Abstract:
An electrical connector assembly has a male connector which houses and locks to a series of male bladed terminals and a female connector housing and locking to a series of female terminals. A blade of each male terminal extends into a chamber defined by a shroud of the male connector. Prior to mating of the electrical connector assembly, a self-aligning blade stabilizer is snap fitted into a pre-staged position with the male connector via a two-stage fastening feature so that the distal ends of the blades are disposed within respective apertures of the stabilizer and aligned to their respective female terminals. With the blade stabilizer held in a pre-staged position, the distal ends of the blades are protected from being inadvertently knocked and bent which would cause misalignment. Furthermore, the stabilizer prevents entry of debris into the chamber of the male connector which would hinder or prevent full mating of the electrical connector. During mating of the electrical connector assembly, the stabilizer is pushed out of the pre-staged position and into a staged position as the blades travel through the apertures and into the female terminals of the female connector.

Description:
RELATED PATENT APPLICATION 
   This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/795,692, filed Feb. 27, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,422,881. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly having a self-aligning, pre-staging, terminal blade stabilizer. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A multi-bladed electrical connector has a male connector portion which firmly supports a series of male terminals that are locked within respective terminal cavities of the male connector portion. A female connector portion of the electrical connector mates typically via a snap locking feature to the male connector portion. When mating, the pins are received by respective pin receptacles of the female connector portion to form the electrical connections. 
   A blade or pin of each terminal projects forward from each terminal cavity and into a common blind bore or chamber defined by a forward projecting circumferential encasement or shroud of the male connector portion. The female connector portion of the electrical connector houses the series of pin receptacles which communicate through a leading end of the female connector portion. For a reliable electrical connection, each pin receptacle must align with its respective pin of the terminal of the male connector portion. When the electrical connector is mated, the leading end portion of the female connector portion fits into the chamber of the male connector portion and is thus guided by the circumferential encasement. 
   Unfortunately, during the manufacturing phase and/or handling of a wire harness, which is engaged to the male connector portion of the electrical connector, the exposed protruding pins of the terminals can potentially be knocked or bent, or debris may enter the chamber of the male connector portion which results in the inability of the terminals to connected electronically within the pin receptacles of the female connector portions. Moreover, the manufacturing dimensional variances between the terminals and the male connector portion housing cause the terminals to pivot slightly within the housing and the distal ends of the pins to become misaligned with the receptacles. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An electrical connector assembly has a male connector which houses and locks to a series of male bladed terminals and a female connector housing and locking to a series of female terminals. A blade of each male terminal extends into a chamber defined by a shroud of the male connector. Prior to mating of the electrical connector assembly, a self-aligning blade stabilizer is snap fitted into a pre-staged position with the male connector via a two-stage fastening feature so that the distal ends of the blades are disposed within respective apertures of the stabilizer and aligned to their respective female terminals. With the blade stabilizer held in a pre-staged position, the distal ends of the blades are protected from being inadvertently knocked and bent which would cause misalignment. Furthermore, the stabilizer prevents entry of debris into the chamber of the male connector which would hinder or prevent full mating of the electrical connector. During mating of the electrical connector assembly, the stabilizer is pushed out of the pre-staged position and into a staged position as the blades travel through the apertures and into the female terminals of the female connector. 
   The two-stage fastening feature is constructed and arranged between the stabilizer and the housing of the electrical connector. Preferably, the two stage fastening feature entails a protuberance which projects radially or laterally outward from a shroud of the stabilizer and a forward and rearward locking nub which projects laterally inward from the circumferential encasement of the male connector portion. The protuberance is disposed axially between the forward and rearward locking nubs when the stabilizer is in the pre-staged position and is snap fitted over the rearward locking nub when the stabilizer moves from the pre-staged position to the staged position, simultaneously, as the electrical connector is being mated. 
   An advantage of the present invention is the prevention of accidental misalignment or bending of the protruding blades of the terminals of the male connector portion. Another advantage of the present invention is the elimination of foreign article or debris collection within the chamber of the male connector portion which could prevent full mating of the electrical connector. Yet another advantage of the invention is the incorporation of a blade stabilizer having a pre-staged position without having to re-design the male or female connector of the electrical connector assembly. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The presently preferred embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the following description and in the accompanied drawings, wherein: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the electrical connector assembly of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a blade stabilizer of the electrical connector assembly; 
       FIG. 3  is a rear plan view of the blade stabilizer; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a male connector of the electrical connector assembly; 
       FIG. 5  is a cross section view of the male connector of the electrical connector assembly taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 4  viewing in the direction of the arrows; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross section view of the male connector and stabilizer, similar in perspective to  FIG. 5 , but shown in a fully staged position with the female connector removed to show internal detail; 
       FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of an electrical connector assembly of the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a perspective view of a blade stabilizer of the second embodiment; 
       FIG. 9  is a rear plan view of the blade stabilizer of the second embodiment; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross section view of the blade stabilizer taken along line  10 — 10  of  FIG. 9  viewing in the direction of the arrows; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross section view of the blade stabilizer taken along line  11 — 11  of  FIG. 9  viewing in the direction of the arrows; 
       FIG. 12  is a cross section view of a male connector of the second embodiment taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 7  viewing in the direction of the arrows; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly of the second embodiment similar in perspective to  FIG. 12  wherein the blade stabilizer is shown in a pre-staged position and a female connector is removed to show internal detail; 
       FIG. 14  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly similar in perspective to  FIG. 13  except the blade stabilizer is shown in a staged position; 
       FIG. 15  is an exploded perspective view of a third embodiment of an electrical connector assembly of the present invention; 
       FIG. 16  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly of the third embodiment illustrating a blade stabilizer in a pre-staged position engaged to a female connector; 
       FIG. 17  is a cross section view of the electrical connector assembly similar in perspective to  FIG. 16  except that the blade stabilizer is in a staged position and the electrical connector assembly is mated; 
       FIG. 18  is an exploded perspective view of a fourth embodiment of an electrical connector assembly; 
       FIG. 19  is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly illustrating a cam lever of a male connector shown in an unlocked position; 
       FIG. 20  is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly showing the cam lever engaged to followers of a female connector in an intermediate position; 
       FIG. 21  is a perspective view of the electrical connector assembly in a mated position with the cam lever in a locked position; and 
       FIG. 22  is a perspective view of a blade stabilizer of the fourth embodiment. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Referring now to the drawings,  FIG. 1-6 , illustrate a multi-pin electrical connector assembly  30  having a self-aligning, pre-staging, pin or blade stabilizer  32  which ensures reliable electrical connection of the assembly. The plastic blade stabilizer  32  is disposed within a housing  34  of the electrical connector assembly  30  which has a first part being the plastic body  35  of a female connector  36  and a second separate part being the plastic body  37  of a male connector  38 . The stabilizer  32  is disposed axially between the female and male connectors  36 ,  38  along a mating axis  40 . 
   The body  37  of the male connector  38  rigidly engages and locks to a series of terminals  42  disposed within respective cavities  44  of the male connector body which that communicates axially between a rearward face  46  and a forward face  48  of the male connector body  37 . Each terminal  42  has a pin or blade  50  which projects forward from the forward face  48  into a blind bore or chamber  52  defined circumferentially by a shroud or circumferential encasement  54  of the male connector body  37 . When the electrical connector  30  is mated, each pin  50  of the terminals  42  extends through a respective aperture  56  of the blade stabilizer  32  and into respective female terminals or pin receptacles  58  disposed within a leading end  60  of the female connector body  35 . Prior to mating of the electrical connector  30 , the blade stabilizer  32  is inserted into the chamber  52  of the male connector  38  until it engages into a pre-staged position  62 , as best shown in FIG.  5 . 
   When in the pre-staged position  62 , distal ends of the pins  50  of the terminals  42  are disposed within or slightly extend forward beyond the apertures  56  of the blade stabilizer  32 . The blade stabilizer  32  eliminates or reduces exposure of the pins  50  (i.e. from 6.5 mm to 1.5 mm) which could otherwise lead to bending or mis-alignment of the pins with respect to the female connector receptacles  58 . Any pivoting action of the terminal  42  within the cavity  44  of the male connector  38  which could lead to misalignment of the pins  50  with respect to the female connector receptacles  58  is also prevented when the blade stabilizer  32  is in the pre-staged position  62 . 
   The blade stabilizer  32  has a plate  64  which carries a leading surface  66  that faces the male connector  38  and a trailing surface  68  that faces the female connector  36 . The apertures  56  communicate between the leading and trailing surfaces  66 ,  68  of the plate  64 . Each aperture  56  has a beveled peripheral edge  70  carried by the leading surface  66  to help guide the distal ends of the pins  50  into the respective aperture  56 . A shroud  72  of the blade stabilizer  32  projects axially forward from the periphery of the trailing surface  68  of the plate  64 . The blade stabilizer  32 , when viewed separately from the male connector  38 , is similar or identical to the blade stabilizer described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,879,174, issued Mar. 9, 1999, which is incorporated herein by reference. However, when utilized with the male connector  38  of the present invention, the blade stabilizer  32  interacts with an integral two-stage fastening feature or indent-detent interface  74  not previously taught or described. 
   The two-stage fastening feature  74  includes four protuberances  76  which are spaced circumferentially about the shroud  72  of the stabilizer  32 . Each protuberance  76  is elongated circumferentially with respect to the shroud  72  and projects laterally outward from a slight depression area  78  carried by the shroud  72  which extends axially. Each protuberance  76  interacts with respective forward and rearward locking nubs  78 ,  80  which project laterally or radially inward from the circumferential encasement  54  of the male connector  38 . During assembly, when the stabilizer is placed in the pre-staged position  62 , the protuberance  76  snap fits axially over and settles just rearward of the forward locking nub  78 . Therefore, the shroud  72 , must flex substantially radially inward and then snap radially outward to place the protuberance  76  between the forward and rearward locking nubs  78 ,  80  thus placing the stabilizer  32  in the pre-staged position  62 . To assist in this snap fit or flexing and adjust for manufacturing variances of the male connector  38 , a slot  82  of the self-aligning stabilizer  32  extends through the plate  64  and enables such flexing. The slot  82  divides the plate  64  into a first and a second segment  84 , 86  which are interconnected by flexing or web members  88  which bridge the slot  82 . 
   The stabilizer  32  is elongated laterally with respect to the electrical connector assembly  30  thus matching the profile of the circumferential encasement  54  of the male connector  38  to prevent rotation of the stabilizer  32  which would mis-align the blades  50 . The slot  82  extends longitudinally laterally with respect to the stabilizer  32 . The shroud  72  therefore has two elongated sides  90 ,  92  wherein two protuberances  76  are located on each elongated side. The elongated sides  90 ,  92  flex radially inward toward one another as the protuberances  76  pass over the forward locking nubs  78  of the male connector  38 . 
   With the stabilizer  32  engaged to the male connector  38  in a pre-staged position  62 , mating of the electrical connector assembly  30  may be done at leisure without worry of debris entry into the blade environment  52  of the male connector  38  or bending and misalignment of the terminals  42  which could prevent or degrade electrical continuity of the connector assembly  30 . During mating of the assembly  30 , the shroud  72  of the stabilizer  32  surrounds the leading end  60  of the female connector  36 . The leading end  60  engages the trailing surface  68  of the stabilizer  32  and pushes the stabilizer  32  rearward within the chamber  52 , out of the pre-staged position  62  and into a staged position  93  when the electrical connector assembly  30  is mated, as best shown in FIG.  6 . When the stabilizer  32  moves from the pre-staged position  62  and into the staged position  93 , the protuberances  76  of the indent-detent interface  74  snap fit rearward of the rearward locking nubs  80 . 
   A first stiffener  94  is engaged unitarily to the first segment  84  and the perpendicular first side  90  of the shroud  32  and a second stiffener  96  is engaged to the second segment  86  of the plate  64  and the perpendicular second side  92  of the shroud  32 . These stiffeners  94 ,  96  assist in keeping the stabilizer aligned within the male connector  38 , prevent the stabilizer  32  from twisting or deforming, and keep the plate  64  perpendicular to the mating axis  40 . The stiffeners  94 ,  96  are received within a respective groove  98  carried by the leading end  60  of the female connector  36 . 
   At each end of the elongated blade stabilizer  32 , an indexing window  100  is carried by the shroud  72  and is indexed into an indexing tab  102  projecting laterally inward from the circumferential encasement  54  of the male connector body  37 . The tab  102  is indexed into the window  100  when the stabilizer  32  is in the staged position  93  and the electrical connector assembly  30  is mated. Referring to  FIG. 1 , the electrical connector assembly  30  has a cam lever  104  engaged pivotally to a pair of opposite posts  106  which lie along a pivoting axis disposed perpendicular to the mating axis  40 . A pair of cam followers  108  project laterally outward from the female connector  36 . The followers  108  interact with the cam lever  104  so that pivoting of the lever  104  causes the female connector  36  to move toward the male connector  38  along the mating axis  40 . This cam lever feature is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,612, issued Sep. 22, 1998 and is incorporated herein by reference. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7-14 , a second embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein a shroud  72 ′ of a blade stabilizer  32 ′ extends or projects rearward from a leading surface  66 ′ of the stabilizer  32 ′ and into an annular recess  110  carried by a male connector  38 ′ of the electrical connector assembly  30 ′, as best shown in  FIG. 12. A  locking tab  109  of a two-stage fastening feature  74 ′ of the electrical connector assembly  30 ′ which projects laterally into the annular recess  110  from a circumferential wall  112  carried by the male connector  38 ′. When the stabilizer  32 ′ is in a pre-staged position  62 ′ (as best shown in FIG.  13 ), the tab  109  snap fits into a pre-staged window  114  which communicates through either end of the shroud  72 ′ of the stabilizer  32 ′ near a leading peripheral edge  116 . When the stabilizer  32 ′ moves from the pre-staged position  62 ′ to a staged position  93 ′ as the electrical connector is simultaneously fully mated, the shroud  32 ′ flexes radially outward to disengage the locking tab  109  from within the pre-staged window  114  and snap fits into a staged window  118  of the shroud  72 ′ disposed near or at a plate  64 ′ of the stabilizer  32 ′, as best shown in FIG.  14 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 10-12 , the stabilizer  32 ′ also has a pair of planar guide members  120  which insert into a pair of channels  122  carried by the male connector  38 ′ and defined laterally inward from the circumferential wall  114 . The guide members  120  align the stabilizer  32 ′ to the male connector  38 ′ and thus the apertures  56 ′ to the blades  50 ′. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 15 through 17 , a third embodiment of the present invention is shown which is similar to the second embodiment except that a blade stabilizer  32 ″ is engaged initially to a female connector  36 ″ instead of a male connector  38 ″ of an electrical connector assembly  30 ″. The stabilizer  32 ″ has a shroud  72 ″ which projects forward from a trailing surface  68 ″ of the stabilizer  32 ″. Like the second embodiment, a pre-staged window  115 ″ is located at both ends of the stabilizer  32 ″ and is part of the indent detent interface  74 ″. The pre-staged window  115 ″ mates with a laterally outward projecting tab  109 ″ of a female connector  36 ″. The tabs  109 ″ project laterally outward from a circumferential wall  114 ″ of the female connector  36 ″. When the stabilizer  32 ″ is in a pre-staged position  62 ″ (as best shown in  FIG. 16 ) the trailing surface  68 ″ is spaced axially from the end portion  60 ″ of the female connector  36 ″. During mating of electrical connector assembly  30 ″, the pins or blades  50 ″ of the terminals  42 ″ insert through apertures of the stabilizer  32 ″ and into receptacles  58 ″ of the female connector  36 ″. It is only after the leading surface  66 ″ of the stabilizer  32 ″ engages the forward face  48 ″ of a male connector  38 ″ that the stabilizer  32 ″ begins to move from the pre-staged position  62 ″ and into a staged position  93 ″, as best shown in FIG.  17 . Similar to the second embodiment, the tabs  109 ″ move from the pre-staged widow  115 ″ and into a staged window  118 ″ both carried with the shroud  72 ″ of the stabilizer  32 ″. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 18-23 , a fourth embodiment of the present invention is shown wherein a blade stabilizer  32 ″′, described in detail in parent application Ser. No. 09/795,692, filed Feb. 27, 2001, is utilized in unison with a cam lock arm assembly similar to that described in the first embodiment.  FIG. 18  illustrates the electrical connector assembly  30 ″′ in a non-mated position  130  with the blade stabilizer  32 ″′ in a pre-staged position  62 ″′ within a male connector  38 ″′. After the female connector  36 ″′ is inserted into the male connector  38 ″′ a cam lock lever  104 ″′ of the cam lock assembly can be pivoted to engage two cam followers  108 ″′ protruding from the female connectors  36 ″′, as best shown in  FIGS. 19-20 . The cam lock lever  104 ″′ as it continues to pivot will cause the female connector  36 ″′ to engage the blade stabilizer  32 ″′ as the electrical connector assembly  30 ″′ is mated and the stabilizer  32 ″′ moves to a staged position. 
   While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presently preferred embodiments, many others are possible. It is not limited herein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merely descriptive rather than limiting and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.