Electrical connector with cam lever retainer

• US 7,241,156 B1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Senk, Joseph M., Margrave, Christopher A., Lesigonich, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey; James R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHAMBERS, TRAVIS SLOAN
• Application Number:
  US11/496,598
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 439/157, 439/372
• US Class Current: 439/157
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62938 Pivoting lever comprising own camming means
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/62955 Pivoting lever comprising supplementary/additional locking means

Abstract

An electrical connector has a connector body that is equipped with a cam lever that is pivotally attached to the connector body for movement between a transit position and a lock position. The electrical connector has a retainer to prevent detachment of the cam lever from the connector body during transit.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a connector body having a resilient U-shaped cam lever comprising dual cam lever arms that are attached by a bridge and that are pivotally attached to the connector body for movement together between a transit position and a lock position, the cam lever arms being poised for engagement with a mating electrical connector when the cam lever arms are in the transit position, and the cam lever arms being configured for locked engagement with the connector body when the cam lever arm are in the lock position,

the electrical connector having a lock for locking the cam lever in the transit position, and

the electrical connector having a retainer to prevent detachment of the cam lever from the connector body during transit, the retainer comprising fins that are disposed in channels at least when the cam lever is in the transit position

wherein one of the fins is part of each cam lever arm and the channels are part of the connector body.

2. The electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the channels are provided by integral ears of the connector body that have substantially the same width as the cam lever arms.

3. The electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the cam lever arms are configured with flexible beams for locked engagement with the connector body when the cam lever arms are in the locked position, the flexible beams having sockets that snap over lock pins projecting from the sides of the connector body.

4. An electrical connector comprising:

a connector body having a resilient U-shaped cam lever comprising dual cam lever arms that are attached by a bridge and that are pivotally attached to the connector body for movement together between a transit position and a lock position, the cam lever arms being poised for engagement with a mating electrical connector when the cam lever arms are in the transit position,

the electrical connector having lock arms engaging lock pins of the connector body for locking the cam lever in the transit position, and

the electrical connector having a retainer to prevent detachment of the cam lever from the connector body during transit, the retainer comprising a fin on each cam lever arm that is disposed in a channel of the connector body when the cam lever is in the transit position;

the channels being provided by integral ears of the connector body that have substantially the same width as the cam lever arms, and

the cam lever arms having flexible beams that include sockets that snap over lock pins projecting from the sides of the connector body for locked engagement with the connector body when the cam lever arms are in the lock position.

5. An electrical connector comprising:

a one-piece connector body having a resilient U-shaped cam lever comprising dual cam lever arms that are attached by a bridge and that are pivotally attached to the one-piece connector body for movement together between a transit position and a lock position, the cam lever arms being poised for engagement with a mating electrical connector when the cam lever arms are in the transit position, and the cam lever arms being configured for locked engagement with the connector body when the cam lever arm are in the lock position,

the electrical connector having a lock for locking the cam lever in the transit position,

the one-piece connector body having open ended channels formed by integral ears, of the one-piece connector body,

and each of the dual cam lever arms having a radial fin that is disposed in one of the channels formed by the integral ears of the one-piece connector body when the cam lever arm is in the transit position to retain the cam lever in assembly with the one-piece connector body.

6. The electrical connector as defined in claim 5 wherein the integral ears of the connector body have substantially the same width as the cam lever arms to provide a low profile.