Electric connector with a lock to retain a terminal within a housing
View Patent ↗An electric connector includes an outer housing and an inner housing located within the outer housing. A connector terminal is located within the inner housing. A primary lock retains the connector terminal within the inner housing, and a secondary lock also retains the connector terminal within the inner housing.
1. An electric connector comprising:
an outer housing;
an inner housing located within the outer housing;
a connector terminal located within the inner housing;
a primary lock retaining the connector terminal within the inner housing;
a secondary lock retaining the connector terminal within the inner housing, wherein:
the inner housing defines a wire opening and the connector terminal is positioned within the inner housing through the wire opening;
the secondary lock includes a lock wall;
the secondary lock may be moved between a pre-lock position, wherein the lock wall does not obstruct the wire opening, and a lock position, wherein the lock wall does obstruct a portion of the wire opening; and wherein either:
(1) the inner housing defines a lock slot, and when the secondary lock is in the lock position, the lock wall is located in the lock slot; or
(2) a resilient arm is attached to the inner housing.
2. The electric connector of claim 1 , further comprising an external electrical connection that is connected to the electric connector along a wire axis; wherein the connector terminal is positioned to mate with a corresponding terminal on a terminal axis; and wherein the terminal axis and the wire axis are not parallel.
3. The electric connector of claim 2 , wherein the terminal axis is generally perpendicular to the wire axis.
4. The electric connector of claim 3 , wherein the outer housing defines a wire opening that has a height parallel to the terminal axis that is larger than the height of the connector terminal parallel to the terminal axis.
5. The electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the inner housing defines a lock slot, and wherein when the secondary lock is in the lock position, the lock wall is located in the lock slot.
6. The electric connector of claim 5 , wherein when the secondary lock is in the pre-lock position, the lock wall is not located in the lock slot.
7. The electric connector of claim 6 , wherein the lock slot is located a recess distance from the wire opening.
8. The electric connector of claim 5 , wherein the lock slot is located a recess distance from the wire opening.
9. The electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the resilient arm is attached to the inner housing.
10. The electric connector of claim 9 , wherein the primary lock includes a hook that engages an outer edge of the connector terminal.
11. An electric connector comprising:
a housing that defines a wire opening;
a connector terminal located within the housing and positioned to mate with a corresponding terminal on a terminal axis; and
an external electrical connection that is connected to the electric connector along a wire axis; wherein:
the terminal axis is generally perpendicular to the wire axis;
the wire opening has a height parallel to the terminal axis that is larger than a height of the connector terminal parallel to the terminal axis; and
the housing is an outer housing, and further comprising an inner housing, wherein the inner housing defines a wire opening and the connector terminal is positioned within the inner housing through the wire opening; a primary lock retaining the connector terminal within the inner housing; and a secondary lock retaining the connector terminal within the inner housing.
12. The electric connector of claim 11 , wherein the secondary lock includes a lock wall and the secondary lock may be moved between a pre-lock position, wherein the lock wall does not obstruct the wire opening, and a lock position, wherein the lock wall does obstruct a portion of the wire opening.
13. The electric connector of claim 12 , wherein the inner housing defines a lock slot, and wherein when the secondary lock is in the lock position, the lock wall is located in the lock slot.
14. The electric connector of claim 13 , wherein when the secondary lock is in the pre-lock position the lock wall is not located in the lock slot.
15. The electric connector of claim 13 , wherein the lock slot is located a recess distance from the wire opening.
16. The electric connector of claim 15 , wherein the resilient arm includes a resilient arm attached to the inner housing.
17. The electric connector of claim 16 , wherein the primary lock includes a hook that engages an outer edge of the connector terminal.
18. An electric connector comprising:
an outer housing;
an inner housing located within the outer housing and defining a lock slot;
a connector terminal located within the inner housing and positioned to mate with a corresponding terminal on a terminal axis;
a primary lock including a resilient arm attached to the inner housing and a hook that engages an outer edge of the connector terminal to retain the connector terminal within the inner housing;
a secondary lock including a lock wall, the secondary lock movable between a pre-lock position, wherein the lock wall is not located in the lock slot, and a lock position, wherein the lock wall is located in the lock slot to retain the connector terminal within the inner housing; and
a wire that is connected to the connector terminal along a wire axis;
wherein the terminal axis is generally perpendicular to the wire axis.