Patent Issued for Terminal Position Assurance Device For Electrical Connector (USPTO 10,461,458)

2019 NOV 13 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Engineering Business Daily -- From Alexandria, Virginia, NewsRx journalists report that a patent by the inventors Kim, Jong Soo (Naperville, IL); Upson, Gwen (Ypsilanti, MI); Chen, Ping (Novi, MI), filed on September 18, 2018, was published online on November 11, 2019.

The patent’s assignee for patent number 10,461,458 is J.S.T. Corporation (Farmington Hills, Michigan, United States).

News editors obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Field of the Invention

“The present invention generally relates to the field of electrical connectors, which are useful in automotive applications.

“Description of the Related Art

“Terminal Position Assurance (TPA) devices are used in electrical connectors to insure that terminals are properly seated in a connector housing. Typically, the TPA device takes the form of a pin or key inserted into a connector housing, and is designed such that the TPA device cannot be fully inserted unless the terminal are properly seated in the terminal cavities of the housing.

“In some TPA designs, the TPA device is designed with stops that engage the housing, such that the TPA device can be inserted to a preset position that will not fall out of the housing. After insertion of the terminals into the terminal cavity, the TPA device can then be pushed to the full-lock position. In many designs, the TPA device is designed to push a wall of the housing outward when the TPA device is inserted, so as to secure the position of the terminal. However, it is possible for the housing wall to be over-flexed during the insertion process, leading to breakage of the housing wall.”

As a supplement to the background information on this patent, NewsRx correspondents also obtained the inventors’ summary information for this patent: “A terminal position assurance device (TPA) which includes a back portion having two outer ends, and two arms extending from the two outer ends generally perpendicularly to the inner surface of the back portion to form a C-shape. Each arm comprises a side portion having a thickness and a ledge portion extending along an upper portion of the side portion. Each arm also has an outer surface defined by outer portions the side portion and ledge portion. The thickness of the ledge portion where it meets the back portion is greater than the thickness of the ledge portion at the end of the arm which creates a narrowly tapered ledge shape. The thickness of the arm at each ledge is greater than the thickness of the side portion, thus creating the ledge structure. Stops are located on the outer surface of the arm and serve to engage a portion of a connector housing so as to allow the TPA device to remain in preset or full-lock position respectively with a housing. The arms flex such that the TPA can insert into the opening of a connector housing. Pads/Protrusions on the back portion of the TPA reduce associated noise of with a connector housing when in service.

“An electrical connector housing of the invention has a top wall and side walls. The electrical connector also has a front wall having cavities for receiving electrical terminals. Top wall of the housing has a C-shape opening for receiving a terminal position assurance (TPA) device. The opening is C-shaped and designed to fit the C-shape of a corresponding TPA device, and the opening edge includes a lip structure to engage the stops on a TPA device.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“The invention claimed is:

“1. A terminal position assurance device, comprising: a back portion having two ends and an inner surface; and two arms extending generally perpendicularly from the two ends of the back portion to form a C-shape with the back portion; wherein each arm comprises: a side portion having a thickness; and a ledge portion extending along an upper portion of the side portion, wherein the thickness of the ledge is greater than the thickness of the side portion; and an outer surface of the arm defined by outer surfaces of the side portion and ledge portion; wherein the thickness of the ledge portion where it meets the back portion is greater than the thickness of the ledge portion at the end of the arm; and a first stop located on the outer surface of the arm.

“2. The terminal portion assurance device of claim 1, wherein: the inward facing surface of each ledge is generally straight; and the angle defined where the inward facing surface of each ledge meets the inner surface of the back portion is in the range of greater than 90.degree. to less than or equal to 105.degree.

“3. The terminal assurance device of claim 1, wherein each arm further comprises: a second stop located on the outer portion of the arm, wherein the first stop and second stop are located at different heights on the outer surface of the arm, below the upper portion of the side portion.

“4. The terminal assurance device of claim 1, further comprising: a protrusion on the inner surface of the back portion.

“5. A terminal housing, comprising: a top wall; side walls connected to the top wall; and a front wall connected to the top wall and the side walls, the front wall having at least one cavity for receiving an electrical terminal; wherein the top wall has a C-shaped opening; wherein the C-Shaped opening is generally rectangular in shape with a tongue portion extending into the rectangular shape, wherein the tongue portion is defined by two side facing edges and a back facing edge and the angle between each side facing edge and the back facing edge is in the range of greater than 90.degree. and less than or equal to 105.degree.

“6. The terminal housing according to claim 5, wherein the opening edges of the housing have a lip under the top wall for engaging stops on a terminal position assurance device.

“7. The terminal housing according to claim 5 further comprising: a terminal position assurance device inserted into the C-shaped opening of the terminal housing, said terminal position assurance device comprising: a back portion having two ends and an inner surface; and two arms extending generally perpendicularly from the two ends of the back portion to form a C-shape with the back portion; wherein each arm comprises: a side portion having a thickness; and a ledge portion extending along an upper portion of the side portion, wherein the thickness of the ledge is greater than the thickness of the side portion; and an outer surface of the arm defined by outer surfaces of the side portion and ledge portion; wherein the thickness of the ledge portion where it meets the back portion is greater than the thickness of the ledge portion at the end of the arm; and a first stop located on the outer surface of the arm.

“8. The terminal housing according to claim 7, further comprising: a lip on the opening edges of the housing under the top wall for engaging stops on the terminal position assurance device; wherein the first stop of the terminal position assurance device is below the lip of the housing.

“9. The terminal housing according to claim 8, further comprising: a second stop located on the outer portion of the arm of the terminal position assurance device above the first stop, wherein the second stop of the terminal position assurance device is located above the lip of the housing.

“10. The terminal housing according to claim 7, further comprising: a lip on the opening edges of the housing under the top wall for engaging stops on a terminal position assurance device; and a second stop located on the outer portion of the arm of the terminal position assurance device above the first stop, wherein the second stop of the terminal position assurance device is located below the lip of the housing.

“11. The terminal housing according to claim 7, further comprising: the inward facing surface of each ledge is generally straight; and the angle defined where the inward facing surface of each ledge meets the inner surface of the back portion is in the range of greater than 90.degree. to less than or equal to 105.degree.

“12. The terminal housing according to claim 8, further comprising: the inward facing surface of each ledge is generally straight; and the angle defined where the inward facing surface of each ledge meets the inner surface of the back portion is in the range of greater than 90.degree. to less than or equal to 105.degree.

“13. The terminal housing according to claim 9, further comprising: the inward facing surface of each ledge is generally straight; and the angle defined where the inward facing surface of each ledge meets the inner surface of the back portion is in the range of greater than 90.degree. to less than or equal to 105.degree.

“14. The terminal housing according to claim 10, further comprising: the inward facing surface of each ledge is generally straight; and the angle defined where the inward facing surface of each ledge meets the inner surface of the back portion is in the range of greater than 90.degree. to less than or equal to 105.degree.

“15. The terminal housing according to claim 7, further comprising: a protrusion on the inner surface of the back portion.

“16. The terminal housing according to claim 8, further comprising: a protrusion on the inner surface of the back portion.

“17. The terminal housing according to claim 9, further comprising: a protrusion on the inner surface of the back portion.

“18. The terminal housing according to claim 10, further comprising: a protrusion on the inner surface of the back portion.”

For additional information on this patent, see: Kim, Jong Soo; Upson, Gwen; Chen, Ping. Terminal Position Assurance Device For Electrical Connector. U.S. Patent Number 10,461,458, filed September 18, 2018, and published online on November 11, 2019. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,461,458.PN.&OS=PN/10,461,458RS=PN/10,461,458

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