Wire cable assembly having a terminal with an encapsulated wire end

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9356438-B2
Application number	US-201414191563-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 27, 2014
Priority date	Feb 27, 2014
Publication date	May 31, 2016
Grant date	May 31, 2016

Abstract

A wire cable assembly includes a terminal having a termination segment attached to an end of a wire cable, a connection segment configured to attach to a mating terminal, and a transition segment intermediate the termination segment and the connection segment. The transition segment of the terminal has a generally rectangular cross section and a recess defined in at least one distal edge and preferably both distal edges of the transition segment. The recess may alternatively be characterized as a concavity, notch, hollow, or indentation. A sealant is applied to the transition segment and a sleeve encloses at least a portion of the termination segment, the end of the wire cable, and at least a portion of the transition segment. The sealant fills the recess(es) and blocks a leak path between the sleeve and the distal edge. The sleeve may be a section of dual wall heat shrink tubing.

First claim

We claim:

1. A wire cable assembly, comprising:
a wire cable;
a wire cable terminal having
a termination segment attached to an end of the wire cable,
a connection segment configured to attach to a mating terminal, and
a transition segment intermediate the termination segment and the connection segment, said transition segment having a generally rectangular cross section, wherein a recess is defined in at least one distal edge of the transition segment;

a sealant applied to at least the transition segment; and
a sleeve enclosing at least a portion of the termination segment, the end of the wire cable, and at least a portion of the transition segment, wherein the transition segment defines a plurality of recesses, wherein at least one recess in the plurality of recesses is defined in each distal edge of the transition segment, and wherein a portion of the sealant is disposed within the plurality of recesses.

2. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sleeve encloses the plurality of recesses.

3. A wire cable assembly, comprising:
a wire cable;
a wire cable terminal having
a termination segment attached to an end of the wire cable,
a connection segment configured to attach to a mating terminal, and
a transition segment intermediate the termination segment and the connection segment, said transition segment having a generally rectangular cross section, wherein a recess is defined in at least one distal edge of the transition segment;

a sealant applied to at least the transition segment; and
a sleeve enclosing at least a portion of the termination segment, the end of the wire cable, and at least a portion of the transition segment, wherein the transition segment defines a plurality of recesses, wherein at least one recess in the plurality of recesses is defined in each distal edge of the transition segment, and wherein at least a first recess in the plurality of recesses is longitudinally offset from a second recess in the plurality of recesses.

4. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the sleeve is formed of a dual wall heat-shrink material.

5. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the wire cable is attached to the termination segment using an ultrasonic welding process.

6. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the recess is characterized as having a generally constant radius.

7. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the wire cable assembly is configured to use in a motor vehicle.

8. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the sleeve is formed of a dual wall heat-shrink material.

9. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the wire cable is attached to the termination segment using an ultrasonic welding process.

10. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the recess is characterized as having a generally constant radius.

11. The wire cable assembly in accordance with claim 3 , wherein the wire cable assembly is configured to use in a motor vehicle.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Seifert Kurt Paul
• Chernushin Shawn A

Classifications

• H02G15/04 Primary

  Cable-end sealings · CPC title

• H01R11/12

  End pieces terminating in an eye, hook, or fork · CPC title

• H01R4/72 Primary

  using a heat shrinking insulating sleeve · CPC title

• H01R4/625

  Soldered or welded connections · CPC title

• H01R11/28 Primary

  End pieces consisting of a ferrule or sleeve · CPC title