Electrical connector with improved terminals

Details Electrical connector with improved terminals Electrical connector with improved terminals

2001-09-05

2002-09-24

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...

Spring actuated or resilient securing part

Reexamination Certificate

active

06454617

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector having terminals with improved structure for electrically connecting with inserted pin contacts.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Generally, stamp-formed terminals designed to mate with inserted pins use single or dual cantilever contact arms with contact surfaces on the free ends of the arms. A pin inserted into a conventional terminal bends each arm along its length thereby deforming the arm as a cantilever beam and generating a contact force resiliently urging the contact surface against the side of the inserted pin. The cantilever beams extend along the length of the terminals and are limited in length by the height of the terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,883 discloses a conventional connector with such a terminal. Referring to
FIGS. 5 and 6
, the conventional terminal
10
comprises a body
12
and a pair of spring members
22
,
24
. The body
12
includes a housing mounting plate
16
and a pair of flat terminal tails
18
and
20
extending longitudinally away from the body
12
. The pair of spring members
22
,
24
extend perpendicularly away from one side of the body
12
. Each spring member
22
,
24
includes a first arm
28
extending perpendicularly away from the body
12
, a second arm
130
joined to the outer end of arm
28
and extending perpendicularly therefrom in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the terminal, and a rigid arm
132
joining the outer end of arm
130
and extending perpendicularly in a direction back toward the body
12
.
However, the spring members
22
,
24
are shaped with rigid profile in longitudinal direction, such that when a pin contact of a mating connector is inserted in longitudinal direction between the spring members
22
,
24
, if there is a slight offset between the pin and spring members
22
,
24
, the body
12
will suffer a large mating force.
Thus the terminal
10
need be precisely mounted in the electrical connector for reducing unduly large mating force. However, manufacturing cost will therefore increase.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having an improved terminal structure for reducing mating force when engaging with a mating connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminal with a simplified structure for reducing mating force when mating with an inserted pin contact.
To fulfill the above-mentioned object, according to a preferred embodiment of present invention, an electrical connector comprises an elongate molded plastic housing with a pair of rows of terminal cavities spaced along the length of the housing and a terminal fitted in each cavity. Each terminal comprises an integral body stamp-formed from thin metal strip. The body comprises a front base and a middle base. An elongate flat tail extends longitudinally backwardly away from the body. A pair of spring arms extend upwardly from lateral sides of the middle base.
Each spring arm comprises an arched S-shaped cantilever portion upwardly extending from the middle base. A pin contact portion extends forwardly from the curved cantilever portion. The pin contact portion is bent inwardly to form a contact ridge so that the contact portions are spaced more closely together than parallel cantilever portion. The cantilever portion is formed with an arched S-shaped profile for providing a flexible electrical connection with an inserted pin contact. The contact portion is tapered with a minimum width adjacent the cantilever portion and a maximum width adjacent its outer end.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4083623 (1978-04-01), Lynch
patent: 4379611 (1983-04-01), Foege et al.
patent: 5263833 (1993-11-01), Kirayoglu
patent: 5399108 (1995-03-01), Lu et al.
patent: 6171126 (2000-01-01), Wu et al.
patent: 6267615 (2001-07-01), Lin

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