Power connector having a wire release mechanism

1. A power connector comprising:

a terminal block including terminal channels with separating walls between the terminal channels, the terminal block extending between a front and a rear;

terminals received in the terminal channels, each terminal including a mating end and a terminating end, the mating end configured for mating with a mating terminal, the terminating ends of the terminals configured to be electrically coupled to corresponding wires at separable interfaces, the terminating ends provided at the rear;

a rear insert coupled to the rear and covering the terminating ends of the terminals, the rear insert including wire ports configured to receive the corresponding wires, wherein the wires are configured to be poked into the wire ports to interface with the terminating ends of the terminals;

biasing members associated with the terminals, the biasing members located between the rear of the terminal block and the rear insert, each biasing member including a pusher configured to be biased against the wire to push the wire into direct physical contact with the separable interface at the terminating end of the corresponding terminal; and

a release mechanism including a plurality of pusher release elements, each pusher release element being associated with the pusher of the corresponding biasing member, the release mechanism being actuated to release the pushers of each of the biasing members from the corresponding wires, wherein the release mechanism includes a lever, the lever being actuated by a user to move each of the pusher release elements to release the pushers from the wires.

2. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism moves each of the pushers simultaneously.

3. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism is movable between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the pusher release elements moving each of the pushers when the release mechanism is moved from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

4. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism is slidably coupled to the rear insert, the release mechanism sliding between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the pusher release elements moving each of the pushers when the release mechanism is moved from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

5. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism is rotatably coupled to the rear insert, the release mechanism being rotated from an unactuated position to an actuated position, the pusher release elements moving each of the pushers when the release mechanism is moved from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

6. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the release mechanism includes pockets and separating walls located between the pockets, each pocket receiving one of the corresponding biasing members and the terminating end of one of the corresponding terminals, the pusher release elements extending into the corresponding pockets to engage the corresponding pushers.

7. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the biasing members are cantilevered from the rear of the terminal block, each biasing member including a fixed end coupled to the terminal block and a free end opposite the fixed end, the free end being deflectable relative to the terminal block, the free end defining the corresponding pusher configured to engage the wire poked into the wire port.

8. The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the pusher release elements include wedges angled transverse to the wire poke in direction, the release mechanism being movable relative to the rear insert to drive the wedges into the biasing members to move the biasing members.

9. The power connector of claim 1 , further comprising a cable cover assembly having a chamber receiving the terminal block, the cable cover assembly including a threaded protrusion having a cable bore configured to receive a cable including the wires in a wire bundle, the cable cover assembly including a sealing grommet received in the cable bore to seal between the threaded protrusion and the cable, the cable cover assembly including a sealing nut coupled to the threaded protrusion to clamp the threaded protrusion to the cable.

10. The power connector of claim 1 , further comprising a cable cover assembly having a chamber receiving the terminal block, the cable cover assembly including a front cover and a rear cover separate and discrete from the front cover, the rear cover being coupled to the front cover at a seam, the cable cover assembly including a seal at the seam.

11. The power connector of claim 10 , wherein the front shell is coupled to the rear shell at a hinge.

12. The power connector of claim 10 , wherein the front shell is secured the rear shell using latching features.

13. A power connector comprising:

a terminal block including terminal channels with separating walls between the terminal channels, the terminal block extending between a front and a rear;

terminals received in the terminal channels, each terminal including a mating end and a terminating end, the mating end configured for mating with a mating terminal, the terminating ends of the terminals configured to be electrically coupled to corresponding wires at separable interfaces, the terminating ends provided at the rear;

a rear insert coupled to the rear and covering the terminating ends of the terminals, the rear insert including wire ports configured to receive the corresponding wires, wherein the wires are configured to be poked into the wire ports to interface with the terminating ends of the terminals;

biasing members associated with the terminals, the biasing members located between the rear of the terminal block and the rear insert, each biasing member including a pusher configured to be biased against the wire to push the wire into direct physical contact with the separable interface at the terminating end of the corresponding terminal, wherein the biasing members are cantilevered from the rear of the terminal block, each biasing member including a fixed end coupled to the terminal block and a free end opposite the fixed end, the free end being deflectable relative to the terminal block, the free end defining the corresponding pusher configured to engage the wire poked into the wire port; and

a release mechanism including a plurality of pusher release elements, each pusher release element being associated with the pusher of the corresponding biasing member, the release mechanism being actuated to release the pushers of each of the biasing members from the corresponding wires, wherein the release mechanism is slidably coupled to the rear insert, the release mechanism sliding between an unactuated position and an actuated position, the pusher release elements moving each of the pushers when the release mechanism is moved from the unactuated position to the actuated position.

14. The power connector of claim 13 , wherein the release mechanism moves each of the pushers simultaneously.

15. The power connector of claim 13 , further comprising a cable cover assembly having a chamber receiving the terminal block, the cable cover assembly including a threaded protrusion having a cable bore configured to receive a cable including the wires in a wire bundle, the cable cover assembly including a sealing grommet received in the cable bore to seal between the threaded protrusion and the cable, the cable cover assembly including a sealing nut coupled to the threaded protrusion to clamp the threaded protrusion to the cable.

16. The power connector of claim 13 , wherein the release mechanism includes a lever, the lever being actuated by a user to move each of the pusher release elements to release the pushers from the wires.

17. The power connector of claim 13 , further comprising a cable cover assembly having a chamber receiving the terminal block, the cable cover assembly including a front cover and a rear cover separate and discrete from the front cover, the rear cover being coupled to the front cover at a seam, the cable cover assembly including a seal at the seam.

18. The power connector of claim 17 , wherein the front shell is coupled to the rear shell at a hinge.

19. A power connector comprising:

a terminal block including terminal channels with separating walls between the terminal channels, the terminal block extending between a front and a rear;

terminals received in the terminal channels, each terminal including a mating end and a terminating end, the mating end configured for mating with a mating terminal, the terminating ends of the terminals configured to be electrically coupled to corresponding wires at separable interfaces, the terminating ends provided at the rear;

a rear insert coupled to the rear and covering the terminating ends of the terminals, the rear insert including wire ports configured to receive the corresponding wires, wherein the wires are configured to be poked into the wire ports to interface with the terminating ends of the terminals;

biasing members associated with the terminals, the biasing members located between the rear of the terminal block and the rear insert, each biasing member including a pusher configured to be biased against the wire to push the wire into direct physical contact with the separable interface at the terminating end of the corresponding terminal; and

a release mechanism including a plurality of pusher release elements, each pusher release element being associated with the pusher of the corresponding biasing member, the release mechanism being actuated to release the pushers of each of the biasing members from the corresponding wires; and

a cable cover assembly having a chamber receiving the terminal block, the cable cover assembly including a protrusion having a cable bore configured to receive a cable including the wires in a wire bundle, the wires exiting through the cable bore, the cable cover assembly including a sealing grommet along the cable bore to seal between the protrusion and the cable, the cable cover assembly including a securing feature coupled to the protrusion to clamp the protrusion to the cable.

20. The power connector of claim 19 , wherein the release mechanism moves each of the pushers simultaneously.

21. The power connector of claim 19 , wherein the cable cover assembly includes a front cover and a rear cover separate and discrete from the front cover, the rear cover being coupled to the front cover at a seam, the cable cover assembly including a seal at the seam, the front shell including a front cable seat, the rear shell including a rear cable seat, the power cable being sealed along the front cable seat and the rear cable seat.

22. The power connector of claim 21 , wherein the front shell is coupled to the rear shell at a hinge.