# US 10,312,624 B1 · Connector with primary lock reinforcement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,312,624 B1 - Document ID: US10312624B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/957,992 - Filed: 2018-04-20 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-04-20 - Assignees: Delphi Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Delphi Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Darien Aguilar Baza - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312624B1 ## CPC - H01R 13/4361: {Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion} - H01R 13/428: by resilient locking means on the contact members; by locking means on resilient contact members - H01R 13/50: formed as an integral body (H01R13/514 takes precedence) - H01R 13/62: Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement - H01R 13/422: Securing in resilient one-piece base or case, {e.g. by friction}; One-piece base or case formed with resilient locking means - H01R: ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS ## Abstract An electrical connector includes an electrical-terminal, a connector-housing, and a primary-lock-reinforcement. The electrical-terminal is configured to receive a corresponding electrical-terminal. The connector-housing defines a first-aperture, a second-aperture, and a body. The connector-housing is configured to receive the electrical-terminal through the first-aperture along a longitudinal-axis of the connector-housing. The body defines a cavity having a cantilevered terminal-lock. The cantilevered terminal-lock terminates proximate an outer-wall of the body. The cantilevered terminal-lock is configured to releasably retain the electrical-terminal. The outer-wall defines an orifice positioned proximate a terminus of the cantilevered terminal-lock. The primary-lock-reinforcement is configured to support the terminus of the cantilevered terminal-lock. When the primary-lock-reinforcement is moved from a pre-stage-position to a seated-position the terminus is inhibited from deflecting away from the electrical-terminal along a mating-axis thereby sealing the orifice. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrical connector assembly, comprising: an electrical-terminal configured to receive a corresponding electrical-terminal; a connector-housing defining a first-aperture, a second-aperture, and a body, said connector-housing configured to receive the electrical-terminal through the first-aperture along a longitudinal-axis of the connector-housing, said body defining a cavity having a cantilevered terminal-lock disposed within and attached to a base of the body, said cantilevered terminal-lock extending along the longitudinal-axis and terminating proximate an outer-wall of the body, said cantilevered terminal-lock configured to releasably retain the electrical-terminal such that the electrical-terminal is positioned to receive the corresponding electrical-terminal through the second-aperture along a mating-axis of the electrical-terminal, said outer-wall defining an orifice positioned proximate a terminus of the cantilevered terminal-lock; and a primary-lock-reinforcement configured to support the terminus of the cantilevered terminal-lock, wherein when the primary-lock-reinforcement is moved from a pre-stage-position to a seated-position the terminus is inhibited from deflecting away from the electrical-terminal along the mating-axis thereby sealing the orifice. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mating-axis of the electrical-terminal is orthogonal to the longitudinal-axis, and wherein the outer-wall is adjacent both the first-aperture and the second-aperture and aligned parallel to the longitudinal-axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the mating-axis of the electrical-terminal is orthogonal to the longitudinal-axis, and wherein the outer-wall is opposite the first-aperture and adjacent the second-aperture and aligned orthogonal to the longitudinal-axis. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 3, wherein the connector-housing includes a pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams that extend beyond the outer-wall along the longitudinal-axis, and wherein the primary-lock-reinforcement includes retention-features projecting from an outer-surface orthogonal to the longitudinal-axis, said retention-features configured to releasably retain the primary-lock-reinforcement between the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams in the pre-stage-position. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 4, wherein when the primary-lock-reinforcement is moved from the pre-stage-position to the seated-position the retention-features are disposed within an arc defined by the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the retention-features are configured to produce a vibratory-response when the primary-lock-reinforcement is moved from the pre-stage-position to the seated-position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 6, wherein the primary-lock-reinforcement is configured to provide an engagement-force of at least 10 Newtons to move the primary-lock-reinforcement from the pre-stage-position to the seated-position. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 5, wherein the retention-features define a first-pair of opposed arms extending from the outer-surface located in a first-plane, and further define a second-pair of opposed arms extending from the outer-surface located in a second-plane, said first-plane and said second-plane parallel to one another and orthogonal to the longitudinal-axis. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein the first-pair of opposed arms are disposed within the arc defined by the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams, and wherein the second-pair of opposed arms are disposed outside the arc defined by the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams, when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the pre-stage-position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 9, wherein the second-pair of opposed arms define a lead-angle on edges of the second-pair of opposed arms, said edges in contact with the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 10, wherein the lead-angle is characterized as by an angle between about 15-degrees and about 20-degrees. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 8, wherein the second-pair of opposed arms are disposed within the arc defined by the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the seated-position, whereby the pair of opposed arcuate flexible-beams exert a retention-force on the second-pair of opposed arms. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 12, wherein the retention-force is at least 10 Newtons. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 1, wherein the primary-lock-reinforcement includes a sealing-ridge projecting beyond a perimeter-surface, said sealing-ridge configured to forcibly engage a perimeter-wall of the orifice when the primary-lock-reinforcement is moved from the pre-stage-position to the seated-position. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the sealing-ridge is formed integral to the perimeter-surface. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the primary-lock-reinforcement includes a plurality of sealing-ridges. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 16, wherein the plurality of sealing-ridges are disposed within the orifice when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the seated-position. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein the sealing-ridge is characterized as having a radius in a range of 0.2 mm to 1.5 mm. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 18, wherein the sealing-ridge is compressed to a height less than the radius when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the seated-position. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The electrical connector assembly in accordance with claim 14, wherein a portion of the perimeter-surface extends into the orifice when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the pre-stage-position, and wherein the sealing-ridge is disposed within the orifice when the primary-lock-reinforcement is in the seated-position.