Terminal position assurance device with sealing

A terminal position assurance member for use with an electrical connector. The terminal position assurance member includes a rigid frame member and one or more compressible seals. The rigid frame member extends from a conduct receiving surface of the terminal position assurance member to a connector mating surface of the terminal position assurance member. The one or more compressible seals cooperate with the rigid frame member to provide sealing between the rigid frame member, a housing of the electrical connector and conductors inserted into the terminal position assurance member. Any insertion force applied to the conductor receiving surface of the rigid frame member will be translated through the rigid frame member to one or more terminals of the electrical connector, allowing the one or more seals to remain compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a terminal position assurance device which provides sealing. In particular, the terminal position assurance device has portions which are rigid and portions which are compressible.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Terminal position assurance (TPA) devices are commonly used with electrical connectors to ensure that the terminals are properly positioned in the housing of the connector. The terminal position assurance device can also provide a visual indication that the mating connectors are fully and properly mated.

In one example, when two connectors are mated, the housings are pushed together after the contacts have been loaded. By design, if the contacts are only partially inserted into the housings, the two pieces of plastic cannot be pushed together. If the contact is so far back in the circuit cavity that plastic pieces can be pushed together, then a portion of the contact is left hanging out of the circuit cavity. In either case, the error is obvious and can easily be addressed.

In another more common design, the terminal position assurance is a separate plastic piece. The terminal position assurance device is inserted into the wire exit face of the connector after all the terminated contacts have been inserted and will latch in place onto the housing. If any contact is not fully seated into its respective circuit cavity, the terminal position assurance device will not fully latch onto the housing. This will alert the assembler to check for any unseated terminals. Once any unseated terminals are in place, the terminal position assurance device will fully latch onto the housing. The terminal position assurance device can provide some level of redundancy if, for any reason, the primary latching features fail.

While terminal position assurance devices are effective for ensuring that terminals are properly positioned, the terminal position assurance device does not provide sealing to prevent the ingress of water, dust or other unwanted contaminates. Known terminal position assurance devices are made from rigid materials to allow the terminal position assurance device to engage and move the terminals. The exclusive use of the rigid material does not allow the terminal position assurance device to compress or conform to the cavity or terminals, thereby providing no sealing function. When terminal position assurance devices are used in environments in which sealing is needed, one or more separate seals must be used to properly seal the housing and the terminals to prevent the ingress of water, dust or other unwanted contaminates. The use of individual components to provide terminal position assurance and sealing is expensive and creates inefficiencies in the manufacturing process.

It is therefore desirable to provide a terminal position assurance device which provides sealing, and which can be assembled to the connector housing as one component. The terminal position assurance device must have portions which are rigid and portions which are compressible.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An embodiment is directed to a terminal position assurance member for use with an electrical connector. The terminal position assurance member includes a rigid frame member and one or more compressible seals. The rigid frame member extends from a conduct receiving surface of the terminal position assurance member to a connector mating surface of the terminal position assurance member. The one or more compressible seals cooperate with the rigid frame member to provide sealing between the rigid frame member, a housing of the electrical connector and conductors inserted into the terminal position assurance member. Any insertion force applied to the conductor receiving surface of the rigid frame member will be translated through the rigid frame member to one or more terminals of the electrical connector, allowing the one or more seals to remain compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.

Referring toFIGS.1through6, a first illustrative embodiment of a terminal position assurance member30is shown for use with an illustrative electrical connector10. The electrical connector10has a mating face12and an oppositely facing terminal receiving face14. Side surfaces16extend between the mating face12and the terminal receiving face14. Terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18are provided on the side surfaces16. The terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18have sloped lead in surfaces20and latching shoulders22. The latching shoulders22extend at approximately ninety degrees from the side surfaces16. The electrical connector10shown inFIGS.1through6is meant to be illustrative, as other embodiments of the electrical connector can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

As shown inFIGS.2and3, the illustrative terminal position assurance member30has connector mating surface32and an oppositely facing conductor receiving surface34. The terminal position assurance member30includes a seal block or rigid frame member36, one or more interface seals38and one or more rear seals40.

In the illustrative embodiment shown inFIG.3, the seal block36has a main body portion42with terminal receiving projections44extending to the connector mating surface32. The seal block36is made from resin or other material which remains stiff when a compressive force is applied thereto.

In the embodiment shown, three terminal receiving projections44are provided. Interface seal receiving recesses46extending around the outer periphery of each of the terminal receiving projections44. Terminal receiving passages48extend through each of the terminal receiving projections44. In the embodiment shown, three terminal receiving passages48are provided in each terminal receiving projections44. However, other numbers and configurations of the terminal receiving projections44may be used.

Rear seal receiving recesses50extend from the terminal receiving projections44to the conductor receiving surface34. In the embodiment shown, three rear seal receiving recesses50are provided. However, other numbers and configurations of the rear seal receiving recesses50may be used.

Latches52extend from side surfaces54of the seal block36. In the illustrative embodiment, the latches52have mounting sections56which are secured to the seal block36proximate the conductor receiving surface34. The latches52have resilient arms58which extend from the mounting sections56to latch projection securing sections60. The latch projection securing sections60have sloped lead in surfaces62and latching shoulders64. The latching shoulders64extend at approximately ninety degrees from the resilient arms58. In the illustrative embodiment shown, the resilient arms58aand58cand longer than the latching arms58b.

The interface seals38are configured to cooperate with the terminal receiving projections44. The interface seals38are made from a compressible material, such as, but not limited to silicon. Each interface seal38has an opening66(FIG.3) which is dimensioned to fit tightly over a respective terminal receiving projections44to provide a watertight seal between the terminal receiving projections44and the interface seal38. The outside perimeters of the interface seals38are dimensioned to be received in the electrical connector10and cooperate with walls of cavities in the electrical connector to provide a watertight seal between the terminal walls of the cavities and the interface seal38. The number of interface seals38is equal to the number of terminal receiving projections44.

The rear seals40are configured to be inserted into the rear seal receiving recesses50. The rear seals40are made from a compressible material, such as, but not limited to silicon. As shown inFIG.3, each rear seal40has outside surface67which is dimensioned to cooperate with walls of rear seal receiving recesses50to provide a watertight seal between the walls of rear seal receiving recesses50and the rear seal40. Conductor receiving openings68are provided in the rear seals40. The conductor receiving openings68have ribs70(FIG.5) which cooperate with the conductors72to provide a watertight seal between the conductors72and the rear seal40. The number of rear seals40is equal to the number of rear seal receiving recesses50.

In use, the terminal position assurance member30is initially provided in the initial latch position, as shown inFIG.4. In this position, the latch projection securing sections60of the resilient arms58aand58cof latches52extend beyond the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18, thereby allowing the latching shoulders64of the latch projection securing sections60to cooperate with the latching shoulders22of the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18to prevent the removal of the terminal position assurance member30from the electrical connector10. Also in this position, the latch projection securing sections60of the resilient arms58bof latches52cooperates with the sloped lead in surfaces20of the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18to prevent the unwanted movement of the terminal position assurance member30from the initial latch position (FIG.4) to the final latch position (FIG.1).

With the terminal position assurance member30in the initial latch position, the terminals74and conductors72are inserted through the conductor receiving openings68of the rear seals40and through the terminal receiving passages48of the terminal receiving projections44. The terminal position assurance member30is then moved to the final latch position, as shown inFIGS.1,5and6. As this occurs, the connector mating surface32of the terminal receiving projections44will engage the terminals74to ensure that the terminals74are properly positioned in the electrical connector10. If the terminals74are not properly positioned, the rigid connector mating surface32will engage portions of the terminals74to properly positioned the terminals74in the connector10. As the rigid seal block36extends from the conductor receiving surface34to the connector mating surface32, any force applied to the conductor receiving surface34will be translated through the rigid seal block36to the connector mating surface32and to the terminal72. As the forces are translated through the rigid seal block36, the interface seals38and rear seals40remain compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required. Consequently, the terminal position assurance member30provides the rigidity required to properly position the terminals74, while providing the sealing characteristic required to prevent the ingress of water, dust or other unwanted contaminates.

With the terminals74properly positioned, the terminal position assurance member30is secured in the final latch position by the cooperation of the latch projection securing sections60of the resilient arms58bof latches52with the latching shoulders22of the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections18. This provides a visual indication that the terminals71and the terminal position assurance member30are properly positioned. If the terminals74cannot be properly positioned, the terminal position assurance member30cannot be moved to the final latch position, providing a visual indication that the terminals74are not properly positioned.

A second illustrative embodiment a terminal position assurance member130for use with an illustrative connector110is shown inFIGS.8through13. The electrical connector110has a mating face112and an oppositely facing terminal receiving face114. Side surfaces116extend between the mating face112and the terminal receiving face114. Terminal position assurance receiving latching projections118are provided on the side surfaces116. The terminal position assurance receiving latching projections118have sloped lead in surfaces120and latching shoulders122. The latching shoulders122extend at approximately ninety degrees from the side surfaces116. The electrical connector110is meant to be illustrative, as other embodiments of the electrical connector can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

As shown inFIGS.8through10, the illustrative terminal position assurance member130has connector mating surface132and an oppositely facing conductor receiving surface134. Each terminal position assurance member130includes a rigid frame member136and a seal138. A push member140is also provided to cooperate with one or more terminal position assurance members130.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, the rigid frame member136extends from proximate the connector mating surface132to the conductor receiving surface134. The rigid frame member136is made from resin or other material which remains stiff when a compressive force is applied thereto.

In the embodiment shown, the rigid frame member136has a crimping portion144provided proximate the connector mating surface132and an enlarged shoulder146provided proximate the conductor receiving surface134. A terminal receiving passage148extends through the rigid frame member136from the connector mating surface132to the conductor receiving surface134.

The seal138is configured to cooperate with the rigid frame member136. The seal138is made from a compressible material, such as, but not limited to silicon. As shown inFIG.9, the seal138has an outer portion166and an inner portion168. The outer portion166is positioned about the outer circumference of a portion of the rigid frame member136. The outer portion166of the seal138is dimensioned to fit tightly over the rigid frame member136to provide a watertight seal between the rigid frame member136and the seal138. The outside perimeter of the outer portion166of the seal138is dimensioned to be received in the electrical connector110and cooperate with walls of cavities in the electrical connector to provide a watertight seal between the terminal walls of the cavities and the seal138.

The inner portion168of the seal138is configured to be positioned in the terminal receiving passage148of the rigid frame member136. The inner portion168has outside surface (FIG.9) which is dimensioned to cooperate with the wall of terminal receiving passage148to provide a watertight seal between the wall of terminal receiving passage148and the inner portion168of the seal138. Conductor receiving openings169are provided in the inner portion168of the seal138. The conductor receiving openings169have ribs170(FIGS.11and13) which cooperate with the conductors172to provide a watertight seal between the conductors172and the inner portion168of the seal138.

The seal138may be positioned on the rigid frame member136by a two-stage molding process. Other methods of manufacture, such as, but not limited to, co-molding may also be used.

The push member140(FIG.7) has an engagement portion180having slots182for receiving conductors172thereon. The number of slots182will vary depending upon the configuration of the electrical connector110and the number of terminals174to be inserted.

Latches152extend from side surfaces154of the push member140. In the illustrative embodiment, the latches152have mounting sections156which are secured to the engagement portion180. The latches152have resilient arms158which extend from the engagement portion180to latch projection securing sections160. The latch projection securing sections160have latching shoulders164. The latching shoulders164extend at approximately ninety degrees from the resilient arms158.

In use, the terminal174is crimped to the crimping portion144of the rigid frame member136of the terminal position assurance member130, as shown inFIG.12. With the terminal174attached to the terminal position assurance member130, the terminals174and conductor172are inserted into the electrical connector110, as shown inFIG.7. With the terminal174properly positioned, the push member140is moved into engagement with the terminal position assurance member130. In this position, the conductor172is positioned in the slots182of the engagement portion180. As an insertion force is applied to the engagement portion180of the push member140, the connector mating surface132of the enlarged shoulder146of the rigid frame member136engages the push member140. As the rigid frame member136extends from the conductor receiving surface134to the terminal174, any force applied to the push member140will be translated through the rigid frame member136to the terminal174. As the forces are translated through the rigid frame member136, the seal138remains compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required.

With the terminal174and the terminal position assurance member130fully inserted, the latch projection securing sections160of the resilient arms158of latches152extend beyond the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections118, thereby allowing the latching shoulders164of the latch projection securing sections160to cooperate with the latching shoulders122of the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections118to prevent the removal of the terminal position assurance member130from the electrical connector110.

As the rigid frame member136extends from the conductor receiving surface134to proximate the connector mating surface132, any force applied to the conductor receiving surface134will be translated through the rigid frame member136to the terminal174which is attached to the rigid frame member136. As the forces are translated through the rigid frame member136, the seal138remains compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required. Consequently, the terminal position assurance member130provides the rigidity required to properly position the terminals174, while providing the sealing characteristic required to prevent the ingress of water, dust or other unwanted contaminates.

A third illustrative embodiment a terminal position assurance member230for use with an illustrative connector210is shown inFIGS.14through18. The electrical connector210has a mating face212and an oppositely facing terminal receiving face214. Side surfaces216extend between the mating face212and the terminal receiving face214. Terminal position assurance receiving latching projections218are provided on the side surfaces216. The terminal position assurance receiving latching projections218have sloped lead in surfaces220and latching shoulders222. The latching shoulders222extend at approximately ninety degrees from the side surfaces216. The electrical connector210is meant to be illustrative, as other embodiments of the electrical connector can be used without departing from the scope of the invention.

As shown inFIGS.14through16, the illustrative terminal position assurance member230has connector mating surface232and an oppositely facing conductor receiving surface234. Each terminal position assurance member230includes a rigid frame member236and a seal238.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, the rigid frame member236extends from the connector mating surface232to the conductor receiving surface234. The rigid frame member236is made from resin or other material which remains stiff when a compressive force is applied thereto.

In the embodiment shown, the rigid frame member236has terminal engaging portions244which extend to the connector mating surface232and a push portion246extending from the conductor receiving surface234. A terminal receiving passage248extends through the rigid frame member236from the connector mating surface232to the conductor receiving surface234.

The seal238is configured to cooperate with the rigid frame member236. The seal238is made from a compressible material, such as, but not limited to silicon. In the embodiment shown, the seal238is over molded over the terminal engaging portions244. The seal238also has retention members266which extend into opening268of the push portion246.

The seal238is dimensioned to fit tightly over the rigid frame member236to provide a watertight seal between the rigid frame member236and the seal236. The outside perimeter of the seal238is dimensioned to be received in the electrical connector210and cooperate with walls of cavities in the electrical connector to provide a watertight seal between the terminal walls of the cavities and the seal238.

Terminal receiving passage portions268(FIG.15) of the seal238are configured to be positioned in the terminal receiving passages248of the rigid frame member236. The terminal receiving passage portions268have outside surfaces267which are dimensioned to cooperate with the walls of terminal receiving passages248to provide a watertight seal between the walls of terminal receiving passages248and the terminal receiving passage portions268of the seal238. Conductor receiving openings269are provided in the terminal receiving passage portions268of the seal238. The conductor receiving openings269have ribs270(FIG.18) which cooperate with the conductors (not shown) to provide a watertight seal between the conductors and the terminal receiving passage portions268of the seal238.

The seal238may be positioned on the rigid frame member236by a co-molding process. Other methods of manufacture, such as, but not limited to, two stage molding may also be used.

Latches252extend from the push portion246. In the illustrative embodiment, the latches252have mounting sections256which are secured to the push portion246. The latches252have resilient arms258which extend from the push portion246to latch projection securing sections260with latching shoulders264. The latching shoulders264extend at approximately ninety degrees from the resilient arms258.

In use, the terminals274with terminal lances275which are terminated to the conductors are inserted into the electrical connector210, as shown inFIG.18. With the terminals274properly positioned, the terminal engaging portions244of the rigid frame member236is moved into engagement with the terminal lances275of the terminals274. As an insertion force is applied to the push portion246of the rigid frame member236, the terminal engaging portions244of the rigid frame member236engages the terminal lances275. As the rigid frame member236extends from the conductor receiving surface234to the terminal lances275of the terminals274, any force applied to the push portion246of the rigid frame member236will be translated through the rigid frame member236to the terminal274. As the forces are translated through the rigid frame member236, the seal238remains compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required.

With the terminal274and the terminal position assurance member230fully inserted, the latch projection securing sections260of the resilient arms258of latches252extend beyond the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections218, thereby allowing the latching shoulders264of the latch projection securing sections260to cooperate with the latching shoulders222of the terminal position assurance receiving latching projections218to prevent the removal of the terminal position assurance member230from the electrical connector210.

As the rigid frame member236extends from the conductor receiving surface234to the connector mating surface232, any force applied to the conductor receiving surface234will be translated through the rigid frame member236to the terminal274. As the forces are translated through the rigid frame member236, the seal238remains compressible to provide the sealing characteristics required. Consequently, the terminal position assurance member230provides the rigidity required to properly position the terminals274, while providing the sealing characteristic required to prevent the ingress of water, dust or other unwanted contaminates.