Electrical connector assembly with shorting circuit arrangement

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) includes a shorting circuit arrangement. The assembly includes a first connector (12) having a dielectric housing (15) mounting at least a pair of adjacent terminals (42). A pair of conductive shorting members (28) are mounted in the housing of the first connector (12). Each shorting member (28) includes a contact portion (32) in engagement with a respective one of the terminals (42) and a shorting portion (34) in engagement with the shorting portion of the other shorting member, thereby establishing an electrical shorting circuit between the terminals. A second connector (14) includes a dielectric extending portion (26) received between the shorting portions (34) of the shorting members (28) when the connectors are mated, thereby electrically separating the shorting members (28) and opening the electrical shorting circuit between the terminals (42).

Description: This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a shorting circuit arrangement in an electrical connector assembly. Background of the Invention There often is a need to provide an electrical short circuit arrangement between components of an electrical system, such as between a pair of mating electrical connectors. For example, a shorting circuit arrangement conventionally is provided in a circuit related to an air bag in an automobile or other vehicle. Specifically, air bags are being used extensively to protect passengers of vehicles against the impact of a vehicular crash. The operating circuit for an air bag runs through connecting terminals associated with a gas-generating apparatus to terminals associated with a power source, usually through an impact detector. When the impact detector senses a vehicular crash, current flows to the gas-generating apparatus to produce a large amount of gas, thereby inflating the air bag. Although the air bag must be actuated positively in response to a vehicular crash, it is important that the air bag not be activated accidentally during assembly of the circuitry of the air bag of after assembly, during inspection and/or during maintenance or repair work being conducted on the vehicle in the vicinity of the air bag. Accidental actuation of the air bag may cause serious injury to workers and will incur unnecessary repair expenses. Therefore, it is highly desirable to provide a shorting circuit arrangement to deactivate the operating circuit unless intentionally connected. Of course, a normally open circuit could be used until the operative connectors of the air bag system are mated. However, simple normally-open circuits create a risk that a magnetic field or an electric field produced around the open terminals could induce a voltage between the open terminals which would cause current to flow to the igniter of the air bag, thus causing the above-mentioned accidental activation. Heretofore, shorting circuit arrangements have been provided in connector assemblies, such as in air bag systems, by shorting terminals which are opened in response to intentional mating of a pair of connectors. However, such shorting terminals must be manufactured different from the other terminals of the connector, resulting in increased manufacturing and inventory costs. Other shorting circuit arrangements employ plural shorting or shunting circuits which also unnecessary increases the costs of manufacture. The present invention is directed to providing a very simple, cost effective shorting circuit arrangement in such connector systems as in air bag electrical connector systems. US-A-5,516,299 discloses a multi-input connector having a pair of shorting joint terminals. Each shorting joint terminal includes a side wall, a top plate from which a spring piece extends downward for shorting a corresponding circuit. Each shorting joint terminal further includes a side wall from which a contact portion projects forward to be used as a joint. The spring piece of each shorting joint terminal extends toward a contact protection of a male terminal wherein the contact portion is curved to press against a contact portion of the other shorting joint terminal. Each shorting joint terminal is adapted for inserting into a female connector. It is a drawback of the known shorting joint terminals that they must be manufactured different from the other terminals of the connector, and thus resulting in increased manufacturing and inventory costs. US-A-1,825,208 discloses an automatic disconnecting pothead in combination with a housing having underground cables. The underground cables are contacted to sockets which are located within the housing. Leaf springs are electrically connected to the lower portions of the sockets and extend upwardly between the sockets so that the upper portions are adapted to make contact with each other for forming a short-circuiting. DE-U-92 09 900.9 discloses shorting means quite similar to that of US-A-1, 825,208. In particular, there is disclosed a functional unit for a serial data transmission system having a multi-wired data bus conductor. Input and output connector elements are connected to respective wires of the conductor wherein the respective input and output connector elements are connected wire a shorting contact bridge. The shorting contact bridge comprises v-shaped curved leaf spring contacts having a contact leg. The contact legs of the leaf spring contacts are pressed against each other to form the shorting contact bridge. An actuating member serves to separate the contact legs of corresponding leaf spring contacts to open the shorting contact bridge. DE-U-90 10 565.6 discloses a plug connector having to parallel rows of contact chambers wherein a pair of contact chambers of the first row are associated to a pair of contact chambers of the second row. A contact spring is arranged in each chamber of the first row and comprises a contact spring limb. When inserting a contact spring into a respective chamber of the first row the contact spring limb projects into the associated chamber of the second row. Furthermore, a contact member is located into two parallel chambers of the second row. The contact member comprises a fixing plate and two contact spring legs, each of which extends in one of the two parallel chambers. Each contact spring leg engages a respective contact spring limb in the respective chamber of the second row to form a short circuit between two parallel contact springs An insulating rod serves to a separate parallel contact springs when inserted between the contact spring limb and the contact spring legs. Summary of the Invention An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector assembly which includes a shorting circuit arrangement. This technical problem is solved by the features of independent claim 1. Preferred embodiments are set forth in the dependent claims. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector assembly includes a first connector having a dielectric housing mounting at least a pair of adjacent terminals. A pair of conductive shorting members are mounted in the housing of the first connector. Each shorting member includes a contact portion in engagement with a respective one of the terminals, and a shorting portion in engagement with the shorting portion of the other shorting member, thereby establishing an electrical shorting circuit between the terminals. A second connector includes a dielectric housing having an extending portion received between the shorting portions of the shorting members when the connectors are mated, thereby electrically separating the shorting members and opening the electrical shorting circuit between the terminals. As disclosed herein, each shorting member is formed of metal material, and the contact portion is formed by a spring arm resiliently biased into engagement with the respective terminal. The shorting portion is formed by a spring beam resiliently biased into engagement with the spring beam of the other shorting member. Each shorting member includes a base portion with a locking tab which engages a recess in the housing of the first connector, and the spring arm and the spring beam are cantilevered from the base portion. Still further, each shorting member includes a pair of the shorting portions formed by a pair of spring beams on opposite sides of the contact portion formed by the spring arm. The spring beams are longer than the spring arm, and distal ends of the spring beams are integrally joined by a cross portion of the shorting member. Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which: FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector assembly including a pair of mating connectors incorporating the shorting circuit arrangement of the invention; FIGURE 2 is a side or edge view of one of the shorting members; FIGURE 3 is a plan or planar view of the shorting member; FIGURE 4 is a section through the connectors just prior to mating; and FIGURE 5 is a view similar to that of Figure 4, with the connectors mated and the shorting circuit opened. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to Figure 1, the invention is embodied in an electrical connector assembly, generally designated 10, which includes a first or plug connector, generally designated 12, and a second or receptacle connector, generally designated 14. The plug connector includes a dielectric housing 15 having a plug portion 16 insertable into a dielectric receptacle portion 18 of receptacle connector 14. The plug portion includes a plurality of terminal-receiving passages 20 which mount female terminals for receiving pin terminals 22 (not shown) of receptacle connector 14 when the two connectors are mated. For purposes of the invention, Figure 1 shows that plug portion 16 of plug connector 12 includes a slot 24 for receiving a dielectric extending portion or rib 26 which extends from receptacle connector 14 within receptacle portion 18. The invention contemplates a shorting circuit arrangement which includes at least a pair of conductive shorting members, generally designated 28 and shown in enlarged depictions in Figures 2 and 3. Each shorting member is stamped and formed of conductive sheet metal material and includes a cross base portion 30 which is fixed within the housing of first connector 12, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter. A contact portion in the form of a spring arm 32 is cantilevered from base portion 30. The spring arm terminates in a contact area 32a. A pair of shorting portions in the form of a pair of spring beams 34 also are cantilevered from base portion 30 on opposite sides of contact portion 32. The distal ends of spring beams 34 are integrally joined by a cross portion 36 which includes two outwardly projecting alignment tabs 38. As best seen in Figure 2, contact portion 32, particularly contact area 32a thereof, is disposed to one side of base portion 30, whereas shorting portions 34 are bowed outwardly on the other side of the base portion. Figure 4 shows a pair of the shorting members 28 mounted within a dielectric housing 40, which forms plug portion 16 of first connector 12. The shorting members are mounted within slot 24 between a pair of adjacent terminals 42 which are connected to electrical cables 44 which form the shorting circuit of the system. Base portions 30 of the shorting members are locked with a locking tab 31 and, thereby, fixed within grooves 46 in housing 40. Alignment tabs 38 at the opposite ends of the shorting members, are located within alignment grooves 48 at the top of the housing. Contact portions or spring arms 32 extend from fixed base portions 30 upwardly in slot 24, with contact areas 32a of the spring arms projecting outwardly through windows 50 in the housing and into engagement with terminals 42. Shorting portions or spring beams 34 of the shorting members extend upwardly from base portions 30, with the shorting portions of the shorting members being in engagement with each other as clearly seen in Figure 4. With the arrangement of shorting members 28 shown in Figure 4, it can be seen that the shorting portions provided by spring arms 32 are in constant engagement with terminals 42, as contact areas 32a of the spring arms are biased into engagement with the terminals. The shorting portions provided by spring beams 34 also are in constant biased engagement with each other, as shown, so that a short or shunting circuit is established between terminals 42 and their respective electrical cables 44, through shorting members 28. In an air bag system, this shorting circuit would deactivate the igniter to the air bag inflating system. Whereas Figure 4 shows extending rib 26 of second connector 14 (Fig. 1) about to be inserted between spring beams 34 of shorting members 28, Figure 5 shows extending rib 26 moved in the direction of arrow "A" (the mating direction of the connectors), with the extending rib slidably received between the shorting portions provided by spring beams 34 of the shorting members. The extending rib physically separates the shorting portions of the shorting members and, with the rib being of dielectric material, electrically separates the shorting members and opens the shorting circuit between terminals 42 and their electrical cables 44. By providing two shorting portions or spring beams 32 on opposite sides of contact portion or spring arm 32, a safety redundant feature is embodied in the arrangement. In addition, while Figures 4 and 5 show a pair of shorting members 28 between an adjacent pair of terminals 42, additional pairs of shorting members between additional pairs of terminals can be positioned at various locations along slot 24 of first connector 12 (Fig. 1) to be opened by different portions of extending rib 26 of second connector 14.

Claims: An electrical connector assembly (10) which includes a shorting circuit arrangement, comprising: a first connector (12) including a dielectric housing (15) mounting at least a pair of adjacent terminals (42); a pair of substantially identical conductive shorting members (28) mounted in the housing of the first connector (12), each shorting member including shorting portions (34) in the form of spring beams, each spring beam (34) being in biasing engagement with the spring beam (34) of the other shorting member (28), thereby establishing an electrical shorting circuit between the terminals (42); a second connector (14) including a dielectric extending portion (26) received between the shorting portions (34) provided by the spring beams of the shorting members (28) when the connectors are mated, thereby electrically separating the shorting members (28) and opening the electrical shorting circuit between the terminals (42), characterized in that each shorting member includes a base portion (30) fixed to the housing of the first connector, a contact portion (32) in the form of a spring arm biased into engagement with a respective one of the terminals (42), and a pair of said shorting portions (34) in the form of spring beams on opposite sides of said spring arm (32). The electrical connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the shorting portions (34) provided by the pair of spring beams of each shorting members (28) are longer than the contact portion (32) provided by the spring arm thereof, and distal ends of the spring beams are integrally joined by a cross portion (36) of the shorting member. The electrical connector assembly of claim 1 or 2, wherein the shorting members are stamped and formed of sheet metal material. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of the claims 1, 2, 3, wherein the contact portion (32) is resiliently biased into engagement with the respective terminal (42). The electrical connector assembly according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, wherein each shorting portion (34) in the form of a spring beam is resiliently biased into engagement with the spring beam of the other shorting member. The electrical connector assembly according to any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein said spring arm (32) and said spring beams (34) are cantilevered from the base portion (30).

Inventors: DIETZ HOLGER A, REIS BENNO O, DIETZ,HOLGER A., REIS,BENNO O.
Applicants: MOLEX INC, MOLEX INCORPORATED
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H01R3
IPC codes: H01R13, H01R31