Claims
- 1. An electrical connecting device, comprising an electrical contact and housing means for containing at least part of said contact, said housing means having opening means for receiving therein one member for contacting said contact, said contact including a base and extending from said base at least two separate resilient contacting means for contacting at inner surfaces thereof said one member inserted between said contacting means, both said contacting means being capable of outward deformation to undergo substantially independent movement during inserting of said one member therebetween, said housing means including a body molded while said contacting means are outwardly deformed to form an integral structure about and to at least part of said contact and around at least part of said two contacting means to form said opening means in said housing means between said two contacting means and open spaces formed by said contacting means when outwardly deformed and defined by spaces created when said contacting means resiliently return inwardly to an undeformed position, said open spaces being adjacent respective ones of said two contacting means to permit such outward deformation of both said contacting means for insertion of the one member between said two contacting means.
- 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said body is in the form of a header body.
- 3. The device of claim 1, said contacting means including fork contacts.
- 4. The device of claim 1, wherein each of said contacting means has an arcuate cross-section and wherein said contacting means are oriented to form a tulip shape contact.
- 5. An electrical device including a plurality of electrical connecting devices as set forth in claim 1, said contacts of said electrical connecting devices arranged in a line.
- 6. An electrical device including a plurality of electrical connecting devices as set forth in claim 1, said contacts of said electrical connecting devices arranged in a dual-in-line pattern.
- 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said contact includes a terminal portion extending from said base in a direction generally opposite said contacting means.
- 8. The device of claim 7, wherein said terminal portion is in the form of a planar contact.
- 9. The device of claim 7, wherein at least a part of said terminal portion extends through said molded body.
- 10. The device of claim 7, further comprising conductor means for electrical conduction, and wherein said terminal portion includes engagement means for electrically engaging said conductor means.
- 11. The device of claim 10, wherein said conductor means includes an insulated cable, and wherein said engagement means includes prong-like arms for penetrating the insulation of said cable for electrical connection between said cable and said engagement means.
- 12. The device of claim 10, wherein said molded body forms an integral structure about at least part of the junction of said engagement means and said conductor means.
- 13. An electrical connecting device, comprising an electrical contact and housing means for containing at least part of said contact, said housing means having opening means for receiving therein one member for contacting said contact, said contact including a base and a resilient wiping arm extending generally parallel to and laterally offset from said base so as to protrude into said opening means, said wiping arm capable of deforming substantially into a generally open area of said opening means to electrically contact said one member when inserted in said opening means, said housing means including a body molded to form an integral structure about and to at least part of said contact and to form said opening means, said housing means having been molded while said wiping arm is in a deformed position to at least partly form said generally open area, said open area being defined by a space created when said wiping arm resiliently returns to an undeformed position.
- 14. The device of claim 13, wherein said contact includes a terminal portion extending from said base in a direction generally opposite said wiping arm.
- 15. The device of claim 14, further including electrical conduction means electrically connected to said terminal portion, and wherein said molded body forms an integral structure about at least part of the junction of said terminal portion and said conductor means.
- 16. An electrical device including a plurality of electrically conductive members supported in a molded body of electrically non-conductive material, the molded body having therein a respective space for each conductive member, in which space at least part of the conductive member is movable for electrically connecting with an external member inserted into said space, said movable part comprising plural separate contacting means for mechanically engaging and electrically connecting with such external member, said plural contacting means being supported from a common base and being separately movable relative to each other and to said base, said electrical device being made according to the method comprising the steps of placing the conductive members in a mold, molding the body using the mold, and removing the molded body from the mold with the conductive members supported therein, said placing step including placing the separate contacting means of each conductive member into engagement with a mold core such that the movable part of the conductive member cooperates with the mold core to form a composite mold core defining the space in the body, and said molding step including molding the body to and about the composite mold core with at least a part of the body being molded into engagement with the movable part of the conductive member to form a wall of the space in the body, and wherein during placing of the conductive member the conductive member is resiliently deformed at a resiliently deformable portion thereof to deflect the movable part of the conductive member to a condition different than its normal undeflected condition, and wherein after molding the body the movable part of the conductive member is permitted to move inwardly towards its normal undeflected condition upon removal of the mold core to provide an open region outwardly adjacent the movable part and into which the movable part moves upon insertion of the external member into said space to engagement with an inner surface of said movable part.
Parent Case Info
This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 920,273 filed on Oct. 17, 1986 U.S. Pat. No. 4,863,402.
US Referenced Citations (12)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
1380706 |
Jan 1975 |
GBX |
2094569 |
Sep 1982 |
GBX |
Divisions (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
920273 |
Oct 1986 |
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