Electrical terminal with anti-snag feature

Abstract

An electrical connector including a housing comprising at least two contact receiving areas and at least two contact terminals connected to the housing in the contact receiving areas. A first one of the contact terminals includes a combined housing latch and shorting member. The combined housing latch and shorting member is latched behind a portion of the housing to retain the first contact terminal to the housing. The combined housing latch and shorting member directly electrically contacts a second one of the contact terminals. The combined housing latch and shorting member is resiliently deflectable and adapted to be moved by a portion of a mating electrical connector to electrically disconnect from the second contact terminal and still be retained latched behind the portion of the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the present invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connection system;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of one of the electrical connectors shown in FIG. 1, but without showing the terminals;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the terminals used in the connector shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the terminals shown in FIG. 3 from another direction;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the terminal shown in FIGS. 3-4;

FIG. 6 is a partial cross sectional view showing insertion of one of the terminals into the housing;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross sectional view showing one of the terminals in a fully inserted position in the housing;

FIG. 8 is a partial cross sectional view showing removal of one of the terminals from the housing;

FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 7 showing two of the contact terminals mounted in an alternate housing of an electrical connector;

FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view as in FIG. 9 showing partial connection of the electrical connector to a mating electrical connector;

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view as in FIG. 10 showing full connection of the electrical connector to the mating electrical connector;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a contact terminal incorporating features of the invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of the contact terminal shown in FIG. 12 from another direction;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective view of the contact terminal shown in FIGS. 12-13; and

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of the contact terminal shown in FIG. 14 from another direction.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising: a housing comprising at least two contact receiving areas;at least two contact terminals connected to the housing in the contact receiving areas, wherein a first one of the contact terminals comprises a combined housing latch and shorting member, wherein the combined housing latch and shorting member is latched behind a portion of the housing to retain the first contact terminal to the housing, wherein the combined housing latch and shorting member directly electrically contacts a second one of the contact terminals, and wherein the combined housing latch and shorting member is resiliently deflectable and adapted to be moved by a portion of a mating electrical connector to electrically disconnect from the second contact terminal and still be retained latched behind the portion of the housing.

2. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the portion of the housing is adjacent two of the contact receiving areas.

3. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the second contact terminal comprises a combined housing latch and shorting member, and wherein the two combined housing latch and shorting members contact each other.

4. An electrical connector as in claim 3 wherein the housing is adapted to allow the portion of the mating electrical connector to wedge between the two combined housing latch and shorting members.

5. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the first contact terminal comprises a deflectable anti-snag ramp located directly behind a latching edge of the combined housing latch and shorting member when the deflectable anti-snag ramp is not deflected by the electrical connector housing.

6. An electrical connector as in claim 5 wherein the deflectable anti-snag ramp comprises a cantilevered arm extending forward on a mating terminal connection section of the first contact terminal.

7. An electrical connector as in claim 6 wherein a distal tip of the deflectable anti-snag ramp is located beneath the deflectable latch.

8. An electrical connector as in claim 6 wherein an end of the end of the deflectable anti-snag ramp has a pocket section.

9. An electrical connector as in claim 5 wherein the deflectable anti-snag ramp comprises two parallel beam sections.

10. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the combined housing latch and shorting member comprises a cantilevered arm extending rearward from a front end of a mating terminal connection section.

11. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein at least one of the contact terminals is a two-piece terminal comprising a first piece forming a conductor connection section and a mating terminal connection section, and a second piece connected over the mating terminal connection section comprising the combined housing latch and shorting member and a deflectable anti-snag ramp.

12. An electrical terminal comprising: a conductor connection section;a mating terminal connection section connected to the conductor connection section, wherein the mating terminal connection section comprises deflectable contact arms forming a female receiving area;a deflectable latch proximate the mating terminal connection section, wherein the latch is adapted to latch with an electrical connector housing when the terminal is fully inserted into the electrical connector housing; anda deflectable anti-snag ramp located generally behind the deflectable latch,wherein the electrical terminal is a two-piece terminal comprising a first piece forming the conductor connection section and the mating terminal connection section, and a second piece connected over the mating terminal connection section comprising the deflectable latch and the deflectable anti-snag ramp.

13. An electrical terminal as in claim 12 wherein the deflectable latch is adapted to directly electrically contact a deflectable latch of another electrical terminal when inserted into an electrical connector housing to electrically connect the two electrical terminals to each other, and be deflectably moved out of electrical contact with each other by a portion of a mating electrical connector.

14. An electrical terminal as in claim 12 wherein the deflectable anti-snag ramp is located directly behind a latching edge of the deflectable latch when the deflectable anti-snag ramp is not deflected by the electrical connector housing.

15. An electrical terminal as in claim 12 wherein the deflectable latch comprises a cantilevered arm extending rearward from a front end of the mating terminal connection section.

16. An electrical terminal as in claim 12 wherein the deflectable anti-snag ramp comprises a cantilevered arm extending forward on the mating terminal connection section.

17. An electrical terminal as in claim 16 wherein a distal tip of the deflectable anti-snag ramp is located beneath the deflectable latch.

18. An electrical terminal as in claim 16 wherein an end of the deflectable anti-snag ramp has a pocket section.

19. An electrical terminal as in claim 12 wherein the deflectable anti-snag ramp comprises two parallel beam sections.

20. A method of forming an electrical contact terminal comprising: forming a conductor connection section;forming a mating terminal connection section connected to the conductor connection section, wherein the mating terminal connection section comprises deflectable contact arms forming a female receiving area;forming a deflectable latch proximate the mating terminal connection section; andforming a deflectable anti-snag ramp located generally behind the deflectable latch,wherein the electrical contact terminal is a two-piece terminal comprising a first piece forming the conductor connection section and the mating terminal connection section, and a second piece connected to the first piece over the mating terminal connection section, wherein the second piece comprises the deflectable latch and the deflectable anti-snag ramp.