IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,567,704
Granted Patent B2
US 12,567,704 · App. 18/492,414 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Power connector

Inventors: Emma L. Workman (Middletown, PA); David Swartz (Middletown, PA); Vinayakumar Shettar (Middletown, PA); Alexander Brong (Middletown, PA)
Assignee: TE Connectivity Solutions GmbH
H01R13/641H01R13/5205H01R13/58H01R13/521
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,567,704
App. No.
18/492,414
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A power connector includes a housing that extends between a mating end and a wire end. The mating end configured to be mated with a mating power connector. The housing includes a terminal channel. The housing includes a chamber at the wire end. The power connector includes a terminal received in the terminal channel. The terminal includes a mating end configured to be mated to a mating terminal of the mating power connector. The terminal includes a terminating end terminated to a power wire. The power wire extends from the wire end of the housing. The power connector includes a TPA device received in the chamber. The TPA device includes a terminal blocking element rearward of the terminal for blocking and position assurance of the terminal in the terminal channel. The TPA device includes a sealing element for sealing the chamber of the housing.

Claims (32)

1 . A power connector comprising:

a housing extending between a mating end and a wire end, the mating end configured to be mated with a mating power connector, the housing including a terminal channel, the housing including a chamber at the wire end;

a terminal received in the terminal channel, the terminal including a mating end configured to be mated to a mating terminal of the mating power connector, the terminal including a terminating end terminated to a power wire, the power wire extending from the wire end of the housing; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the chamber, the TPA device including a terminal blocking element rearward of the terminal for blocking and position assurance of the terminal in the terminal channel, the TPA device including a sealing element for sealing the chamber of the housing.

2 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the sealing element engages the housing in the chamber to seal the TPA device to the housing.

3 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein sealing element includes an interference ribs engaging the housing by an interference fit.

4 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the sealing element includes a circumferential band surrounding an exterior of the TPA device to engage an interior surface of the housing to seal the TPA device to the housing.

5 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the TPA device includes a wire channel receiving the power wire, the TPA device sealed to the power wire passing through the wire channel.

6 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the TPA device further comprises a wire seal sealed to the power wire.

7 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the TPA device includes a TPA base having a wire channel, the TPA base including a seal pocket, the TPA device including a wire seal received in the seal pocket, the wire seal being sealed between the power wire in the TPA base.

8 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the TPA device includes a TPA base having a wire channel receiving the power wire and a cover to close the wire channel.

9 . The power connector of claim 8 , wherein the cover is hingedly coupled to the TPA base.

10 . The power connector of claim 8 , wherein the cover is latchably coupled to the TPA base.

11 . The power connector of claim 8 , wherein the TPA base includes a slot at a top of the TPA base open to the wire channel, the wire being loaded into the wire channel through the slot, the cover including a plug plugged into the slot to close the slot.

12 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the terminal channel is one of a plurality of terminal channels and the terminal is one of a plurality of terminals received in the corresponding terminal channels, the terminal blocking element being one of a plurality of terminal blocking elements received in the corresponding terminal channels to block and assure position of the corresponding terminals.

13 . The power connector of claim 12 , wherein the sealing element of the TPA device provides sealing around all of the terminals within the chamber of the housing.

14 . The power connector of claim 12 , wherein the cable is one of a plurality of cables terminated to the corresponding terminals, the TPA device including a wire seal sealed between the TPA device and the plurality of the cables.

15 . The power connector of claim 1 , wherein the TPA device includes a latch latchably coupled to the housing.

16 . A power connector comprising:

a housing extending between a mating end and a wire end, the mating end configured to be mated with a mating power connector, the housing including a terminal channel, the housing including a chamber at the wire end;

a terminal received in the terminal channel, the terminal including a mating end configured to be mated to a mating terminal of the mating power connector, the terminal including a terminating end terminated to a power wire, the power wire extending from the wire end of the housing; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the chamber, the TPA device including a terminal blocking element rearward of the terminal for blocking and position assurance of the terminal in the terminal channel, the TPA device including a sealing element for sealing the chamber of the housing, the TPA device including a wire seal configured to be sealed between the TPA device and the power wire.

17 . The power connector of claim 16 , wherein the sealing element engages the housing in the chamber to seal the TPA device to the housing.

18 . The power connector of claim 16 , wherein the TPA device includes a TPA base having a wire channel, the TPA base including a seal pocket, the wire seal received in the seal pocket, the wire seal being sealed between the power wire in the TPA base.

19 . The power connector of claim 16 , wherein the TPA device includes a TPA base having a wire channel receiving the power wire and a cover to close the wire channel.

20 . A power connector comprising:

a housing extending between a mating end and a wire end, the mating end configured to be mated with a mating power connector, the housing including a terminal channel, the housing including a chamber at the wire end;

a terminal received in the terminal channel, the terminal including a mating end configured to be mated to a mating terminal of the mating power connector, the terminal including a terminating end terminated to a power wire, the power wire extending from the wire end of the housing; and

a terminal position assurance (TPA) device received in the chamber, the TPA device including a TPA base including a wire channel configured to receive the power wire, the TPA base including a sealing element for sealing the chamber of the housing, the TPA device including a terminal blocking element rearward of the terminal for blocking and position assurance of the terminal in the terminal channel, the TPA device including a cover coupled to the TPA base to close the wire channel.

21 . The power connector of claim 20 , wherein the sealing element engages the housing in the chamber to seal the TPA device to the housing.

22 . The power connector of claim 20 , wherein the TPA base includes a seal pocket, the TPA device including a wire seal received in the seal pocket, the wire seal being sealed between the power wire in the TPA base.

23 . The power connector of claim 20 , wherein the TPA base includes a slot at a top of the TPA base open to the wire channel, the wire being loaded into the wire channel through the slot, the cover including a plug plugged into the slot to close the slot.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 24, 2023
From: WORKMAN, EMMA L.; SWARTZ, DAVID; SHETTAR, VINAYAKUMAR; BRONG, ALEXANDER
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 065318/0903 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250132523A1 · Apr 24, 2025
References Cited (3)
US 6402573B1 · Yeomans · 2002 [cited by examiner]
US 10355393B2 · Yi · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 11031719B2 · Somanathapura Ramanna · 2021 [cited by examiner]