Patent Publication Number: US-7914319-B2

Title: Interconnector system engagement sensor

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/958,205 which was filed Jul. 3, 2007. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This disclosure generally relates to an electrical connector assembly. More particularly, this invention relates to an electrical connector assembly including features to positively verify proper electrical connection. 
     An electrical connection assembly typically includes a housing supporting several connecting terminals of a connecting cable. The terminals engage mating terminals of another connector or printed circuit board. The housing may include a locking feature that snaps in place. In such cases, an installer relies on the sound and feel of the housing locking into place. Disadvantageously, surrounding noises may not allow the audible sound of the housing locking in place to be heard. Further, an installer feeling that the connection is properly seated is not reliable. 
     Accordingly, it is desirable to design and develop a method and connector assembly that provides a positive verifiable indication of a proper electrical connection. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A disclosed electrical connector assembly includes a conductive link that completes a sensor circuit when a desired electrical connection is completed. 
     The example electrical connector assembly includes a housing supporting a plurality of terminals for a primary circuit and at least two terminals for a sensor circuit. A mating header includes terminals corresponding to the primary circuit and to the sensor circuit. A conductive link is disposed in either the housing or the header to short the sensor terminals disposed therein. Once the mating components of the connector are attached, the sensor circuit is completed through the conductive link and an indication of a proper connection can be verified. 
     A disclosed example housing includes shorted sensor terminals that complete a sensor circuit on a circuit board supporting the header. The header includes mating terminals electrically connected to traces on the circuit board. The traces form an open circuit until the housing is assembled to the header. The shorted terminals within the header complete the circuit to provide the desired indication of a proper electrical connection. 
     Alternatively, an electrical component from which the housing originates includes the sensor circuit. The sensor terminals in the housing are not shorted. The header is supported on a circuit board that includes a circuit trace that shorts the two corresponding terminals to each other. Engaging the terminals in the housing with the shorted terminals in the circuit board completes the circuit and provides the desired verification of a proper engagement and seating of the electrical connector. 
     Accordingly, the example electrical connector provides a positive verification of a desired electrical connection. 
     These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic view of an example electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of an example electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the example electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 4  is a side view of another example electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 5  is a top view of the example electrical connector assembly of  FIG. 4 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side view of an interface between terminals of the example electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of another electrical connector assembly. 
         FIG. 8  is another perspective view of the example electrical connector assembly with a portion of the housing. 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an example header including a conductive plastic portion. 
         FIG. 10  is perspective view of another example electrical connector assembly including a header and housing with conductive plastic portions. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of another example electrical connector assembly including a housing with a conductive plastic portion. 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of another example electrical connector assembly including a housing and header with conductive plastic portions. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , an example electrical connector assembly  10  provides an electrical connection between a first electrical component  12  and a second electrical component  16  and includes features to verify continuity. The connector assembly  10  includes a housing  20  that engages a header  22 . A plurality of wires  28  disposed in a cable are terminated in the housing  20  and provide the electrical conduit between the first and second components  12 ,  14 . The electrical connection is verifiable through indicators  14 ,  16 . The example indicator  14 ,  16  is a light that is actuatable to verify the integrity of the electrical connection. Other indicator devices and signals could be utilized to provide the desired verification of the electrical connection. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the example connector assembly  10  includes a plurality of primary circuit pins  24  supported within the housing  20  that terminate ends of the wires  28 . Sensor pins  32  are supported within the housing  20  and are shorted to each other through a conductive link  36 . The sensor pins  32  do not include a connection to wires back through the cable. 
     The example conductive link  36  is a metal trace supported within the housing  20 . The housing  20  engages a header  22  that supports a plurality of sockets  26  that receive corresponding ones of the circuit pins  24 . The example header  22  is supported on a circuit board  30  that includes a plurality of primary circuit traces  38  that are electrically connected to the sockets  34 . The header  22  further supports sensor sockets  34  that receive the corresponding one of the sensor pins  32 . 
     The circuit board  30  includes traces  40  of a sensor circuit  52  that provide for the actuation of the indicator  18  upon engagement with the sensor pins  32 . The sensor circuit  52  is in an open condition until the housing  22  is connected to the header  22 . When the housing  22  is connected to the header  22 , the shorted sensor pins  32  complete the sensor circuit  52  by providing the electrical connection between traces  40 . The example sensor circuit  52  is disposed within the second component  14  and provides an indication that the housing  20  is properly seated on the header  22 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , another connector assembly  46  includes the sensor circuit  54  disposed in the first component  12 . The example housing  20  supports the sensor pins  32  that are connected to wires  42 . The wires  42  extend through the cable back to the first component  12 . The sensor pins  32  are received within the corresponding sensor sockets  34  supported by the header  22 . The sensor pins  32  in the example connector assembly  46  are not shorted to each other. Instead, a sensor circuit  54  disposed within the first component  12  is completed to actuate the indicator  16  once the housing  20  is mated to the header  22 . 
     The header  22  is disposed on the circuit board  30  and includes the primary circuit traces  38 . A sensor trace  44  is disposed to short the two sensor sockets  34 . Therefore, once the sensor pins  32  are received within the sensor sockets  34 , the sensor circuit  54  is complete and the indicator  16  is actuated. Although the disclosed example includes pins  24  disposed within the housing  20  and sockets within the header  22 , the housing  20  could be configured to house sockets that would correspond to pins supported within the housing. Further, other electrical connection terminals as are known in the art could also be utilized to provide the desired electrical connections and continuity. 
     The example indicators  16 ,  18  are lights that are lit to indicate a proper connection. However, other indicators may be utilized, such as the lack of an error code, or provide communication to contacts located to provide for meter testing. Further, the sensor circuit may provide a signal that is utilized by a controller or other device utilized for diagnosing faults. Alternatively, a meter device may be utilized to verify the interconnection of the connector assembly by engaging the housing terminals. Further, it is within the contemplation of this invention that the indicator be any method or device that provides a positive verification that the connector assembly is properly seated. 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the example sockets  26  for the primary circuit include a length  48  and the sensor sockets  34  include a length  50  smaller than the length  48 . This provides for engagement of the primary circuit pins  24  before engagement between the sensor pins  32  and sockets  34 . The different lengths  48 ,  50  provides for engagement of the sensor pins  32  to the sockets  34  to accommodate tolerance stack up conditions. Therefore, when the sensor pins  32  are seated within the sensor sockets  34 , a desired electrical connections can be substantially assured between the pins  24  and sockets  26  of the primary circuit. 
     The sensor pins  32  are disposed on each end of the connection assembly  10  to prevent a rocked connection from providing a false indication of a good connection. However, the sensor pins  32  can be disposed in any location relative to the primary circuit pins  24  as is desired to provide and assure continuity. Additionally, although two sensor pins  32  and corresponding sensor sockets  34  are disclosed, more sensor pins could be included to provide a further indication and verification of continuity. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  9 , another example connector assembly  62  includes a header  64  mounted to the circuit board  30  that includes an electrically conductive plastic link  66 . The electrically conductive plastic link  66  is utilized instead of a current trace on the circuit board  30  to provide the desired short between the sensor pins  32 . The example header  64  includes a plastic portion  68  that engages the conductive plastic link  66 . Sensor sockets  34  are in electrical contact with the conductive plastic link  66  such that continuity between sensor sockets  34  is provided. Therefore, once the sensor pins  32  are received within the sensor sockets  34 , the pins  32  are shorted through the conductive plastic link  66  to complete the sensor circuit  54  ( FIG. 5 ) disposed within the component  12  associated with the housing  20 . 
     The example housing  20  and header  64  include a mechanical locking feature for preventing undesired disengagement. The example locking feature includes a tab  70  disposed on the header  64  and a clip  72  on the housing. The clip  72  snaps over the ramped tab  70  and seats below a flat portion. Removal of the housing  20  requires the clip  72  to be spread outward over the tab  70 . The locking feature is provide to lock at a point after the primary pins  24  are engaged with the sockets  26 , but before or concurrently with connection between the sensor pins  32  and the sensor sockets  34 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 10 , an example connector assembly  74  includes a housing  76  supporting the primary circuit pins  24 . No sensor pins are provided. Instead, the housing  76  includes a conductive plastic portion  78 . A header  80  includes corresponding conductive plastic portions  82  that are electrically connected to the sensor traces  40 . Assembly of the housing  76  to the header  80  engages the conductive plastic portions  78  of the housing  78  with the conductive plastic portions  82  of the header  80 . The resulting continuity between the conductive plastic portions  82  completes the circuit as desired. 
     Referring to  FIG. 11 , another connector assembly  84  includes a housing  88  with a conductive link  86  comprising a conductive plastic material. The conductive link  86  provides the desired short between the sensor pins  32 . The sensor pins  32  disposed within the housing  80  therefore are shorted and complete the connection between the sensor traces  40  on the circuit board  30 , once engaged to the sensor sockets  34  ( FIG. 4 ) disposed within the header  22 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 12 , another connector assembly  90  includes a housing  96  with a conductive link  94  that contacts a conductive portion  92  of the header  98 . The connector assembly  90  provides completion of a sensor circuit disposed within a component from which the wires  24  originate. The conductive portion  92  comprises an electrically conductive plastic material. The conductive link  94  on the housing  96  can be of any electrically conductive material. The example conductive link  94  comprises a clip fabricated from an electrically conductive plastic material. The conductive link  94  is disposed within the housing  96  and is in separate electrical contact with each of the sensor pins  32 . The conductive link  94  does not short the sensor pins  32 . Engagement of the housing  96  with the header  98  facilitates engagement between the conductive link  94  and the conductive portion  92  to short the sensor pins  32  to each other and complete the circuit. As appreciated, the conductive link  92  could also be fabricated from an electrically conductive metal such as copper. 
     The example disclosed connector assembly provides a positive verification of electrical continuity separate primary circuit connections and also provides a means to verify connector status once the connection is made. 
     Although a preferred embodiment of this invention has been disclosed, a worker of ordinary skill in this art would recognize that certain modifications would come within the scope of this invention. For that reason, the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.