Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-02-27
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
C439S084000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06193567
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to female terminals for printed circuit boards.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Female terminals for printed circuit boards typically comprise a rectangular receptacle and confronting contact tongues that are located inside the receptacle for contacting opposite sides of a mating blade terminal that is inserted into the receptacle. Such terminals are usually attached to the printed circuit board by solder tabs that depend from the receptacle and establish an electrical connection with a conductor of the printed circuit board through a solder joint. The terminal is typically of one piece sheet metal construction and made from a stamped metal blank that has a flat receptacle forming portion. The rectangular receptacle is typically made in a forming operation where the flat receptacle forming portion of the blank is bent into rectangular shape by three bending operations that form three comers of the rectangle. These bending operations form four orthogonally related walls that bring the two edges of the receptacle forming portion adjacent to each other to form an open seam at the fourth corner.
A drawback of this type of construction is that the gap at the open seam can widen or increase after an extended period of use increasing the size of the receptacle. This diminishes the contact pressure of the contact tongues inside the receptacle and may result in poor electrical contact with the male blade terminal that is inserted into the receptacle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides a female terminal of one-piece construction for a printed circuit board in which the rectangular receptacle has an interlock arrangement that reduces the length of the open seam at the fourth corner of the rectangular receptacle and the tendency to increase the size of the receptacle after an extended period of use. The interlock arrangement is accomplished by fabricating one side wall of interlocking segments that are integrally attached to opposite end walls of the rectangular receptacle so that the open seam does not run the entire length of the receptacle. The interlocking side wall segments are preferably shaped to minimize the size of the sheet metal blank to save material and reduce manufacturing costs. The contact tongues of the female terminal are also preferably shaped to provide one or more of the following features—an open and controlled contact gap to lower terminal engage force while maintaining a stable contact force; over stress projection; and double sided mating capability. The solder tabs are also preferably shaped to lock with the printed circuit board mechanically to provide over stress protection of the solder joint.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4299436 (1981-11-01), Ackerman
patent: 5064379 (1991-11-01), Ryll et al.
patent: 5259796 (1993-11-01), Yamada et al.
patent: 5415571 (1995-05-01), Lutsch
patent: 5975963 (1999-11-01), Higuchi et al.
patent: 6000974 (1999-12-01), Hotea
Delphi Technologies Inc.
Jones Richard A.
Nguyen Son V.
Sircus Brian
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