Airtight plug connector and terminal insert

A vehicle wire harness type electrical connector system for connecting terminated wires through a wall separating a sealed chamber from an ambient atmosphere in airtight fashion, comprising:

• a bulkhead connector passing through the wall and having an external airtight seal to the wall on the ambient side, an insertion end inserted through an aperture in the wall and residing in the sealed chamber, a plurality of individual female-terminated wires inserted in the insertion end of the connector, the insertion end of the bulkhead connector including an orthogonal locking member stored in an orthogonal aperture in the insertion end in a pre-lock condition allowing the female terminated wires to be mated to the male terminals, and movable from the pre-lock position to a full-lock position preventing withdrawal of the female-terminated wires from the male terminals, a connector-mating end residing on the ambient side of the wall, a female connector mated with the connector-mating end, the bulkhead connector having an internal bulkhead through which solid male terminals pass in airtight fashion to connect the female-terminated wires in the insertion end to terminals in the female connector.

In a vehicle wire harness type electrical connector for connecting terminated wires through a wall separating a sealed chamber from an ambient atmosphere in airtight fashion, the connector having solid metal male terminals embedded in an internal plastic bulkhead, a male terminal comprising:

• an intermediate portion embedded in the plastic of the bulkhead, and terminal ends projecting from each side of the bulkhead, the intermediate portion having sealant accumulating surfaces embedded in the bulkhead along terminal surfaces likely to channel sealant forced between the bulkhead and the metal of the terminal during a post-molding sealing process, the sealant accumulating surfaces of the intermediate portion of the terminal comprising alternating angled surfaces.