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US 6,637,538 B2Granted
Easy mount connector
AssigneeInternational Truck Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorsPeter M. Morykon, William Dennis Mann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A connector component for fluidly or electrically connecting two or more devices to one another is constructed in such a manner that it can be repeatedly quickly and easily mounted to and subsequently separated from a connector mounting component. The connector component includes a mounting portion that is disposed within a connector opening in the connector mounting component when the connector component is mounted to the connector mounting component. The connector component includes at least one quick connect clip such as an E-clip or snap ring clip that can be engaged to the connector component to maintain its attachment to the connector mounting component.
Claims30
A connector component for mounting to a connector mounting component, which connector mounting component defines a connector opening through itself, which connector opening has an outer perimeter, and for electrically connecting two or more devices to one another, said connector component comprising:
- (a) a connector body that comprises a mounting portion that is of a shape and size such that said mounting portion may be disposed within and protrude through the connector opening defined through the connector mounting component, when said connector component is properly mounted to the connector mounting component in such a manner that said mounting portion is disposed within the connector opening defined through the connector mounting component in such a manner that a first end of said mounting portion and a second end of said mounting portion are disposed upon opposite sides of the connector mounting component;
- (b) wherein said connector component comprises first retention structure and second retention structure that are or may be engaged to said connector body adjacent said first end and said second end respectively of said mounting portion of said connector body in such a manner that at least a portion of said first retention structure and said second retention structure extend outwardly from said connector body in directions perpendicular to a central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body;
- (c) wherein said connector body, said first retention structure, and said second retention structure are constructed in such a manner that, when said mounting portion of said connector body is disposed within the connector opening defined through the connector mounting component and said first retention structure and said second retention structure are properly engaged to said connector body, some portion of both said first retention structure and said second retention structure always extend beyond the outer perimeter of the connector opening in directions perpendicular to said central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body and, thus, said mounting portion of said connector body is retained within the connector opening;
- (d) wherein said connector body comprises one or more pilot portions each of which is disposed adjacent either said first end or said second end of said mounting portion of said connector body and each of which is of a shape and size such that it may be slid through the connector opening defined through the connector mounting component;
- (e) wherein adjacent to at least one of said first end and said second end of said mounting portion that one of said one or more pilot portions is disposed adjacent, said connector body defines one or more retention structure slots that extend inwardly of outer surfaces of said connector body and at least a portion of which extend in directions perpendicular to said central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body;
- (f) wherein at least one of said first retention structure and said second retention structure is a quick connect clip that is or may be engaged to said connector body adjacent one of said first end and said second end of said mounting portion adjacent which a pilot portion is disposed;
- (g) wherein each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure comprises a clip body that is spaced from and extends at least 180 degrees around a clip central axis of said quick connect clip;
- (h) wherein said connector body and each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure are constructed in a manner such that said each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure may be engaged to said connector body with at least some portion of an inner perimeter of its clip body disposed within one or more of said retention structure slots defined by said connector body;
- (i) wherein said connector body and each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and said second retention structure are constructed in such a manner that, when each quick connect clip is properly engaged to said connector body, said quick connect clip must be elastically deformed before it can be disengaged from said connector body;
- (j) wherein said connector body and each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and said second retention structure are of a construction such that each quick connect clip may be quickly and easily slid or snapped into or out of engagement with a portion of said connector body adjacent either said first end or said second end of said mounting portion;
- and
- (k) wherein said connector component comprises first electrical connection structure, second electrical connection structure and electricity conducting structure that is electrically connected to and extends between said first electrical connection structure and said second electrical connection structure.
9 more elements
A method of connecting two or more devices that are to be electrically connected to one another to a connector component in such a manner that the two or more devices are electrically connected to one another by the connector component and mounting the connector component to a connector mounting component, said method comprising the sequential execution of the steps of:
- (a) connecting two or more of said devices, that are to be electrically connected to one another, to a connector component upon opposite sides of a mounting portion of a connector body of said connector component in such a manner that said two or more devices are electrically connected to one another by electricity conducting structure that extends through said mounting portion;
- (b) inserting all of said devices that are connected to said connector component upon one side of said mounting portion of said connector body through a connector opening defined by said connector mounting component;
- (c) inserting through said connector opening a pilot portion of said connector body that is disposed upon a same side of said mounting portion as said devices that were inserted through said connector opening;
- (d) inserting through said connector opening an end of said mounting portion adjacent said pilot portion that was inserted through said connector opening and adjacent which neither of a first retention structure and a second retention structure is engaged to said connector body;
- (e) inserting said mounting portion of said connector body into said connector opening until opposite ends of said mounting portion of said connector body are disposed upon opposite sides of said connector mounting component;
- and
- (f) engaging a quick connect clip that constitutes either said first retention structure or said second retention structure to a portion of said connector body adjacent said end of said mounting portion that was inserted through said connector opening.
4 more elements
A vehicle, comprising:
- (a) one or more frames;
- (b) a suspension system to which said one or more frames are engaged and by which said one or more frames are supported above the ground and which provides said vehicle with a relatively low resistance to translation along the ground;
- (c) one or more body structures that are engaged to and supported by one or more of said one or more frames and upon or within which objects and/or individuals may reside;
- (d) a connector mounting component that defines a connector opening through itself;
- (e) a connector component that is mounted to said connector mounting component;
- (f) wherein said connector component comprises a connector body that comprises a mounting portion that is disposed within and protrudes through said connector opening defined through said connector mounting component in such a manner that a first end and a second end of said mounting portion are disposed upon opposite sides of said connector mounting component;
- (g) wherein said connector component comprises first retention structure and second retention structure that are engaged to said connector body adjacent said first end and said second end respectively of said mounting portion of said connector body in such a manner that at least a portion of said first retention structure and said second retention structure extend outwardly from adjacent portions of said connector body in directions perpendicular to a central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body;
- (h) wherein said connector body, said first retention structure, and said second retention structure are constructed in such a manner that, regardless of any shifting of said connector body within said connector opening, some portion of each of said first retention structure and said second retention structure always extends beyond an outer perimeter of said connector opening in directions perpendicular to said central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body and, thus, said mounting portion of said connector body is retained within said connector opening;
- (i) wherein said connector body comprises one or more pilot portions each of which is disposed adjacent either said first end or said second end of said mounting portion of said connector body and each of which is of a shape and size such that it may be slid through said connector opening defined through said connector mounting component;
- (j) wherein adjacent to at least one of said first end and said second end of said mounting portion that one of said one or more pilot portions is disposed adjacent, said connector body defines one or more retention structure slots that extend inwardly of outer surfaces of said connector body and at least a portion of which extend in directions perpendicular to said central axis of said mounting portion of said connector body;
- (k) wherein at least one of said first retention structure and said second retention structure is a quick connect clip that is engaged to said connector body adjacent one of said first end and said second end of said mounting portion that is adjacent one of said pilot portions;
- (l) wherein each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure comprises a clip body that is spaced from and extends at least 180 degrees around a clip central axis of said quick connect clip;
- (m) wherein said connector body and each of said quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure are constructed in a manner such that said each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and/or said second retention structure may be and is engaged to said connector body with at least some portion of an inner perimeter of its clip body disposed within one or more of said retention structure slots defined by said connector body;
- (n) wherein said connector body and each quick connect clip of said first retention structure and said second retention structure are constructed in such a manner that, each quick connect clip must be elastically deformed before it can be disengaged from said connector body;
- (o) wherein said connector body and each of said quick connect clip of said first retention structure and said second retention structure are of a construction such that said each quick connect clip may be repeatedly quickly and easily slid or snapped into or out of engagement with a portion of said connector body adjacent either said first end or said second end of said connector body of said connector component;
- and
- (p) wherein said connector component comprises first electrical connection structure, second electrical connection structure and electricity conducting structure that is electrically connected to and extends between said first electrical connection structure and said second electrical connection structure, and said vehicle comprises two or more devices that are electrically connected to one another through said electricity conducting structure that extends between said first electrical connection structure and said second electrical connection structure.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.