Spring clip
AssigneeInternational Engine Intellectual Property Company, LLC
InventorKenneth R. Seymour
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A spring clip for retaining an electrical connector in coupled engagement with a fuel injector includes a unitary spring clip component having a retainer assembly, a lever assembly operably coupled to the retainer assembly, and a fulcrum assembly operably coupled to the lever assembly. A method of disengaging a spring clip from engagement with a fuel injector, the spring clip retaining an electrical connector in coupled engagement with the fuel injector is also included.
Claims15
A unitary, integral spring clip for mating with an electrical connector in coupled engagement therewith, the electrical connector having a connector body, comprising:
- a retainer assembly being couplably engageable with the electrical connector at a first spring clip end;
- and
- a lever assembly operably coupled to the retainer assembly, the lever assembly having a pair of spaced apart shanks, said shanks terminating respectively in intersections with a lateral extending fulcrum assembly bearable on said connector body without being retained by connector body structure at a second spring clip end spaced apart from the first spring clip end, the fulcrum assembly acting to space the shanks from the connector body, the respective intersections being disposed laterally, externally to the electrical connector body.
A spring clip for retaining an electrical connector in coupled engagement with a fuel injector, comprising:
- a unitary spring clip component having:
- a retainer assembly disposed at a first end of the spring clip;
- a lever assembly operably coupled to the retainer assembly and having a pair of spaced apart shanks, said shanks terminating respectively in fulcrum intersections with a laterally extending fulcrum assembly;
- and
- the fulcrum assembly disposed at a second end of the clip and being operably coupled to the lever assembly and formed to bear on an external margin, the fulcrum assembly restraining motion of the second end of the spring clip by means of the fulcrum assembly being in a bearing engagement with the external margin without retention thereby, the fulcrum intersections acting to space the shanks from the external margins, the respective fulcrum intersections disposed laterally, external to the external margin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.