Glossary For Connector/Housings

Glossary for connector/housings
Certain terms are used to describe components and their location on the connector/housing.

Housings




A standard connector consists of a housing with cable terminals inside it. There are also connectors with different covers around the housings.
The purpose of the housings is to insulate the cable terminals and ensure a good electrical contact as well as to protect them from damage and deterioration due to the environment.

Pin housings and socket housings
Pin housings hold the Pin (male) cable terminals.
Socket housings hold the Socket (female) cable terminals.
The housings interlock with each other or to a component. There are both color and mechanical (physical) codings used.





Connector halves
When a pin housing and a socket housing are connected together they are also called the connector halves.

Locking
To open the connector halves a catch must be released.
There are two main types of locking systems: Active locking and Passive locking.





The housings - contact side v. cable side
The Contact side is the front of the housing where the cable terminals, Male or Female, are connected with each other.
The Cable side is the rear of the housing where the cable enters it.





The housings, top or bottom
Refers to which orientation the housing is shown from in illustrations.
The side in the illustrations that is up is referred to as the top in the text. The side that is down is called the bottom.

The housings, cavities and position numbers
A cavity is the space in the housing where a cable terminal is located. Each cavity has a number and that number (terminal number) is given in the wiring diagrams as the position number.
Example: designation 24/11:3 means position 3 in connector 24/11.





The housing cavity opening
The cavity opening on the housing contact side has an easily identifiable shape, to match the different types of cable terminals. It is the cavity shape which determines which terminal removal tool is to be used.

Extraction groove
Some housing cavity openings have a extraction groove. The groove is used to insert a terminal removal tool. Cavity openings can have one or two extraction grooves.





Moisture proof housings
Moisture proof housings have moisture proof cable terminals. The moisture proof cable terminals have wires fitted and then sealed in a plastic material.
Other housings have enhanced moisture resistance through addition of various types of seal such as gaskets, a rubber sleeve fitted over the cables, plugs in unused cavities and seals on the insulation wings of the cable terminal.