Shielded electrical connector and connection system

A shielded electrical connection system comprises a male electrical connector and a female electrical connector that mates with the male electrical connector. The mated electrical connectors have mated terminals that are disposed and sealed in communicating terminal passages of the respective electrical connectors. The electrical connectors also have engaged electromagnetic shields that are disposed and at least partially sealed in communicating shield chambers that are isolated from the mated terminals that are sealed in communicating terminal passages.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an electrical connector and connection system that is shielded to prevent electromagnetic interference with electronic devices in the vicinity. Such devices are commonly referred to as electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielded electrical connectors and connection systems.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motor vehicles that use internal combustion engines as well as electric motors to power the vehicle are referred to as hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles use high voltage batteries and power generating devices, such as inverters and DC to DC converters which have a voltage on the order of 42 volts to 500 volts. Electrical connections for the high voltage batteries and power generating devices are typically EMI shielded electrical connections.

Recent developments in hybrid vehicles has resulted in configurations where the power generating devices are electrically connected to a vehicle chassis ground. This has resulted in the need for an EMI shielded electrical connection where the electrical terminals and the shield components of the electrical connection are isolated from each other electrically to avoid establishment of a short circuit between the electrical terminals and the EMI shield.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect the invention provides a shielded electrical connector having an insulator body having an inner housing and an outer housing. An inner longitudinal terminal passage extends through the inner housing from a terminal inlet to a terminal outlet. An outer longitudinal shield passage is disposed between the inner housing and the outer housing. A shielded electric cable has a conductive core, an inner insulation jacket, a conductive shield outward of the inner insulation jacket, and an outer insulation jacket outward of the conductive metal shield. A terminal is attached to an end portion of the shielded electric cable in electrical contact with the conductive core. The end portion of the electric cable and the terminal are disposed in the terminal passage of the inner housing with the electric cable extending out of the terminal inlet of the terminal passage. An inner annular elastomeric cable seal engages the inner insulation jacket of the electric cable and the terminal passage to seal the inlet of the terminal passage around the inner insulation jacket of the electric cable and isolate the inner longitudinal terminal passage from the outer longitudinal shield passage.

The outer housing of the shielded electric connector preferably has a shield chamber behind the inner housing for an electromagnetic shield that is in electrical contact with the conductive shield of the electric cable at a location outward of the terminal passage and behind the inner annular elastomeric cable seal.

The shielded electrical connector also preferably includes an outer annular elastomeric cable seal that engages the outer insulation jacket of the electric cable and an inlet to the shield chamber to seal the shield inlet around the outer insulation jacket of the electric cable. The electromagnetic shield may comprise an annulus in the shield chamber that engages the conductive shield of the electric cable, and a finger that extends through the outer longitudinal shield passage.

In another aspect the invention provides a shielded electric connection system comprising the shielded electrical connector and a mating shielded electrical connector that has an inner terminal passage in an inner housing that communicates with the inner terminal passage of the shielded electric connector when the mating shielded electric connector is mated to the shielded electric connector. The shielded electric connection system preferably includes an annular elastomeric connector seal for sealing an interface of the inner housing of the shielded electrical connector and the inner housing of the mating shielded electrical connector.

The mating shielded electric connector preferably has an outer housing and an inner terminal passage that extends through the inner housing from a mating terminal inlet to a mating terminal outlet. A mating terminal is attached to an end of a second cable with the mating terminal being disposed in the inner terminal passage with the second cable extending out of the mating terminal inlet. Preferably, a second annular elastomeric cable seal engages the second cable and the inner terminal passage of the mating shielded connector to seal the mating terminal inlet around the second cable.

A second shield chamber may be formed when the mating shielded electric connector is mated to the shielded connector for a mating electromagnetic shield that contacts the electromagnetic shield of the shielded electric connector when the connectors are mated. A second annular elastomeric connector seal may be provided for sealing a second interface of the mated shielded electric connectors outward of the connector seal mentioned above.

The mating shielded electric connector may be adapted for attachment to a casing and the mating electromagnetic shield may have one or more fingers extending through an outer longitudinal shield passage for grounding the mating electromagnetic shield. A third annular elastomeric connector seal may also be provided for sealing an interface between the mating shielded electric connector and the casing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now toFIG. 1, the shielded electrical connection system10comprises a male connector14that is attached to an electrical ground such as a metallic case (not shown), and a female connector16that is mated to the male connector14. As an aside, male connector14is labeled male for convenience simply because it contains a male terminal or terminals while female connector16is labeled such because it contain a female terminal or terminals. Consequently labels such as male connector or female connector are to be considered terms of convenience and not terms of limitation. For instance, the “female” connector can just as easily house a male terminal and be labeled a “male” male connector without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The labels assigned to the connectors14and16is not important. The important feature is that the connectors14and16as well as the respective terminals that they contain mate in a connection system.

In one aspect, an important component of the shielded electrical connection system is the female connector16that is attached to a shielded electric cable18which is hereafter referred simply as shielded electrical connector16.

By way of background, a shielded electric cable, such as cable18, comprises a conductive core20, an inner insulation jacket22that surrounds the conductive core20, an electromagnetic shield24that surrounds the inner insulation jacket22, and an outer insulation jacket26that covers the electromagnetic shield24. Shield24is made of a conductive material, usually a metal wire mesh that is woven around the inner insulation jacket22.

Shielded electrical connector16has an insulator body27comprising an inner housing28and an integral outer housing30that extends rearward of the inner housing28to provide a first shield chamber31behind the inner housing. An inner longitudinal terminal passage32extends through inner housing28from an inlet34that communicates with shield chamber31to an outlet36at a forward projecting end of the inner housing. A plurality of outer longitudinal shield passages38that are disposed between inner housing28and outer housing30communicate with shield chamber31.

A female terminal40is attached to an end portion of the electrical cable18so that the terminal40is in electrical contact with the conductive core20. The end portion of the electric cable18and the terminal40are disposed in the terminal passage32of the inner housing28with the electric cable18extending out of inlet34and through shield chamber31behind the inner housing28.

An inner annular elastomeric cable seal42engages the outer surface of the inner insulation jacket22of the electric cable18and the inner surface of terminal passage32to seal the inlet34of the terminal passage32around the inner insulation jacket22of the electric cable18.

Shielded electrical connector16includes an electromagnetic shield24that is made of a conductive material and that contacts the conductive shield24of electric cable18in shield chamber31behind cable seal42. Electromagnetic shield44comprises an annulus46that has an inner flange47that is clamped around an exposed end portion of the electromagnetic shield24preferably against a metal clamp ring48that is clamped around the inner insulation jacket22beneath the exposed portion of shield44. Electromagnetic shield44further comprises a sleeve50that fits snugly on an outer flange49of annulus46. Sleeve50has a plurality of fingers52that extend through respective shield passages38with projecting ends that lie adjacent the projecting portion of the inner housing28.

The electric cable18extends out of shield chamber31through an inlet54. An outer annular elastomeric cable seal56engages the outer surface of the outer insulation jacket26of electric cable18and the inner surface of chamber31to seal the inlet54around the outer insulation jacket26of the electric cable18. The shielded electric connector16may include a terminal position assurance (TPA) device57to insure that the female terminal40, the inner cable seal42and the outer cable seal56are properly positional in insulator body27. TPA devices are well known in the art and need not be described in detail.

As indicated above, the shielded electric connection system10comprises the shielded electrical connector16and the mating shielded electrical connector14. Electrical connector14has an inner terminal passage58that communicates with the inner terminal passage32of the shielded electrical connector16when the shielded electrical connector14is mated to the shielded electrical connector16such as, for example, by inserting a plug end of one inner housing into a socket end of the other inner housing as shown inFIG. 1. An annular elastomeric connector seal60, for example an elastomeric O-ring, is provided for sealing an interface of the mated electrical connectors14and16.

The mating shielded electric connector14also has an insulator body62comprising an inner housing64and an integral outer housing66. Inner housing64mates with the inner housing28of connector16as described above. As shown inFIG. 1of the drawings, the annular elastomeric seal30is provided for sealing an interface of the inner housing28of shielded electrical connector16and the inner housing64of the mating shielded electrical connector14. The outer housing66of electrical connector14mates with the outer housing30of electrical connector16, such as, for example, by inserting a plug end of one outer housing into a socket end of the other outer housing as shown inFIG. 1. The mated electrical connectors14and16define a second shield chamber68that receives the projecting ends of the fingers52of the electromagnetic shield44.

The mating terminal passage58extends through the inner housing64from an inlet70to an outlet72. A male terminal74that is disposed in the terminal passage58that projects out outlet72into terminal passage32to engage the female terminal40when the electrical connectors14and16are mated.

The male terminal74is attached physically and electrically to an end of a non-shielded electric cable76that extends out of the inlet70. A second annular elastomeric cable seal78engages the outer insulation jacket of cable76to seal the inlet70of insulator body62around cable76.

The mating shielded electric connector14has one or more outer longitudinal shield passages80that extend from the second shield chamber68to a respective outlet81. A second electromagnetic shield82is disposed in the second shield chamber68so that a sleeve84of the second electromagnetic shield82receives and engages fingers52of electromagnetic shield44when electrical connectors14and16are mated as shown inFIG. 1. Sleeve84preferably includes resilient contacts85to enhance contact with fingers52as best shown inFIGS. 1 and 3. Shield82has one or more fingers86at an end of sleeve84that extend through one of the respective passages80for grounding electromagnetic shield82.

The shielded electric connection system10further includes a second annular elastomeric connector seal88for sealing a second interface of the mated shielded electric connectors14and16between the outer housings30and66.

The mating shielded connector14is usually attached to a casing (shown in dashed line at92) so that the finger or fingers86engage in ground plane (not shown). A third elastomeric seal90may be provided to seal an interface between the shielded electric connector14and the casing92to which it is attached.

Thus the shielded electrical connection system10includes a inner electrical path through the connection system10having mated terminals40,74in communicating terminal passages32,58that are completely sealed and isolated from an outer shield path having mated shields44,82in communicating shield chambers31,68that are isolated from the mated terminals40,74in the sealed terminal passages32,58.