IP Library Granted Patent US 10,573,988
Granted Patent B2
US 10,573,988 · App. 15/867,277 · Granted Feb 25, 2020

Cable assembly with strain relief

Inventors: Michael L. Mellott (Youngstown, OH); Glenn E. Robison (Youngstown, OH); Jannik Renfordt (Solingen, DE)
Assignee: Delphi Technologies, LLC
H01R13/187H01R13/052H01R13/113H01R13/193H01R13/26H01R13/28H01R13/44H01R13/5208H01R13/5219H01R13/53H01R13/5812H01R13/6215H01R24/66H01R43/16H01R13/207H01R13/6335H01R13/6683H01R2201/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,573,988
App. No.
15/867,277
Granted
Feb 25, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A cable assembly includes a cable, a connector-body, a cable-seal, and a retainer. The connector-body is attached to the cable. The cable-seal is disposed within the connector-body and surrounds the cable. The cable-seal is configured to inhibit entry of a contaminant into the connector-body. The retainer is in direct contact with the cable, the connector-body and the cable-seal. The retainer is configured to retain the cable-seal within the connector-body. The retainer is configured to be installed onto the cable and is attached to the connector-body. The retainer contains cable-clamps mounted to a pair of opposed inclined-surfaces located on an inner-surface of the retainer. The cable-clamps include inclined-ramps configured to engage the inclined-surfaces. The inclined-ramps move along the inclined-surfaces, thereby causing the cable-clamps to impart a radial-force normal to the cable when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

Claims (41)

1. A cable assembly, comprising:

a cable;

a connector-body attached to the cable; and

a retainer in direct contact with the cable, the connector-body and a cable-seal;

the retainer configured to retain the cable-seal within the connector-body;

the retainer configured to be installed onto the cable after the cable is attached to the connector-body and further configured to removably attach to an outer surface of the connector-body;

the retainer includes a first-half and an opposed second-half identical to the first-half;

the first-half and opposed second-half each containing cable-clamps;

the cable-clamps longitudinally slideably mounted to a pair of opposed inclined-surfaces located on an inner-surface of the retainer;

the cable-clamps include inclined-ramps configured to engage the inclined-surfaces; wherein

 the inclined-ramps move along the inclined-surfaces, thereby causing the cable-clamps to impart a radial-force normal to the cable when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

2. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retainer is configured to be moved along the cable.

3. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inclined-ramps are oriented generally parallel to the inclined-surfaces.

4. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a leading-edge of the inclined-ramps engage a trailing-edge of the connector-body when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

5. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cable-clamps further include a face extending perpendicular to the longitudinal-axis of the cable, the face configured to engage the cable-seal when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

6. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first-half and the opposed second-half include at least one first-locking-tab on a bottom-side, the at least one first-locking-tab configured to engage a first-locking-ramp on an outer-surface of the connector-body.

7. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first-half and the opposed second-half include at least one second-locking-tab and at least one second-locking-ramp on both a first-side and a second-side opposite the first side of an outer-surface of the first-half and opposing-second-half.

8. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cable assembly further includes a plurality of cables and the retainer further includes a clip-lock disposed between the plurality of cables.

9. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 8 , wherein, the clip-lock includes a first-clip located on the first-half of the retainer and a corresponding second-clip located on the opposed second-half of the retainer, the first-clip and the corresponding second-clip configured to engage one another when the retainer is installed onto the cable.

10. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cable-clamps are moved from a pre-stage position to a clamped-position when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

11. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the cable-clamps are releasably locked in the pre-stage position by locking-features that project from a top-surface of the inclined-ramps.

12. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the locking-features disposed within apertures defined by arms overlaying the inclined-surfaces.

13. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the arms project from a back-side of the retainer.

14. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 12 , wherein the apertures are configured to retain the locking-features when the cable-clamps are moved from the pre-stage position to the clamped-position.

15. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the retainer includes a plurality of terminal position assurance posts (TPA-posts) configured to engage an inner-ferrule disposed within the connector-body, the plurality of TPA-posts extending from a back-side of the retainer parallel to the longitudinal-axis of the cable.

16. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the plurality of TPA-posts pass through passages formed in the cable-seal.

17. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cable-clamps engage the cable for a length of between 75% to 85% of an outer-diameter dimension of the cable.

18. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cable-clamps define a contact-surface, the contact-surface in direct contact with the cable, the contact-surface defines a plurality of grooves extending below the contact-surface, whereby a portion of an outer-jacket of the cable is disposed within the plurality of grooves when the cable-clamps impart the radial-force.

19. A cable assembly, comprising:

a cable;

a connector-body;

a cable-seal; and

a two-piece retainer in direct contact with the cable, the connector-body and the cable-seal; the two-piece retainer configured to retain the cable-seal within the connector-body and configured to be installed after the cable is attached to the connector-body;

the two-piece retainer containing cable-clamps mounted to an inner-surface of the two-piece retainer;

the cable-clamps imparting a radial-force normal to the cable when the two-piece retainer is attached to the connector-body;

the cable-clamps including inclined-ramps configured to engage inclined-surfaces defined by the inner-surface, and wherein the inclined-ramps move along the inclined-surfaces; wherein

the cable-clamps are releasably locked in a pre-stage position by locking-features that project from a top-surface of inclined-ramps.

20. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the locking-features are disposed within apertures defined by arms overlaying the inclined-surfaces.

21. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 20 , wherein the arms project from a back-side of the retainer.

22. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 20 , wherein the apertures are configured to retain the locking-features when the cable-clamps are moved from a pre-stage position to the clamped-position.

23. The cable assembly in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the cable-clamps are moved from the pre-stage position to a clamped-position when the retainer is attached to the connector-body.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 11, 2024
From: APTIV MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT SERVICES S.À R.L.
To: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES AG
Reel/Frame 066551/0219 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 11, 2024
From: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES (2) S.À R.L.
To: APTIV MANUFACTURING MANAGEMENT SERVICES S.À R.L.
Reel/Frame 066566/0173 →
ENTITY CONVERSION Recorded Feb 11, 2024
From: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
To: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES (2) S.À R.L.
Reel/Frame 066746/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 27, 2020
From: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: APTIV TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
Reel/Frame 052044/0428 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2018
From: MELLOTT, MICHAEL L.; ROBISON, GLENN E.; RENFORDT, JANNIK
To: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 045040/0322 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62539656 · Aug 1, 2017
Related Publication 20190044277A1 · Feb 7, 2019
Cited By (7)
US 12,237,626 US 12,444,879 US 12,456,563 US 12,580,102 US 12,597,747 US 12,633,702 US 12,687,209