Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-08
2001-02-13
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S839000, C439S748000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06186840
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a female connector for electrical connectors having a sheet-metal frame which is in the form of a box and has contact spring elements and a connecting part for a cable end. The connector has a reinforcing cage attached to the frame and is in the form of a box with a coding rib.
Such female connectors are used in particular in systems in which up to 50 sockets are arranged in a corresponding socket housing in a connector. The dimensions of the female connectors typically have a cross section of 2×2 mm. In order to avoid female connectors being inserted into incorrect receptacles in the housing when a female connector housing is being fitted, coding aids are provided which, like a key bit, prevent an incorrect female connector from being inserted in a receptacle which is not intended for it. The simplest type of such a coding aid is a coding rib, which is fitted in the insertion direction on the reinforcing cage of a connector socket, and engages in a corresponding groove in the socket housing. The coding is provided by choosing the point at which the coding rib is arranged on the reinforcing cage. Furthermore, different forms of coding ribs are possible.
WO 89/05531 discloses a female connector for electrical connectors, whose reinforcing cage is composed of folded sheet steel, with the edges of the folded steel sheet meeting at one edge of the cage, which is in the form of a box, and with one of the edges being formed such that it projects somewhat, and thus forms the coding rib. This type of formation of a coding rib is disadvantageous to the extent that the cohesive nature of the reinforcing cage on the edge on which the sheet-metal edges abut can be ensured at the most by welding or bonding.
In the case of a female connector from the company OSRAM SYLVANIA, a coding rib which is similar to that in the case of the prior art mentioned above is produced, with the difference that the sheet-metal edge which projects vertically upwards in the prior art according to WO 89/05531 is moved to the adjacent side of the cage. This make it easier to connect the edges of the metal sheet of the reinforcing cage to one another. However, it results in a relatively broad and flat coding rib for this purpose, as a result of which it is not possible to prevent incorrect insertion into a receptacle not intended for this purpose in all circumstances. Furthermore, in the case of both the coding ribs described above, the cut edges of the metal sheet are exposed and can cut into the housing walls during insertion, while they “bite themselves in firmly”.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is based on the object of further developing a female connector for electrical connectors having a sheet-metal frame which is in the form of a box and has contact spring elements and a connecting part for a cable end. The connector has a reinforcing cage which has a coding rib which can be used reliably irrespective of the connector type and irrespective of the nature of the contact elements used, without damaging the housing, and while allowing the cage edges to be attached to one another securely.
This object is achieved according to preferred embodiments of the present invention by providing a contact comprising: a sheet-metal frame which is in the form of a box having contact spring elements and a connecting part for a cable end. A reinforcing cage is attached to the sheet-metal frame. The reinforcing cage is formed in the form of a box from a folded metal sheet having four bending folds. The reinforcing cage has four sides joined by rounded edges formed by the bending folds and includes a coding rib in one of the sides. The side with the coding rib includes a first flap of the metal sheet having a longitudinal edge. The first flap overlaps a second flap of the metal sheet. The coding rib is formed by the overlapped flaps and has a rounded profile with no outwardly pointing sharp edge of the metal sheet. Preferably the coding rib has a curved arc cross-section.
The invention will be explained in more detail in the following text on the basis of the description of an exemplary embodiment, and with reference to the drawing, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4938720 (1990-07-01), Romak
patent: 5749752 (1998-05-01), Kashiyama et al.
patent: 5941741 (1999-08-01), Dobblelaere et al.
patent: 5951314 (1999-09-01), Durand-Cochet et al.
patent: 196 30 939C1 (1997-12-01), None
patent: 197 04 311A1 (1998-08-01), None
patent: 0 600 419 A1 (1994-06-01), None
patent: WO 89/05531 (1989-06-01), None
Geltsch Hans Otto
Lutsch Harald
Bradley Paula
Framatome Connectors International
Perman & Green LLP
Ta Tho Dac
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