Abstract:
Disclosed is a method and structure for sealing an electrical connector. The structure includes a sealing insert for insertion into the housing of an electrical connector. The sealing insert has a flared lip spaced from and extending above a base and the flared lip has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the base. The sealing insert further includes a retention feature and at least one electrical pin guide. The sealing insert is inserted into the housing of an electrical connector after applying a form in place sealant inside the housing. The flared lip forms a seal against an inner wall of the housing and the retention feature of the sealing insert engages a retention feature inside the housing thereby locking the sealing insert into the housing and forcing the sealant into a sealant gap formed between the housing and the sealing insert thereby sealing the electrical connector.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    NONE. 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    NONE. 
       TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0003]    This invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more particularly to sealing the electronics cavity of an electrical connector from the external environment. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. 
         [0005]    Electrical connectors are used in many environments wherein they are exposed to a variety of damaging materials that must be kept out of the electrical connectors for them to continue to function as designed. In a typical electrical connection a male portion having one or more electrical pins is plugged into a female portion to form the electrical connection. Sealing an electrical connection often refers to sealing this portion of the connection the male female interface, also known as the connector cavity. The connector seal in this portion can be unreliable or leak especially if the mating connector is unplugged or during servicing of the parts when contaminates can enter the connector cavity. Another issue in the connector cavity is that it is difficult to seal the wires of the female portion against moisture and water entering via capillary action within the wire. Another “cavity” found in an electrical connector is known in the art as an electronics cavity which is typically adjacent the connector cavity. One needs to seal this cavity also, especially in electrical connections that do not have a seal in the connector cavity. The electronics cavity is also important to seal for electrical connections wherein it is desirable to present an unsealed connector as when the connector presented has only the male portion. In the environment of vehicles preferably both the connector cavity and the electronics cavity of electrical connectors are sealed against intrusion by moisture, water, salt spray, dirt, dust, engine oils, engine transmission fluid, and other engine liquids. Many electrical connectors have been designed with physical features built in to block intrusion of outside materials into the electrical connector. Some of these connectors involve using a gasket to seal the connector; however these tend to be expensive, complicated and often take up too much space in the connector. 
         [0006]    In addition, to the physical design of the electrical connector itself various sealants have been developed in an attempt to prevent damage to the electrical connections, components found in the connectors, and electronics cavities. The sealants used are known as form in place (FIP) sealants because they are applied to a location and can then be formed to fill gaps between parts. The sealants used include: epoxy type sealants, silicone based UV curable sealants, polyacrylic sealants and polyurethane sealants. Many factors influence the selection of the sealant including its ability to resist attack by the materials it is expected to be exposed to and the conditions under which it is expected to function. These conditions can include temperature extremes, salt exposure, exposure to corrosive fluids and other factors. In the past epoxy type sealants have been used for sealing electrical connectors of vehicles. One drawback with epoxy type sealants is that they often require a thermal cure process and/or long cure times. Low temperature such as room temperature cures do not usually produce a robust seal. Another problem with epoxy type sealants is that they may be weakened by any soldering process at the pins or terminals located in the electrical connector. Their slow cure cycle time makes them less than ideal for high-volume production lines. There is also the issue of thermal expansion of air trapped in the connector cavity when using high temperature cure of epoxy sealants. During the high temperatures the expanding trapped air escapes through the epoxy before it can cure causing bubbles and leak paths in the epoxy. Silicone based UV curable materials can be used to seal terminals without the long cure times needed for epoxy type sealants; however they are not compatible with certain engine fluids such as transmission fluids. 
         [0007]    It is desirable to provide an electrical connector sealing method that can be used to successfully seal electrical connectors and in particular the electronic cavity of an electrical connector in a manner that can be adapted to a wide variety of connector designs, rapidly modified and that can be used in high-volume in line processes. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    This section provides a general summary of the disclosure and is not intended to be interpreted as a complete and comprehensive disclosure of all it features, advantages, objectives and aspects. 
         [0009]    In one embodiment, the present invention is a sealing insert for an electrical connector, and more particularly for an electronics cavity of an electrical connector comprising: a flared lip spaced from and extending above a base, the flared lip having a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the base; a retention feature attached to the base; and at least one electrical pin guide, the pin guide extending through the base and having an aperture sized to permit a pin of an electrical connector to pass through the base. 
         [0010]    In another embodiment, the present invention is an electrical connector comprising: a connector housing having an inner wall, at least one electrical pin channel, and a retention feature; at least one electrical pin extending into the housing through the pin channel; a sealing insert located inside the housing and comprising a flared lip spaced from and extending above a base, the flared lip having a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the base and forming a seal against the inner wall; the sealing insert having a retention feature attached to the base and at least one pin guide, the pin guide extending through the base and having an aperture sized to permit the pin to pass through the base; the retention feature of the housing engaging the retention feature of the sealing insert thereby locking the sealing insert in the housing and forming a sealant filling gap that is in communication with the pin channel; and a sealant, the sealant located in the sealant filling gap and in the pin channel. The sealing insert and the sealant sealing the electronics cavity of the electrical connection 
         [0011]    In another embodiment, the present invention is a method of sealing an electrical connector, and more particularly the electronic cavity of an electrical connection comprising the steps of: providing an electrical connector having a housing with an inner wall, at least one electrical pin channel, a floor, a retention feature; and at least one electrical pin extending into the housing through the pin channel; providing a sealing insert comprising a flared lip spaced from and extending above a base, the flared lip having a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the base, the sealing insert having a retention feature attached to the base and at least one pin guide extending through the base and having an aperture sized to permit the pin to pass through the base; applying a sealant inside the housing of the electrical connector; and inserting the sealing insert into the housing, allowing the pin to pass through the aperture of the pin guide, and engaging the retaining feature of the housing with the retaining feature of the sealing insert thereby locking the sealing insert into the housing and forcing the sealant to flow into a sealant filling gap formed between the sealing insert and the floor of the housing and also forcing the sealant into a gap located between the pin and an inside of the pin channel. The sealant and sealing insert sealing the electronics cavity from the environment. 
         [0012]    These and other features and advantages of this invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description are described below. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector designed according to the present invention ; 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a sealing insert designed according to the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the sealing insert shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 2  being inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 2  after being fully inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  is a different cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 2  fully inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of another electrical connector integrated into an electronic controller with the sealing insert shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector designed according to the present invention; 
           [0022]      FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of a sealing insert designed according to the present invention; 
           [0023]      FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of the sealing insert shown in  FIG. 9 ; 
           [0024]      FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 9  being inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0025]      FIG. 12  is a is a cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 9  after being fully inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 13  is a different cross-sectional view of the sealing insert of  FIG. 9  fully inserted into the electrical connector of  FIG. 8 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view of another electrical connector integrated into an electronic controller with the sealing insert shown in  FIG. 9 ; and 
           [0028]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of an assembled electrical connector according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0029]    The present invention provides a device and a method for sealing an electrical connector and more particularly an electronics cavity of an electrical connector. The invention can be adapted to a wide variety of electrical connectors. In the present specification and claims the term electrical connection means an electrical connection and an electronics cavity. The solution is cost effective and very efficient. The method can be adapted to use in many environments and allows for sealant selection to be customized to the particular environment of use. The present invention comprises use of a sealing insert that is placed into an electrical connector. The sealing insert provides a first layer of protection to the electronics cavity of the electrical connector to prevent entry of outside contaminants such as moisture, water, salt spray, dirt, dust, engine oil, engine fluids and other liquids. In addition, the sealing insert acts to efficiently distribute a layer of a sealant between itself and the electrical components and connector housing; the sealant thus provides a secondary sealing barrier to prevent entry by unwanted materials into the electrical connection and electronics cavity. The present invention allows for use of any liquid compatible, liquid Form In Place (FIP) sealing material to be applied to the electrical connector to form the secondary sealing layer. It also permits formation of an electrical connection that includes, for example only the male pins and yet is sealed from the outside environment. In addition, the sealing insert after installation has been found to improve positional accuracy of the pins in the electrical connector especially when long flexible pins are used. 
         [0030]      FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector designed according to the present invention. The electrical connector is shown generally at  10 . The connector  10  includes a housing  12  and a base  14 . The base  14  includes a plurality of pin channels  16  that extend through the base  14  and receive a plurality of pins  20 . The pins  20  extend out of a connector terminal header  18 . The base  14  further includes a compression pin hole  22  that preferably has a chamfered portion  24  at one end. The housing  12  includes an inner wall  26  and a housing floor  28 . The shown electrical connector is the male end of a typical electrical connector. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2  is a top perspective view of a sealing insert designed in accordance with the present invention. The sealing insert is shown generally at  30 . The sealing insert  30  includes a plurality of pin guides  32  each of which has an aperture  34  to allow a pin  20  to be inserted through pin guide  32 . The size and shape of the apertures  34  are chosen to be approximately the same size and shape as the outside of the pins  20  or slightly smaller. This permits the aperture  34  to form a seal around the pin  20  as the pin  20  is inserted through the pin guide  32 . The sealing insert  30  further includes a flared lip  36  having a shape that mirrors the shape of the inner wall  26  of the housing  12 . The diameter of the flared lip  36  is the same or slightly larger than the diameter of the inner wall  26  so that when the sealing insert  30  is positioned in the housing  12  the flared lip  36  will press tightly against the inner wall  26  and form a seal between the sealing insert  30  and the inner wall  26  of the housing  12 . The combination of the seal around the pins  20  from the apertures  34  and the seal of the flared lip  36  against the inner wall  26  of the housing  12  forms a first sealing layer of the sealing insert  30 .  FIG. 3  is a bottom perspective view of the sealing insert  30  of  FIG. 2 . The sealing insert  30  further includes a base  38 . Located on the base  38  is a hard stop  40  from which protrudes a compression pin  42  having a raised compression fit band  44  on it. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  shows the sealing insert  30  partially inserted into the housing  12 . In use of the present invention a selected sealant, shown at  48  as beads, is first applied to the floor  28  prior to insertion of the sealing insert  30 . The sealant  48  can be applied as a plurality of spots or beads around the floor  28  or as a continuous bead on the floor  28  or in any desired pattern. As discussed herein the sealant  48  can be one of many available with the sealant chosen based on a number of criteria. The sealants are FIP sealants and one that is preferred for use in one embodiment of the present invention is a polyacrylic sealant, Loctite® 5810, which is resistant to a wide variety of engine fluids including transmission fluid. As discussed herein, prior to insertion of the sealing insert  30  the FIP sealant  48  is applied inside the housing  12  at a plurality of locations on the floor  28  and around pin channels  16 . As can be seen as the sealing insert  30  is inserted into the housing  12  the flared lip  36  forms a tight seal against the inner wall  26  of the housing  12 . The sealing insert  30  is formed from a resilient material, preferably a plastic material or elastomeric material, that is elastic in nature and that can be deformed but returns to its original shape. One can see that there is a gap  46  between the base  38  of the sealing insert  30  and the inner wall  26  of the housing  12 . This gap will fill with the sealant  48  once the sealing insert  30  is fully inserted into the housing  12 . The compression pin  42  aligns with the compression pin hole  22  and the raised compression fit band  44  forms a press-fit against the walls of the compression pin hole  22  to lock the sealing insert  30  into the housing  12 . As the sealing insert  30  is inserted into the housing  12  the pin guides  32  help to further align and stabilize the positions of the pins  20  in the housing  12 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 5  shows the sealing insert  30  fully received in the housing  12 . For clarity and to help with the description the dispersed sealant  48  is not shown in this Figure. As shown, the compression pin  42  is fully received in the compression pin hole  22  and serves to lock the sealing insert  30  into the housing  12 . The flared lip  36  forms a tight seal against the inner wall  26  of the housing  12 . The hard stop  40  provides for a sealant fill gap  50  around and underneath the base  38 , except for where the hard stop  40  is located, of the sealing insert  30 . This gap  50  fills with sealant  48  when the sealing insert  30  is fully inserted. The insertion of the sealing insert  30  also causes the sealant  48  to rise up the sides of the sealing insert  30  and to fill the pin guides  32  in the area not occupied by the pin  20 . As can be seen the aperture  34  of the pin guide  32  forms a tight seal around the pin  20  where the pin  20  emerges from the aperture  34 . The aperture  34  fits tightly around the pin  20  and does not permit sealant  48  to exit through the aperture  34 . The pin guides  32  help to stabilize the pins  20  and maintain their position. The sealing insert  30  acts as a plunger and distributes the sealant  48  throughout the entire sealant fill gap  50 , around the sealing insert  30  until stopped by the seal between the flared lip  36  and the inner wall  26 , and down the pin channels  16 . The sealant  48  emerges out of the bottom of the pin channels  16 . The sealant fill gap  50  is preferably  1  millimeter to  0 . 5  millimeters thick between the floor  28  and the base  38  when the sealing insert  30  is fully inserted. The thickness of the hard stop  40  and the difference in diameter between the diameter of the inner wall  26  and the base  38  will determine the thickness of the sealant fill gap  50  and can be adjusted as desired for any particular environment. The sealant  48  will also flow up the pin guides  32  until stopped by the apertures  34  and up the sides of the sealing insert  30  until stopped by the meeting of the flared lip  36  with the inner wall  26 . Preferably sealant fill gap  50  is completely filled and the excess sealant  48  flows down and out the pin channels  16  in the connector  10  adjacent the terminal header  18 . Thus, the sealant  48  and the sealing insert  30  completely seal the electronics cavity from the external environment. The electrical connector  10  shown in  FIG. 5  has a completely sealed electronics cavity while still providing ready access to the pins  20  to permit connection of a female connector to form a completed electrical connection.  FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the connector  10  of  FIG. 1  with the sealing insert  30  fully inserted at a different cross-sectional location from the cross-section shown in  FIG. 5 . One can see in  FIG. 6  that the sealant fill gap  50  is in communication with the pin channels  16  when the sealing insert  30  is fully inserted. The sealant, not shown for clarity, will be forced by the sealing insert  30  to fill the sealant fill gap  50  and flow out the pin channels  16  through the small gap between the pin  20  and the walls of its respective pin channel  16 . Preferably the amount of sealant  48  used is sufficient to drive excess sealant  48  out of the pin channels  16  and form a small bead around a pin  20  at the junction between the end of the pin channel  16  and the terminal header  18 . These small beads completely seal the electrical connector  10  and also serve as vibrational dampening attenuators when the terminal header  18  is plugged into a printed circuit board for example. 
         [0034]      FIG. 7  shows a cross-sectional view of another electrical connector according to the present invention. The electrical connector is shown generally at  210  and it includes a housing  212 , an inner wall  226  and a base  214 . In this embodiment the base  214  is integrated into an electronic controller shown generally at  270  which is mounted to a housing  290 . The connector  210  further includes a plurality of pins  220  and includes a sealing insert  230  just like the one shown in  FIGS. 2-6 . The sealing insert  230  includes pin guides  232 , a compression pin  242 , a hard stop  240 , and a flared lip  236  as described herein. The insertion of the sealing insert  230  into the housing  212  forms the sealant fill gap  250  as discussed above. As shown in  FIG. 7  the electrical connector  210  is integrated with an electronics cavity  280  and the terminal header  218  is received in a printed circuit board  260  in the electronics cavity  280 . Also shown is a terminal header gap  226  which as described herein preferably accommodates a sealant bead when the sealing insert  230  is fully received in the connector  210  and sealant is pushed out the pin channels  16 . As shown, once the sealant, not shown, has been distributed throughout the sealant fill gap  250 , up the pin guides  232  and down the pin channels, which are not shown in this cross-sectional view, the electronics cavity  280  is sealed from the outside environment. This is true even if the male pins  220  are not connected to a female connector. 
         [0035]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-7  the sealing insert has a retention feature comprising a compression pin having a raised compression fit band on it. In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-7  the electrical connection has a retention feature comprising a compression pin hole which receives the compression pin and together they lock the sealing insert in the housing of the electrical connector. The flared lip and apertures in the pin guides serve as a secondary retention feature on the sealing insert by their friction fit seal against the inner wall of the electrical connector and the pins, respectively. They also serve as a secondary seal in the sealing insert. Finally, the sealant itself serves as an adhesive to hold the sealing insert in place in the electrical connector. 
         [0036]      FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view of an electrical connector designed according to the present invention. The electrical connector is shown generally at  100 . The connector  100  includes a housing  112  and a base  114 . The base  114  includes a plurality of pin channels  116  that extend through the base  114  and receive a plurality of pins  120 . The pins  120  extend out of a connector terminal header  118 . The base  114  further includes a plurality of support posts  124  located between several of the pins  120 . The housing  112  includes an interior wall  126 , a housing floor  128  and a pair of snap fit lips  122  located opposite each other. 
         [0037]      FIG. 9  is a top perspective view of a sealing insert designed in accordance with the present invention. The sealing insert is shown generally at  130 . The sealing insert  130  includes a plurality of pin guides  132  each of which has an aperture  134  to allow a pin  120  to be inserted through pin guide  132 . The size and shape of the apertures  134  are chosen to be approximately the same size and shape as the outside of the pin  120  or slightly smaller. This permits the aperture  134  to form a seal around the pin  120  as the pin  120  is inserted through the pin guide  132 . The sealing insert  130  further includes a flared lip  136  having a shape that mirrors the shape of the inner wall  126  of the housing  112 . The diameter of the flared lip  136  is the same or slightly larger than the diameter of the inner wall  126  so that when the sealing insert  130  is positioned in the housing  112  the flared lip  136  will press tightly against the inner wall  126  and form a seal between the sealing insert  130  and the inner wall  126  of the housing  112 . The combination of the seal around the pins  120  from the apertures  134  and the seal of the flared lip  136  against the inner wall  126  of the housing  112  forms a first sealing layer of the sealing insert  130 .  FIG. 10  is a bottom perspective view of the sealing insert  130  of  FIG. 9 . The sealing insert  130  further includes a base  138 . Located on the base  138  is a support  144  that includes a plurality of slots  142 , a plurality of pillars  146 , and a pair of snap fit protrusions  140 , only one of which is shown in this view, on opposite sides of the support  144 . 
         [0038]      FIG. 11  shows the sealing insert  130  partially inserted into the housing  112 . In use of the present invention a selected sealant, shown at  148  as beads, is first applied to the floor  128  prior to insertion of the sealing insert  130 . The sealant  148  can be applied as a plurality of spots or beads around the floor  128  or as a continuous bead on the floor  128  or in any desired pattern. As discussed herein the sealant  148  can be one of many available with the sealant chosen based on a number of criteria. The sealants are FIP sealants and one that is preferred for use in one embodiment of the present invention is a polyacrylic sealant, Loctite 5810, which is resistant to a wide variety of engine fluids including transmission fluid. As discussed, prior to insertion of the sealing insert  130  the FIP sealant  148  is applied inside the housing  112  at a plurality of locations on the floor  128  and around pin channels  116 . As can be seen as the sealing insert  130  is inserted into the housing  112  the flared lip  136  forms a tight seal against the inner wall  126  of the housing  112 . The sealing insert  130  is formed from a resilient material, preferably a plastic material or elastomeric material, that is elastic in nature and that can be deformed but returns to its original shape. One can see that there is a gap  156  between the base  138  of the sealing insert  130  and the inner wall  126  of the housing  112 . This gap will fill with the sealant  148  once the sealing insert  130  is fully inserted into the housing  112 . The snap fit protrusions  140  align with the snap fit lips  122  and once the protrusions  140  are pushed past the lips  122  the sealing insert  130  is locked into the housing  112 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 12  shows the sealing insert  130  fully received in the housing  112 . For clarity and to help with the description the sealant  148  is not shown in this Figure. As shown the snap fit protrusions  140  are fully under the snap fit lips  122 , which serves to lock the sealing insert  130  into the housing  112 . The flared lip  136  forms a tight seal against the inner wall  126  of the housing. The length of the support  144  is chosen so that when fully seated the sealing insert  130  provides for a sealant fill gap  150  around the base  138  of the sealing insert  130 . This gap  150  fills with sealant  148  when the sealing insert  130  is fully inserted. The insertion of the sealing insert  130  also causes the sealant  148  to fill the pin guides  132  in the area not occupied by the pin  120 . As can be seen the aperture  134  of the pin guide  132  forms a tight seal around the pin  120  where the pin  120  emerges from the aperture  134 . The aperture  134  fits tightly around the pin  120  and does not permit sealant  148  to exit through the aperture  134 . The sealing insert  130  acts as a plunger and distributes the sealant  148  throughout the entire sealant fill gap  150  between the base  138  and the floor  128  and down the pin channels  116  in the connector  100 . The sealant  148  emerges out of the bottom of the pin channels  116 . The sealant fill gap  150  is preferably approximately 1 millimeter to 0.5 millimeters thick between the floor  128  and the base  138  when the sealing insert  130  is fully inserted. The length of the support  144  and the difference in diameter between the diameter of the inner wall  126  and the base  138  will determine the thickness of the sealant fill gap  150  and can be adjusted as desired for any particular environment. The sealant  148  will also flow up the pin guides  132  until stopped by the apertures  134  and up the sides of the sealing insert  130  until stopped by the meeting of the flared lip  136  with the inner wall  126 . Preferably sealant fill gap  150  is completely filled and the excess sealant  148  flows down and out the pin channels  116  in the connector  100  adjacent the terminal header  118 .  FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of the connector  100  of  FIG. 8  with the sealing insert  130  fully inserted at a different cross-sectional location from the cross-section shown in  FIG. 12 . One can see in  FIG. 13  that the sealant fill gap  150  is in communication with the pin channels  116  when the sealing insert  130  is fully inserted. The sealant, not shown for clarity, will be forced by the sealing insert  130  to fill the sealant fill gap  150  and flow out the pin channels  116  through the small gap between the pin  120  and the walls of its respective pin channel  116 . Preferably the amount of sealant  148  used is sufficient to drive excess sealant  148  out of the pin channels  116  and form a small bead around a pin  120  at the junction between the end of the pin channel  116  and the terminal header  118  at a terminal header gap  152 . These small beads help seal the connector  100  and also serve as vibrational dampening attenuators when the terminal header  118  is plugged into a printer circuit board for example. 
         [0040]      FIG. 14  shows a cross-sectional view of another electrical connector according to the present invention. The electrical connector is shown generally at  300  and it includes a housing  312 , an inner wall  326 , pin channels  316  and a base  314 . In this embodiment the base  314  is integrated into an electronic controller shown generally at  370  and which includes an electronics cavity  380 . The connector  300  further includes a plurality of pins  320  and includes a sealing insert  330  just like the one shown in  FIGS. 9-10 . The sealing insert  330  includes a support, not shown, pin guides  332  and a flared lip  336  as described herein. The insertion of the sealing insert  330  into the housing  312  forms the sealant fill gap  350  as discussed above. As shown in  FIG. 14  the terminal header  318  is received in a printed circuit board  304  and both are located in the electronics cavity  380 . Also shown is a terminal header gap  352  which as described herein preferably accommodates a sealant bead when the sealing insert  330  is fully received in the connector  300  and sealant is pushed out the pin channels  316 . Once the sealant has fully filled the sealant gap  350 , flowed up the pin guides  332  and down the pin channels  316  the electronics cavity  380  is completely sealed from the outside environment. Not shown is that similar to  FIG. 7  the electronic controller  370  will be mounted to a housing and thus seal the other end of the electronics cavity  380 .  FIG. 15  shows a perspective view of a fully assembled electrical connector generally at  400  that represents an electrical connector as shown in  FIGS. 1, 4-8, and 11-13 . 
         [0041]    In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 8-14  the sealing insert has a retention feature comprising a support that includes a plurality of pillars, slots and snap fit protrusions. In the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 8-14  the electrical connection has a retention feature comprising a plurality of supports posts that are received in the slots of the support on the sealing insert and snap fit lips that the snap fir protrusions fit under and together these retention features lock the sealing insert in the housing of the electrical connector. The flared lip and apertures in the pin guides serve as a secondary retention feature on the sealing insert by their friction fit seal against the inner wall of the electrical connector and the pins, respectively. They also serve as a secondary seal in the sealing insert. Finally, the sealant itself serves as an adhesive to hold the sealing insert in place in the electrical connector. 
         [0042]    As discussed herein the sealing insert according to the present invention is preferably formed from a resilient material that is capable of being deformed and then returning to its original shape. Preferably the sealing insert is formed from a plastic material or an elastomeric material. The composition of the plastic or elastomer is selected based on the environment the sealing insert is expected to encounter in use. Thus, it may be designed to resist water, salt spray, corrosive liquids, engine oils, engine fluids, transmission fluids, dust, dirt, extremes of temperature, and cycling between temperature extremes. One of skill in the art will be able to select a plastic composition or elastomeric composition capable of resisting these environments. The sealing insert can be formed from raw sheet stock or block stock. The sealing insert is preferably formed by injection molding; however other manufacturing processes can be utilized including molding, use of sheet molding compounds, extrusion, hot forming and cold forming, vacuum forming, stamping and machining. Preferably the sealing insert is designed to allow for a sealant sealing layer of approximately 1 millimeter to 0.5 millimeters between the sealing insert and the floor of the electrical connector; however this distance can be varied by the requirements of the environment and the characteristics of the sealant used. An optimum thickness is usually defined by the cure characteristics and performance requirements. As discussed herein the choice of sealant is determined by the expected environment and one of skill in the art will be able to select an appropriate sealant. The sealing insert can be adapted to fit inside any electrical connector housing provided it contains the appropriate retention feature to mate with the retention feature located on the sealing insert as shown herein. In other embodiments the sealing insert could include more than one retention feature as described provided the electrical connector includes a similar number of mating retention features as described. The number of pin guides in the sealing insert can also be modified to accommodate the number of pins in the electrical connector. The pins have been shown as arranged in two rows of three pins; however this is for illustrative purposes only and the number and arrangement of pins in the electrical connector can be varied with a corresponding variation in the number and location of pin guides in the sealing insert. 
         [0043]    In the method of use of the present invention in a first step a suitable sealant is applied inside the housing of the electrical connector generally at a plurality of locations on the floor and around the pins. Next the sealing insert is inserted into the housing and pressed down until the retention features on the sealing insert engage with mating retention features in the housing of the electrical connector as described. The sealant is forced by the sealant insert to fill the sealant fill gap and to flow out of a bottom the pin channels opposite the apertures found in the pin guides of the sealing insert. The sealant is allowed to cure for the required time and the electrical connector is then sealed from the environment. In experiments of leak testing electrical connectors and sealing insets according to the embodiments shown in the Figures were tested as follows. A sealant, Loctite® 5810, was applied inside the electrical connector housing as described and then the sealing inserts were fully inserted and the retention features were engaged to lock the sealing inserts in place and to distribute the sealant into the sealant fill gap. The assembled electrical connectors with sealant and sealing inserts were allowed to cure for 24 hours. Then they were leak tested by subjecting them to a pressure of 6.2 bar of internal pressure in the sealed electronics cavity in a tank of water. There were no bubbles observed in the water tank which indicates there was no leakage of air from inside the sealed electronics cavity sealed as described in the present invention. In other testing the connectors sealed as described herein were subjected to both thermal cycling and application of vibration while the sealed area was exposed to the fluid of the environment they were expected to be exposed to. The fluid included an fluorescent dye and after the selected testing duration the interior of the sealed area was opened and examined for traces of the fluorescent dye. No dye was found inside the previously sealed cavity indicating that no leakage had occurred. 
         [0044]    The sealants that can be used in the present invention are many and the preferred sealant depends on the likely environment that the electrical connector will be exposed to. Suitable sealants can include: epoxy type sealants, either two part fast cure epoxies which tend to have poorer chemical resistance or one part high performance fast cure epoxies that require a high temperature cure; UV curable silicone based sealants; polyacrylic sealants; polyurethane sealants; and others known in the art. The sealant must be chosen based on its ability to seal the pins of the electrical connector against entry by substances such as water, moisture, salt spray, engine oils and transmission fluids to name a few. The sealant must maintain its adhesion to the electrical connector housing and the sealing insert of the present invention. In the specific environment of a transmission of a vehicle the sealant preferably is not a silicone based sealant since such sealants are not able to withstand the effects of transmission fluids. Preferably, the sealant will be able to cure in a rapid enough time frame to allow for in line production of the sealed electrical connector. One drawback of epoxy based sealants is their tendency to require long cure times. In the environment of a transmission of vehicle a preferred sealant is a polyacrylic type sealant such as Loctite®  5810 . In other environments other sealants will find use as known to those of skill in the art. 
         [0045]    The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with the relevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and do come within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of legal protection afforded this invention can only be determined by studying the following claims.