Patent Application
20210399459
The present invention is directed to an electrical terminal with improved strength. In particular, the invention is directed to a terminal with improved strength to avoid damage when undergoing qualification or assembly into the connector housing.
The need for electrical connectors which are compact in size continues to increase. As the connectors are made smaller, the electrical terminals positioned in the connectors must also be made smaller. The miniaturization of the terminals requires that less material be used in the manufacturer of the terminals, thereby making the terminals vulnerable to damage or deformation when in use or when undergoing testing, qualification or assembly into the connector housing.
It would, therefore, be beneficial to provide a terminal with improved strength to prevent damage or deformation. It would also be beneficial to provide such a reinforced terminal without increasing the overall size of the terminal.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a one piece connector, thereby eliminating loose components which can fall during installation or which can come loose during operation.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical contact a mating portion for mating with a mating contact. The mating portion has a contact portion and a retention portion. The mating portion has a mating portion bottom wall, a mating portion top wall and mating portion side walls. A respective mating portion side wall has an upper portion which extends beyond the top wall, the upper portion extends to form the retention portion. The retention portion has a retention portion top wall, a retention portion side wall and a retention portion back wall. The retention portion back wall is configured to approximate the space provided between the mating portion top wall, the upper portion of the respective mating portion side wall, the retention portion top wall and a retention portion side wall. The retention portion back wall cooperates with one or more of the mating portion top wall, the upper portion of the respective mating portion side wall, the retention portion top wall and a retention portion side wall to prevent damage or deformation of the retention portion as a force applied to the retention portion.
An embodiment is directed to an electrical contact a mating portion for mating with a mating contact. The mating portion has a contact portion and a retention portion. The mating portion has a mating portion bottom wall, a mating portion top wall and mating portion side walls. A respective mating portion side wall has an upper portion which extends beyond the top wall, the upper portion extends to form the retention portion. A detent receiving opening is provided on the mating portion top wall. The retention portion has a retention portion top wall and a retention portion side wall. A detent is provided on the retention portion side wall and extends from a free end of the retention portion side wall. the detent is positioned in alignment with the detent receiving opening. The detent cooperates with the detent receiving opening to prevent damage or deformation of the retention portion as a force applied to the retention portion.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following more detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.
The description of illustrative embodiments according to principles of the present invention is intended to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be considered part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is merely intended for convenience of description and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the present invention. Relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,” “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then described or as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. Terms such as “attached,” “affixed,” “connected,” “coupled,” “interconnected,” and similar refer to a relationship wherein structures are secured or attached to one another either directly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expressly described otherwise.
Moreover, the features and benefits of the invention are illustrated by reference to the preferred embodiments. Accordingly, the invention expressly should not be limited to such embodiments illustrating some possible non-limiting combination of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features, the scope of the invention being defined by the claims appended hereto.
As shown in the illustrative embodiment of
As shown in
A respective side wall 22 has an upper portion 26 which extends beyond the top wall 20. The upper portion 26 of the side wall 22 is formed to provide a top wall 28 and a sloped side wall 30. The upper portion 26 of the side wall 22, the top wall 28 and the sloped side wall 30 form a retention portion 32 of the mating portion 12 of the contact 10. The retention portion 32 extends from the front end 13 to the rear end 15 of the mating portion 12.
As shown in
In alternative embodiments, the upper portion 26 of the side wall 22, the top wall 28 or the sloped side wall 30 may have an orientation and/or locking feature or locking projection (not shown) which projects outward therefrom. The locking projection is dimensioned to cooperate with a cavity of a housing (not shown) to maintain the receptacle contact 10 in position in the housing. The locking projection cooperates with the housing to provide the primary retention of the receptacle contact 10 in the housing. The locking projection may also act as a polarizing means. If a housing into which the receptacle contact 10 is to be inserted has a corresponding cavity into which the projection is to be positioned, then it is assured that the receptacle contact 10 cannot be improperly inserted into the housing.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
In use, the contact 10 is inserted into a contact receiving cavity of contact receiving housing (not shown). If the contact 10 is not fully or properly inserted, the contact receiving cavity does not fully enclose or encapsulate the contact 10, allowing the contact 10, and in particular, the retention portion 32, to be engaged by a secondary lock or the like from the top or side. In previously known contacts, the force associated with such an engagement could result in the failure of the retention portion, as the top wall 28 and sloped side wall 30 could be easily moved or deformed. In contrast, the retention portion 32 of the present invention is strengthened to prevent damage or deformation without increasing the overall size of the terminal.
Referring to
In addition, as the force F1 is applied to the top surface 28 of the retention portion 32, the engagement shoulders 62 of the detents 60 engage the engagement shoulders 66 of the detent receiving openings 64 to prevent the downward and the lateral movement the detents 60 and the retention portion 32 relative to the box shaped contact portion 16. In so doing, the retention portion 32 and the contact 10 are strengthened to prevent damage or deformation without increasing the overall size of the terminal.
Referring again to
Referring again to
An alternate embodiment of the contact 110 is shown in
The retention portion 132 has a back wall 150 which extends from the sloped side wall 130. The back wall 150 extends at approximately 90 degrees from the sloped side wall 130. The back wall 150 is configured to approximate the space provided between the sloped side wall 130, the top wall 120 of the box shaped contact portion 116, the upper portion 126 of the side wall 122, and the top wall 128. As shown in
The retention portion 132 has a detent 160 provided on the sloped side wall 130. The detent 160 extends from the free end 148 of the sloped side wall 130. In the illustrative embodiment shown, one detent 160 is shown. However, other numbers and configurations of detents may be used. The detent 160 has an engagement shoulder 162 (
As shown in
In use, the contact 110 is inserted into a contact receiving cavity of contact receiving housing (not shown). In In the contact 110 is not fully or properly inserted, the contact receiving cavity does not fully enclose or encapsulate the contact 1110, allowing the contact 110, and in particular, the retention portion 132, to be engaged by a secondary lock or the like from the top or side.
Referring to
As the force F4 is applied to the top surface 128 of the retention portion 132, the side wall 170 of the back wall 150 may also engage the side wall 122 to prevent the lateral movement the back wall 150 and the retention portion 132 relative to the box shaped contact portion 116. In addition, the engagement shoulder 162 of the detent 160 engage the engagement shoulder 166 of the detent receiving opening 164 to prevent the downward and the lateral movement the detent 160 and the retention portion 132 relative to the box shaped contact portion 116. In so doing, the retention portion 132 and the contact 110 are strengthened to prevent damage or deformation without increasing the overall size of the terminal.
Referring again to
Referring again to
The contact 10, 110 has improved strength to prevent damage or deformation. The contact 10, 110 provide the increased strength and stability without increasing the overall size of the terminal, thereby allowing the contact to be used for miniature contacts.
While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the accompanying claims. One skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may be used with many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, sizes, materials and components and otherwise used in the practice of the invention, which are particularly adapted to specific environments and operative requirements without departing from the principles of the present invention. The presently disclosed embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims, and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.
