US-12620754-B2 - Connector rear cover, connector system, and assembly method

Abstract

A connector rear cover includes a middle portion having a first edge and a second edge, a first lateral portion having a first lateral edge, and a second lateral portion having a second lateral edge. The first lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a first hinge and the second lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a second hinge so that the connector rear cover is foldable between an open and a closed state. The first edge of the middle portion faces the first lateral edge of the first lateral portion and the second edge of the middle portion faces the second lateral edge of the second lateral portion. The edges have recesses such that, in the closed state, there are openings between the middle portion and the first lateral portion and between the middle portion and the second lateral portion that receive electric conductors.

Inventors

• Naoufal Yadine
• Francois Jodon de Villeroche

Assignees

• TYCO ELECTRONICS FRANCE SAS

Dates

Publication Date

20260505

Application Date

20230630

Priority Date

20220704

Claims (20)

1. 1 . A connector rear cover, comprising: a middle portion having a first edge and a second edge, the middle portion has at least one recess at the first edge and at least one recess at the second edge; a first lateral portion having a first lateral edge, the first lateral portion has at least one recess at the first lateral edge; and a second lateral portion having a second lateral edge, the second lateral portion has at least one recess at the second lateral edge, the first lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a first hinge and the second lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a second hinge so that the connector rear cover is foldable between an open state and a closed state, the first edge of the middle portion faces the first lateral edge of the first lateral portion and the second edge of the middle portion faces the second lateral edge of the second lateral portion, the recesses at the first edge, the second edge, the first lateral edge, and the second lateral edge are arranged such that, for each recess at the first edge or the second edge, there is one recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, and for each recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge, there is one recess at the first edge or the second edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, the middle portion has a traversing hole in between the first hinge and the second hinge.
2. 2 . The connector rear cover of claim 1 , wherein the connector rear cover has four openings in the closed state.
3. 3 . The connector rear cover of claim 1 , wherein each of the openings receives an electrical conductor.
4. 4 . The connector rear cover of claim 3 , wherein each of the openings wholly envelops a circumference of the electrical conductor when the connector rear cover is in the closed state.
5. 5 . The connector rear cover of claim 1 , wherein an axis of rotation of the first hinge extends along an axis of rotation of the second hinge.
6. 6 . The connector rear cover of claim 1 , wherein each of the middle portion, the first lateral portion, and the second lateral portion has a fixing device establishing a form fit connection with a connector housing.
7. 7 . The connector rear cover of claim 6 , wherein a hole extends into each of the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion, the hole of the first lateral portion is adjacent the first hinge and the hole of the second lateral portion is adjacent the second hinge, the traversing hole is part of the fixing device.
8. 8 . The connector rear cover of claim 1 , wherein, in the closed state, the connector rear cover has a rear wall and four side walls that are essentially transversal to the rear wall.
9. 9 . The connector rear cover of claim 8 , wherein the openings are in the rear wall.
10. 10 . The connector rear cover of claim 8 , wherein the first hinge and the second hinge are arranged at a same side wall of the four side walls of the connector rear cover.
11. 11 . The connector rear cover of claim 8 , wherein the four side walls are interconnected by a plurality of rounded corner ridges.
12. 12 . The connector rear cover of claim 8 , wherein the rear wall and the four side walls are interconnected by a plurality of chamfered sections.
13. 13 . A connector system, comprising: a connector housing; and a connector rear cover including: a middle portion having a first edge and a second edge, the middle portion has at least one recess at the first edge and at least one recess at the second edge; a first lateral portion having a first lateral edge, the first lateral portion has at least one recess at the first lateral edge; and a second lateral portion having a second lateral edge, the second lateral portion has at least one recess at the second lateral edge, the first lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a first hinge and the second lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a second hinge so that the connector rear cover is foldable between an open state and a closed state, the first edge of the middle portion faces the first lateral edge of the first lateral portion and the second edge of the middle portion faces the second lateral edge of the second lateral portion, the recesses at the first edge, the second edge, the first lateral edge, and the second lateral edge are arranged such that, for each recess at the first edge or the second edge, there is one recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, and for each recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge, there is one recess at the first edge or the second edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, the middle portion has a traversing hole is in between the first hinge and the second hinge.
14. 14 . The connector system of claim 13 , further comprising a locking mechanism fixing the connector rear cover to the connector housing in the closed state.
15. 15 . The connector system of claim 14 , wherein the locking mechanism fixing the connector rear cover to the connector housing in the closed state has a snap fit.
16. 16 . The connector rear cover of claim 13 , wherein a rear part of the connecter housing has a plurality of protrusions, and a hole extends into each of the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion, the hole of the first lateral portion is adjacent the first hinge and the hole of the second lateral portion is adjacent the second hinge, each protrusion is inserted into one hole.
17. 17 . The connector system of claim 13 , wherein a rear part of the connector housing has a protrusion, the protrusion engages with the traversing hole.
18. 18 . A method for assembling a connector system, comprising: providing a connector housing and a connector rear cover, the connector rear cover including: a middle portion having a first edge and a second edge, the middle portion has at least one recess at the first edge and at least one recess at the second edge; a first lateral portion having a first lateral edge, the first lateral portion has at least one recess at the first lateral edge; and a second lateral portion having a second lateral edge, the second lateral portion has at least one recess at the second lateral edge, the first lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a first hinge and the second lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a second hinge so that the connector rear cover is foldable between an open state and a closed state, the first edge of the middle portion faces the first lateral edge of the first lateral portion and the second edge of the middle portion faces the second lateral edge of the second lateral portion, the recesses at the first edge, the second edge, the first lateral edge, and the second lateral edge are arranged such that, for each recess at the first edge or the second edge, there is one recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, and for each recess at the first lateral edge or the second lateral edge, there is one recess at the first edge or the second edge that is positioned such that when the connector rear cover is in the closed state, the recesses form an opening in the connector rear cover, the middle portion has a traversing hole is in between the first hinge and the second hinge; inserting a plurality of terminals of a plurality of wires into the connector housing; inserting the middle portion of the connector rear cover between the wires; fixing the middle portion of the connector rear cover to the connector housing via a locking mechanism; closing the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion of the connector rear cover; and fixing the first lateral portion and the second lateral portion of the connector rear cover to the connector housing in the closed state via the locking mechanism.
19. 19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising crimping the terminals to the wires.
20. 20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising inserting the crimped terminals on the wires into the connector housing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a)-(d) of French Patent Application No. 2206738, filed on Jul. 4, 2022. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present disclosure relates to a connector rear cover, a connector system, and an assembly method. BACKGROUND An example of a known connector rear cover is shown in FIGS. 1A to 1D. With reference to FIG. 1A, the connector rear cover 101 comprises openings 129 in its rear wall 139. The openings 129 are configured to receive electrical conductors 31, as shown in FIG. 1B. For assembling a connector system comprising a connector housing 35, the connector rear cover 101, and the electrical conductors 31, the terminals of the electrical conductors 31 first are put through the openings 129 in the rear wall 139 of the connector rear cover 101. Subsequently, the terminals of the electrical conductors 31 are crimped, as shown in FIG. 1B. Finally, the crimped terminals of the electrical conductors 31 are inserted into the connector housing 35 and the connector rear cover 101 is fixed to the connector housing via locking device 147, as shown in FIG. 1D. In order to seal the connector housing 35 against environmental conditions such as moisture, the openings 129 in the rear wall 139 of the connector rear cover 101 are dimensioned to minimize the gap between the electrical conductors 31 and the connector rear cover 101. As shown in FIG. 1C, the crimped terminals of the electrical conductors 31 have a larger diameter than the electrical conductors 31 alone, and therefore the crimped terminals of the electrical conductors 31 do not fit through the openings 129 in the connector rear cover 101. As a consequence, the terminals of the electrical conductors 31 must always first be put through the openings 129 in the rear wall 139 of the connector rear cover 101 and subsequently, the terminals of the electrical conductors 31 are crimped. This means that, during the crimping process, the connector rear cover 101 is already installed, which reduces the flexibility and impedes automated crimping. Moreover, the connector rear cover 101 cannot be easily removed once the terminals of the electrical conductors 31 are crimped. Consequently, there is still a need for a connector rear cover which allows for easy installation and has improved cable routing and sealing capabilities. SUMMARY A connector rear cover includes a middle portion having a first edge and a second edge, a first lateral portion having a first lateral edge, and a second lateral portion having a second lateral edge. The first lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a first hinge and the second lateral portion is connected to the middle portion by a second hinge so that the connector rear cover is foldable between an open and a closed state. The first edge of the middle portion faces the first lateral edge of the first lateral portion and the second edge of the middle portion faces the second lateral edge of the second lateral portion. The edges have recesses such that, in the closed state, there are openings between the middle portion and the first lateral portion and between the middle portion and the second lateral portion that receive electric conductors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which: FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a known connector rear cover; FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a known connector rear cover with electrical conductors; FIG. 1C is a perspective view of a known connector rear cover with electrical conductors; FIG. 1D is a perspective view of a known connector rear cover with a connector housing and electrical conductors; FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a connector rear cover according to the present disclosure in the open state; FIG. 2B is a perspective view of a connector rear cover according to the present disclosure in the closed state; FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a connector system according to the present disclosure with the connector rear cover in the open state; FIG. 3B is a perspective view of a connector system according to the present disclosure with the connector rear cover in the closed state; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a connector cover with electrical conductors; FIG. 5A is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the open state; FIG. 5B is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the open state; FIG. 5C is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the open state; FIG. 5D is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the open state; FIG. 6A is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the closed state; and FIG. 6B is a perspective view of a connector system with a connector rear cover in the closed state. DETAIL