CA1083791A

CA1083791A - Socket contact for an electrical connector

Info

Publication number: CA1083791A
Application number: CA265,561A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Herbert K. Uhlig; Karl W. Yonkers
Original assignee: Bendix Corp
Current assignee: Bendix Corp
Priority date: 1976-04-30
Filing date: 1976-11-12
Publication date: 1980-08-19
Also published as: FR2349973A1; FR2349973B1

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A socket contact for an electrical connector having a pair of tines formed integrally with a body and offset from the plane of the body and converging laterally in two directions from the body with their ends remote from the body overlapping and opposing one another. The over-lapping ends are yieldingly urged toward one another to provide spring engagement with an associated pin contact inserted between the tines.

Description

~ 337~1 This invention relates to a me-thod of making an electrical connector and more particularly to a socket contact.
Prior Art Socket contacts as used heretofore were stamped from sheet material and the width of the contacting surface was controlled by the stock thickness. Furthermore, the sheared surfaces formed the contact surfaces in the finished contact and they were rough due to the shearing action of the die. The tines had relatively high spring rate and the large forces on small contact areas resulted in rapid wear of the contacts. Connectors as used heretofore were difficult to design to meet the controlling force require- ' ments and changes in the engaging and separating forces required expensive die changes.
According to the present invention there is provided a method for ma~ing a socket contact by stamping the contact with a die from a strip of conducting material, ~' the method includes the steps of piercing a pilot hole in ', the strip for locating the strip relative to the die and piercing a hole in the strip to relieve stresses when splitting the strip. A V-notch is pierced in the strip spaced from the hole and in line with that hole. Excess material is removed adjacent the notch and the strip is split from the notch to the hole to form a pair of tines, extending from the strip. Radii are formed in the tines to offset the tines at opposite sides of the strip, and the tines are bent adjacent the stri, to converge laterally ' until their ends overlap. The tines are then bent to preload ,~
the tines in mating position. A body and wire wrap are , , ' stamped from the strip integral with the tines, and the contact is severed from the strip.

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A plurali-ty of socket contacts may be stamped simultaneously from the strip but each contact is formed sequentially in the steps described above as the strip moves from one position to another.
Drawings FIGURE 1 is an isometric view partly cut away showing a connector constructed according to the invention, FIGURE 2shows the sequence of steps for forming an electrical socket contact constructed accordiny tQ the invention, and .
FIGURES 3 and 4 are detailed views taken on the :
lines 3-3 and 4-4 of FIGURE 2 in the direction oE the arrows.

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Detailed Description of the Invention Referring to the drawings, the novel electrical eonneetor shown in FIGURE 1 and eonstrueted aecording to the invention, eomprises a reeeptaele 1 and a plug 3 separably mateable with one another. Reeeptaele 1 ineludes a body 5 of rigid insulating material in whieh a plurality of pin contaets 7 are mounted and extend into a eavity 9 in one faee of the reeeptaele body.
Plug 3 ineludes a body 11 of rigid insulating material with an outwardly extending portion 13 whieh fits within eavity 9 of the reeeptaele. A plurality of novel soeket contacts 15 constructed according to the invention àre suitably mounted in apertures 16 in body 11. Soeket eontaets 15 reeeive pin contacts 7 when reeeptacle 1 and plug 3 are engaged.
Each socket contact 15 comprises a body 17 having a pair of spring loaded tines 19 formed integrally therewith. The tines are the same thiekness as body 17 and are approximately one-half the width of the body, The tines are offset from the plane o~ the body by eurved portions 21 ad~aeenk body 17 and eonverge laterally in two directions from the body with their ends remote from the body overlapping and opposing one another. The opposing surfaces provide a relatively large contact surface. Curved portions 21 are formed and arranged to yieldingly urge the tines toward one another to provide good electrieal contact with the associated pin contact 7. An aperture 23 is formed in the body at the ends of the tines to alleviate stresses when laneing the soeket contact as described 837~3~

hereinafter. A wire wrap 25 for connecting electrical conductors extends axially from the body and is formed integrally therewith. -The socket contacts may be retained in plug body 3 in any suitable manner and in the present arrangement a projection 27 is provided on the contact body 17 which engages the rigid insulating material in the aperture 16 of plug body 3.
The associated pin contact 7 in receptacle body 5 is made of flat or round conducting material with the forward end 28 tapered to facilitate insertion into the associated socket contact. The pin contact has a shank portion 29 which, in the embodiment shown, is bent at right angles with a portion extending exteriorly of the receptacle body for providing a wire wrap to connect electrical conductors. The pin contact may be maintained in body 5 in any suitable manner and in the present arrangement body 5 is molded about the pin contacts.
The socket contacts are die stamped from a thin strip 31 of electrically conducting material, such as phosphor bronze tin or gold plated on both sides as shown in FIGURE 2. A plurality of socket contacts are stamped simultaneously but each contact is formed sequentially in the following steps as the material moves from one position to the next relative to the die. The strip ....

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is piloted in previously punched pilot holes 30 in the :~
2nd to 12th positions and the following operations are performed simu].taneously on the strip at the positions indicated:
Postion 1 Pierce pilot hole 30 ~:

2 Pierce French stop 32

3 Pierce oblong hole 23

4 Pierce V-notch 36 in alignment with hole 23 Remove portion of strip.38 between ad~acent V-notches 6, 7 Remove excess material 40 to form contact blank 42 8 Slit contact blan~ 42 from V-notch ~
36 to oblong hole 23 to form tines .-~-19 by lancing and bend ends of tines in opposite directions 9 Form radii 21 to offset tines at opposite sides of the strlp Bend tines 19 ad~acent oblong hole 23 .. to converge laterally until their ends overlap (See FIGURE 3) 11 Bend tines 19 to preload contacts in mating position (See FIGURE 4) 12 Stamp body I7 and wire wrap 25 ~nd sever contact from strip.

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A socket contact constructed according to the invention is stamped from a strip of plated sheet material with the tines positioned edge to edge. With this arrange~
ment the contact surfaces can be made any desired width and the width is not dependent on the thickncss of the materiai from which the contact is stamped. The material can be plated prior to stamping because the plated surface forms the contact surface and the die cuts only the edges of the tines and n~t the contact surfaces. Also the plug contact can be stamped from flat material and can be made as wide as the tines of the socket contact to provide large contact areas with the tines. A plurality o~ s,ocket contacts can be stamped simultaneously from the strip of material even though each contact is formed sequentially as the strip moves from one position to another.

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Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A method of making a socket contact by stamping the contact with a die from a strip of conducting material including the following steps:
Piercing a pilot hole in the strip for locating the strip relative to the die, Piercing a hole in the strip to relieve stresses when splitting the strip, Piercing a V-notch in the strip spaced from the hole and in line with the hole, Removing excess material adjacent the notch, Splitting the strip from the notch to the hole to form a pair of tines, extending from the strip, Forming radii in the tines to offset the tines at opposite sides of the strip, Bending the tines adjacent the strip to converge laterally until their ends overlap, Bending the tines to preload the tines in mating position, and Stamping a body and wire wrap from the strip integral with the tines and severing the contact from the strip.

2. A method of making a socket contact from a strip of conducting material in which a plurality of socket contacts are stamped simultaneously from the strip but each contact is formed sequentially in the steps described in claim 1 as the strip moves from one position to another.

3. A method of making a socket contact as described in claim 2 in which the strip of material is an electrical conductor plated on both sides for environmental protection.

4. A method of making a socket contact as described in claim 1 which includes the step of piercing a French stop in the strip to orient the direction of the strip in the die.