Electrical connector protector plate with terminal position assurance
AssigneeLear Corporation
InventorsDeborah Probert, David Menzies, Lewis Galligan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A protector plate for use with an electrical connector has a protector body. The protector body has a front plate face and an opposed back plate face. The protector plate includes one or more terminal openings that pass through the protector body. A plurality of staged locks are attached to the protector body for relative rotational movement. The staged locks extend beyond the front plate face. The staged locks also extend beyond the back plate face.
Claims21
A protector plate for use with an electrical connector, the protector plate comprising:
- a protector body having a front plate face and an opposed back plate face;
- one or more terminal openings that pass through the protector body;
- and a plurality of staged locks attached to the protector body for relative rotational movement, the staged locks extending beyond the front plate face and also extending beyond the back plate face,
- wherein:
- one or more protector plate locks extend from the back plate face, and one or more towers extend from the front plate face.
A connector assembly comprising:
- a housing;
- and
- a protector plate including a protector body having a front plate face and an opposed back plate face, one or more terminal openings that pass through the protector body, a plurality of staged locks attached to the protector body for relative rotational movement, the staged locks extending beyond the front plate face and also extending beyond the back plate face, and a secondary lock that extends from the back plate face;
- the protector plate movable relative to the housing in a mate direction from a pre-stage position to a pre-lock position wherein the protector plate is retained relative to the housing against further movement in the mate direction by the staged lock.
An electrical connector assembly comprising:
- a first connector assembly, including a first housing and a protector plate, the protector plate movable relative to the first housing in a mate direction from a pre-stage position to a pre-lock position wherein a staged lock on the protector plate engages a stop on the first housing to retain the protector plate against further movement in the mate direction relative to the first housing;
- and
- a second connector assembly;
- wherein the second connector assembly is movable relative to the first connector assembly to engage a release surface on the staged lock to move the staged lock in a release direction to release the protector plate from the stop.
A protector plate for use with an electrical connector, the protector plate comprising:
- a. protector body having a front plate face and an opposed back plate face;
- one or more terminal openings that pass through the protector body;
- and
- plurality of staged locks attached to the protector body for relative rotational movement the staged locks extending beyond the front plate face and also extending beyond the back plate face,
- wherein the staged locks include a head located on one side of the protector plate and a foot located on the opposite side of the protector plate and wherein the head includes a release surface and a shoulder located on one side of the protector plate and a foot located on the opposite side of the protector plate.
A protector plate for use with an electrical connector, the protector plate comprising:
- a protector body having a front plate face and an opposed back plate face;
- one or more terminal openings that pass through the protector body;
- and
- a plurality of staged locks attached to the protector body for relative rotational movement, the staged locks extending beyond the front plate face and also extending beyond the back plate face, wherein secondary locks extend from the back plate face.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.