Electrical connector
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electrical connector, comprising:
- an electrical terminal;
a housing having a front end and a back end having an opening configured to receive the electrical terminal therethrough, the housing including a first lock system configured to allow insertion of the electrical terminal into the housing and prohibit removal of the electrical terminal therefrom, the housing being configured such that the first lock system is accessible from the front of the housing to release the electrical terminal from the first lock system; and
a second lock system configured for insertion into the housing to prohibit removal of the electrical terminal from the housing independently from the first lock system, the second lock system including at least one elongate member having a respective convex portion extending outwardly therefrom and configured to cooperate with the housing such that an insertion force required to insert the second lock system into the housing is substantially the same as an extraction force required to extract the second lock system from the housing without independently deflecting the convex portion to facilitate the extraction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector includes an electrical terminal and a housing having a front end and a back end with an opening configured to receive the electrical terminal therethrough. The housing includes a first lock system configured to allow insertion of the electrical terminal into the housing and prohibit removal of the electrical terminal from the housing. The housing is configured such that the first lock system is accessible from the front of the housing to release the electrical terminal from the first lock system. A second lock system is configured for insertion into the housing to prohibit removal of the electrical terminal from the housing independently from the first lock system.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An electrical connector, comprising:
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an electrical terminal; a housing having a front end and a back end having an opening configured to receive the electrical terminal therethrough, the housing including a first lock system configured to allow insertion of the electrical terminal into the housing and prohibit removal of the electrical terminal therefrom, the housing being configured such that the first lock system is accessible from the front of the housing to release the electrical terminal from the first lock system; and a second lock system configured for insertion into the housing to prohibit removal of the electrical terminal from the housing independently from the first lock system, the second lock system including at least one elongate member having a respective convex portion extending outwardly therefrom and configured to cooperate with the housing such that an insertion force required to insert the second lock system into the housing is substantially the same as an extraction force required to extract the second lock system from the housing without independently deflecting the convex portion to facilitate the extraction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An electrical connector, comprising:
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an electrical terminal; a housing including; a front end, a back end including an opening therein for facilitating insertion of the electrical terminal into the housing such that the housing at least partially encloses the electrical terminal, a plurality of walls, a pair of locking beams having a lock position for prohibiting removal of the electrical terminal from the housing and a release position for facilitating removal of the electrical terminal from the housing, and a pair of channels accessible through the front end and arranged such that a respective one of the locking beams extends into each of the channels such that a removal tool inserted into the channels contacts the beams to automatically move the locking beams from the lock position to the release position; and a blocking member configured for insertion into the housing to block removal of the electrical terminal from the housing, the blocking member including a head and an elongate member extending outwardly therefrom, at least one of the walls of the housing including an aperture disposed therein proximate the back end to receive the elongate member therein such that the elongate member is disposed between the electrical terminal and the opening in the back end, and wherein the elongate member includes;
a flexible beam configured to deflect from a first position to a second position during insertion into the aperture and to return substantially to the first position after insertion, and an edge having a through-slot disposed generally parallel thereto such that the flexible beam is bounded by the edge and the slot. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. An electrical connector, comprising:
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an electrical terminal; a housing configured to at least partially enclose the electrical terminal, the housing including a pair of locking beams, each having a cantilever attachment directed toward a front of the housing and disposed on opposite sides of the electrical terminal, the locking beams having a lock position in which the locking beams are engaged with the electrical terminal and a release position in which the locking beams are not engaged with the electrical terminal, the housing including a back end through which the electrical terminal is inserted into the housing, and a front end through which a mating terminal can be inserted to mate with the electrical terminal, the front end including a pair of apertures generally aligned with the locking beams for receiving a removal tool to move the locking beams from the lock position to the release position; and a lock system configured for insertion into the housing such that a portion of the lock system is disposed between the electrical terminal and the back end, thereby prohibiting removal of the electrical terminal from the back end, the lock system including a pair of elongate members extending from a head, the housing being generally rectangular and defined by four walls and the front and back ends, at least one of the walls having a pair of apertures, each configured to receive a respective one of the elongate members such that the elongate members are positionable between the electrical terminal and the back end of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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Specification