Granted Patent B2

US 6,945,801 · App. 10/749,715 · Granted Sep 20, 2005

Abstract

Claims (45)

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a main body and a first mating connector latch arm on a lateral side of the main body, wherein the first latch arm comprises a deflectable cantilevered arm extending in an upward direction, wherein a gap is provided between the main body and the first latch arm, and wherein the first latch arm is movable between a home latched position and an inwardly deflected unlatched position;

electrical contacts connected to the housing; and

a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing between an open position and a closed position, the CPA member comprising a deflectable cantilevered section extending in a downward direction, wherein the deflectable cantilevered section is deflectable in a direction towards the gap between the main body and the first latch arm, and wherein the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a portion adapted to extend into the gap when the first latch arm is at the home latched position and is prevented from extending into the gap when the first latch arm is at the unlatched position.

2. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the housing comprises a second latch arm on an opposite side of the housing from the first latch arm.

3. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the CPA member comprises a second deflectable cantilevered section, and wherein the two deflectable cantilevered sections extend in the downward direction at opposite lateral sides of the CPA member.

4. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a distal free end of the deflectable cantilevered section.

5. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the first latch arm comprises a temporary clearance notch on a front side of the first latch arm.

6. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a cam surface adapted to be contacted by a mating electrical connector when inserted into the mating electrical connector and deflected by the mating electrical connector towards the gap between the main body and the latch arm.

7. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the CPA member further comprises a detent and retaining section for retaining the CPA member at an open or closed position until positively moved by a user.

8. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the CPA member comprising a top section and a downwardly extending section extending down from the top section, the downwardly extending section comprising two downwardly extending rails, wherein the rails are slidably located on the housing, and wherein the downwardly extending section comprises a bottom end at a bottom end of the rails which is adapted to contact a shorting clip of a mating electrical connector and move the shorting clip off of connection with contacts of the mating electrical connector.

9. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a main body and a first mating connector latch arm on a lateral side of the main body, wherein the first latch arm comprises a deflectable cantilevered arm extending in an upward direction, wherein a gap is provided between the main body and the first latch arm, and wherein the first latch arm is movable between a home latched position and an inwardly deflected unlatched position;

electrical contacts connected to the housing; and

a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing between an open position and a closed position, the CPA member comprising a deflectable cantilevered section extending in a downward direction, wherein the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a cam surface adapted to be contacted by a mating electrical connector when inserted into the mating electrical connector and deflected by the mating electrical connector towards the gap between the main body and the latch arm, and wherein the CPA member further comprises a detent and retaining section for retaining the CPA member at the open or closed positions until positively moved by a user.

10. An electrical connector as in claim 9 wherein the first latch arm comprises a temporary clearance notch on a front side of the first latch arm.

11. An electrical connector as in claim 9 wherein the CPA member comprising a top section and a downwardly extending section extending down from the top section, the downwardly extending section comprising two downwardly extending rails, wherein the rails are slidably located on the housing, and wherein the downwardly extending section comprises a bottom end at a bottom end of the rails which is adapted to contact a shorting clip of a mating electrical connector and move the shorting clip off of connection with contacts of the mating electrical connector.

12. An electrical connector as in claim 9 wherein the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a portion adapted to extend into the gap when the first latch arm is at the home latched position and is prevented from extending into the gap when the first latch arm is at the unlatched position.

13. An electrical connector as in claim 12 wherein the portion of the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a distal free end of the deflectable cantilevered section.

14. An electrical connector as in claim 12 wherein the housing comprises a second latch arm on an opposite side of the housing from the first latch arm.

15. An electrical connector as in claim 14 wherein the CPA member comprises a second deflectable cantilevered section, and wherein the two deflectable cantilevered sections extend in the downward direction at opposite lateral sides of the CPA member.

16. An electrical connector as in claim 9 wherein the detent and retaining section comprises a center section of the. CPA member comprising a forward extending detent protrusion.

17. An electrical connector as in claim 16 wherein the housing comprises a rearward extending detent protrusion adapted to interact with the forward extending detent protrusion to retain the forward extending detent protrusion above or below the rearward extending detent protrusion.

18. An electrical connector as in claim 9 wherein the detent and retaining section comprises a rail of the CPA member having a protrusion adapted to be located above or below a ledge off the housing, wherein the protrusion is adapted to be moved into a receiving area below the ledge if the rail is deflected by a portion of a mating electrical connector.

19. An electrical connector as in claim 18 wherein the protrusion comprises an inwardly facing protrusion.

20. An electrical connector as in claim 19 wherein the CPA comprises a second rail, and wherein the inwardly facing protrusion projects towards the second rail.

21. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a deflectable cantilevered mating connector latch arm, wherein the latch arm is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;

electrical contacts connected to the housing; and

a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing between an open position and a closed position, the CPA member comprising a top section and a downwardly extending section extending down from the top section, the downwardly extending section comprising two downwardly extending rails, wherein the rails are slidably located on the housing, and wherein the downwardly extending section comprises a bottom section at bottom ends of the rails which is adapted to contact a shorting clip of a mating electrical connector and move the shorting clip off of connection with contacts of the mating electrical connector, and wherein the downwardly extending section comprises a deflectable cantilevered section which is deflectable in a direction towards a gap between a main body of the housing and the latch arm, and wherein the deflectable cantilevered section comprises a portion adapted to extend into the gap when the first latch arm is at a home latched position and is prevented from extending into the gap when the latch arm is at the unlatched position.

22. An electrical connector as in claim 21 wherein the bottom section of the downwardly extending section comprises the bottom ends of the two rails individually contacting the shorting clip.

23. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a deflectable cantilevered mating connector latch arm, wherein the latch arm is movable between a latched position and an unlatched position;

electrical contacts connected to the housing; and

a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing between an open position and a closed position, the CPA member comprising a top section and a downwardly extending section extending down from the top section, the downwardly extending section comprising two downwardly extending rails, wherein the rails are slidably located on the housing, and wherein the downwardly extending section comprises a bottom section at bottom ends of the rails which is adapted to contact a shorting clip of a mating electrical connector and move the shorting clip off of connection with contacts of the mating electrical connector, wherein the bottom section of the downwardly extending section comprises an end portion connecting the bottom ends of the rails to each other.

24. A method of assuring a position of an electrical connector in a mating connector comprising steps of:

inserting a portion of the electrical connector into the mating connector, the electrical connector comprising a housing and a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing, the CPA member comprising a top section and a downwardly extending rail slidably located on the housing;

deflecting a section of the CPA member from a home position by contact of the section with a housing of the mating connector as the CPA member is inserted into the mating connector;

moving the CPA member of the electrical connector from an open position on the housing of the electrical connector towards a closed position, wherein the step of moving comprises deflecting an interference portion of the CPA member into a gap between a latch of the housing of the electrical connector and a main section of the housing of the electrical connector to prevent the latch from being moved from a latching position to an unlatched position, and

preventing the interference portion from extending into the gap when the first latch arm is at the unlatched position.

25. A method of assuring a position of an electrical connector in a mating connector comprising steps of:

inserting a portion of the electrical connector into the mating connector, the electrical connector comprising a housing and a connector position assurance (CPA) member movably mounted to the housing, the CPA member comprising a top section and two downwardly extending rails slidably located on the housing;

deflecting a section of the CPA member from a home position by contact of the section with a housing of the mating connector as the CPA member is inserted into the mating connector;

moving the CPA member of the electrical connector from an open position on the housing of the electrical connector towards a closed position, wherein the step of moving comprises at least one bottom portion of the CPA member at bottom ends of the rails contacting a shorting clip of the mating connector and moving the shorting clip off of connection with contacts of the mating connector, and wherein the step of moving comprises deflecting an interference portion of the CPA member into a gap between a latch of the housing of the electrical connector and a main section of the housing of the electrical connector to prevent the latch from being moved from a latching position to an unlatched position, and

preventing the interference portion from extending into the gap when the first latch arm is at the unlatched position.

Assignments (14)