Sealed pass through electrical connector

• US 5,252,088 A
• Filed: 10/05/1992
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Original Assignee: General Motors Corporation (Motors Liquidation Co. GUC Trust)
• Inventors: Morello, John R., Neale, Frank T., Okrucky, James A.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/956,217
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 439/271-283, 439/587, 439/588, 439/595, 439/744-747, 439/352, 439/353, 439/733
• US Class Current: 439/271
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4364 Insertion of locking piece from the front
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5202 Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/521 Sealing between contact members and housing, e.g. sealing insert
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5213 Covers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/743 integral with the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion

Abstract

Electric cables are passed through a hole in a transmission housing that is filled with transmission fluid by means of a sealed electrical connector system that comprises a sealed "pass through" electrical connector that is mounted in the hole of the transmission housing and an external mating connector. The pass through connector includes an insert that cooperates with solid metal pins of specially designed two-piece male terminals to seal the mating end of the pass through connector. The insert also serves as a secondary lock to insure that the male terminals are retained in the terminal cavities. The external mating connector also has an insert that has the same secondary lock feature to retain female terminals in its terminal cavities.

Claims

1. A sealed pass-through electrical connector for a liquid filled housing comprising:

a thermoplastic connector body, an insert and a plurality of male terminals that are attached to electric cables;

the connector body having a mating end where a mating electrical connector is plugged onto the pass-through connector and a plurality of terminal cavities that extend through the connector body in the longitudinal direction from a cable receiving end to a mating end;

the insert having a thermoplastic body that is retained against the mating end of the connector body and that has a disk provided with a plurality of holes that align with the respective terminal cavities when the insert is so retained;

the insert further including a molded on seal of elastomeric material having a face seal for sealing around round solid pins of the male terminals that project through the holes when the male terminals are disposed in the terminal cavities;

the connector body has a plurality of resiliently deflectable, latch fingers that are located at the mating ends of the respective terminal cavities that snap over a portion of the terminals when the terminals are inserted into the terminal cavities through the cable end to retain the terminals in the cavities; and

the disk has transverse rib means that engages the resiliently deflectable, latch fingers to hold the latch fingers in a terminal retaining position.

2. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the elastomeric seal is a low durometer fluorosilicone that will adhere to the solid metal pin and resist the deleterious effects of transmission fluid.

3. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the molded on seal (58) has an annular portion that forms a peripheral seal between the insert and the connector body.

4. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the face seal has button portions disposed in the holes sealing around the round solid pins of the male terminals when the male terminals are disposed in the terminal cavities.

5. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 4 wherein the button portions have holes that extend part way through the face seal and that include sealing portions that have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the round solid pins so that a liquid tight seal is formed around the round solid pins of the male terminals when they are pushed through the holes.

6. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 5 wherein the mating ends of the holes are closed by thin membranes that seal empty terminal cavities but that are easily pierced by the round solid pins of the male terminals in the used terminal cavities.

7. A sealed pass-through electrical connector for a liquid filled housing comprising:

a thermoplastic connector body, an insert and a plurality of male pin terminals that are attached to electric cables;

the connector body having a socket at the mating end where a mating electrical connector is plugged in;

the connector body further including a plurality of terminal cavities extending through the connector body in the longitudinal direction from a cable receiving end to a mating end;

the insert having a thermoplastic cup that is retained in the socket of the connector body and that has a disk that has a plurality of holes that align with the respective terminal cavities when the insert is installed;

the insert further including a molded on seal of elastomeric material that has an internal portion that includes a face seal for sealing around round solid pins of the male terminals and an external portion that forms a peripheral seal between the insert and the connector body;

the connector body has a plurality of resiliently deflectable, latch fingers that are located at the mating ends of the respective terminal cavities that snap over a portion of the terminals when the terminals are inserted into the terminal cavities through the cable end to retain the terminals in the cavities; and

the disk has a transverse rib that engages the latch fingers to hold the resiliently deflectable, latch fingers in a terminal retaining position.

8. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 7 wherein the elastomeric seal is a durometer fluorosilicone that will adhere to the solid pins and resist the deleterious effects of transmission fluid.

9. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 7 wherein the face seal has button portions disposed in the holes sealing around the solid pins of the male terminals (26) when the terminals are disposed in the terminal cavities.

10. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 9 wherein the button portions have holes that extend part way through the face seal and that include sealing portions that have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the round solid pins so that a liquid tight seal is formed around the round solid pins when they are pushed through the holes.

11. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 10 wherein the button portions adjacent their mating ends of the holes are closed by thin membranes that seal empty terminal cavities but that are easily pierced by the round solid pins of the male terminals in the used terminal cavities.

12. The sealed pass-through electrical connector as defined in claim 11 wherein the internal portion of the seal further includes a contiguous peripheral seal that covers the inside of the socket for a short distance.

13. An electrical connector having a secondary terminal lock for assuring that the terminals are latched firmly in a connector body comprising:

a thermoplastic connector body, a thermoplastic insert and a plurality of male pin terminals that are attached to electric cables;

the connector body having a plurality of terminal cavities that extend through the connector body in the longitudinal direction and a plurality of resiliently deflectable, latch fingers that are located at mating ends of the respective terminal cavities that snap over a portion of the terminals when the terminals are inserted into the terminal cavities through the cable end to retain the terminals in the cavities;

the insert providing a secondary lock for holding the latch fingers in terminal latching positions behind the snap-over portions of the terminals that includes a thermoplastic body that covers the mating end of the connector body and that has a plurality of holes that align with the respective terminal cavities when the insert is installed; and

the thermoplastic insert having an integral transverse rib that engages the terminal latch fingers to hold the latch fingers in the terminal retaining positions behind the snap-over portions of the terminals.

14. The electrical connector having a secondary terminal lock for assuring that the terminals are latched firmly in a connector body as defined in claim 13 wherein:

the insert has a plurality of posts that cooperate with resiliently deflectable latch fingers of the connector body to retain the insert.

15. The electrical connector having a secondary terminal lock for assuring that the terminals are latched firmly in a connector body as defined in claim 13 wherein:

the connector body includes terminal cavities that are arranged in a dual row and associated latch fingers that are arranged in a dual row, and

wherein the transverse rib is wedge shaped so that it engages between the rows of terminal latch fingers and wedges the terminal latch fingers in the respective rows away from each other to hold the latch fingers in the terminal retaining positions.

16. The electrical connector having a secondary terminal lock for assuring that the terminals are latched firmly in a connector body as defined in claim 15 wherein:

the insert has a plurality of posts that are disposed in the passages of the connector body and have notches that are engaged by resiliently deflectable latch fingers of the connector body to retain the insert.

17. A sealed pass-through electrical connector for a liquid filled housing comprising:

a thermoplastic connector body, an insert and a plurality of male terminals that are attached to electric cables;

the connector body having a socket at a mating end and a plurality of terminal cavities that are arranged in four rows and that extend through the connector body in the longitudinal direction;

the connector body also having a plurality of resiliently deflectable, latch fingers that are located at the mating ends of the respective terminal cavities that snap into circular grooves of the terminals when the terminals are inserted into the terminal cavities through the cable end to retain the terminals in the cavities;

the latch fingers being arranged in two dual rows so that two rows of latch fingers are disposed between the upper two rows of terminal cavities and two rows of latch fingers are disposed between the lower two rows of latch fingers;

the insert sealing the mating end of the connector body and providing a secondary lock for holding the latch fingers in terminal latching positions in the grooves of the terminals;

the insert having a thermoplastic cup that fits into the socket of the connector body and that includes a disk that has a plurality of holes that align with the respective terminal cavities when the insert is installed;

the disk having two transverse wedge shaped ribs that engage between the two rows of terminal latch fingers in the respective dual rows and wedge the terminal latch fingers in the two respective rows away from each other to hold the latch fingers in the terminal grooves;

the insert also having a plurality of posts that extend longitudinally from the disk in the rearward direction;

the posts being disposed in passages (54) of the connector body that have resiliently deflectable latch fingers at the cable end that engage notches in the free ends of the posts to retain the insert in the socket;

the insert further including a molded on elastomeric seal having an internal portion that includes a face seal that covers the disk and a contiguous peripheral seal that covers the inside of the socket for a short distance;

the face seal having button portions disposed in the apertures sealing around round solid metal pins of the male terminals when the terminals are locked in the terminal cavities;

the button portions having holes that extend part way through the face seal and that include sealing portions that have a diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the round solid metal pins so that a liquid tight seal is formed around the round solid metal pins when they are pushed through the holes;

the mating ends of the holes being closed by thin membranes that seal empty terminal cavities but that are easily pierced by the round solid metal pins of the male terminals in the used terminal cavities,

the seal having an external annular portion (67) around the disk that forms a peripheral seal between the insert and socket of the connector body when the insert is installed in the connector body; and

the molded on elastomeric seal being of low durometer fluorosilicone material that adheres to the solid metal pins and resists the deleterious effects of transmission fluid.