Patent Publication Number: US-6210186-B1

Title: Captured connector assurance component for an electrical connector

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to a captured connector position assurance component thereof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5 a prior art female electrical connector is depicted, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,957, issued on Jul. 7, 1998 to Fink et al, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference. This patent describes a female connector  15  and a male connector  20  which are mutually mated via sliding movement of a slide assist cover  12 . 
     The general structural details are set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,957 and need not be recounted in detail herein. However, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an overall description of the electrical connectors will be derived therefrom (see generally Column 3, line 41 through Column 4, line 16). 
     To mutually mate female and male connectors  15  and  20 , a U-shaped slide  14  is first snapped into position into the slide assist cover  12 . A connector position assurance (CPA) component  10  is also snapped in place in a CPA holder  60  molded on the exterior of the slide assist cover  12 . With the slide  14 , CPA component  10  and the slide assist cover  12  so assembled, the slide is inserted into slots  62  and  64  in an outer housing  28  from the end  66  thereof, and then slid in place until the front surface  68  of the slide assist cover  12  bumps against the front of a CPA lock feature  70 , located on a cantilever arm  72  on the top of a wire shroud  18 . In this position, the male connector  20  is ready to be mated to the female connector  15 , wherein four slot inlets of the slide  14  are aligned with four slots of the outer housing. The slide assist cover  12  is now at its prestaged position relative to the outer housing  28  and the wire shroud  18 . 
     The male connector  20  is then aligned so that the tabs  4 ,  6 ,  8  and  11  enter the slots, beginning engagement of the male terminals  22  to the female terminals  40 . Force is then applied on the assist cover  12  to move the slide more into the outer housing  28 . Deflection of the cantilever arm  72  is necessary to allow the front surface  68  past the CPA lock feature  70 . Through the resulting motion, four inner slot ramps of, respectively, the slot inlets of the slide  14  act on the tabs  4 ,  6 ,  8 , and  11 , forcing the male connector into full engagement with the female connector. The slide assist cover  12  is now at its staged position relative to the outer housing  28  and the wire shroud  18 . 
     During this process, the CPA lock feature  70  is forced underneath the side  82  of the slide assist cover  12  through cantilevering action of cantilever arm  72 . The male/female connectors  20  and  15  are not fully engaged until the CPA lock feature  70  pops into an opening  84  in the slide assist cover  12 , wherein a locking port  75  thereof is aligned with the slide axis of the CPA component  10 . Once in this position the CPA component  10  can be slid forward from its engagement position in the CPA holder  60  to a snap-lock position in the locking port  75  of the CPA lock feature  70 , whereat the CPA component is also lodged in a docking port  85  (see FIG. 3) of a CPA docking feature  86  of the side  82  of the slide assist cover  12 . 
     If the CPA component  10  cannot be slid forward and snap into the snap-lock position in the CPA lock feature  70 , then the male and female connectors  20 ,  15  are not completely mutually engaged. Once the CPA component  10  is slid and locked into position in the CPA lock feature, the male and female terminals are in contact and the male and female connectors are locked in place. The male and female connectors will remain locked in place and cannot be disengaged from each other until the CPA component  10  is slid out from the CPA lock feature  70 . 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 depict the functioning of the CPA component  10  to assure connector assurance when it is slid from its prestaged position, shown at FIG. 3, to its staged position, shown at FIG.  4 . 
     As shown at FIG. 3, the CPA component  10  has a pair of opposed CPA bosses  24  which are received into respective CPA indents  30  of the CPA holder  60 . The slide assist cover  12  is shown fully slid into final position as shown at FIG. 2, wherein the CPA lock feature  70  is received up into the opening  84 . The CPA component  10  is at its prestaged position. 
     Now, as shown at FIG. 4, the CPA component  10  has been slid through the locking port  75  of the CPA lock feature  70  and partly into the docking port  85  of the CPA docking feature  86 . The CPA component  10  is locked in the staged position via the CPA bosses  24  interferingly abutting respective CPA bossments  26  of the CPA lock feature  70 . 
     While the function of the connector  15  is very admirable, it suffers from the possibility of the CPA component  10  becoming separated from the slide assist cover  12  when the CPA component  10  is prestaged at the CPA holder  60  and the slide assist cover is at its prestaged position, as shown at FIG.  1 . This untoward situation is depicted at FIG. 5, wherein the CPA component  10  has been dislodged from the CPA holder  60 . Because only the opening  84  is adjacent the CPA holder  60  (the CPA lock feature  70  being absent from the opening), the CPA component  10  can fall free of the female connector  15 . 
     Accordingly, what is needed is to prevent the CPA component from being separated from the female component. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a female electrical connector having a CPA component which is permanently captured thereto. 
     A female electrical connector is substantially as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,957, wherein the improvement thereto is a prestage CPA lock mechanism composed of a lock seat formed in a CPA component interfaced with a torsional lock of the female electrical connector. The torsional lock is composed of a prestage lock finger, a prestage lock release finger and a torsion pivot connected with a slide assist cover of the female electrical connector and joined with both the prestage lock finger and the prestage lock release finger. 
     In operation, when the CPA component is prestaged in a CPA holder of the slide assist cover, a lock boss of the prestage lock finger is seated interferingly into the lock seat of the CPA component, thereby preventing it from sliding out of the CPA holder. As the slide assist member is slid relative to an outer housing of the female electrical connector, an abutment surface thereof strikes the prestage lock release finger, causing the torsional lock member to rotate via torsioning at the torsion pivot. Upon the slide assist cover reaching its staged position, the lock boss is moved out of interference with the lock seat. Now the CPA component can be slide through a CPA lock feature in the manner known in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,957. 
     Accordingly, it is an object to permanently capture a CPA component onto an electrical connector. 
     This, and additional objects, advantages, features and benefits of the present invention will become apparent from the following specification. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of prior art female and male electrical connectors prior to mating. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the prior art female and male electrical connectors mated to each other. 
     FIGS. 3 through 5 depict various views of the CPA component of the female electrical connector of FIGS. 1 and 2. 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a female electrical connector according to the present invention, wherein the slide assist cover and CPA component thereof are both prestaged. 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of the female electrical connector of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 8 is a bottom plan view of the female electrical connector of FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 9 is a partly sectional, partly broken away, top plan view of the female electrical connector according to the present invention, wherein the slide assist cover is staged and the CPA component is prestaged. 
     FIG. 10 is a partly sectional, partly broken away, top plan view of the female electrical connector according to the present invention, wherein both the slide assist cover and the CPA component are staged. 
     FIGS. 11A through 11E are partly sectional side views of the female electrical connector according to the present invention, depicting operation of the CPA component in conjunction with a prestage CPA lock mechanism. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the Drawings, FIGS. 6 through 11E depict various views of the female electrical connector  100  according to the present invention, which as excepted by the disclosure hereinbelow, is structurally and operatively described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,775,957, in view of the above incorporation by reference herein of which, a detailed disclosure is obviated. The various improvements thereto may be discerned from a reading of the following specification and an inspection of FIGS. 6 through 11E. 
     The female electrical connector  100  includes an outer housing  102  which receives a plurality of terminals  104 ,  104 ′ and a slide assist cover  106  having a slide  108  which, when slid relative to the outer housing, causes a male electrical terminal (not shown) to be seated with respect to the female electrical terminal. The female electrical connector  100  further includes a wire shroud  110  affixed to the outer housing  102 . The slide assist cover  106  includes a CPA holder  112 , a docking feature  116  having a docking port  118  and an opening  120  formed between the CPA holder and the CPA docking feature. The wire shroud  110  has a cantilever arm  122  at the end of which is located a CPA lock feature  124  having a locking port  126 . A CPA lock nib  128  is located on the cantilever arm  122  adjacent the CPA lock feature  124 . A CPA component  130  is prestaged at the CPA holder  112 , wherein FIGS. 6 through 8 depict both the slide assist cover  106  and the CPA component prestaged. 
     In order that the CPA component  130  remains prestaged in the CPA holder  112  until the slide assist cover  106  is staged, a prestage CPA lock mechanism  142  is provided. The prestage CPA lock mechanism  142  includes a lock seat  144  formed in the CPA component  130  which is interfaceable in an interfering manner with a torsional lock  146  of the slide assist cover  106 . The torsional lock  146  is composed of a prestage lock finger  148 , a prestage lock release finger  150  and a torsion pivot  152  integrally connected with a slide assist cover  106  and integrally connected with both the prestage lock finger and the prestage lock release finger. The torsion lock  146  is interferingly interfaced with the CPA component  130  via a lock boss  154  of the prestage lock finger  148  being received into the lock seat  144 , wherein the prestage lock finger passes through a lock slot  156  formed in the slide assist cover  106  at the CPA  112  holder and communicating with the holder port  114 . 
     Operation of the CPA prestage lock mechanism  142  will be detailed. 
     The CPA component  130  is prestaged at the CPA holder  112  of the slide assist cover  106 , wherein a pair of opposed CPA bosses  156  of the CPA component are snappingly received into respective CPA indents  158  of the CPA holder, and wherein the lock boss  154  of the prestage lock finger  148  is seated interferingly into the lock seat  144  of the CPA component which thereby prevents the CPA component from sliding out of the CPA holder. The CPA component and the slide assist cover are now both prestaged, and the CPA component is captured on the slide assist cover (see FIGS.  7  and  11 A). 
     The installer pushes downwardly on the cantilever arm  122  at the CPA lock feature  124  so that the CPA lock feature is moved out from interference with the forward end  106   a  of the slide assist cover, and is now able to move under the slide assist cover as the slide assist cover is slid relative to the outer housing  102  (see FIG.  11 B). 
     As the slide assist cover slides, eventually an abutment surface  160  thereof strikes the prestage lock release finger  150 . At this point the torsion pivot is still in a relaxed state, wherein the lock boss received into the lock seat as described above (see FIGS.  11 C). 
     Now, as the slide assist cover is further slid relative to the outer housing, the abutment surface forces the prestage lock release finger to be moved therewith, resulting in the torsion lock  146  rotating and the torsion pivot being twisted torsionally in a reversible, resilient manner. A release slot  162  is provided in the slide assist cover so that the prestage lock release arm may pass thereinto as the slide assist cover reaches its staged position. The rotation of the torsion lock results in the lock boss moving out from the lock seat, and thereby allowing the CPA component to be slid. In this regard, an angular relationship between the prestage lock arm and the prestage lock release arm (for nonlimiting example about 110 degrees) is predetermined so that the abutment surface provides release of the CPA component as described. Further, with the slide assist cover at the staged position, the CPA lock feature pops up into the opening  120  and the lock nib  128  is level with the outer surface of the slide assist cover via its entry into an aperture  170  under the CPA docking feature which communicates with the docking port (see FIGS.  9  and  11 D). It will be noted from reference to FIG. 10 that it is preferred for the opening to have a pair of opposed recesses  164  into which respectively seat protuberances  166  of the CPA lock feature  124 . 
     With the slide assist cover at the staged position, the CPA component is now snapped out of the CPA holder and slid through the locking port  126  of the CPA lock feature and partly into the docking port  118  of the CPA docking feature  116 . In this regard, the CPA bosses snap interferingly past bossments  168  of the CPA lock feature. The CPA component is now staged (see FIG.  11 E). 
     If the CPA component cannot be slid forward and snapped into the CPA lock feature, then the male and female electrical connectors are not completely mutually engaged. Once the CPA component is slid and locked into position in the CPA lock feature, the male and female terminals are in contact and the male and female connectors are locked in place. The male and female connectors will then remain locked in place and cannot be disengaged from each other until the CPA component is snappingly slid out from the CPA lock feature. 
     To those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains, the above described preferred embodiments may be subject to change or modification. Such change or modification can be carried out without departing from the scope of the invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.