slot has two closed ends, said CPA device having a lateral cross bar extending into each of the lateral slots thereby retaining the cross bar in the lateral slots, wherein the lateral cross bar extends through each of the lateral slots and defines retaining features outboard of each of the pair of longitudinal struts and wherein the retaining features and the lateral cross bar form a closed loop that surrounds the connector body along the mating axis.

9. The connector body according to claim 8, wherein the closed loop is configured to prevent removal of the lateral cross bar from the lateral slots.

10. The connector body according to claim 8, wherein the CPA device and the connector body are integrally formed by an additive manufacturing process.

11. The connector body according to claim 10, wherein the additive manufacturing process is selected from a list consisting of stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), fused filament fabrication (FFF), selective laser sintering (SLS), selecting heat sintering (SHS), multi-jet modeling (MJM), and 3D printing (3DP).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) The present invention will now be described, by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body in accordance with one embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2 is a rear view of the connector body of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment;

(4) FIG. 3 is a rear view of a connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body in accordance with another embodiment;

(5) FIG. 4 is a rear view of a connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body in accordance with yet another embodiment; and

(6) FIG. 5 is a rear view of a connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body in accordance with yet another embodiment.

(7) In these figures, reference numbers having the same last two digits are used to designate identical or similar elements in the various embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) The connector body described herein includes a primary locking system made up of a primary latch and primary striker that, when engaged, inhibit the connector body from being inadvertently separated from a corresponding mating connector body. The connector body further includes a connector position assurance (CPA) device that is essentially a secondary locking system. The CPA device is designed so that it can be moved from an initial position to a final position that inhibits disengagement of the primary locking system. The CPA further verifies that the connector body and corresponding mating connector body are fully mated, since it cannot be moved to the final position until they are fully mated.

(9) In the following description, terms describing orientation such as longitudinal will refer to the mating axis X while lateral should be understood to refer to an axis perpendicular to the mating axis X, which is not necessarily the transverse axis. Furthermore, other terms such as top or bottom should be understood relative to an axis perpendicular to the mating axis X, which is not necessarily the vertical axis. As used herein the terms front and forward refer to a lateral orientation referenced from the connector body towards the corresponding mating connector body and the terms back, rear, rearward, and behind refer to a lateral orientation referenced from the corresponding mating connector body towards the connector body.

(10) A non-limiting example of connector body configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The connector body, hereinafter referred to as the first connector 110, is configured to interconnect with a corresponding mating connector body, hereinafter referred to as the second connector (not shown). The first connector 110 illustrated here is an electrical connector configured to join electrical wires. The first connector 110 and the second connector each contain electrical terminals (not shown) attached to electrical wires (not shown) that are designed to interface and connect with corresponding terminals (not shown) in the second connector. While the first connector 110 illustrated here is configured to interconnect a plurality of wire pairs, alternative embodiments of the connector assembly may connect only a single wire pair. Alternative embodiments of the connector assembly may be used to interconnect other types of conductors, such as fiber optic cables, fluid carrying lines, pneumatic tubing, or a combination of any of these.

(11) The first connector 110 includes a pair of longitudinal struts 114 that extend from the first connector 110 from a top surface of the first connector 110 in a vertical direction Z and are oriented substantially parallel to a mating axis X of the first connector 110. Each longitudinal strut 114 defines an enclosed lateral slot 116 extending in a lateral direction Y therethrough. The lateral slots 116 have two closed ends 118. The first connector 110 further includes a connector position assurance (CPA) device 120 that is interlocked within each of the lateral slots 116. The CPA device 120 is moveable from an initial position to a final position along the mating axis X after the first connector 110 is coupled to the second connector. The CPA device 120 includes a lateral cross bar 122 that extends through each of the lateral slots 116. The cross bar 122 is connected to a retaining loop 124 outboard of each of the pair of longitudinal struts 114. The retaining loop 124 forms a closed loop that surrounds the first connector 110 along the mating axis X. This retaining loop 124 is configured to prevent removal of the cross bar 122 from the lateral slots 116 and thereby prevent the CPA device 120 from being separated from the first connector 110. The retaining loop 124 is also configured to allow an operator to grasp the retaining loop 124 as the first connector 110 is mated with the second connector.

(12) Without subscribing to any particular theory of operation, the CPA device 120 will remain in the initial position as force applied by the operator to the retaining loop 124 moves the first connector 110 relative to with the second connector until the first connector 110 and the second connector are fully mated and the primary locking system (not shown) engages. After that point, force applied by the operator to the retaining loop 124 will move the CPA device 120 from the initial position to the final position, thereby in inhibiting disengagement of the primary locking system.

(13) Alternative embodiments of the first connector 210, 310 are illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. Rather than having a retaining loop as in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the CPA devices 220, 320 have retaining beams 226, 326 outboard of the longitudinal struts 214, 314 that are substantially parallel to the pair of longitudinal struts 214, 314. A cross section of the retaining beam 226 and the cross bar 222 form an L-shape as shown in FIG. 3 or the cross section of the retaining beam 326 and the cross bar 322 form a T-shape as shown in FIG. 4. These retaining beams 226, 326 prevent the CPA device from being removed from the lateral slots.

(14) Yet another alternative embodiment of the first connector 410 is illustrated in FIG. 5. According to this embodiment, the lateral slots 416 do not pass through the longitudinal struts. The cross bar 422 extends into each of the lateral slots 416 thereby retaining the cross bar 422 in the lateral slots 416.

(15) In each of the preceding embodiments, the CPA device and the first connector are integrally formed so that they are one single piece. The CPA device and the first connector are integrally formed of a dielectric polymeric material by an additive manufacturing process, such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), fused deposition modeling (FDM), fused filament fabrication (FFF), selective laser sintering (SLS), selecting heat sintering (SHS), multi-jet modeling (MJM), and 3D printing (3DP) or any other additive manufacturing proves suitable for forming parts from a polymer material.

(16) Accordingly, an electrical connection system having a first connector configured to interconnect with a second connector is provided. A CPA device is formed integrally with the first connector and does not need to be joined to the first connector in a separate assembly step and may be formed in the initial position, thereby eliminating the need to place it in the initial position. Also because the CPA device is formed integrally with the first connector, the CPA device does not require flexible retaining features in order to secure the CPA device to the first connector since it is captured in the lateral slots, thereby simplifying the design of the CPA device and the first connector. Integrally forming the CPA device and first connector may provide less dimensional variation and lower manufacturing tolerances than parts formed by conventional plastic molding. Integrally forming the CPA and first connector would be extremely difficulty using conventional plastic molding techniques.

(17) While this invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiments thereof, it is not intended to be so limited, but rather only to the extent set forth in the claims that follow. Moreover, the use of the terms first, second, etc. does not denote any order of importance, but rather the terms first, second, etc. are used to distinguish one element from another. Furthermore, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced items.