Electrical connectors – Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient... – Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-08
2001-11-20
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Metallic connector or contact having movable or resilient...
Spring actuated or resilient securing part
Reexamination Certificate
active
06319076
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a socket contact for receiving a pin contact having a small diameter, especially a pin contact of a PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card International Association) plug. Such contact pins have a diameter of about one-quarter to one-half millimeter and the socket contact has a height and width that are only about twice as great as the pin contact diameter. Such contact elements are known in the prior art in a variety of embodiments. Commonly, rows of such contact elements are disposed in a front face of a PCMCIA plug-in card to form socket contacts at the front of the card. The socket can be plugged into a mating PCMCIA plug-in host that may be part of a computer.
To arrange the socket contacts in the PCMCIA plug-in card, outwardly opening receiving channels are formed in the latter in the region of a front face. The socket contact elements or contacts are inserted from the rear of the receiving channels. The socket contacts are positioned inside the receiving channels so a base of the socket contact always extends at the base of the receiving channel. Specifically, the receiving channel would be blocked by a socket contact base that were disposed at an angle to the receiving channel, and the introduction of a pin contact would then be made difficult or even prevented.
A socket contact of the known type is normally punched out of a large sheet of sheet metal. Both the outer contour of the socket contact and a pin-passing opening in the spacing part of the socket contact are punched out. In the punching operation, the second spacing element and the spring tongue, except for the side where they are joined to the base, are also punched out of the base. The punch part is then bent into the shape of the finished socket contact. Thus, for example, the spring tongue is bent slightly upward relative to the base so it projects into that region of the socket contact into which the pin contact element is introduced. In addition, a front spacing part is bent upward relative to the base, and a top contact part is formed by bending backward a top contact part. Finally, a retainer is bent steeply upward relative to the basic element.
Basically, the socket contact has a substantially flat horizontal base with slits forming an upwardly-inclined tongue, a spacing part extending upwardly from the front end of the base, and a top contact part extending rearwardly from the top of the spacing part. The spacing part has a hole, and the contact pin can be inserted through the hole and be clamped between the tongue and the top contact part. The spacing part is weakened by the hole, and may plastically deform if a large clamping force is applied by the tongue and top contact part to the inserted pin. Strengthening of the spacing part to prevent it from bending, would enable the socket contact to apply a large clamping force to a pin contact.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a socket contact is provided, of the type having a vertical spacing part, a base extending rearwardly from the bottom of the spacing part and having a resilient tongue, and a top contact part extending generally rearwardly from the top of the spacing part, so a pin inserted through a hole in the spacing part is clamped between the tongue and top contact part, where the spacing part is reinforced to prevent it from bending as a result of the weakening by the hole in it. Reinforcement can be achieved by providing support regions extending at least partially rearwardly from locations at opposite sides of the spacing part. The support regions strengthen opposite sides of the spacing part that lie on opposite sides of its hole, without adding to the width of the spacing part.
The support regions can be formed with peripheral regions of the spacing part drawn back at the sides of the opening. This allows the support regions to be produced in a particularly simple way during the production of the socket contact by a deep-drawing operation.
The robustness of the spacing part at the front of the socket contact, can be increased further by reinforcing elements formed as material aggregations. The material aggregations are specifically formed in those regions of the spacing element which are subject to a particularly high bending moment loading when the pin contact is clamped. The material aggregations can be formed separately or in combination with the support regions at the opening of the spacing part.
The provision of an elongated top contact whose rear end presses firmly against the pin contact, requires reinforcement of the spacing part against bending due to the large torque. The support regions at opposite sides of the spacing part avoids permanent deformation of the spacing part. The resulting elongated resilient top contact, which serves as a spring tongue similarly to the bottom spring tongue in the base, facilitates the introduction of a pin contact into the socket contact since the spring tongues are disposed both below and above the receiving channel. The socket contact is preferably formed of a copper/beryllium alloy for excellent spring and electrical conductivity properties.
The socket contact is formed by punching it out of a large metal sheet, with the socket contact having larger dimensions in the region of the front spacing part than the width of the front spacing part in the finished socket contact. During a reshaping process, the front spacing part is deformed to the dimensions of the finished socket contact, with excess material being reshaped to form the reinforcing elements or support regions of the spacing part. The reshaped punched part is bent into the shape of the finished contact. It is proposed that, during the reshaping operation, the peripheral regions of the spacing part at the sides of the opening are deep drawn backward as reinforcing elements. Material aggregations are impressed as reinforcing elements on the surface of the first spacing element.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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Gollhofer Martin
Haller Wolfgang
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Nguyen Phuong
Paumen Gary
Turner Roger C.
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