EP0885474A1 - Contact electrique - Google Patents

Contact electrique

Info

Publication number
EP0885474A1
EP0885474A1 EP97904543A EP97904543A EP0885474A1 EP 0885474 A1 EP0885474 A1 EP 0885474A1 EP 97904543 A EP97904543 A EP 97904543A EP 97904543 A EP97904543 A EP 97904543A EP 0885474 A1 EP0885474 A1 EP 0885474A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
body section
terminal
wall
contact
section
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP97904543A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Jean Claude Joly
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whitaker LLC
Original Assignee
Whitaker LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whitaker LLC filed Critical Whitaker LLC
Priority to EP97904543A priority Critical patent/EP0885474A1/fr
Publication of EP0885474A1 publication Critical patent/EP0885474A1/fr
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/02—Contact members
    • H01R13/10—Sockets for co-operation with pins or blades
    • H01R13/11—Resilient sockets
    • H01R13/113—Resilient sockets co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R43/00—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors
    • H01R43/16—Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical contact, in particular an electrical contact with resilient locking lances for securing in a cavity of a connector housing.
  • contacts that are terminated to conducting wires of an automotive harness may entail expensive reparation of the harness (labor and time) due to damage to only one of the contacts even though the actual cost of the contact is insignificant in comparison. If reparation or replacement of a connector housing or contact is required, it is often desirable that this is manageable with ease, in particular that the contacts can be inserted and removed through a sealing member of a connector without damage thereto.
  • an electrical terminal comprising a connection section for connection to an electrical conductor, a contact section for mating with a complementary terminal, and a body section comprising at least one resilient locking lance attached to the body towards the mating end of the connector and extending therefrom to a free end having a locking shoulder for cooperation with a locking shoulder in the cavity of an electrical connector housing, wherein the locking lance is generally flush with an outer wall of the body section.
  • the locking shoulder of the lance is substantially flush or recessed within the body outer wall.
  • the body section of the terminal can be inserted and extracted through a seal, without catching on the locking shoulder or other parts of the locking lance.
  • the lance is protected from damage by external objects, for example avoiding entanglement with wires of a harness.
  • the receptacle body could be box-shaped comprising a top, bottom and side walls whereby the locking lance extends substantially in the plane of one or both of the side walls.
  • the terminal could advantageously be stamped and formed from sheet metal out of a single part for a cost effective construction.
  • the resilient locking lance could be in the shape of a cantilever beam, biased into the body section during insertion past a locking shoulder in a cavity housing.
  • the latter enables a very compact spacing between terminals positioned in a connector housing.
  • the outer body could further be provided with spring contact arms positioned within the body such that the contact section is well protected.
  • the outer body could be provided with spring support arms formed out of the top and bottom walls and biasable against the spring contact arms for increasing the spring pressure thereof.
  • Figure 1 is an isometric view towards a mating end of a terminal according to this invention
  • Figure 2 is an isometric view of the terminal figure 1 but from the conductor receiving end;
  • Figure 3 is an isometric view of part of the terminal of figure 1, with part of the outer body broken away;
  • Figure 4 is an isometric view of terminals according to figure 1 in the process of being stamped and formed from sheet metal.
  • an electrical terminal 2 comprises a connection section 4, a body section 6 and a contact section 8.
  • the connection section 4 comprises a crimping barrel for crimping to a conducting wire, but of course could be any other connection means.
  • the body section 6 extends from a connection section end 10 to a mating end 12 in a mating direction.
  • the body section 6 comprises an outer wall 14 having a box shape formed by top and bottom walls 16,18 and side walls 20,22, further provided with a front wall 24 at the mating end 12.
  • the front wall 24 extends transversely to the mating direction.
  • the contact section 8 comprises resilient contact arms 26 in the shape of cantilever beams attached at an end 28 to the body section 6 proximate the connection end 10, and extending therefrom to free ends 30 proximate the mating end 12.
  • Arcuate contact sections 32 are provided intermediate the free end 30 and attachment end 28 for receiving a complementary tab terminal therebetween.
  • the contact arms 26 are attached to the body section 6 by a folded or U-shaped bridging portion 36 such that an attachment portion 38 of the contact arm lies against the inside of the top and bottom walls 16,18 of the outer body.
  • the front wall 24 comprises a cut-out 38 that enables insertion of the complementary terminal therethrough.
  • the front wall 24, in conjunction with the side, top and bottom walls provide protection for the contact arms 26.
  • external objects can not abut or catch onto the free ends 30 of the contact arms or can not access the contact section 32 except through the cut-out 38 which is adapted to prevent reception of objects larger than the mating contact.
  • the cut-out 38 also ensures that the mating terminal is correctly guided between the contact sections 32.
  • Corners 40 and 42 that join the front wall 24 to the top and bottom and side walls respectively, are rounded and thus enable smooth insertion of the body section through a sealed member, or into a cavity of a housing.
  • the rounded corners 40 are advantageously formed by the folding of the top wall 16 over the bottom wall 20, the top and bottom walls being joined together by the front wall 24.
  • the body section outer wall 14 is joined together by laser welds 44 that join together the seam 46 formed between the top wall 16 and side walls 20,22, proximate the connection end 10, when the top wall is folded over the bottom wall.
  • the laser weld provides for a very compact and robust closing of the seams 46.
  • the box shaped body section outer wall 14 thus forms a robust shell due to the front wall 24 integrally formed with the side, top and bottom walls via rounded corners, and the closed periphery at the connection end 10 where the seams 46 are attached. Furthermore, provision of the outer body and contact section from an integral sheet of metal, provides for cost effective manufacturing of the terminal.
  • the side walls and bottom wall 20,18 join the connection section 4 via rounded corners 48 that not only ensure a more rigid structure but in particular provide for smooth extraction through a seal member.
  • the top and bottom wall 16,18 can be provided as shown in this embodiment (figure 3) with spring support arms 50 that are in the shape of cantilever beams attached to the side wall at an attachment end 52 proximate the connection end 10 and extending therefrom to a free end 54 which is inwardly bent into the body section for abutment against the spring contact arms 26 at a position proximate the contact section 32.
  • the spring support arms 50 increase the spring pressure of the contact arms 26.
  • Resilient locking lances 56 in the shape of cantilever beams extend along the side walls 20 from an attached end 50 to a free end 60 which is directed towards the connection end 10.
  • the attached end 58 is integrally formed with the rounded corner 42 of the front wall 24.
  • the locking lance 56 is positioned within a cut-out 62 of the side wall 20 and is free to resiliently bias into the body section 14.
  • a locking protrusion positioned in a cavity of a connector housing would thus inwardly bias the locking lance 56 during insertion of the locking lance into the cavity until the free end 60, which also forms a locking shoulder, snaps behind the protrusion for locking of the terminal in the housing cavity.
  • the terminal 56 is shown flush with the side wall 20.
  • the locking shoulder 60 does therefore not extend beyond the side wall 20 thereby enabling insertion and extraction of the terminal through a seal member, or preventing entanglement with external objects.
  • the lance is therefore well protected.
  • the lance 56 could also be slightly recessed with respect to the side wall 20, in particular the locking shoulder 60, however it would also be possible to imagine that a portion of the locking lance 56 positioned between the attachment and free ends extends beyond the side wall 20, as long as the locking shoulder 60 can not get entangled or caught on an external object. In this sense, the locking lance 56 is described as generally or substantially flush with the side wall 20.
  • construction of a connector housing can be simplified, for example only a simple locking protrusion is required instead of a resilient latch member molded with the connector housing. Not only is the connector more robust, but the spacing between adjacent terminals can be very compact. This is an added advantage of the substantially flush locking lance 56 which does not require a larger housing cavity that conventional locking lances require (in order to bias outwardly thereinto) .
  • the body section outer wall 14 is provided, in the embodiment of figures 1 to 4, with a slight taper such that the cross sectional profile or periphery (cross section with respect to the mating direction) is greater at the connection end 10 than at the mating end 12.
  • the taper may assist easier and smoother insertion of the contact through a seal.
  • a taper, in particular of the side walls 20, 22 also enables a locking protrusion in a connector cavity to be inserted over the attachment end 58 of the locking lance,thereafter engaging and resiliently biasing the locking lance at an intermediate portion between the attachment end and the free end 58,60 respectively, during insertion of the terminal in the cavity.
  • terminal 2 with another contact section, for example a pin terminal extending through the front wall cavity 38, whilst retaining the advantages of the body section 6 as described hereabove, in particular the smooth outer periphery and substantially flush positioning of the resilient locking lance.
  • the smooth outer profile of the terminal body section provides a contact that is easily insertable through a seal member, and which is less prone to damage from external objects, whilst nevertheless providing a resilient locking lance.
  • compact positioning of terminals in a connector housing is improved.
  • the robust enclosure that the forming of the outer wall of the body section forms and the stamping and forming from a integral piece of material provides a robust, reliable, yet cost effective terminal.

Landscapes

  • Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)

Abstract

Prise (2) comprenant une partie formant boîtier (6) réalisée en une seule pièce avec une partie formant contact (8). La partie formant boîtier (6) comporte des languettes souples de verrouillage (56) qui sont d'une manière générale affleurantes par rapport à ses parois latérales (20). La partie formant boîtier présente une légère pente, afin de permettre à un cran de verrouillage du boîtier de connexion de passer par dessus l'extrémité de fixation (58) de la languette de verrouillage et de faire prise sur celle-ci (56) en une position intermédiaire, la languette étant comprimée dans la partie formant boîtier. Le profil extérieur lisse et la languette de verrouillage essentiellement affleurante permettent d'insérer et d'extraire aisément le contact à travers un joint d'étanchéité et contribuent à empêcher que la languette ne s'emmêle dans les fils d'un faisceau.
EP97904543A 1996-03-06 1997-03-03 Contact electrique Ceased EP0885474A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP97904543A EP0885474A1 (fr) 1996-03-06 1997-03-03 Contact electrique

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP96400480 1996-03-06
EP96400480 1996-03-06
EP97904543A EP0885474A1 (fr) 1996-03-06 1997-03-03 Contact electrique
PCT/IB1997/000188 WO1997033345A1 (fr) 1996-03-06 1997-03-03 Contact electrique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0885474A1 true EP0885474A1 (fr) 1998-12-23

Family

ID=8225229

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP97904543A Ceased EP0885474A1 (fr) 1996-03-06 1997-03-03 Contact electrique

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0885474A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO1997033345A1 (fr)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
IT1291148B1 (it) * 1997-02-25 1998-12-29 Framatome Connectors Italia Terminale per un connettore elettrico e connettore elettrico provvisto di tale terminale.
JP7073429B2 (ja) 2020-03-18 2022-05-23 矢崎総業株式会社 端子付き電線の製造方法、及び、端子付き電線

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3963302A (en) * 1974-03-18 1976-06-15 Litton Systems, Inc. Electrical crimp removable socket contact
DE8236405U1 (de) * 1982-12-24 1984-10-04 Grote & Hartmann Gmbh & Co Kg, 5600 Wuppertal Doppelflachfederkontakt mit Überfeder
GB8531935D0 (en) * 1985-12-31 1986-02-05 Amp Gmbh Electrical socket terminal & connector
DE3882983D1 (de) * 1988-08-05 1993-09-09 Weidmueller Interface Buchsenkontakt.
FR2636784B1 (fr) * 1988-09-19 1990-11-16 Labinal Organe de contact electrique femelle
WO1995010128A1 (fr) * 1993-10-01 1995-04-13 Ryosei Electro-Circuit Systems, Ltd. Borne de jonction et son procede de fabrication

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
See references of WO9733345A1 *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO1997033345A1 (fr) 1997-09-12

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6095874A (en) Single piece electrical receptacle terminal
US5695368A (en) Electrical terminal with protected locking lance and a connector therefor
EP0727842B1 (fr) Borne de puce manobloc
EP0600419B1 (fr) Douille terminale électrique
US5240439A (en) Electrical contact
EP0678936B1 (fr) Borne femelle miniature antifrottant
JP3509401B2 (ja) 端子金具
JP2779921B2 (ja) 端子ロック手段を有する電気コネクタ
EP0637855B1 (fr) Connecteur électrique avec système de verrouillage pour des terminaux
KR100681167B1 (ko) 앵글 플러그 커넥터
JP2002305054A (ja) 端子金具
KR20050044303A (ko) 암형 단자 피팅
US5611716A (en) Electrical contact having improved secondary locking surfaces
JP3304686B2 (ja) 相互接続用端子
US5690517A (en) Receptacle contact
US5711687A (en) Electrical terminal with locking lance
WO1997033345A1 (fr) Contact electrique
EP0958638B1 (fr) Borne electrique polarisee d'une seule piece
US5738543A (en) Connector with terminal position assurance member
EP0959531B1 (fr) Borne électrique femelle d'un seul tenant
KR0163977B1 (ko) 가요성 단자 래치수단 및 단자 위치 보증 장치를 갖는 전기 커넥터
JP2723432B2 (ja) 雌型端子金具
JP7461225B2 (ja) 端子接続構造
US20220344855A1 (en) Connector
JP3473372B2 (ja) 雌側端子金具

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19980822

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A1

Designated state(s): DE ES FR GB IT

GRAG Despatch of communication of intention to grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOS AGRA

17Q First examination report despatched

Effective date: 19990927

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION HAS BEEN REFUSED

18R Application refused

Effective date: 20000323