Electrical connector

• US 9,484,660 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2014
• Issued: 11/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Martin, Galen M., Shuey, John Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): GUSHI, ROSS N
• Application Number:
  US14/540,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20160141788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752, 439/596
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4362 comprising a temporary and a final locking position
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/501 comprising an integral hinge or a frangible part

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a housing including a front housing and a rear housing matable to define the housing. The front housing and the rear housing are molded as a single piece with a hinge member connecting the front housing and the rear housing. The rear housing is rotatable about the hinge member from an open position to a closed position. The front housing has front terminal channels configured to receive terminals and the rear housing has rear terminal channels aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is rotated to the closed position but not aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is in the open position. The rear terminal channels are configured to allow the terminals to at least partially pass therethrough into the front terminal channels during loading of the terminals into the housing.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing including a front housing and a rear housing matable to define the housing, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are molded as a single piece with a hinge member connecting the front housing and the rear housing, the rear housing rotatable about the hinge member from an open position to a closed position, wherein the front and rear housings include multi-stage securing features engaged when the front and rear housings are in the closed position, the securing feature of the front housing comprises a catch, the securing feature of the rear housing comprises a latch having a first step and a second step;

the front housing having front terminal channels configured to receive terminals, the rear housing having rear terminal channels aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is rotated to the closed position but not aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is in the open position,

wherein the rear housing is movable relative to the front housing in the closed position between a clearance position and a blocking position with the securing features engaging each other in the clearance position and in the blocking position, wherein the first step engages the catch in a first stage when the rear housing is in the clearance position, and the second step engages the catch in a second stage when the rear housing is in the blocking position, the rear housing moving relative to the front housing between the first stage and the second stage, and wherein, in the clearance position, the rear terminal channels are configured to allow the terminals to at least partially pass therethrough into the front terminal channels during loading of the terminals into the housing, and wherein, in the blocking position, the rear terminal channels are offset from the front terminal channels such that the rear housing blocks the terminals from backing out of the front terminal channels.

2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the front housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, and wherein the rear housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, the inner ends of the front housing and the rear housing facing one another in the open position with the hinge member extending between the inner end of the front housing and the inner end of the rear housing.

3. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the front housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, and wherein the rear housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, the front housing having a rear cavity, the rear housing being rotated into the rear cavity as the rear housing is rotated to the closed position.

4. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the front housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, and wherein the rear housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, the front of the rear housing abutting against the rear of the front housing when the rear housing is rotated to the closed position, the housing configured to receive the terminals through the rear terminal channels into the front terminal channels through the rear of the rear housing.

5. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein, after the rear housing is moved to the closed position, the rear housing is movable from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein, in the unlocked position, the rear terminal channels are aligned with the front terminal channels to allow terminals to freely pass between the rear terminal channels and the front terminal channels, and wherein, in the locked position, the rear terminal channels are at least partially offset relative to the front terminal channels to restrict the terminals from being removed from the front terminal channels.

6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein, in the locked position, a front of the rear housing at least partially blocks the front terminal channels to block the terminals from retracting from the front terminal channels.

7. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein the front housing includes a pocket defined by a ledge, in the unlocked position, the rear housing is located outside of the pocket, in the locked position, the rear housing is received in the pocket, in the locked position, the ledge blocks the rear housing from moving rearward.

8. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the securing feature of the front housing comprises a catch, the securing feature of the rear housing comprises a latch having a first step and a second step, the first step engaging the catch in a first stage when the rear housing is in the clearance position, the second step engaging the catch in a second stage when the rear housing is in the blocking position, the rear housing moving relative to the front housing between the first stage and the second stage.

9. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the engagement between the securing feature of the front housing and the securing feature of the rear housing holds the rear housing at different vertical positions with respect to the front housing.

10. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the engagement between the securing feature of the front housing and the securing feature of the rear housing blocks rearward movement of the rear housing with respect to the front housing.

11. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the front housing, the rear housing and the hinge member are a unitary one-piece dielectric structure.

12. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the rear housing is approximately half of a volume of the housing.

13. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the rear housing has a height and a width approximately equal to a height and a width of the front housing.

14. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein the rear housing is shifted from the clearance position to the blocking position in a direction non-parallel to axes of the rear terminal channels.

15. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing including a front housing and a rear housing matable to define the housing, wherein the front housing and the rear housing are molded as a single piece with a hinge member connecting the front housing and the rear housing, the rear housing rotatable about the hinge member from an open position to a closed position, wherein the front and rear housings include multi-stage securing features engaged when the front and rear housings are in the closed position, the securing feature of the front housing comprises a catch, the securing feature of the rear housing comprises a latch having a first step and a second step;

the front housing having front terminal channels configured to receive terminals, the rear housing having rear terminal channels aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is rotated to the closed position but not aligned with the front terminal channels when the rear housing is in the open position;

wherein, after the rear housing is moved to the closed position, the rear housing is movable from an unlocked position to a locked position, wherein, in the unlocked position, the catch engages the first step of the latch and the rear terminal channels are aligned with the front terminal channels to allow terminals to freely pass between the rear terminal channels and the front terminal channels, and wherein, in the locked position, the catch engages the second step of the latch and the rear terminal channels are offset from the front terminal channels such that the rear housing blocks the terminals from being removed from the front terminal channels.

16. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein the front housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, and wherein the rear housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, the inner ends of the front housing and the rear housing facing one another in the open position with the hinge member extending between the inner end of the front housing and the inner end of the rear housing.

17. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein the front housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, and wherein the rear housing includes a front, a rear, an inner end, an outer end, and opposite sides, the front housing having a rear cavity, the rear housing being rotated into the rear cavity as the rear housing is rotated to the closed position.

18. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein, in the locked position, a front of the rear housing at least partially blocks the front terminal channels to block the terminals from retracting from the front terminal channels.

19. The electrical connector of claim 15, wherein the rear housing is shifted in a direction non-parallel to axes of the rear terminal channels as the rear housing is moved from the unlocked position to the locked position.