High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact

Details High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact

2001-01-10

2001-07-24

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...

Spring actuated or resilient securing part

Reexamination Certificate

active

06264509

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of electrical wire harness terminals of the type used in automotive electrical systems, and more particularly to such terminals with sacrificial terminal coatings adapted for high cycle use.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Wire harness and other connector terminals of the type used in vehicle electrical systems are often applied to “high cycle” connections, i.e. connections repeatedly made, broken, and re-made according to the operation, testing, or servicing of components which the terminals connect to power. Examples of vehicle components using high cycle connections include convertible roofs, removable stereos, and removable seats, to name but a few.
A small number of prior high cycle terminals have a resilient spring contact which offers both a sacrificial wiping surface and a spring force for an inserted male terminal to establish clean, intermittence-free contact. The sacrificial wiping surface is often coated or plated with a highly-conductive material such as tin or gold to enhance the electrical connection.
The quality of the electrical connection suffers if too much of the sacrificial surface or coating is wiped off after numerous cycles, or if the spring portion loses its force after being over-deflected too far or too many times.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a high cycle female electrical terminal with a ramped spring type contact adapted to receive a male terminal blade in an enclosed terminal chamber. The contact portion of the female terminal includes an upwardly ramped or angled sacrificial wiping section and a downwardly angled spring leg which supports the ramp section and which allows the ramp section to yield under spring tension when a male terminal blade is inserted into the female terminal. The ramp section includes a slot or aperture below which a “failsafe” contact remains protected underneath the sacrificial ramp surface. The failsafe contact, however, is connected to the spring leg in cantilevered fashion such that downward compression of the ramp section by a male terminal forces the failsafe contact up through the slot into contact with the male terminal. This failsafe connection is preferably made at or near the point of full insertion of the male terminal, such that the failsafe contact and the portion of the male terminal which it engages are not subjected to significant sacrificial wear.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the sacrificial ramp section is multi-angled, i.e. it includes an initial wiping section or shield which first engages the male terminal, and a rearwardly-spaced sacrificial ramp section having a height greater than the initial wiping section and connected to the spring leg to raise the failsafe contact as the male terminal is fully seated. The initial wiping section of the ramp and the final sacrificial section may be connected by an angled portion such that the male terminal's contact with the initial wiping section lowers the failsafe contact slightly, so that the failsafe is even more securely ensured against wear during the initial insertion. Upon the male terminal's subsequent contact with the final sacrificial section, the spring leg is compressed downwardly and forwardly to raise the failsafe contact into engagement with the male terminal.
The failsafe contact may be provided with its own stop leg extending downwardly so as to limit the downward motion of the failsafe contact and prevent over-deflection of the terminal as the male blade is inserted. This feature is particularly useful in the multi-angled ramp embodiment in which the failsafe contact moves in a two stage down-up motion.
Although the term “blade” is used herein to describe the male terminal inserted into contact with the inventive female terminal, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to use with a flat blade, but may accommodate other shapes adapted to engage the female spring terminal, which shapes may be uniform or may vary at the tip of the male terminal or at other locations along its length to affect how quickly the various portions of the female spring contact react to its insertion, and thereby affect the point at which the failsafe contact is raised into contact with the male terminal.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon further reading of the specification, in light of the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4607907 (1986-08-01), Bogursky
patent: 4696530 (1987-09-01), Vandame
patent: 4699444 (1987-10-01), Isohata
patent: 4795379 (1989-01-01), Sasaki et al.
patent: 5083936 (1992-01-01), Yang
patent: 5350321 (1994-09-01), Takenouchi
patent: 5540603 (1996-07-01), Fujiwara
patent: 5601458 (1997-02-01), Ohsumi et al.
patent: 5722925 (1998-03-01), Kameyama et al.
patent: 5733155 (1998-03-01), Sagawa
patent: 5941740 (1999-08-01), Neuer et al.
patent: 6062918 (2000-05-01), Myer et al.
patent: 6079988 (2000-06-01), Hashiguchi et al.
patent: 6152788 (2000-11-01), Hata et al.
patent: 6206738 (2001-03-01), Sugie
patent: 03205555 (1993-02-01), None
patent: 04004236 (1993-07-01), None

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and High cycle terminal with protected failsafe contact will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2482777