ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND RETAINING DEVICE

• US 20150207276A1
• Filed: 01/23/2015
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson Electric International AG (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Original Assignee: Johnson Electric SA (Johnson Electric Holdings Limited)
• Inventors: Giangrande, Giovanni, Almondo, Roberto
• Granted Patent: US 9,627,824 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/73 Means for mounting coupling parts to apparatus or structures, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2201/26 for vehicles

Abstract

An electrical connector has a body, with an input part forming passages for corresponding electrical cables, and a base from which two stems project. The connector is associated with a retaining device including a base plate from which two facing sprung retaining elements extend. A retaining region adapted to receive the input part of the connector is formed between these elements. The retaining elements have retaining formations capable of being spread apart by the input part of the connector when it is inserted into the retaining region, and of retaining the input part in the retaining region thereafter. A pair of openings is formed in the base plate between the sprung elements, into which the stems of the base of the connector are insertable.

Claims

1. Electrical connector and corresponding retaining device, for an electric cooling fan unit of a heat exchanger for a motor vehicle,

wherein the connector comprises a substantially rigid body of elongate shape, with an input part forming a pair of adjacent passages for corresponding insulated electrical cables, said body having a base from which a pair of parallel transverse stems project;

and

wherein the retaining device comprises a base plate from which two facing sprung retaining elements extend, a retaining region adapted to receive said input part of the connector being formed between the retaining elements;

said retaining elements being provided with respective retaining formations capable of being spread apart by said input part of the connector when it is inserted into the retaining region, and of retaining said input part of the connector in said retaining region thereafter, and a pair of openings being formed in said base plate between said retaining elements, into which openings said transverse stems of the base of the connector are insertable.

2. Electrical connector and corresponding retaining device of claim 1, wherein said stems and the corresponding openings of the retaining device, have differing diameters.

3. Electrical connector and corresponding retaining device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said stems has lateral fonnations adapted to allow its easy insertion into the corresponding opening of the base plate, and to impede its extraction.

4. Electrical connector and corresponding retaining device of claim 1, wherein said base plate is made as a one piece monolithic structure with a supporting structure of the electric cooling fan unit.

5. Electrical connector and corresponding retaining device of claim 4, wherein said supporting structure of the electric cooling fan unit is a fan shroud.

6. An electric cooling fan unit for a heat exchanger of a motor vehicle, incorporating the electrical connector and corresponding retaining device of claim 1.