Patent Publication Number: US-9843126-B1

Title: Connector housing assemblies with access hood and push surface

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present specification generally relates to connector housing assemblies configured to maintain a TPA in a pre-stage condition during shipping and facilitate the engagement of a male housing with a female housing. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Connector housing assemblies include a male housing for housing male electric connectors and a female housing for housing female electric connectors. The female electric connectors are configured to receive the male connectors. 
     Currently, the connector housing assemblies are shipped to the assembly worker in two packages. One of the packages contains a plurality of male housings and the other package contains a plurality of female housings. The assembly worker installs the male and female electric connectors in respective male and female housings and then joins the male and female housing together to complete the connector housing. 
     The male and female housing includes a Terminal Positioning Assurance (TPA). The TPAs include a plurality of through holes and guiding ribs which position the male and female connectors so as to ensure a proper electric connection between the male and female electric connectors. 
     The TPAs are configured to be seated in corresponding slots of the male and female housing. In particular, the TPAs are configured to engage the respective male and female housing in a pre-stage condition and a locked condition. This allows the TPAs to be secured to respective male and female housings during shipment and facilitates the introduction of respective male and female electric connectors. Once the male and female electric connectors are introduced into the male and female housing respectively, the TPAs are pushed into the locked condition so as to position the male and female electric connectors in a condition for a proper electric connection when the female housing is inserted into the male housing. 
     A prior art connector housing assembly  200  is provided in  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  illustrates how the current female housing  202  has a generally planar top surface  202   a , accordingly, the TPA extends beyond the top surface of the female housing when in the pre-stage condition. As such, the TPA may inadvertently get pushed into the locked condition during shipment, which requires the installer to position the TPA into the pre-stage condition in order to insert the female electric connector. 
     Further, the installation of the female housing into the male housing requires overcoming a certain amount of resistance, as the male and female housing are configured to engage each other in a tight-fit engagement. As there are electric wires protruding from the ends, the installer must grip the top and bottom surface of the female housing. This may cause fatigue. 
     Accordingly, it remains desirable to have a connector housing assembly wherein the TPA configured to maintain the TPA in a pre-stage condition during shipment. It further remains desirable to have a connector housing assembly wherein the female housing includes a surface configured to facilitate the engagement of the female housing into the male housing. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, a connector housing assembly includes a male housing and a female housing. The male housing is configured to house a male electric connector. The male housing including a first slot for receiving a male TPA. The female housing houses a female electric connector. The female housing includes a second slot for receiving a female TPA. The male housing is configured to receive the female housing so as to connect the male electric connector with the female electric connector. 
     The female housing includes a female TPA support disposed adjacent the second slot. The female TPA support extends a predetermined distance above the female TPA so as to prevent the female TPA from being pushed into the second slot from a top down load. The male housing further includes a hood defining a female TPA passage configured to receive the female TPA support so as to allow the female housing to be seated within the male housing. The hood extends along an axis so as to allow the female TPA to slide into the male housing. 
     In one embodiment, the female housing includes a pair of female TPA supports. Each of the female TPA supports is disposed on opposite sides of the female housing and are adjacent the second slot. In such an embodiment, the female TPA supports may be disposed on either side of the second slot. Further in such an embodiment, the male housing includes a pair of hoods. Each of the pair of hoods is disposed on opposite sides of the male housing. Each of the pair of hoods extends along an axis so as to define a pair of female TPA passages spaced apart from each other and generally parallel to each other. 
     In one embodiment, the connector housing assemblies further includes a lip disposed on a proximal end of the female housing. The lip extends above a top surface of the female housing a sufficient length so as to accommodate the push of a finger or thumb. The lip may include a generally planar surface to accommodate the push of the finger or thumb. In one embodiment, the female housing further includes a lip support. The lip support is mounted to the top surface and the lip so as to support a front load applied to the lip and help maintain the lip in a generally orthogonal plane relative to the top surface of the female housing. 
     Accordingly, the connector housing assembly is configured to maintain the TPA in a pre-stage condition during shipment by having the female TPA support prevent the female TPA from being pushed into the locked condition as a result of a top down load on the female TPA. Further, the connector housing assembly includes a lip on the female housing so as to provide a surface configured to facilitate the engagement of the female housing into the male housing by providing a surface for a thumb or finger to press the female housing into the male housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The embodiments set forth in the drawings are illustrative and exemplary in nature and not intended to limit the subject matter defined by the claims. The following description of the illustrative embodiments can be understood when read in conjunction with the following drawings, where like structure is indicated with like reference numerals and in which: 
         FIG. 1  schematically depicts an embodiment of a prior art connector housing assembly; 
         FIG. 2  schematically depicts a connector housing assembly according to one or more embodiments described and illustrated herein; 
         FIG. 3  schematically depicts the female housing disengaged from the male housing; 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of the connector housing assembly shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is an isolated view of a TPA; 
         FIG. 6  is an isolated view of a female housing according to one or more embodiments of perspective view of the male terminal positioning assurance shown in  FIG. 5  taken from the front; and 
         FIG. 7  is a cross sectional view of  FIG. 2  taken along line  7 - 7 ; 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring generally to the figures, embodiments of the present disclosure include connector housing assemblies configured to maintain the TPA in a pre-stage condition during shipment and configured to facilitate the engagement of the female housing into the male housing by providing a surface for a thumb or finger to press the female housing into the male housing. 
     The connector housing assemblies include a male housing and a female housing. The male housing is configured to house a male electric connector. The male housing including a first slot for receiving a male TPA. The female housing houses a female electric connector. The female housing includes a second slot for receiving a female TPA. The male housing is configured to receive the female housing so as to connect the male electric connector with the female electric connector. 
     The female housing includes a female TPA support disposed adjacent the second slot. The female TPA support extends a predetermined distance above the female TPA so as to prevent the female TPA from being pushed into the second slot from a top down load. The male housing further includes a hood defining a female TPA passage configured to receive the female TPA support so as to allow the female housing to be seated within the male housing. The hood extends along an axis so as to allow the female TPA to slide into the male housing. 
     The connector housing assemblies may further a lip disposed on a proximal end of the female housing. The lip extends above a top surface of the female housing a sufficient length so as to accommodate the push of a finger or thumb. The lip may include a generally planar surface to accommodate the push of the finger or thumb. In one embodiment, the female housing further includes a lip support. The lip support is mounted to the top surface and the lip so as to support a front load applied to the lip and help maintain the lip in a generally orthogonal plane relative to the top surface of the female housing. 
     Accordingly, the connector housing assembly is configured to keep the female TPA in a pre-stage condition so as to facilitate the installation of female electric connectors. Further the lip provides a surface for pushing the female housing into the male housing so as to eliminate the need to grip and push the female housing into the male housing. 
     As used herein the terms proximal and distal are made in reference to the orientation of the related part when the connector housing assembly is assembled, wherein distal refers to the portion of the part facing the other during assembly and proximal refers to the portion of the part facing away from the part to be assembled with. The terms top and down refer to the orientation of the part as shown in the figures. 
     With reference now to  FIGS. 2 and 3  an embodiment of the connector housing assembly  10  is provided. The connector housing assembly  10  includes a male housing  12  and a female housing  14 .  FIG. 2  shows the female housing  14  seated within the male housing  12 . The male housing  12  and the female housing  14  may be formed of a material suitable for injection molding, such as polypropylene. The male housing  12  is configured to house a male electric connector (not shown). The female housing  12  is configured to house a female electric connector (not shown). The female electric connector includes a female blade (not shown) configured to receive a male blade (not shown) of the male electric connector so as to complete an electric connection. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that the male blades must be aligned to respective female blades when the male and female housing  12 ,  14  are coupled together. The ends of the male and female electric connectors include wires (not shown) which would extend from the back ends of the respective. 
     With reference also to  FIG. 7 , the male housing  12  has a first body  16  having a plurality of first through-bores  18 . The first body  16  is shown as being generally cuboid, but the first body  16  may take other shapes based upon packaging constraints. The first through-bores  18  are configured to receive a male electric connector. The male housing  12  further includes a first slot  20  for receiving a male TPA  22 . The first slot  20  extends across the width of the first body  16 . 
       FIG. 5  provides an illustrative embodiment of a male or female TPA  22 ,  40  for use herein.  FIG. 7  shows the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  seated fully within respective first and second slots  20 ,  38  so as to be placed in the locked condition. The male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  includes a plurality of apertures for receiving a respective male blade of the male electric connector. The apertures are defined by walls which help place the male blades in proper position for engagement with the female electric connector as the case may be. 
     With reference again to  FIGS. 2-4 , the male housing  12  includes a proximal wall  24  bounding a first open space  26  configured to receive the female housing  14 . A first engagement feature  28  may be formed on an inner surface of the proximal wall  24  so as to engage the female housing  14  in a locked engagement. The male housing  12  may include an attachment feature  30  for securing the connector housing assembly  10  to a part (not shown). A male blade stabilizer  32  may be used for insertion within the first open space  26 . The male blade stabilizer  32  includes a plurality of apertures and guides for guiding individual male blades of the male connector so as to help position the male blades within a respective female blade of a female electric connector. 
     The female housing  14  includes a second body  34  having a plurality of second through-bores  36 . The second through-bores  36  are configured to receive a respective female electric connector. The second body  34  is generally cuboid and portion of the second body  34  is configured to slide into the first open space  26  and be seated therein. The female housing  14  includes a second slot  38  for receiving a female TPA  40 . The second slot  38  extends across the width of the second body  34 . 
     The female housing includes a female TPA support  42  disposed adjacent the second slot  38 . The female TPA support  42  is configured to extend a predetermined distance above the female TPA  40  so as to prevent the female TPA  40  from being pushed into the second slot  38  from a top down load. As used herein a top-down load refers to a load placed onto the top surface  40   a  of the female TPA  40 . Accordingly, a top-down load may occur from an object falling onto the top surface  40   a  of the female TPA  40 , or from the top surface  40   a  of the female TPA  40  hitting an object as the result of a fall. 
     The male housing  12  includes a hood  44  defining a female TPA passage  46  configured to receive the female TPA support  42  so as to allow the female housing  14  to be seated within the male housing  12 .  FIG. 7  shows the female TPA support  42  disposed within hood  44  and within the female TPA passage  46 . 
     In one embodiment, the female housing  14  includes a pair of female TPA supports  42   a . Each of the pair of female TPA supports  42   a  are disposed on opposite sides of the female housing  14  and extend from a proximal edge of the second slot  38  to the proximal end of the second body  34 . The female TPA supports  42   a  may be shaped similar to each other as shown in, or may be shaped differently from each other. The top surface  42   a - 1  of each female TPA support  42   a  are spaced above the second body  34  so as to be higher than the female TPA  40  when the female TPA  40  is in the pre-stage condition. 
     The male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  are generally shown as being symmetrical to each other. Each of the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  are configured to seat within respective first and second slots  20 ,  38  in a pre-stage and locked condition.  FIG. 3  shows the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  in the pre-stage condition, wherein the apertures of the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  are generally aligned with the first and second through-bores  18 ,  36  of the male and female housings  12 ,  14  respectively. Accordingly, the male and female electric connectors may be inserted fully into the first and second through-bores  18 ,  36  as the case may be. 
       FIGS. 2 and 7  show the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  in the locked position, wherein each of the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  are pressed further down into respective first and second slots  20 ,  38 , relative to what is shown in  FIG. 3 .  FIG. 7  shows the blade engagement features  22   a ,  40   a  of the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  partially obstructing the first and second through-bores  18 ,  36 . The blade engagement features  22   a ,  40   a  presses downwardly on respective male and female electric connectors so as to facilitate an electric connection. 
     Each of the male and female housing  12 ,  14  are configured to engage respective male TPA  22 , and female TPA  40  in the pre-stage and locked condition. In one embodiment, each of the male and female housings  12 ,  14  include a first catch  48  and a second catch  50 . The first and second catches  48 ,  50  are shown disposed on a sidewall  16   a ,  34   b  of respective first and second bodies  16 ,  34 . It should be appreciated that the opposite sidewall of the first and second bodies  16 ,  34  may also include a first and second catch  48 ,  50  which are generally the same shape as the first and second catches  48 ,  50  shown in  FIG. 4 . The first catch and the second catch  48 ,  50  may be disposed adjacent the first and second slot  20 ,  38  as the case may be. The second catch  50  is disposed beneath the first catch  48  so as to form a detent. 
     A top surface of the first catch  48  is angled so as to facilitate the introduction of the male or female TPA  22 ,  40  (as the case may be) in the detent. The bottom surface of the first catch  48  is generally planar and orthogonal to the respective sidewall  16   a ,  34   b . The top surface of the second catch is generally planar and orthogonal to the respective sidewall  16   a ,  34   b , and a bottom surface of the first and second catch  48 ,  50  is generally angled so as to facilitate the slide of the male and female TPA  22 ,  40  (as the case may be) over the second catch  50 . 
     With reference again to  FIG. 5 , an exemplary depiction of a male and female TPA  22 ,  40  is shown. The male and female TPAs  22 ,  38  may be identical to each other and thus an explanation of the operation of the male and female TPAs,  22 ,  38  will be explained by illustration of the female TPA  38 . The female TPA  38  includes a catch feature  56  configured to engage the first catch  48  or the second catch  50  so as to position the female TPA in a pre-stage condition or a locked condition. The female TPA  38  includes a wall  38   a  which bounds the body. In one embodiment, the catch feature  56  is a tab disposed on a bottom portion of a wall  38   a  defining a side of the female TPA  38 . It should be appreciated that the female TPA  38  may include a pair of catch features  56  each on opposite sides of the wall  38   a.    
     In one embodiment, the male housing  12  includes a pair of hoods  44 . Each hood is disposed on opposite sides of the male housing  12 . Each hood extends along an axis so as to define a pair of female TPA passages  46  spaced apart from each other and generally parallel to each other. The female TPA passages  46  are configured to allow the female TPA supports  42  to slide into the male housing  12  so as to provide an electrical connection vis-à-vis the mating of the male housing  12  to the female housing  14 . 
     The female housing  14  may be configured to include a plurality of female TPA supports  42 . The shape and design of the female TPAs  42  are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intend to limit the scope of the appended claims. The female TPA support  42  is configured to extend beyond a top surface of the female TPA  38  when the female TPA  38  is in a pre-stage condition. Accordingly, the female TPA support  42  helps ensure that all of the female housings  12  are presented to the installer with the female TPA  38  in the pre-stage condition so as to facilitate the assembly of the connector housing assembly  10 . 
     In one embodiment, the female housing  14  includes a pair of proximal female TPA supports  42   a  and a pair of distal female TPA supports  42   b . The pair of proximal female TPA supports  42   a  are disposed on a proximal side of the second slot  38  and on opposite sides of the second body  34 . The pair of distal female TPA supports  42   b  are disposed on a distal side of the second slot  38  and opposite a respective proximal female TPA support  42   a . In such an embodiment, all four corners of the female TPA  40  are shield from a top down load when the female TPA  40  is in the pre-stage condition. In particular, the top surface  42   a - 1 ,  42   b - 1  of respective proximal female TPA supports  42   a  and distal female TPA supports  42   b  extend beyond the top surface of the female TPA  40  when the female TPA  40  is in the pre-stage condition. 
     The connector housing assembly  10  may further include a lip  52  disposed on a proximal end of the female housing  14 . The lip  52  is a generally planar member that extends above a top surface  14   a  of the female housing  14 . The lip  52  may be formed taller than the female TPA support  42 . The lip  52  is generally orthogonal to the top surface  14   a  of the female housing  14 . 
     With reference now to  FIG. 6 , the connector housing assembly  10  may further including a lip support  54 . the lip support  54  may be mounted to the top surface  14   a  of the female housing and behind the front face of the lip  52  so as to support a front load applied to the lip  52 . This may be a very useful feature when pushing the female housing  14  into the male housing  12  after the male and female electric connectors are inserted and the male and female TPAs  22 ,  40  are pushed into the locked condition. In such a condition, wires will protrude from the ends of the male and female housing  12 ,  14  and it is not desirable to push the female housing  14  by the wires as such an action may damage the wires. Accordingly, the lip  52  provides a surface for pushing the female housing  14  into the male housing  12 . 
     In one embodiment, the connector housing assembly  10  includes a pair of lip supports  54 . Each of the pair of lip supports  54  are spaced apart from each other. Each of the pair of lip supports  54  is mounted to the top surface  14   a  of the female housing  14  forward of the second slot  38  and behind the lip  52  so as to support a front load applied to the lip  52 . 
     In operation, a plurality of male housings  12  and a female housing  12  may be shipped in separate packages to a manufacturing site. The male housings  12  and female housings  12  are shipped with respective male and female TPAs  22 ,  40 . The male and female TPAs are disposed in respective first and second slots  20 ,  38  and in the pre-stage condition. The female TPA support  42  helps prevent the female TPA from being engaged in the locked condition from a top down load during shipment and handling. Accordingly, the female TPA is in position to allow the installer to insert the female electric connectors into the female housing. 
     The installer removes a male and female housing  12 ,  14  from the respective package and inserts a corresponding male and female electric connector in the respective housing. The male and female TPAs are then pushed into the locked condition, wherein the blade engagement features  28  press down and position respective male and female electric connectors into a position to engage each other. 
     The female housing  14  is then inserted into the male housing  12 . As there are wires protruding from the back end of the female housing  14 , the installer may simply grip the male housing  12  and push the female housing  14  in the male housing  12  by applying a frontal load with a finger or thumb onto the lip  52 . The lip  52  may be maintained in a generally upright manner by the lip supports  54 . 
     Accordingly, the connector housing assembly is configured to keep the female TPA in a pre-stage condition so as to facilitate the installation of female electric connectors. Further the lip provides a surface for pushing the female housing into the male housing so as to eliminate the need to grip and push the female housing into the male housing. 
     While particular embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed subject matter. Moreover, although various aspects of the claimed subject matter have been described herein, such aspects need not be utilized in combination. It is therefore intended that the appended claims cover all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of the claimed subject matter.