초록 ▼

An electrical connector utilizing a plurality of terminals to which wires have been ultrasonically welded, most preferably via UWTI technology, wherein the terminals are aligned for the welding process and also aligned in the connector via one or more terminal carriers. Terminals are placed into res

An electrical connector utilizing a plurality of terminals to which wires have been ultrasonically welded, most preferably via UWTI technology, wherein the terminals are aligned for the welding process and also aligned in the connector via one or more terminal carriers. Terminals are placed into respective seats in two terminal carriers, and wires are then ultrasonically welded to the terminals. The terminal carriers are then superposed and placed into a connector body of the electrical connector. The ultrasonic welding process is implemented by an anvil passing through an aperture in the terminal carriers at each terminal so that it is able to sonically and pressurably co-act with the tip of the ultrasonic welding apparatus to thereby effect an ultrasonic weld of the wire(s) to the respective terminals, preferably through the insulation thereof.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An electrical connector comprising:a connector body having a side opening, a rear opening communicating with said side opening and a central cavity communicating with said side and rear openings; at least one terminal carrier, said terminal carrier comprising a carrier body defining a plurality o

1. An electrical connector comprising:a connector body having a side opening, a rear opening communicating with said side opening and a central cavity communicating with said side and rear openings; at least one terminal carrier, said terminal carrier comprising a carrier body defining a plurality of terminal seats; and indexing features located on said at least one terminal carrier and on said connector body at said central cavity, said indexing features mutually cooperating to guide removable placement of said at least one terminal carrier into said central cavity through said side opening; wherein each said terminal seat comprises a blade receptacle, a vestibule, and a terminal position assurance feature located between said blade receptacle and said vestibule, said vestibule having an aperture formed therein. 2. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said at least one terminal carrier comprises two mutually superposed terminal carriers.3. The electrical connector of claim 1, further comprising a slide slidably interfaced with said connector body at said side opening, said slide retaining said at least one terminal carrier in said central cavity.4. The electrical connector of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of terminals, one terminal for each terminal seat, respectively, wherein each said terminal comprises a blade and a stem integrally connected with said blade; wherein when each said terminal is seated in its respective terminal seat, said blade is seated in said blade receptacle, said stem rests upon said vestibule and said terminal position assurance feature locks said terminal with respect to the terminal seat.5. The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein said position assurance feature of each terminal seat comprises a ledge and a resilient arm both trapping the respective terminal seated thereat.6. The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein said blade is oriented perpendicular in relation to said stem, wherein said blade comprises a pair of spaced apart contacts, and wherein said stem comprises a weld surface for ultrasonic welding of at least one wire and a wire stake down, and wherein when said terminal is seated in its terminal seat, said weld surface is; located in superposition with said aperture of said vestibule.7. The electrical connector of claim 6, further comprising at least one wire ultrasonically welded to each said terminal at the weld surface thereof.8. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said ultrasonic weld is an ultrasonic weld through insulation of the wire.9. The electrical connector of claim 7, wherein said connector body has a front wall having a plurality of holes, and wherein said carrier body has a front end having a plurality of terminal openings, one opening respectively at each blade receptacle, wherein when said at least one terminal carrier is placed in said central cavity, a hole aligns respectively with each terminal opening.10. The electrical connector of claim 9, wherein said at least one terminal carrier comprises two mutually superposed terminal carriers.11. The electrical connector of claim 10, further comprising a slide slidably interfaced with said connector body at said side opening, said slide retaining said at least one terminal carrier in said central cavity.12. The electrical connector of claim 11, wherein said ultrasonic weld is an ultrasonic weld through insulation of the wire.13. An electrical connector comprising:a connector body having a side opening, a rear opening communicating with said side opening and a central cavity communicating with said side and rear openings; a pair of mutually superposed terminal carriers, each said terminal carrier comprising a carrier body defining a plurality of terminal seats; indexing features located on said at least one terminal carrier and on said connector body at said central cavity, said indexing features mutually cooperating to guide removable placement of said at least one terminal carrier into said central cavity through said side opening; a plurality of terminals, one terminal for each terminal seat, respectively, wherein each said terminal comprises a blade and a stem integrally connected with said blade; a slide slidably interfaced with said connector body at said side opening, said slide retaining said at least one terminal carrier in said central cavity; wherein each said terminal seat comprises a blade receptacle, a vestibule, and a terminal position assurance feature located between said blade receptacle and said vestibule, said vestibule having an aperture formed therein; and wherein when each said terminal is seated in its respective terminal seat, said blade is seated in said blade receptacle, said stem rests upon said vestibule and said terminal position assurance feature locks said terminal with respect to the terminal seat. 14. The electrical connector of claim 13, wherein said blade is oriented perpendicular in relation to said stem, wherein said blade comprises a pair of spaced apart contacts, and wherein said stem comprises a weld surface for ultrasonic welding of at least one wire and a wire stake down, and wherein when said terminal is seated in its terminal seat, said weld surface is located in superposition with said aperture of said vestibule.15. The electrical connector of claim 14, wherein said position assurance feature of each terminal seat comprises a ledge and a resilient arm both trapping the respective terminal seated thereat, and wherein said connector body has a front wall having a plurality of holes, and wherein said carrier body has a front end having a plurality of terminal openings, one opening respectively at each blade receptacle, wherein when said at least one terminal carrier is placed in said central cavity, a hole aligns respectively with each terminal opening.16. The electrical connector of claim 15, further comprising at least one wire ultrasonically welded to each said terminal at the weld surface thereof.17. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein said ultrasonic weld is an ultrasonic weld through insulation of the wire.18. A method for forming an electrical connector, comprising the steps of:providing a terminal carrier having a plurality of terminal seats, wherein each terminal seat comprises a blade receptacle, a vestibule, and a terminal position assurance feature located between said blade receptacle and said vestibule, said vestibule having an aperture formed therein; said terminal carrier further comprising indexing features configured to cooperate with complementary indexing features located on a central cavity of a connector body to guide removable placement of said terminal carrier into said central cavity; seating a terminal into a terminal seat, wherein the terminal position assurance feature locks the terminal in the seat such that a stem of the terminal is in superposition with said aperture; ultrasonically welding the wire to the stem by an anvil of an ultrasonic welding apparatus passing through said aperture; and installing the terminal carrier into an electrical connector body to thereby form an electrical connector. 19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of ultrasonically welding comprises ultrasonically welding through insulation of the wire.