BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the two piece electrical terminal of the present embodiment;
FIG. 2 shows a rear perspective view of the two piece electrical terminal of the present embodiment;
FIG. 3 shows a view similar to that of FIG. 2 with the carrier strip detached;
FIG. 4 shows a partially fragmented front view of the conductor connecting member;
FIG. 5 shows a partially fragmented rear view of the conductor connecting member shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 shows a flat blank of the conductor connecting member shown in either of FIG. 4 or 5, with the conductor connecting section still attached;
FIG. 7 shows an assembled view of the two-piece electrical terminal from a rear perspective; and
FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view through lines 8-8 of FIG. 7.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
With reference first to FIGS. 1 and 2, a two piece electrical terminal is shown at 2 and includes a contact member 4 and a conductor connecting member 6. The contact member 4 is generally comprised of a contact section 8 and a retention section 10. The conductor connecting member 6 is comprised of a conductor connecting section 12 and a retaining member 14. With reference now to FIG. 3, the contact member 4 will be described in greater detail.
As shown in FIG. 3, the contact member 4 is shown separated from the conductor connecting member 6 to clearly show the contact section 8 as a pin terminal and the retention section 10 as integrally formed with the contact section 8. The retention section 10 is generally defined by a flat blade portion 16, having side edges 18 on one side thereof, and side edges 20 on the opposite side thereof. Undulations in the form of tabs 22 extend from the side edge 18, while undulations in the form of tabs 24 extend from side edge 20.
With respect now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the conductor connecting member 6 is shown, and in particular, the retaining member 14 is shown disconnected from the contact member 4. The retaining member 14 is comprised of plural walls, namely bottom wall 30, side walls 32 and 34 and split top walls 36, 38. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, walls 32 and 34 include openings 40 stamped there through. Each of the openings 40 includes a contact tab 42 struck from the area of the opening 40 and folded downwardly adjacent to bottom wall 30, as will be described further herein. With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 split top walls 36, 38 include semi-circular openings 44, 46 which combine to form an opening 48 as described further herein. As shown best in FIG. 4, top wall 36 includes dove tails 50 which cooperate with dove tail slots 52 in top wall 38 to retain the two walls together when in the position shown in FIG. 4.
It should be appreciated that side wall 32 includes cut away portions at 60 (FIG. 4) which allow for top wall 38 to be positioned in the same plane as top wall 36. As shown best in FIG. 4, the front edges of retaining member 14 provide lead in surfaces, by respective front wall portions deflected inwardly. More particularly, top wall 38 includes a portion 70 deflected inwardly towards a central opening through which the pin protrudes. In a like manner, side wall 32 includes inwardly directed portions 72, side wall 34 includes inwardly directed portion 74, and bottom wall 30 includes inwardly directed portion 76.
With respect to FIG. 5, top wall portion 38 also includes a rear tab portion in a form of a flap 78 which provides a surface for a locking member or secondary locking member for the terminal in a connector housing. Finally, as best shown in FIG. 5, retaining member 14 includes a polarizing lug 80 which can be used to polarize the terminal in a specific orientation relative to a connector channel. These various components are also shown in the flat blank view of FIG. 6. Note that the fold lines to form the various walls 30, 32, 34, 36 and 38 are along the dotted lines 84, 86, 88 and 90.
With the components described above, the method of manufacturing the terminal will now be described. With the conductor connecting member 6 in the flat blank condition as shown in FIG. 6, the box shaped member is at least partially formed, yet with enough spacing between the split top walls 36, 38 to place the retention section 10 therein adjacent the folded over tabs 42. As shown in FIG. 4, the openings 40 are trapezoidally shaped with the top edge having a dimension “a” which is larger than an lower edge having a dimension “b”. With the retention section 10 position therein, and the tabs 22, 24 extending outwardly from the openings 40, the box shaped member can be fully closed to the position shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, whereby the dovetails 50 engage in their corresponding dovetail slots 52.
At this point in time, the contact member 4 is not fully seated within the corresponding conductor connecting member 6. To achieve the fully seated position, tooling can be inserted through openings 48 (FIG. 4) to press against blade portion 16 (FIG. 3) to force the tabs downwardly towards the lower edge having the dimension “b”. It should be appreciated that the width of the tabs 22, 24 is slightly larger than the width “b” of the lower edge of opening 40, such that tabs 22, 24 are interference fit within the openings 40. Openings 40 are shaped as trapezoids funneling downwardly to allow for downward, yet interferingly fit engagement in opening 40, which also press fits blade portion 16 against the corresponding overlapping contact tabs 42.
Thus, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the retaining member 14 is shown wrapped around the retention section 10, with the tabs 22, 24 protruding through their respective openings 40. It is also shown that folded over contact tabs 42 provide a platform upon which the retention section 10 may be positioned, which also provides adequate surface area for making contact between the contact member 4 and the conductor connecting member 6. Thus as shown, the combination of the tabs 22, 24 and openings 40 provide excellent retention between the two members 4 and 6, and at the same time provide electrical connection between the two items together with the connection of the retention section and the contacts 42.
Patent Application
20080081519
