Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-14
2001-12-04
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S495000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06325681
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical cable connector which includes a plurality of electrical contacts aligned in a row extending in a right and left direction in an electrically insulative housing and a plurality of cables connected to and extending from the contacts through the insulative housing outward. The present invention also relates to electrical contacts which can be used in such cable connectors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 12
shows a prior-art cable connector. This cable connector
90
includes a plurality of female contacts
93
, each of which is shaped like a tuning fork, in an electrically insulative housing
91
. The female contacts
93
are press-fit into the housing
91
, with the longitudinally central portion
93
d
(referred to as “fixed portion”) of each female contact being retained and fixed in the housing
91
, and in a crimping portion
93
c
which is provided at the rear end (or leg portion) of each female contact, the core wire
95
a
of a corresponding shielded cable
95
is crimped. In this condition, the shielded cables
95
extend outward through a cover
92
, which is provided at the rear of the housing
91
. The forwardly extending fork portion of each female contact
93
comprises a pair of resilient arms
93
a
and
93
b
, which can undergo outward elastic deformation in the space provided between the outer edges of the resilient arms
93
a
and
93
b
and the internal walls of the housing
91
.
Another connector
96
, which is matable with this cable connector
90
, comprises a plurality of male contacts
98
aligned in a row in an electrically insulative housing
97
as shown in the figure. When this matable connector
96
is fitted to the cable connector
90
as shown by arrow A in the figure, the male contacts
98
come through the front opening
91
a
of the cable connector
90
into the internal cavity of the housing
91
, where the female contacts
93
are positioned. In this insertion, each male contact
98
entering the space between the resilient arms
93
a
and
93
b
of a corresponding female contact
93
deforms these arms elastically outwardly, creating resiliency therein, and the resulting resilient forces act to retain the male contact
98
in the female contact
93
firmly for a secure electrical connection.
In this construction of the cable connector, it is important to make the resilient arms
93
a
and
93
b
long enough to acquire a sufficient resiliency for the firm connection of the male and female contacts only from the elastic deformation caused by the insertion of the male contact
98
. In addition, the female contact
93
must include the fixed portion
93
d
, which is used for fixing the female contact
93
to the housing
91
, and the crimping portion
93
c
, which is used for connecting the female contact
93
to the core wire
95
a
of a shielded cable
95
, as mentioned above. As a result, the female contact
93
tends to be lengthened in design and may present a problem of the cable connector
90
being elongated and enlarged in construction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical cable connector whose resilient arms can receive and retain male contacts firmly and which can be connected to the core wires of cables.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electrical cable connector whose construction is compact with a relatively short longitudinal dimension and a relatively small size.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an electrical contact which is used in such cable connectors.
To achieve these objectives, an electrical cable connector according to the present invention comprises a plurality of contacts and a plurality of cables. The contacts are aligned and retained in a row extending in a right and left direction in an electrically insulative housing, and each of the cables is connected at one end thereof to a corresponding contact in the insulative housing and extends out of the insulative housing. Each contact comprises a base portion and a resilient arm portion. The base portion is fixed in the insulative housing and connected to the one end of a corresponding cable, and the resilient arm portion is formed continuously from the base portion and extends along the base portion, keeping a predetermined distance therebetween. When the cable connector is engaged with a matable connector, each contact of the cable connector receives and holds a corresponding contact portion of the matable connector in a space between the base portion and the resilient arm portion, so that the contacts of the cable connector and the matable connector are connected electrically. With this design, in which one end of each of the cables is connected to the base portion of a corresponding contact, the length of the contacts is relatively short. As a result, the cable connector is made relatively small and compact.
It is preferable that the contact be formed in a figure of tuning fork with a short leg portion or without any leg portion. In this case, one prong constitutes the base portion while the other prong constitutes the resilient arm portion. For the connection of one end of each cable to the base portion of a corresponding contact, soldering, crimping or pressure-welding can be applied.
A contact used for an electrical cable connector according to the present invention is formed in a figure of tuning fork with a short leg portion or without any leg portion. In this case, one prong functions as a base portion which is fixed in an electrically insulative housing and at which the contact is connected to one end of a corresponding cable. The other prong functions as a resilient arm portion which is deformable elastically with respect to the base portion. This contact can receive a matable contact in a space between the base portion and the resilient arm portion and hold it by a resiliency generated from the elastic deformation of the resilient arm portion. In this design of the contact, one prong of the fork accommodating the matable contact functions as the base portion, to which a cable is connected. Therefore, the contact is made relatively short and compact.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5334053 (1994-08-01), Noschese
patent: 6004156 (1999-12-01), Roque et al.
patent: 1392205 (1965-02-01), None
KEL Corporation
Nguyen Khiem
Usher Robert W. J.
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