Electric connectors generally include a housing in which at least one conductive terminal is disposed. A terminal of electric connectors is electrically connected to an additional electrical element, such as a wire. Electric connectors are classified into female connectors and male connectors, wherein the female and male connectors are always disposed in units of pair and are combined with each other.
When the terminal is improperly disposed in the housing, the quality of electric connection is lowered. For example, when the terminal is not fully inserted in the housing while an assembled female connector is transferred to a final assembly line or while the male and female connectors are assembled with one another, or when the terminal is shaken or is detached from the housing while the electric connector is used, the terminal is improperly disposed in the housing.
In order to solve the problems, in these days, a terminal position assurance (TPA) that detects whether the terminal is not fully inserted in the housing is disposed in a female connector of a vehicle. However, when the TPA is additionally disposed in the female connector of the vehicle, the number of elements of the female connector increases. Thus, it is very inconvenient to perform assembling of the female connector. Also, when the TPA is additionally disposed in the female connector of the vehicle, the TPA should be precisely secured in the housing after the position of the terminal is precisely detected. However, since a direction in which the terminal is inserted in the housing and a direction in which the TPA is inserted in the female connector of the vehicle, are opposite to each other, an assembly of a female connector according to the related art has a disadvantage that the TPA cannot be easily secured in the female connector of the vehicle.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds