The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connectors that provide connector position assurance.
In some connector systems, a coupling mechanism is used when a first connector is mated to a second connector to secure the first and second connectors together. The first and second connectors are secured together to ensure that the connector system can withstand forces that would tend to pull the connectors apart and break the conductive pathway that is formed between the connectors when mated to each other. In some embodiments, the coupling mechanism is defined by a latch on one connector that engages a catch of a mating connector when the two connectors are fully mated.
One problem with connector systems is that connectors may unintentionally uncouple or un-mate, causing operating errors due to breaking the conductive signal path between the connectors. The connectors may become un-mated due to, for example, the connectors never achieving a fully mated connection during assembly, such that the latch of the one connector does not properly engage the catch of the other connector. Another potential cause for the unintentional un-mating of the connectors is the latch releasing from the catch after the two connectors have been fully mated which allows the connectors to un-mate. The latch may release from the catch due to a force exerted on the latch from an external object.
The connector system may be used in a complex manufactured product, such as an automobile. If two connectors in a connector system become un-mated from each other during or after assembly of the automobile, an error caused by the break in the conductive pathway may be difficult to discover and/or remedy. For example, it may be difficult to identify and access a faulty connection between two connectors in the automobile that includes numerous connections.
Due to physical characteristics such as small size and shielded conductors, it may be difficult for a worker (or even a machine) to accurately recognize whether two mating connectors are fully mated together at an assembly facility. For example, two connectors that are not fully mated to each other may be less than a millimeter (or a few millimeters) off from the fully mated positions of the connectors, which may be difficult for the worker and/or the machine to identify. A need remains for a connector system that provides assurance that two connectors are fully mated to each other and will not unintentionally un-mate from each other in order to avoid errors caused by breaks in the conductive pathway defined by the connectors.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds