Electric connector with a terminal interface
View Patent ↗A method of assembling an electrical connector includes inserting an electric terminal with an attached wire to an initially inserted position in a wire opening defined by a connector body. The electric terminal is moved through the wire opening in an insertion direction relative to the connector body. The electric terminal is attached to the connector body in a seated position, wherein the wire is coaxial with the wire opening.
1. A method of assembling an electric connector, comprising the steps of:
inserting an electric terminal with an attached wire that defines a wire axis to an initially inserted position in a wire opening in a connector body that defines a wire opening axis;
initially moving the electric terminal in an insertion direction relative to the connector body through the wire opening within the connector body such that the wire axis is not coaxial with the wire opening axis;
subsequently moving the electric terminal relative to the connector body to a seated position, wherein the wire axis is coaxial with the wire opening axis; and
attaching the electric terminal to the connector body to form an electric connector;
wherein the step of subsequently moving the electric terminal relative to the seated position is performed by moving the electric terminal in a seat direction that is parallel to a terminal axis of the electric terminal; and
wherein the seat direction is perpendicular to the insertion direction.
2. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the electric terminal is a female electric terminal.
3. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the electric connector is a right-angle connector.
4. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , further comprising, after moving the electric terminal in a seat direction relative to the connector body and before attaching the electric terminal to the connector body in a seated position, the step of moving the electric terminal further in the insertion direction relative to the connector body.
5. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 4 , further comprising, after moving the electric terminal further in the insertion direction relative to the connector body and before attaching the electric terminal to the connector body, the step of moving the electric terminal in the direction opposite the seat direction relative to the connector body.
6. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the wire is inserted into the wire opening after the electric terminal.
7. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein attaching the electric terminal to the connector body in a seated position includes inserting a positioning post on the connector body into a positioning hole defined by the electric terminal.
8. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein when the electric terminal is in the seated position, the electric terminal is located on a cradle on the connector body.
9. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 8 , wherein the cradle includes cooperating features to position the electric terminal relative to the connector body.
10. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal includes a termination offset that positions the wire so that it is coaxial with the wire opening.
11. The method of assembling an electric connector of claim 10 , wherein the termination offset is a bend in the electric terminal in a direction parallel to a terminal axis of the electric terminal.