Electrical connector for fuel injector and terminals therefor

An electrical connector assembly including an insulator housing having a forward mating end, a rearward terminal receiving end and first and second terminal cavities extending between the forward and rearward ends for receiving first and second terminals respectively, locking means for lockingly engaging the first and second terminals respectively upon complete insertion of said terminals into said first and second terminal cavities, and a TPA component for assuring complete insertion of said terminals in said cavities, the improvement in said electrical connector assembly comprising:

• said locking means including first and second rearwardly extending deflectable locking levers cantilevered into said first and second terminal cavities respectively and being spaced from one another in their undeflected conditions, said first and second rearwardly extending deflectable locking levers being configured to deflect toward one another during insertion of the respective first and second terminals into the rearward end of the insulator housing and returning to their undeflected condition upon complete insertion of the respective first and second terminals for securely locking the terminals in the insulator housing, such that the deflection of said first rearwardly extending deflectable locking lever corresponding to incomplete insertion of the first terminal prevents deflection of the second locking lever and thereby preventing insertion of the second terminal;
• first and second mounting means for mounting said TPA component in alternate respective first and second positions on the rearward terminal receiving end of said insulator housing;
• first and second terminal alignment apertures in the TPA component for aligning the first and second terminals with the respective first and second terminal cavities of said insulator housing when said TPA component is mounted in the first position;
• and
• assurance means extending forwardly from the TPA component and in alignment with the space between the rearwardly extending deflectable locking levers, said assurance means being disposed between the rearwardly extending locking levers for assuring locking engagement of said rearwardly extending locking levers with the first and second terminals when said TPA component is mounted in the second position,
• whereby an inability to insert the second terminal is indicative of the first terminal being incompletely inserted, and whereby an inability to mount said TPA component in the second position on said insulator hosing is indicative of at least the second of said terminals in said insulator housing being incompletely inserted.

An electrical connector including a unitarily molded insulator housing having a forward mating end, a rear wire mounting end and first and second terminal cavities extending between the forward and rear ends of said insulator housing, first and second terminals dimensioned for slidable insertion into the respective first and second terminal cavities of said insulator housing and locking means for retaining said terminals within their respective cavities, the improvement in said locking means comprising:

• said housing including first and second forwardly extending deflectable locking levers cantilevered into the respective first and second terminal cavities, said forwardly extending locking levers having rearwardly facing cam surfaces, first and second rearwardly extending deflectable locking levers cantilevered into the respective first and second terminal cavities and having rearwardly facing cam surfaces, said rearwardly extending locking levers being in spaced relationship in their respective undeflected conditions, but being deflectable into contact with one another;
• and
• said terminals slidably engaging the cam surfaces of said forwardly and rearwardly extending locking levers cantilevered into said terminal cavities, each said terminal including first and second locking apertures dimensioned for engaging the respective first and second forwardly and rearwardly extending locking levers;
• whereby the slidable insertion of said terminals into said terminal cavities and against the cam surfaces causes said forwardly and rearwardly extending locking levers to initially deflect and to subsequently engage the locking apertures in said terminals;
• and
• whereby incomplete insertion of either of said terminals into the associated terminal cavity maintains the associated rearwardly directed locking lever in a deflected condition abutting the other rearwardly directed locking lever and preventing insertion of the other terminal into the associated terminal cavity of said insulator housing.

An electrical connector including an insulator housing having a forward mating end and an opposed rearward wire mounting end, first and second terminal receiving cavities and a locking means for retaining the terminals in the cavities, the improvement in the locking means comprising:

• a forwardly extending deflectable locking lever cantilevered from said insulator housing and extending into each said terminal cavity for lockingly engaging a terminal inserted therein;
• and
• a rearwardly extending deflectable locking lever cantilevered from said insulator housing and extending into each said terminal cavity for lockingly engaging said terminal;
• said deflectable locking levers each comprising a rearwardly facing cam surface aligned to cause said locking levers to be deflected by the insertion of the respective terminal into said insulator housing;
• the locking levers being configured such that the deflection of at least one locking lever in the first terminal cavity prevents deflection of at least one locking lever in the second terminal cavity;
• whereby an incomplete insertion of said first terminal into said first terminal cavity causes the locking levers thereof to remain in a deflected condition and prevents the deflection of at least one locking lever in the second terminal cavity thereby preventing insertion of the second terminal into the second terminal cavity;
• and
• whereby the forwardly and rearwardly extending locking levers alternately exert compressive and tensile forces on a terminal mounted in said insulator housing for securely positioning the terminal in the housing and preventing unintended withdrawal thereof.