Electrical connector with terminal retainer and method for manufacturing same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12413017-B2
Application number	US-202318119341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2023
Priority date	Mar 28, 2022
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

An electrical connector includes an integrally formed cylindrical housing and a cylindrical spring lock retainer disposed within a cavity in the housing and defining a spring member and a terminal lock. The electrical connector further includes an annular ridge protruding from inner walls of the housing into the cavity and a plurality of spring lock retainer stops extending from the inner walls into the cavity and arranged around a circumference of the spring lock retainer. The annular ridge is arranged on a first end of the spring lock retainer and the plurality of spring lock retainer stops are arranged on a second end of the spring lock retainer opposite the first end. A method of manufacturing such an electrical connector is also presented.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coaxial electrical connector, comprising:
an integrally formed cylindrical housing;
a cylindrical spring lock retainer disposed within a cavity in the housing and defining a spring member, and a terminal lock, and a plurality of retention barbs that extend outwardly from the spring lock retainer and are configured to be in an interference fit with inner walls of the housing;
an annular ridge protruding from the inner walls of the housing into the cavity; and
a plurality of spring lock retainer stops extending from the inner walls into the cavity and arranged around a circumference of the spring lock retainer, wherein the annular ridge is arranged on a first end of the spring lock retainer and the plurality of spring lock retainer stops are arranged on a second end of the spring lock retainer opposite the first end.

2. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising a pair of locating grooves in the inner walls located opposite one another and configured to allow a tool to push the spring lock retainer into proximity with the annular ridge.

3. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of spring lock retainer stops is cold formed by deforming grooved portions of the inner walls.

4. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the housing is formed of a cold formable polymer material.

5. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the inner walls define a longitudinal ridge that is received within a slot in the spring lock retainer.

6. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 5 , wherein edges of the slot define a plurality of barbs in an interference fit with the longitudinal ridge.

7. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
a coaxial cable terminated by a coaxial terminal having a plurality of annular ridges received within the spring lock retainer, wherein the terminal lock engages one of the annular ridges in the plurality of annular ridges and wherein the spring member and the terminal lock cooperate to retain a terminal within the cavity.

8. The coaxial electrical connector in accordance with claim 7 , further comprising:
an annular cable seal surrounding the coaxial cable and disposed within the cavity; and
a seal retainer disposed within the cavity, wherein the cable seal and the seal retainer cooperate to maintain engagement of the terminal lock with the one of the annular ridges in the plurality of annular ridges.

9. A coaxial electrical connector, comprising:
an integrally formed cylindrical housing;
a cylindrical spring lock retainer disposed within a cavity in the housing and defining a spring member and a terminal lock;
a first annular ridge protruding from inner walls of the housing into the cavity;
a second annular ridge protruding from the inner walls of the housing into the cavity that is arranged on the second end of the spring lock retainer, a height of the second annular ridge being less than a height of the first annular ridge; and
a plurality of spring lock retainer stops extending from the inner walls into the cavity and arranged around a circumference of the spring lock retainer, wherein the annular ridge is arranged on a first end of the spring lock retainer and the plurality of spring lock retainer stops are arranged on a second end of the spring lock retainer opposite the first end.

10. A method of manufacturing a coaxial electrical connector, comprising:
inserting a cylindrical spring lock retainer defining a spring member, a terminal lock, and a plurality of retention barbs that extend outwardly from the spring lock retainer within a cavity in an integrally formed cylindrical housing;
pushing the spring lock retainer into proximity of an annular ridge protruding from inner walls of the housing into the cavity;
placing the plurality of retention barbs in an interference fit with the inner walls as the spring lock retainer is pushed into proximity of the annular ridge; and
forming a plurality of spring lock retainer stops extending from the inner walls into the cavity by deforming the inner walls using a cold forming process, wherein the annular ridge is arranged on a first end of the spring lock retainer and the plurality of spring lock retainer stops are arranged on a second end of the spring lock retainer opposite the first end.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein forming the plurality of spring lock retainer stops further includes deforming grooved portions of the inner walls.

12. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the plurality of spring lock retainer stops are formed in a temperature range of about 20° C. to 25° C.

13. The method in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the plurality of spring lock retainer stops is formed by a tool having a concave forming surface.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11 , wherein pushing the spring lock retainer into proximity of the annular ridge protruding from inner walls of the housing into the cavity further comprises disposing a tool in a pair of locating grooves in the inner walls located opposite one another and pushing the tool until it is stopped by end walls of the locating grooves, thereby pushing the spring lock retainer into proximity with the annular ridge.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising:
aligning a slot in the spring lock retainer with a longitudinal ridge projecting into the cavity; and
receiving the longitudinal ridge within the slot as the spring lock retainer is pushed into proximity of the annular ridge.

16. The method in accordance with claim 15 , wherein edges of the slot have a plurality of retention barbs, wherein the method further comprises placing the plurality of barbs in an interference fit with the longitudinal ridge as the spring lock retainer is pushed into proximity of the annular ridge.

17. The method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising:
inserting a coaxial cable terminated by a coaxial terminal having a plurality of annular ridges within the spring lock retainer at an acute angle to a longitudinal axis of the spring lock retainer until the terminal lock engages one of the annular ridges in the plurality of annular ridges; and
arranging the coaxial terminal and coaxial cable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the spring lock retainer, thereby retaining the terminal within the cavity via cooperation of the terminal lock and the spring member.

18. The method in accordance with claim 17 , further comprising:
inserting the coaxial cable within an annular cable seal surrounding the coaxial cable;
disposing the cable seal within the cavity; and
inserting a seal retainer within the cavity, wherein the cable seal and seal retainer cooperate to maintain the parallel arrangement of the coaxial terminal and coaxial cable with the longitudinal axis of the spring lock retainer.

Assignees

• Aptiv Technologies AG

Inventors

• Morello John
• Rainey James M
• Ragalyi Steven P

Classifications

• H01R13/4362

  comprising a temporary and a final locking position · CPC title

• H01R13/5202

  Sealing means between parts of housing or between housing part and a wall, e.g. sealing rings · CPC title

• H01R13/641

  by indicating incorrect coupling; by indicating correct or full engagement · CPC title

• H01R2103/00

  Two poles · CPC title

• H01R13/5205

  Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet (H01R13/5221 takes precedence) · CPC title