Patent Grant
10348045
The present application relates generally to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a type of connector used to connect an insulated wire to a component.
The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Various types of connectors are used for forming connections between an insulated wire and any manner of electronic or electrical component. These connectors are typically available as sockets, plugs, and shrouded headers in a vast range of sizes, pitches, and plating options. Typically, a connector is electrically coupled to an electrical component that is designed to receive the connector. In other words, two different types of connectors are commonly needed in order to achieve mechanical and electrical coupling (e.g., a socket connector typically needs a plug to achieve full coupling).
In accordance with an illustrative embodiment, an electrical connector is provided that includes an electrical contact and an insulated housing. The electrical contact has an insert end, a wire contact portion, and a connector contact portion. The insert end includes a cage-like structure that has one or more conductive walls that define an inlet opening and a plurality of contact surfaces. The inlet opening of the electrical contact may be of any size or shape that will allow the electrical contact to receive a wire. Once a wire is received through the inlet opening, a contact tine that extends off one of the walls in the cage-like structure may be used to mechanically and electrically couple the wire within the wire contact portion. The connector contact portion extends from the wire contact portion and forms a male contact prong and a female contact socket. In some embodiments, the electrical connector may be housed within the insulated housing.
The male contact prong may be L-shaped and extend perpendicularly from the base of the connector contact portion while also extending in a forward direction along a centerline axis. Furthermore, the female contact socket is formed by two contact tines that extend away, in a forward direction, from the base of the connector contact portion. In an embodiment, a distal end of the male contact prong is located on a plane that is a distance above the plane of the two contact tines of the female contact socket. Additionally, the male contact prong is centered on the centerline axis of the electrical contact. Similarly, the female contact socket is centered along the centerline axis such that the two contact tines are symmetric to one another other.
In various embodiments, the two contact tines of the female contact socket may be of many different shapes or configurations. For example, the two contact tines of the female contact socket may have knobs that extend inwardly toward a centerline axis of the electrical connector, or the two contact tines of the female contact socket may be angled inwardly toward the centerline axis as they extend forwardly from the base of the connector contact portion. The distance between the two contact tines of the female contact socket may be less than the thickness of the male contact prong. This allows for the two female contact tines to compress a corresponding male contact prong and create an electrical and mechanical connection. In some embodiments, the male contact prong may extend less than the entire distance to the end of the female contact socket.
In an embodiment, the cage-like structure of the insert end, the contact tine, and the plurality of contact surfaces create a pinch-point to receive and secure the wire. For example, the contact tine may extend from a first surface of the plurality of contact surfaces towards the base portion of the wire contact portion that is a second surface. The contact tine of the wire contact portion may be angled towards the second surface and direct the wire towards the second surface. The sidewalls of the cage-like structure may also include projections that extend in a forward direction. In some embodiments, the projections of the sidewall can be utilized to help mechanically and/or electrically couple the wire to the electrical contact.
The electrical contact may be of many different shapes. In an embodiment, the base of the wire contact portion is rectangular in shape with at least one jut that extends outward from the centerline of the electrical contact. The at least one jut is triangular-shaped and allows the electrical contact to be seated and secured within a molded recesses of a housing.
In a system, at least two electrical connectors are mechanically and/or electrically coupled via the coupling of two electrical contacts that each have both a male contact prong and a female contact socket. In an embodiment, at least one of the electrical contacts is electrically connected to one or more wires. The two electrical contacts may be coupled by mating the male contact prongs to the female contact sockets of the first and second electrical contacts. Further, the electrical contacts may be housed within respective insulated housings. The insulated housings may include a ridge that houses the female contact socket of the electrical contact and an inlet that houses the male contact prong of the electrical contact. The insulated housings may be coupled together such that the electrical contacts within the insulated housings are properly electrically and mechanically coupled. In some embodiments, the insulated housings also have a male-latch prong and a latching device that ensures that two of the insulated housings are secured together after they are coupled.
In an embodiment, the electrical contact is formed from a single stamped metal sheet bent or otherwise formed into the structure. Any number and configuration of cuts, reliefs, and the like, may be formed in the metal sheet to facilitate bending or otherwise shaping the metal sheet into the electrical contact having the features described herein.
The electrical connector is not limited by its wire contact portion or other components. Particular embodiments of insulation displacement connectors are described in greater detail below by reference to the examples illustrated in the various drawings.
Reference will now be made to various embodiments, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the figures. The embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the invention, and are not meant as a limitation of the invention. For example, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment may be used with another embodiment to yield still a further embodiment. It is intended that the present application encompass these and other modifications and variations as come within the scope and spirit of the invention.
Disclosed herein is a hermaphroditic pin and socket connector that includes both a male end and a female socket. This feature allows for two separate mechanical and electrical connections to be made when a first connector is mated with a second connector. Such hermaphroditic connectors are more resistive to rotational movement, create better mechanical connections, and are more resistant to damage since they cannot be as easily moved or rotated in relation to the second connector. Another advantage of such hermaphroditic connectors involves the connection of two wires together. The hermaphroditic connector eliminates the need to switch the end of a wire from a female to male end to form a connection with a second wire at the female end because the hermaphroditic connector is immediately compatible with a second hermaphroditic connector. Furthermore, the unique design ensures that the connector cannot be easily connected to an unsuitable electronic device. Such a hermaphroditic connector is thus beneficial for use with sensitive electronic equipment that may be easily damaged if improperly connected to a non-compatible device.
Various embodiments of a hermaphroditic electrical connector are illustrated throughout
Referring to
The inlet opening 113 is defined by four walls that make up the cage-like structure 125. In alternative embodiments, the inlet opening 113 may be defined by two, three, four, five, or more walls. Furthermore, the inlet opening 113 may be constructed to have different size openings and may have multiple configurations, such as a circular configuration, a semicircular configuration, and so forth. The size of inlet opening 113 may change depending on a gauge of wire that will be received by the inlet opening 113. The side walls 104 of the inlet opening 113 may have a projection 111 that extends in a forward direction toward a base 126 of the connector contact portion 120. In some embodiments, the projection 111 may be utilized to secure the wire or add stability. The projection 111 may also serve as a contact tine wherein the projection 111 of the side walls 104 extends inwardly towards a centerline axis 190 of the electrical contact 100 to create a pinch point and a point of contact with the inserted wire.
In some embodiments, the base 102 of the wire contact portion 103 is generally rectangular in shape. However, it will be appreciated that other shapes are possible and within the scope of this disclosure, such as ovals, squares, and other polygons. The base 102 may also include one or more juts 110 that extend outward from the centerline axis 190.
As indicated above, the electrical contact 100 further includes the connector contact portion 120. The connector contact portion 120 includes a base 126 that is connected to the base 102 of the wire contact portion 103. The connector contact portion 120 further includes a male contact prong 107 and a female contact socket 101 that are each connected to the base 126. The male contact prong 107 has an L-shape in which a first portion 115 of the male contact prong extends in a perpendicular direction from the base 126 and a second portion 112 of the male contact prong extends in a forward direction parallel to the centerline axis 190. The first portion 115 of the male contact prong 107 is connected to the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120 at the centerline axis 190 of the electrical contact 100 and the second portion 112 of the male contact prong 107 is centered on the centerline axis 190. In alternative embodiments, the male contact prong 107 may have different shapes and may be connected to the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120 by different means. For example, the male contact prong 107 may be tapered on one end or be J-shaped. A taper on a distal end of the second portion 112 of the male contact prong allows for the male contact prong 107 to be more easily inserted into a corresponding female socket. The male contact prong 107 is conductively connected to the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120 by virtue of the contact 100 being one continuous conductive piece. Alternatively, the male contact prong 107 may include two or more conductive pieces that are welded, soldered, or otherwise coupled together.
The female contact socket 101 includes two separate contact tines 121 having a space there between. The two contact tines 121 extend in a forward direction from the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120. The two contact tines 121 extend forward in a same plane as the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120. In alternative embodiments, the two contact tines 121 may extend off-plane from the base 126. The female contact socket 101 is centered on the centerline axis 190 such that the two contact tines 121 are symmetrical about the centerline axis. The two contact tines 121 may be angled inward towards the centerline axis 190 such that the distance between the two contact tines 121 decreases as they extend forward from the base 126. Additionally, the two contact tines 121 may have knobs 108 that extend towards the centerline axis 190 at the end of each contact tine 121. The knobs 108 may be half-circular, rectangular, triangular, or any other polygonal shape. The distance between the knobs 108 is preferably less than a thickness of the male contact prong 107. This will ensure that the two contact tines 121 compress a corresponding male contact prong 107 and a mechanical and electrical connection is created between the female contact socket 101 and the corresponding male contact prong 107. As depicted, the female contact socket 101 and the male contact prong 107 are centered on the centerline axis 190 which allows for two corresponding electrical contacts 100 to be easily positioned within a housing and coupled together. In alternative embodiments, the female contact socket 101 and the male contact prong 107 may be configured in any arrangement that allows for two connectors to be coupled.
In alternative embodiments, the female contact socket 101 may include more or less than two tines. For example, the female contact socket 101 may be a singular socket-shaped tine, or it may include three, four, or more contact tines. Preferably, the female contact socket 101 is adapted such that it can receive and secure a male contact prong 107 to create an electrical connection. The two contact tines 121 may be different shapes. For example, the two contact tines 121 may be tapered such that the width of the tines is larger at the base 126 of the connector contact portion 120 and decreases as the contact tines 121 extend in a forward direction. In an embodiment, the length that the male contact prong 107 extends in a forward direction is less than the length of the two contact tines 121 of the female socket 101.
The electrical contact 100 is formed of a single electrically-conductive element. The single electrically-conductive element may be any suitable electrically-conductive metal material having a gauge and other physical characteristics suitable for maintaining the shape of the electrical contact 100 in the mounting process, as well as in the operating environment of the electrical component to which the electrical contact 100 is mounted. However, it will be appreciated that the electrical contact 100 may also be formed of multiple conductive elements that are welded, soldered, or otherwise electrically and mechanically connected.
A male contact prong 207 of the first electrical contact 201 is mated with a female contact socket 208 of the second electrical contact 202, thus creating a first mechanical and electrical connection between the first electrical contact 201 and the second electrical contact 202. A female contact socket 209 of the first electrical contact 201 is mated with a male contact prong 210 of the second electrical contact 202, thus creating a second mechanical and electrical connection between first electrical contact 201 and the second electrical contact 202. Additionally, the second electrical contact 202 is mechanically and electrically connected to the second wire 206 in a similar manner to which the first wire 205 is secured within the first electrical contact 201.
In alternative embodiments, the first wire 205 and the second wire 206 may be a stranded or solid core wire surrounded by a variety of suitable insulation material. The core 214 of the wire 205 may be made from a variety of suitable conductive materials, such as copper, tin, aluminum, or a combination thereof. In alternative embodiments, the core 214 may be secured within the electrical contacts via the contact tine 211, solder, additional contact tines, or a combination thereof.
With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singular terms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from the plural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as is appropriate to the context and/or application. The various singular/plural permutations may be expressly set forth herein for sake of clarity.
It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to inventions containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that virtually any disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”
The foregoing description of illustrative embodiments has been presented for purposes of illustration and of description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting with respect to the precise form disclosed, and modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practice of the disclosed embodiments. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/375,269 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,876,323), filed Dec. 12, 2016, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20180166838 A1 | Jun 2018 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15375269 | Dec 2016 | US |
| Child | 15862783 | US |
