Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2001-06-12
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S595000, C439S748000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06244910
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to stamped and formed electrical connectors and to terminals or contacts that are used in those connectors. More particularly, this invention is related to box receptacle contacts or terminals and to means for preventing damage to compliant cantilever spring beams used in those terminal to generate a mating contact force between the terminal and a mating blade or pin terminal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stamped and formed box receptacle contacts or terminals are commonly used in applications such as automotive electrical systems to establish contact with pins or blades extending from a printed circuit board header or with other male terminals. These prior art stamped and formed box receptacles typically have sidewalls formed upwardly from a base with top wall extending from the sidewalls being formed inwardly to enclose a box receptacle portion of a terminal. A spring, generally in the form of a cantilever beam is formed from the base and when a male terminal is inserted between the cantilever beam and the top of the box contact section, deflection of the cantilever beam generates a mating force. Although the primary contact point can be on the top portion of these prior art terminals, it is the deflection of the cantilever beam that generates sufficient contact force to establish a reliable connector between the receptacle terminal and the blade. In other prior art terminals, the primary contact point is on the cantilever beam.
Many prior art receptacle terminals of this type are used in molded connector housings in which a molded latch extension is deflected as the terminal is inserted into a corresponding housing cavity. The molded latch extension then returns to a neutral position engaging a surface on the terminal to serve as a primary terminal latch. However, if the cantilever beam on the terminal is exposed, it can be damaged during insertion of the terminal into the housing. This problem can impose a lower limit on the strength of an exposed cantilever beam and can pose problems in generating the proper contact force without unduly increasing the mating force for multiposition connectors. For this reason reversely formed cantilever beams employed on some prior art terminals generally have relatively compliant beam sections that are not exposed on the exterior of the housing. However, for a relatively compliant beam, prior art connectors of this type generally employ relatively long beams located on the interior of the box receptacle. These long beams can, however, result in a primary contact point on the beam being spaced well back from the forward end of the terminal, in which case the terminal is only suitable for use with relatively long male terminals or blades.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The box receptacle contact or terminal comprising the representative embodiment of this invention is intended for use in an electrical connector, typically of the type employing multiple terminals. The box receptacle contact has a spring contact beam extending from a receptacle base. The spring contract arm is reversely bent intermediate the ends of the spring contact beam to form a reversely bent section at a forward portion of the spring contact arm. The spring contact beam is outwardly deflectable relative to the receptacle base when mated with a mating contact, such as a blade or pin terminal. Two receptacle sidewalls are formed upwardly from the receptacle base on opposite sides of the spring contact beam. At least one lateral projection extends from one edge of the spring contact beam between the base and the reversely bent section. The lateral projection or projections extend beneath one of the sidewalls to limit inward deflection of the spring contact beam relative to the receptacle base. In this manner the spring contact beam, in the form of a cantilever spring contact beam, cannot be damaged or overstressed if a force directed toward the interior of the box receptacle is applied to the beam, for example when the terminal is inserted into a connector housing. Conversely, this configuration permits the use of a more compliant or resilient beam, such a cantilever beam having a length that would otherwise make the cantilever beam subject to damage as the terminal is inserted into a connector housing.
The electrical connector with which terminals of this type can be used also includes a molded housing and the contact terminals are positioned in housing cavities. The housing has latches extending into the cavities to retain the contact terminals in the housing. The contact terminal spring beam is deflectable outwardly when mated to mating terminals to generate a mating force. The cantilever spring beam includes projections extending from opposite edges and abutting opposed surfaces when deflected inwardly to limit deflection in the second direction. These opposed surfaces can be edges of sidewalls adjacent to the cantilever spring beam. The contacts are insertable into the housing cavities with the latches on the housing engaging the cantilever spring beam and tending to deflect the cantilever spring beam in the second direction during insertion of the contact terminals into the housing cavities. If a terminal position assurance member abuts one of the housing latches, it could still be possible to insert the terminal into the housing cavity if the cantilever spring beam could be deflected inwardly by a distance sufficient to permit insertion of the terminal. However, the terminal could be damaged and the cantilever spring beam could be stressed to the point where it could no longer generate adequate or sufficient mating force to maintain and adequate interconnection.
The female electrical terminal according to this invention is suitable for use in establishing electrical connection with mating terminal blades of different lengths. This electrical receptacle terminal has a cantilever spring contact beam with a first section extending from a cantilever base to a reversely bent section located between the first section. A second section extends between the reversely bent section and a free end with a blade contact surface being located adjacent this end of the terminal. The second section extends at an acute angle relative to the first section. The first section includes a structure for limiting deflection of the cantilever spring contact beam due to forces applied to the first section and directed toward the second section.
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patent: 5540603 (1996-07-01), Fujiwara
patent: 5575696 (1996-11-01), Endo et al.
patent: 5624283 (1997-04-01), Hotea
patent: 5672084 (1997-09-01), Feldman
patent: 5690517 (1997-11-01), Betsui
patent: 5839925 (1998-11-01), Simmons
patent: 5941741 (1999-08-01), Dobbelaere et al.
patent: 6024612 (2000-02-01), Myer et al.
Hyeon Hae Moon
Sircus Brian
Tyco Electronics Corporation
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