Receptacle housing for connector assembly

In a connector assembly (10), an improved receptacle housing (12) includes a chute (28), receiving and retaining wires (15), which is integrally molded to a wire side (20) of the receptacle housing (12). A strain relief (14) is removably attached to the receptacle housing (12) above the chute to protect wires (15). Prelatch beams (58, 58') with a bump (61, 61') on each prelatch beam (58, 58') temporary retain the receptacle housing (12) to a module connector (11) when the bump (61, 61') is locked into a respective hole (69, 69') on the module connector (11).

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a connector assembly, and more 
particularly, to a receptacle housing with improved strain relief and a 
prelatch feature. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Connector assemblies to be placed in the transmission of a vehicle 
typically include a component interface (module connector) installed into 
a metal casting and a mating receptacle housing. The receptacle housing 
has a module side to be secured to the module connector by means known by 
those skilled in the art, for instance by means of a central jackscrew, 
and a wire side wherein wires are to be received. 
Typically, the wire tie is attached to a strain relief (also called "wire 
shields" or "wire guides") and the strain relief is secured to the 
receptacle housing by long flexible latches. These latches are usually 
under stress if the wires are pulled. The stress applied to the latches 
(permanently or intermittently) may cause damage to the strain relief and, 
as a result, electrical contact may be lost. 
To overcome this disadvantage, strain reliefs are usually made of high 
strength plastics which can stand stress associated deformation. 
Disadvantageously, these plastics are expensive, and their employment 
results in high production costs. 
There is another problem which exists in the art. In production, an 
assembly line worker may need a temporary retention of the receptacle 
housing to the module connector. For example, the worker could pick up his 
torque wrench or switch to another assembly operation. The temporary 
retention of the receptacle housing to the module connector would save 
time at vehicle assembly plants and could simplify connector assembly 
operations for workers. So far, no simple means serving as a prelatch 
feature for the receptacle housing has been provided. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a 
receptacle housing having a wire tie attachment feature as its integral 
part and further having a prelatch feature. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved strain 
relief for the receptacle housing. 
The present invention finds particular utility in connector assemblies. 
According to the teaching of the present invention, a connector assembly 
includes a receptacle housing removably secured to a module connector and 
a strain relief removably secured to the receptacle housing. 
A wire tie receiving chute is integrally molded to a wire side of the 
receiving housing. The chute has a pair of side flanges preventing the 
wire tie from slipping off the chute. The strain relief is put on and 
locked onto the receptacle housing by latching bumps which engage 
respective retention holes on the receptacle housing. 
At least one (and preferably two) prelatch beams having a bump on its 
external surface, secure the receptacle housing to the module connector by 
engaging each bump with respective holes at the module connector. Each 
prelatch beam is resiliently connected by its one edge to a module side of 
the receptacle housing between two ribs which protect the prelatch beam 
from damage. 
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from 
a reading of the following specifications taken in conjunction with the 
enclosed drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
With reference to FIGS. 1-23, a connector assembly 10 to be placed within 
the transmission of a vehicle includes a module connector (or component 
interface) 11 inserted and secured in a metal casting, a receptacle 
housing 12 removably secured to the module connector 11 by a bolt 13, and 
a strain relief 14 removably secured to the receptacle housing 12. A wire 
grommet 17 and a cover 18 are placed within the receptacle housing 12 
beneath the strain relief 14. A plurality of wires 15 combined in a wire 
tie 16 are received in the receptacle housing 12. 
Referring to FIGS. 2-7, the receptacle housing 12 includes a module side 19 
and a wire side 20 integrally connected by a main body 21. The wire side 
20 includes wire side walls 22 (or first walls) which extend axially from 
the main body 21. The main body 21 has a cylindrical body 23 with recesses 
24, accommodating sealing O-rings (not shown), and a flange 25. The walls 
22 extend from the flange 25 at a certain height. Each of the walls 22 has 
a respective upper edge 26. The height of the walls 22 may be uniform for 
all walls 22 (as shown in FIG. 2), or may change (as shown in FIG. 7). One 
of the walls 22, the wall 22', has a recess 27. A chute 28 is integrally 
molded to the recess 27 at a right angle to the wall 22'. The chute 28 has 
a pair of side flanges 29. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when a plurality of 
wires 15 are received in the chute 28, the wire tie 16 embraces the chute 
28 with the wires 15 in it, and the side flanges 29 prevent the wire tie 
16 from slipping off the chute 28. 
The walls 22 (including the wall 22') form a receiving opening 30. A 
tower-like cylinder element 31 is positioned longitudinally within the 
receiving opening 30. The receiving opening 30 also accommodates a 
wire-carrying body 32 having an upper surface 33. The upper edges 26 of 
the walls 22, 22' extend above the upper surface 33. As shown more clearly 
in FIG. 6, the wire-carrying body 32 has two rows of slits 34, 35. The 
adjacent slits 34, 35 in their respective rows are separated by separating 
walls 36, 37. Each slit 34, 35 receives a wire 15. 
Referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, a wire grommet 17 is removably secured within 
the receiving opening 30 on the upper surface 33, and the cover 18 is 
removably secured within the receiving opening 30 above the wire grommet 
17. The wire grommet 17 and the cover 18 have a plurality of respective 
through apertures 38, 39 in precise registration with slits 34, 35 on the 
wire-carrying body 32. 
The strain relief (or wire shield) 14 is removably secured to the wire side 
20 of the receptacle housing 12 above the cover 18 and above the upper 
edges 26 of the walls 22, 22'. Referring to FIGS. 8-10, the strain relief 
14 includes a front panel 40 which has sides 41, 41' and 42, 42' extending 
from the front panel 40 at substantially right angle. Latching bumps 43 
are provided on the walls 41, 42', 41'. To cooperate with respective 
latching bumps 43, three retention bumps 44' are provided on the 
receptacle housing 12. 
As the strain relief 14 is pushed onto the receptacle housing 12, the walls 
41, 41', 42, 42' stretch apart and allow the latching bumps 43 to lock 
onto the receptacle housing 12 in cooperation with retention bumps 44'. A 
respective hole 44 is located adjacent to the retention bump 44' on one of 
the walls 22. The latching bumps 43 are positioned on internal surface of 
latching ledges 45. Each latching ledge 45 leaves an opening 46 on the 
front panel 40. 
The wall 42 has a pair of side latches 47, 47' and a central recess 48 
between the side latches 47, 47'. The receptacle housing 12 has a pair of 
side bumps 49, 49', and the side latches 47, 47' on the strain relief 14 
lock onto the side bumps 49, 49'. When the strain relief 14 is secured on 
the receptacle housing 12, the chute 28 extends through the recess 48. The 
side latches 47, 47' have "U"-shaped flanges 50, 50'. This feature 
prevents the side latches 47, 47' from popping off when a lateral force is 
applied. 
A central through hollow 51 is located in the strain relief 14 to allow the 
tower-like cylindrical element 31 on the receptacle housing 12 through and 
to receive a head and a flange of the bolt 13. 
Being locked onto the wire side 20 of the receptacle housing 12, the strain 
relief can be removed by means of a screwdriver. As shown in FIGS. 13, 14, 
15, the screwdriver 52 is inserted into the opening 46 until its tip 53 
hits the retention bump 44'. Then, leaning on the front panel 40, the 
screwdriver 52 is leveraged, and the tip 53 pries the latching bump 43 of 
the respective retention bump 44'. 
Since the wires 15, combined by the wire tie 16, are attached to the 
receptacle housing 12 and the wires are tightly clamped in place, the 
strain relief 14 is not under stress. Therefore, the strain relief can be 
made of less expensive plastic. 
Referring to FIGS. 16-23, the module side 19 of the receptacle housing 12 
includes module side walls 54, 54' and 55, 55' (or second walls). Ribs 56 
extend the full length of the walls 54, 54', 55, 55' along their external 
surface 57. The ribs 56 are substantially parallel to each other and may 
be positioned on the walls 54,54', 55, 55' as shown in FIGS. 16, 17, i.e. 
a pair of ribs 56 can be spaced apart on one of these walls, (for 
instance, the wall 54), or two pairs of ribs 56 can be located on opposite 
walls (for instance, the walls 54 and 54'). 
In its preferred embodiment, the receptacle housing 12 includes a single 
prelatch beam 58 located on the wall 54 between ribs 56 (as shown in FIG. 
16) or two prelatch beams 58 and 58' positioned on the walls 54 and 54', 
respectively (as shown in FIG. 17). Each prelatch beam 58, 58' is lodged 
between respective ribs 56. Further discussion will be cited for a single 
prelatch beams 58; however, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the 
art, that this discussion may be equally applied to the embodiment having 
two prelatch beams 58, 58'. 
The prelatch beam 58 has a joint edge 59 and an opposite edge 60. The 
prelatch beam 58 is resiliently connected to the external surface 57 of 
the wall 54 at its joint edge 59 adjacent to the cylindrical body 23 of 
the main body 21. A bump 61 is located on the prelatch beam 58 adjacent to 
and substantially in the center of the opposite edge 60. The ribs 56 
extend above the external surface 57 of the wall 54 higher than external 
surface 64 of the prelatch beam 58. 
As shown in FIG. 18, the prelatch beam 58 is positioned between two 
respective ribs 56, such that sides 62, 62' of the prelatch beam 58 are 
spaced apart from the respective ribs 56 at a distance 63 which is smaller 
than the smallest wire gauge used. The ribs 56 and the chosen distance 63 
protects the prelatch beam 58 from the wire 15 to enter and cause the 
prelatch beam 58 to be broken off. 
Referring to FIGS. 19-22, the module connector 11 includes a plurality of 
keyways 65 located on its internal surface 66. Keyways 65 are positioned 
in precise registration with respective ribs 56 of the receptacle housing 
12. The keyways 65 are substantially parallel to each other, and may be 
positioned such that one of internal walls 67 includes a pair of keyways 
65 (FIGS. 19, 20) or two opposite parallel walls 67, 67' each includes a 
pair of keyways 65 (FIGS. 21, 22). The positioning of keyways 65 is made 
in compliance with the chosen type of the receptacle housing 12. The 
internal walls 67, 67' have a respective edge 68, 68'. In one of preferred 
embodiments (FIG. 19), a hole 69 is located on internal surface 66 of the 
internal wall 67 adjacent to the edge 68. In another preferred embodiment 
(FIG. 21), holes 69, 69' are located on the internal surface of the 
internal walls, 67, 67' adjacent to the edges 68, 68', respectively. When 
the module side 19 of the receptacle housing 12 mates with the module 
connector 11, the ribs 56 are received in the respective keyways 65, the 
prelatch beam 58 is resiliently received between the wall 54 of the 
receptacle housing 12 and the internal wall 67 of the module connector 11; 
and the bump 61 is received in the hole 69, thereby providing a temporary 
retention of the receptacle housing 12 to the module connector 11. 
Referring to FIG. 23, the receptacle housing 12 is retained to the module 
connector 11 by two prelatch beams 58, 58'. The bump 61 on the opposite 
edge 60 of the prelatch beam 58 enters into the hole 69; the bump 61' on 
the opposite edge 60' at the prelatch beam 58' enters into the hole 69'. 
The assembly line worker can temporarily secure the receptacle housing 12 
to the module connector 11 which is installed in a casting 70, if the 
worker needs to release the receptacle housing 12 for some reason, for 
example, to pick up a torque wrench, thereby saving time at the vehicle 
assembly plant and simplifying the connector assembly operation. 
Since the wire tie attachment feature is an integral part of the receptacle 
housing, the present invention provides no stress on the strain relief; 
therefore, less expensive plastic may be used. Right angle configuration 
provides optimum strain relief/vibration protection. 
Obviously, many modifications may be made without departing from the basic 
spirit of the present invention. 
Accordingly, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that within 
the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other 
than has been specifically described herein.