Connector-assembly with strain-relief-device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10734758-B2
Application number	US-201816059092-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2018
Priority date	Aug 9, 2018
Publication date	Aug 4, 2020
Grant date	Aug 4, 2020

Abstract

A connector assembly includes, a connector-body, a dress-cover, a strain-relief-device, and a housing. The a connector-body retains electrical-terminals connected to cables enclosed in conduit. The dress-cover is attached to the connector-body and routes the cables. The dress-cover has sides and a base that receive the connector-body. The strain-relief-device is attached to the dress-cover. The strain-relief-device has a close-out panel having opposed side-edges, a top-edge and a bottom-edge. The housing has walls and a bottom configured to receive the connector-body, the dress-cover, and the strain-relief-device. The walls define a slot, and the connector-body, dress-cover, and a portion of the strain-relief-device are disposed within the slot. The walls have opposing-channels on a first-side and a second-side of the slot and terminate at the stops. The opposing-channels slideably engage the opposed side-edges. The bottom-edge engages the stops when the connector-body, the dress-cover and the portion of the strain-relief-device are disposed within the slot.

First claim

We claim:

1. A connector assembly, comprising:
a connector-body having a terminal-end and a wire-end, the connector-body configured to retain a plurality of electrical-terminals, the plurality of electrical-terminals connected to a plurality of cables, the plurality of cables extending beyond the wire-end and enclosed in a conduit;
a dress-cover removably attached to the connector-body, the dress-cover configured to direct a routing of the plurality of cables, the dress-cover having sides and a base defining a first-aperture configured to receive the connector-body, the base defining a second-aperture through which the plurality of cables extend;
a strain-relief-device removably attached one side of the dress-cover, the strain-relief-device having a first-half and a second-half removably attached to the first-half, the strain-relief-device in compressive contact with an outer-surface of the conduit, the strain-relief-device having a close-out panel having a generally rectilinear-shape, the close-out panel having opposed side-edges, a top-edge and a bottom-edge opposite the top-edge; and
a housing configured to attach to a vehicle-body, the housing having walls and a bottom defining a cavity, the cavity configured to receive the connector-body, the dress-cover, and the strain-relief-device, the walls defining a slot extending into the cavity, the connector-body, the dress-cover and a portion of the strain-relief-device disposed within the slot, the walls having opposing-channels on a first-side and a second-side of the slot, the opposing-channels extending along the walls parallel to a mating-axis of the connector assembly and terminating at a bottom-channel proximate to the bottom of the housing, the opposing-channels configured to slideably engage the opposed side-edges of the strain-relief-device, wherein the bottom-edge of the strain-relief-device engages the bottom-channel when the connector-body, the dress-cover and the portion of the strain-relief-device are disposed within the slot, thereby inhibiting contamination from entering the slot.

2. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the walls of the housing include flexible-locks configured to releasably lock the dress-cover when the bottom-edge of the strain-relief-device engages the bottom-channel.

3. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the opposing-channels define entrances that include chamfers, the chamfers configured to enable an angled-insertion of the opposed side-edges into the opposing-channels.

4. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the strain-relief-device includes ridges configured to engage grooves defined by the outer-surface of the conduit.

5. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the first-half of the strain-relief-device is formed integral to the dress-cover.

6. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the dress-cover routes the plurality of cables through the sides of the housing.

7. A connector assembly, comprising:
a connector-body having a terminal-end and a wire-end;
a plurality of electrical-terminals connected to a plurality of cables, the plurality of cables enclosed in a conduit;
a dress-cover removably attached to the connector-body defining a first-aperture configured to receive the connector-body and a second-aperture through which the plurality of cables extend;
a strain-relief-device removably attached to the dress-cover, the strain-relief-device having a close-out panel; and
a housing defining a cavity configured to receive the connector-body, the dress-cover, and the strain-relief-device, the housing defining a slot extending into the cavity, the connector-body, the dress-cover and a portion of the strain-relief-device disposed within the slot, the housing having opposing-channels on each side of the slot which extend parallel to a mating-axis of the connector assembly and terminate at a bottom-channel proximate to the bottom of the housing, the opposing-channels configured to slideably engage the strain-relief-device, wherein the strain-relief-device engages the bottom-channel when the connector-body, the dress-cover and the portion of the strain-relief-device are disposed within the slot.

8. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the housing includes flexible-locks configured to releasably lock the dress-cover when the strain-relief-device engages the bottom-channel.

9. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the opposing-channels define entrances that include chamfers configured to enable an angled-insertion of the close-out panel into the opposing-channels.

10. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the strain-relief-device includes ridges configured to engage grooves defined by the conduit.

11. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the portion of the strain-relief-device is formed integral to the dress-cover.

12. The connector assembly in accordance with claim 7 , wherein the dress-cover routes the plurality of cables through the housing.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Llc
• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Sifuentes Jose F
• Hernandez Marcelino
• Morales Jesus R

Classifications

• H01R13/516

  Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing {, hoods} · CPC title

• H01R13/5804 Primary

  comprising a separate cable clamping part (H01R13/5841 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01R13/5812 Primary

  the cable clamping being achieved by mounting the separate part on the housing of the coupling device · CPC title

• H01R13/514

  composed as a modular blocks or assembly, i.e. composed of co-operating parts provided with contact members or holding contact members between them · CPC title