Power receptacle assembly and method of assembling a power receptacle assembly

A power receptacle assembly comprising:

• a receptacle housing having housing walls forming a cavity, the receptacle housing extending between a front and a rear, the receptacle housing having a front opening at the front configured to receive a mating power contact, the receptacle housing having a rear opening at the rear, the receptacle housing including a power cable exit;
• a power cable extending from the power cable exit;
• a power terminal received in the cavity through the rear opening and entirely positioned forward of the rear of the receptacle housing, the power terminal having a socket at a mating end configured to be mated with the mating power contact, the power terminal including a crimp barrel crimped to the power cable;
• and
• a rear cover including a cover panel and a protrusion protruding forward of the cover panel, the cover panel configured to be coupled to the rear of the receptacle housing to cover the rear opening, the protrusion extending into the cavity to interface with the power terminal in the cavity, the rear cover being fed on a carrier strip with a plurality of the rear covers with connecting strips between the rear covers, wherein the rear cover is configured to be singulated from the connecting strips to separate the rear cover from the carrier strip for coupling to the rear of the receptacle housing, wherein the rear cover includes a terminal position assurance (TPA) element, the TPA element received in the cavity, the TPA element including a terminal interface configured to interface with the power terminal and assure proper positioning of the power terminal in the cavity, the TPA element limits the rear cover from coupling to the receptacle housing if the power terminal is only partially loaded into the cavity to provide a visual indication to the installer that the power terminal is not fully loaded into the receptacle housing.

A method of assembling a power receptacle assembly, the method comprising:

• providing a receptacle housing having housing walls forming a cavity, the receptacle housing extending between a front and a rear, the receptacle housing having a front opening at the front configured to receive a mating power contact, the receptacle housing having a rear opening at the rear, the receptacle housing including a power cable exit;
• loading a power terminal in the cavity through the rear opening such that a socket of the power terminal faces the front opening for mating with the mating power contact and such that a crimp barrel of the power terminal faces the rear opening, the power terminal received in the cavity through the rear opening such that the power terminal is entirely positioned forward of the rear of the receptacle housing;
• presenting a carrier strip having a plurality of rear covers connected in series by connecting strips, each rear cover including a cover panel and a protrusion protruding forward of the cover panel;
• singulating one of the rear covers from the carrier strip by separating the rear cover from the connecting strips;
• and
• coupling the separated rear cover to the rear of the receptacle housing such that the cover panel covers the rear opening to hold the power terminal in the cavity and such that the protrusion extends into the cavity to interface with the power terminal in the cavity, wherein the rear cover is coupled to the rear of the receptacle housing such that a terminal position assurance (TPA) element, extending from an inner surface of the rear cover, is loaded into the cavity, the TPA element including a terminal interface configured to interface with the power terminal and assure proper positioning of the power terminal in the cavity, wherein the TPA element limits the rear cover from coupling to the receptacle housing if the power terminal is only partially loaded into the cavity to provide a visual indication to the installer that the power terminal is not fully loaded into the receptacle housing.