In-line sealed electrical connector apparatus
First Claim
1. An in-line sealed electrical connector apparatus, comprising:
- a female connector assembly including a female housing, a female wire seal and a female cover, the female housing extending along a longitudinal axis and generally configured in cross-section in a generally D-shape to define a longitudinally-extending generally rectangularly-shaped female connector passageway, the female wire seal and the female cover sized and adapted to be received by the female connector passageway in a close-fitting relationship; and
a male connector assembly including a male housing, a retention clip;
a male housing seal defining a male housing seal opening, a male wire seal and a male cover, the male housing extending along the longitudinal axis to define a longitudinally-extending male connector passageway, the male housing having a female-receiving housing portion defining a female-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway and a sealed housing portion defining a seal-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway, the female-receiving housing portion and the sealed housing portion being integrally connected to each other, the female-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the retention clip and the male housing seal in a close-fitting relationship, the seal-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the male wire seal in a close-fitting relationship, the male cover operative to cap the sealed male housing portion adjacent the male wire seal, the retention clip formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a generally D-shaped retention clip duct extending longitudinally through the retention clip, the generally D-shaped retention clip duct sized to slidably receive the female housing such that, upon engaging the female connector assembly and the male connector assembly, the female housing is first received through the generally D-shaped retention clip duct and is thereafter inserted through the male housing seal opening.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An in-line sealed electrical connector apparatus includes a female connector assembly and a male connector assembly. The female connector assembly includes a female housing, a female wire seal and a female cover. The male connector assembly includes a male housing, a retention clip, a male housing seal defining a male housing seal opening, a male wire seal and a male cover. The retention clip formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a generally D-shaped retention clip duct extending longitudinally through the retention clip. The generally D-shaped retention clip duct is sized to slidably receive the female housing such that, upon engaging the female connector assembly and the male connector assembly, the female housing is first received through the generally D-shaped retention clip duct and is thereafter inserted through the male housing seal opening.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An in-line sealed electrical connector apparatus, comprising:
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a female connector assembly including a female housing, a female wire seal and a female cover, the female housing extending along a longitudinal axis and generally configured in cross-section in a generally D-shape to define a longitudinally-extending generally rectangularly-shaped female connector passageway, the female wire seal and the female cover sized and adapted to be received by the female connector passageway in a close-fitting relationship; and a male connector assembly including a male housing, a retention clip;
a male housing seal defining a male housing seal opening, a male wire seal and a male cover, the male housing extending along the longitudinal axis to define a longitudinally-extending male connector passageway, the male housing having a female-receiving housing portion defining a female-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway and a sealed housing portion defining a seal-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway, the female-receiving housing portion and the sealed housing portion being integrally connected to each other, the female-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the retention clip and the male housing seal in a close-fitting relationship, the seal-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the male wire seal in a close-fitting relationship, the male cover operative to cap the sealed male housing portion adjacent the male wire seal, the retention clip formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a generally D-shaped retention clip duct extending longitudinally through the retention clip, the generally D-shaped retention clip duct sized to slidably receive the female housing such that, upon engaging the female connector assembly and the male connector assembly, the female housing is first received through the generally D-shaped retention clip duct and is thereafter inserted through the male housing seal opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A retention clip device, comprising:
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a body member having an arcuate piece and a pair of arms disposed apart from and extending generally parallel with one another and integrally connected to the arcuate piece to form the generally U-shaped configuration, the pair of arms operative to move to and between a neutral state and a resiliently biased state such that, in the neutral state, the pair of arms are disposed apart and extend generally parallel with one another and, in the resiliently biased state, at least one of the pair of arms moves in a pivoting manner towards or away from a remaining one of the pair of arms and yet is resiliently biased towards the neutral state, each one of the a pair of arms having an inner arm surface, an outer arm surface, a projection projecting from the outer arm surface and a free end portion, wherein one of the free end portions includes a block member integrally formed with the one free end portion and disposed internally of the retention clip, the block member having a first wall facing the arcuate piece to provide a first straight portion of a generally D-shaped retention clip duct defined at least in part by the first straight portion, the arcuate portion and the inner arm surfaces. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A female connector assembly, comprising:
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a female housing; a female wire seal; and a female cover, wherein the female housing extends along a longitudinal axis and is generally configured in cross-section in a generally D-shape to define a longitudinally-extending generally rectangularly-shaped female connector passageway and the female wire seal and the female cover is sized and adapted to be received by the female connector passageway in a close-fitting relationship, wherein the female connector passageway includes an enlarged female connector passageway section and a reduced female connector passageway section with a female connector stepped-down wall disposed between the enlarged female connector passageway section and the reduced female connector passageway section, the enlarged female connector passageway section is sized to receive the female wire seal and the female cover with the female wire seal disposed between the female connector stepped-down wall and the female cover and with the female wire seal abutting the female connector stepped-down wall, wherein the female housing includes a female housing terminal locking arm connected to the female housing in the reduced female connector passageway section, the female housing terminal locking arm is movable between a female terminal locking state and female terminal release state, the female terminal locking arm is resiliently biased to the female terminal lock state when moved to the female terminal release state, wherein the female housing terminal locking arm has a female housing terminal locking arm notched free end, and wherein the female housing terminal locking arm, connected to the female housing in the reduced female connector passageway section, extends longitudinally away from the enlarged female connector passageway section and terminates in the female housing terminal locking arm notched free end within the reduced female connector passageway section. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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22. A male connector assembly, comprising:
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a male housing; a retention clip; a male housing seal defining a generally D-shaped male housing seal opening; a male wire seal; and a male cover, wherein the male housing extends along a longitudinal axis to define a longitudinally-extending male connector passageway, the male housing having a female-receiving housing portion defining a female-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway and a sealed housing portion defining a seal-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway, the sealed housing portion integrally connected to the female-receiving housing portion, the female-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the retention clip and the male housing seal in a close-fitting relationship, the seal-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the male wire seal in a close-fitting relationship, the male cover operative to cap the sealed male housing portion adjacent the male wire seal, the retention clip formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a generally D-shaped retention clip duct extending longitudinally through the retention clip. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An in-line sealed electrical connector apparatus adapted to facilitate connection of a first wire assembly and a second wire assembly in a sealed manner, the first wire assembly having a first wire electrically connected to a female terminal and the second wire assembly having a second wire electrically connected to a male terminal, the in-line sealed electrical connector apparatus comprising:
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a female connector assembly including a female housing, a female wire seal having at least one female wire seal hole extending therethough, a female cover having at least one female cover hole extending therethrough and in axial alignment with the at least one female wire seal hole and a female terminal locking arm, the female housing extending along a longitudinal axis and generally configured in cross-section in a generally D-shape to define a longitudinally-extending generally rectangularly-shaped female connector passageway, the female wire seal and the female cover sized and adapted to be received by the female connector passageway in a close-fitting relationship, the female housing terminal locking arm movable between a female terminal locking state and female terminal release state, the female terminal locking arm being resiliently biased to the female terminal lock state when moved to the female terminal release state; and a male connector assembly including a male housing, a retention clip, a male housing seal defining a male housing seal opening, a male wire seal having at least one male wire seal hole extending therethrough and a male cover having at least one male cover hole extending therethrough and in axial alignment with the at least one male cover hole, the male housing extending along the longitudinal axis to define a longitudinally-extending male connector passageway, the male housing having a female-receiving housing portion defining a female-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway and a sealed housing portion defining a seal-receiving connector passageway portion of the male connector passageway and integrally connected to the female-receiving housing portion, the female-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the retention clip and the male housing seal in a close-fitting relationship, the seal-receiving connector passageway portion sized and adapted to receive the male wire seal in a close-fitting relationship, the male cover operative to cap the sealed male housing portion adjacent the male wire seal, the retention clip formed in a generally U-shaped configuration to define a generally D-shaped retention clip duct extending longitudinally through the retention clip, the retention clip duct sized to slidably receive the female housing, wherein the first wire assembly is inserted in a first wire assembly insertion direction into the female connector assembly such that the first wire extends through the at least one female cover hole of the female cover and the at least one female wire seal of the female wire seal with the at least one female wire seal gripping the first wire in a sealing manner and, as the female terminal is being inserted into the female housing, the female terminal first moves the female housing terminal locking arm from the female terminal locking state to the female terminal release state and then permits the female housing terminal locking arm to move back into the female terminal locking. state to prevent removal of the female terminal in a first wire assembly removal direction being opposite the first wire assembly insertion direction, wherein the second wire assembly is inserted in a second wire assembly insertion direction into the male connector assembly such that the second wire extends through the at least one male cover hole of the male cover and the at least one male wire seal hole of the male wire seal with the at least one male wire seal gripping the second wire in a sealing manner and, as the male terminal is being inserted into the male housing, the male terminal first moves the male housing terminal locking arm from the male terminal locking state to the male terminal release state and then permits the male housing terminal locking arm to move back into the male terminal locking state to prevent removal of the male terminal in a second wire assembly removal direction being opposite the second wire assembly insertion direction, and wherein, upon engaging the female connector assembly and the male connector assembly, the female housing is first received through the generally D-shaped retention clip duct and is thereafter inserted through the male housing seal opening such that the retention clip substantially surrounds and grips the female housing and the male housing seal surrounds and grips the female housing while a forward male terminal part of the male terminal is slidably received by a forward female terminal part of the female terminal.
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Specification