Back to results
US 9,843,140 B1Granted
Electrical connector having expandable backshell
AssigneeTe Connectivity Corporation
InventorJared Evan Rossman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A backshell includes upper and lower shells defining a cavity. The upper shell includes a top wall and a side wall and the lower shell includes a bottom wall and a side wall. An actuator is coupled to the shells to change the relative positions of the shells between an open position and a closed position. A top of the lower shell engages a bottom of the upper shell in the closed position. The actuator is operable to move at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell such that the top of the lower shell is spaced-apart from the bottom of the upper shell in the open position, thereby increasing a size of the cavity to allow insertion and removal of the electrical connector into or out of the cavity in the open position.
Claims20
A backshell for an electrical connector, the backshell comprising:
- an upper shell defining a portion of a cavity of the backshell, the upper shell including a top wall and an upper shell side wall extending from the top wall to a bottom of the upper shell;
- a lower shell coupled to the upper shell and defining a portion of the cavity of the backshell, the lower shell including a bottom wall and a lower shell side wall extending from the bottom wall to a top of the lower shell;
- and
- an actuator coupled to the upper shell and coupled to the lower shell, the actuator being movable between an actuated position and an unactuated position to change relative positions of the upper shell and the lower shell between an open position and a closed position, the top of the lower shell engages the bottom of the upper shell in the closed position, the actuator being operable between the unactuated position and the actuated position to move and drive apart at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell along a separation axis such that the top of the lower shell is spaced-apart from the bottom of the upper shell in the open position, thereby increasing a size of the cavity to allow insertion and removal of the electrical connector into or out of the cavity in the open position.
1 more element
A backshell for an electrical connector, the backshell comprising:
- an upper shell defining a portion of a cavity of the backshell, the upper shell including a top wall and an upper shell side wall extending from the top wall to a bottom of the upper shell, the upper shell side wall having an actuator opening extending at least partially therethrough;
- a lower shell coupled to the upper shell and defining a portion of the cavity of the backshell, the lower shell including a bottom wall and a lower shell side wall extending from the bottom wall to a top of the lower shell, the lower shell side wall having an actuator opening extending at least partially therethrough;
- and
- an actuator received in the actuator openings of the upper shell and the lower shell, the actuator being rotatable between a first position and a second position to change relative positions of the upper shell and the lower shell between an open position and a closed position, the upper shell and the lower shell being driven together as the actuator is rotated from the first position to the second position and the upper shell and the lower shell being driven apart by the actuator as the actuator is rotated from the second position to the first position, the top of the lower shell engages the bottom of the upper shell in the closed position, at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell being movable such that the top of the lower shell is spaced-apart from the bottom of the upper shell in the open position to increase a size of the cavity to allow insertion and removal of the electrical connector into or out of the cavity in the open position.
1 more element
An electrical connector assembly comprising:
- an electrical connector having a housing holding a plurality of contacts, the housing having a mating end configured to be mated to a mating connector along a mating axis;
- and
- a backshell having a cavity holding the electrical connector, the backshell having a front configured to face the mating connector, the backshell having an upper shell defining a portion of the cavity and a lower shell defining a portion of the cavity, the upper shell including a top wall and an upper shell side wall extending from the top wall to a bottom of the upper shell, the lower shell including a bottom wall and a lower shell side wall extending from the bottom wall to a top of the lower shell, the backshell having an actuator coupled to the upper shell and coupled to the lower shell, the actuator being movable between an actuated position and an unactuated position to change relative positions of the upper shell and the lower shell between an open position and a closed position, the top of the lower shell engages the bottom of the upper shell in the closed position, the electrical connector being captured in the cavity in the closed position, at least one of the upper shell and the lower shell being movable as the actuator is moved between the unactuated position and the actuated position to drive apart the upper shell and the lower shell along a separation axis such that the top of the lower shell is spaced-apart from the bottom of the upper shell in the open position to increase a size of the cavity to allow insertion and removal of the electrical connector into or out of the cavity in the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.