Electrical connector with sealed pins
First Claim
1. An electrical accessory for a vehicle, said electrical accessory comprising:
- a housing having a connector portion having a connector cavity therein;
a plurality of terminals that electrically connect at a circuit element in said housing and that protrude at least partially into said connector cavity;
wherein said housing comprises at least one fill port and at least one channel for receiving a sealant material through said fill port, whereby said sealant material is dispensed at said at least one fill port and flows along said at least one channel and at and around individual terminals of said plurality of terminals to substantially seal said individual terminals relative to one another and relative to said housing; and
wherein said fill port is accessible from outside of said housing after said electrical accessory is assembled.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical accessory for a vehicle includes a housing having a connector portion having a connector cavity therein, and a plurality of terminals that electrically connect at a circuit element in the housing and that protrude at least partially into the connector cavity. The housing has at least one fill port and at least one channel for receiving a sealant material through the fill port, whereby the sealant material flows along the at least one channel and at and around at least one terminal to substantially seal the at least one terminal relative to the housing. The fill port is accessible from outside of the housing after the electrical accessory is assembled.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An electrical accessory for a vehicle, said electrical accessory comprising:
-
a housing having a connector portion having a connector cavity therein; a plurality of terminals that electrically connect at a circuit element in said housing and that protrude at least partially into said connector cavity; wherein said housing comprises at least one fill port and at least one channel for receiving a sealant material through said fill port, whereby said sealant material is dispensed at said at least one fill port and flows along said at least one channel and at and around individual terminals of said plurality of terminals to substantially seal said individual terminals relative to one another and relative to said housing; and wherein said fill port is accessible from outside of said housing after said electrical accessory is assembled. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of manufacturing an electrical accessory, said method comprising:
-
providing a housing having a connector portion having a connector cavity therein, wherein said housing comprises at least one fill port and at least one sealant channel; assembling a circuit element and a cover at said housing so that said circuit element is substantially housed by said housing and said cover; providing a plurality of terminals and electrically connecting said terminals at said circuit element in said housing, whereby said terminals protrude at least partially into said connector cavity; accessing said at least one fill port from outside said housing after said circuit element and said cover are assembled at said housing and after said terminals are electrically connected at said circuit element; and dispensing a sealant material through said at least one fill port so said sealant material flows along said at least one channel and at and around individual terminals of said plurality of terminals to substantially seal said individual terminals relative to one another and relative to said housing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An electrical accessory for a vehicle, said electrical accessory comprising:
-
a housing having a connector portion having a connector cavity therein; a plurality of terminals that electrically connect at a circuit element in said housing and that protrude at least partially into said connector cavity; wherein said connector portion comprises a plug or socket connector portion and wherein said plurality of terminals comprises pins of a multi-pin connector of said plug or socket connector portion; wherein said housing comprises at least one fill port and at least one channel for receiving a sealant material through said fill port, whereby said sealant material, when in its uncured state, is injected into said at least one fill port and flows along said at least one channel and at and around individual pins of said plurality of terminals, and wherein said sealant material is cured to a cured state to substantially seal said individual pins relative to one another and relative to said housing; and wherein said fill port is accessible from outside of said housing after said electrical accessory is assembled. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification