Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Insulating body with spaced – electrically interconnected,...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-13
2002-06-04
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Insulating body with spaced, electrically interconnected,...
C439S852000, C439S654000, C439S851000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06398593
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a contact member for use in a cable connector, more particularly to a contact member for connecting cable pins of various diameters in a relatively secure manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conductive contact member
13
is used in a tubular cable connector
1
and is used for connecting with a conductive pin
14
of a cable. The cable connector
1
is made of a metal, such as copper, and is formed with an axial receiving space
11
. The contact member
13
is sleeved by a pair of insulating sleeves
12
which are received respectively in the axial receiving spaces
11
of a pair of the cable connectors
1
. The contact member
13
has two opposite contact end portions
132
, and is shown to comprise an opposed pair of metal plates
130
which are formed with opposed folding lines
133
in a respective one of the contact end portions
132
. The folding lines
133
in a respective one of the contact end portions
132
cooperatively serve as a clamp for clamping the cable pin
14
. As such, the cable pin
14
is only in contact with portions of the metal plates
130
at the folding lines
133
when the pin
14
is inserted into the contact member
13
. The electrical contact between the cable pin
14
and the contact member
13
is not quite stable. Moreover, the metal plates
130
at a respective one of the contact end portions
132
are forced outwardly when the cable pin
14
is inserted into the respective one of the contact end portions
132
, and spring back inwardly when the cable pin
14
is subsequently removed from the contact member
13
. The cable pin
14
typically has a diameter in the range of 0.6 to 1.0 mm. After being in contact with a cable pin of a larger diameter for a long period of time, it is very likely that the contact member
13
would be unable to clamp another cable pin of a smaller diameter in a relatively secure manner due to spring fatigue of the metal plates
130
, thereby adversely affecting the signal transmission.
FIG. 3
illustrates another conventional contact member
24
for use in input and output connectors
21
,
22
of a cable directional tap
2
. The contact member
24
has a first end portion
242
which defines an insert hole
243
to permit insertion of a cable pin thereinto and which is enclosed by an insulating sleeve
25
, and a second end portion
241
which extends through an insulating plug
25
′ and which is soldered to a circuit board (not shown) disposed in the cable directional tap
2
. The contact member
24
is shown to comprise an opposed pair of elongated metal spring plates
240
. The spring plates
240
have folding portions at the first end portions
242
of the contact member
24
and that serve as a clamp. The spring plates
240
are soldered to each other at the second end portion
241
of the contact member
24
. However, repeated insertion and removal of the cable pin can weaken the solder connections between the metal plates
240
, and between the second end portion
241
of the contact member
24
and the circuit board.
Referring to
FIG. 4
, still another conventional conductive contact member is shown to include an integral tubular body
20
having two opposite end portions. Each end portion is formed with a diametrically opposite pair of radial openings
21
and a pair of spring plates
23
,
24
disposed respectively in the openings
21
and connected integrally to the tubular body
20
. The spring plates
23
,
24
have distal ends for cooperatively clamping a IS cable pin that is inserted into the tubular body
20
. However, this type of conductive contact member still suffers from the aforementioned drawback resulting from spring fatigue of the spring plates
23
,
24
after long-term connection with a cable pin of a larger cross-section.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a contact member for use in a cable connector and for connecting cable pins of various diameters in a relatively secure manner.
Accordingly, the conductive contact member of the present invention includes a tubular body with opposite, ends, and a clamping portion which includes a pair of clamping legs extending axially from one of the opposite ends of the tubular body. The clamping legs are diametrically opposite to each other with respect to the tubular body. Each of the clamping legs has a first end portion connected integrally to said one of the opposite ends of the tubular body, a second end portion opposite to the first end portion, and an opening formed between the first and second end portions. The second end portions of the clamping legs cooperatively confine an axial insert hole adapted to permit insertion of a conductive pin of a cable thereinto. Each of the clamping legs has a spring plate disposed in the opening. The spring plate has a connecting end portion connected integrally to a respective one of the clamping legs, and a distal end portion opposite to the connecting end portion. The spring plates are adapted for cooperatively clamping the conductive pin of the cable therebetween.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5108318 (1992-04-01), Sakurai et al.
patent: 5186663 (1993-02-01), Wymelenberg
patent: 5220126 (1993-06-01), Borgwath et al.
patent: 5667409 (1997-09-01), Wong et al.
patent: 5863226 (1999-01-01), Lan et al.
patent: 5865654 (1999-02-01), Shimirak
patent: 6045415 (2000-04-01), May et al.
patent: 6186841 (2001-02-01), Jacobsson
patent: 6217381 (2001-04-01), Kameyama
patent: 6250974 (2001-06-01), Kerek
patent: 6264508 (2001-06-01), Lehmann
Bradley P. Austin
Skjerven Morrill LLP
Tsukerman Larisa
LandOfFree
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