Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-23
2001-08-28
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S395000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06280230
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to insulation displacement terminals used in electrical connectors, and more particularly, to an insulation displacement terminal that facilitates reduction in size and cost and assembly of electrical connectors.
An insulation displacement terminal is widely known as useful in effecting connections between electrical wires and opposing connectors without requiring the soldering of the wires to terminals. Such terminals include slots in which the wires are pressed, and the sides of the slot bite into the outer insulation covering of the wire and into contact with the inner conductive core of the wire to obtain a reliable and a gas tight connection. Such insulation displacement type terminals are useful in reducing the size of the connector and in weight reduction and in reduction in cost of the connector. Insulation displacement terminals are also renown for their ease and superiority of assembly and reliability. Therefore, insulation displacement type terminals have been extensively used as a female terminals of electric connectors.
FIG. 12
illustrates a known insulation displacement type terminal which reduces the amount of material used and which is inexpensive to produce and easy to assemble.
FIG. 13
illustrates a known female connector into which such a insulation displacement type connector is assembled, as is shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. Hei 2-101468.
The terminals
150
shown in this known terminal and connector are of a female type and are provided with a pair of wire-contacting elements, or slotted tabs,
151
&
152
that form conductive terminal portions and are also provided with two terminal contact portions
153
&
154
that are positioned parallel to each other to form a pair of terminal beams. The wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
are connected to each other through a linking, or connecting, body portion
155
which is shown as parallel with the terminal contact portions
153
&
154
. In mating with an opposing connector, a male terminal
160
of the opposing connector (not shown) includes a pin terminal that is inserted in between the connecting body portion
155
and the terminal contact portions
153
&
154
. The wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
have respective slots
511
&
521
, that receive an electrical wire
156
therein. Displacement of the insulation of the wires occurs when the wires are placed into the slots
511
&
521
so that the wire
156
is electrically connected to the terminal
150
.
As shown in
FIG. 13
, the terminal
150
is assembled into a connector housing
170
. A plurality of terminal-receiving recesses
171
are arranged in the connector housing
170
and receive wires
156
in a parallel arrangement so that a variety of female connectors containing different numbers of wires and terminals may be formed.
As shown in
FIG. 14
, for example, such a terminal
150
is manufactured by punching out a conductive plate
501
to obtain the base shape of the terminal
150
and thereafter bending parts thereof to form the final terminal
150
. Thus, the width W
1
and the width of the connector housing recess
171
are identical with each other. As a result, the overall width dimension W
1
of the terminal
150
is reduced to where it is substantially the same as that of each of the wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
so that the material of the conductive plate
501
is effectively used in the construction of the terminal
150
.
In this regard, for example, a female terminal
150
A having the shape shown in
FIG. 15
takes a form such that the terminal contact pieces
153
&
154
are arranged on both sides of the wire-contacting elements
151
. Accordingly, the overall width W
2
of the terminal
150
A is greater than the width W
1
of the two wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
. Therefore, the conductive material of the terminal
150
A is not economically utilized in such a terminal construction.
Returning to
FIG. 12
, and the terminal
150
illustrated therein, although the conductive material is effectively utilized to effectively attain a reduced size and reduced weight aspects, the terminal
150
suffers from the following problems. First of all, there is a room to further improve the efficiency of utilization of the conductive material that makes up the terminal. Namely, when produced as a mass in conjunction with a carrier strip, such as that shown in
FIG. 14
, a plurality of terminals
150
are connected in chain-like arrangement to each other by a terminal carrier strip
502
. However, the portion of the conductive plate
501
corresponding to the spacing with a width of W
3
between the adjacent terminals
150
of the carrier strip
502
must be punched out. This portion is sent to scrap and is wasted in the manufacture of the terminals.
This punched-out portion corresponds to the interval, or spacing, that is disposed between the respective terminal-receiving recesses
171
of the connector housing
170
. This portion is required to align the respective terminals
150
on their pitch P
1
with their respective connector housing recesses
171
when the terminals
150
are simultaneously assembled from their carrier strip
502
into the connector housing
170
and its associated recesses
171
. Secondly, a problem occurs the ability to connect the wire(s)
156
to the terminal
150
. Because the terminals
150
are received in a like plurality of respective connector housing recesses
171
, the wires
156
are simultaneously inserted from above the terminals into the two slots
511
and
521
that are formed in the wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
to obtain the desired pressed, insulation-displacement connection. However, as shown in
FIG. 13
, a space ∝ having a desired interval is required between the wire-contacting element
151
located on the front end side of the wire
156
and a front end face
711
of the connector housing recess
171
. This is because a desired length of the wire with its insulative covering
561
must be left at the front end of the wire
156
and also that it is necessary to keep a good working space of the connector housing into which a terminal press jig may be inserted. With such a space, it is possible to perform a good press connection of the wire
156
to the terminal
150
.
However, with the terminal having such a structure, the interval between the wire-contacting elements
151
&
152
is substantially the overall length of the terminal, and in instances where the length of the connector housing recess
171
is identical with the length of the terminal, it becomes difficult to keep such a space in the structure. For this reason, and as shown in
FIG. 13
, the length of the receipt recess
171
must be longer than the length of the terminal
150
, typically by the length of the space. Accordingly, it will be understood that although the terminal
150
per se may be reduced in size, the overall connector housing
170
is not so reduced in size.
Thirdly, it is important and desired to keep an effective contact length between the female terminal
150
and opposing contacts
160
of an opposing male terminal. In the known structure illustrated, the effective contact length of the terminal
150
is shortened as the overall length L of the female terminal
150
is shortened and the female terminal is reduced in size. For this reason, in this structure, there is a limit to the reduction in size that can be attained with such a terminal
150
. Fourthly, a problem occurs with the three-point contact terminal that is established by the terminal contact pieces
153
&
154
and the body portion
155
of the terminal. In order to attain good and reliable three-point contact with this known terminal
150
, it is necessary to perform extremely high precision machining in comparison with a terminal that has a two-point contact arrangement by clamping the associated terminal on both sides.
The present invention is directed to a terminal construction that avoids these shortcomings and overc
Matsuura Naoya
Miyazawa Junnichi
Takase Hisato
Yagi Masanori
Cohen Charles S.
Gilman Alexander
Molex Incorporated
Paumen Gary
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