EP0959531B1 - Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse - Google Patents

Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0959531B1
EP0959531B1 EP19990109536 EP99109536A EP0959531B1 EP 0959531 B1 EP0959531 B1 EP 0959531B1 EP 19990109536 EP19990109536 EP 19990109536 EP 99109536 A EP99109536 A EP 99109536A EP 0959531 B1 EP0959531 B1 EP 0959531B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
terminal
contact
wall
mating end
mating
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP19990109536
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0959531A2 (de
EP0959531A3 (de
Inventor
Frederic Quaranta
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 EP19990109536 priority Critical patent/EP0959531B1/de
Publication of EP0959531A2 publication Critical patent/EP0959531A2/de
Publication of EP0959531A3 publication Critical patent/EP0959531A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0959531B1 publication Critical patent/EP0959531B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

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
    • 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 a single-piece stamped and formed electrical receptacle terminal.
  • connection section such as a crimp barrel for connection to a conducting wire, further comprising a contact section for connection to a complementary terminal, and means for securing the terminal within the cavity of a connector housing.
  • receptacle terminals for mating with tab or pin terminals to have resilient cantilever beam contact arms extending from opposed sides of the terminal to receive the complementary pin or tab therebetween.
  • an additional outer spring body stamped and formed from a stronger material such as stainless steel is positioned around the contact section of the terminal and serves to provide means for securing the terminal within the connector housing and extra spring support for increasing the spring strength of the inner contact arms.
  • Such an outer spring body often has the effect of protecting the inner contact area thus making the receptacle terminal more robust, but also increases the contact pressure and provides a stronger support for securing of the terminal in a connector housing.
  • a two part terminal is however costly to produce, in comparison to a one-piece terminal, for example as shown in U.S. 4,148,547.
  • the latter terminal does not however have an outer cage that is robust because side and tops walls are separate from each other. Furthermore the outer cage side walls require a long strip of sheet metal leading to a lot of material waste.
  • a single piece terminal with a more robust outer cage is shown in European patent EP 125927B where cantilever beam contact arms are folded into the cage from the top wall seam.
  • there is high material wastage because the width of the layout of the crimping barrel is much less than the cage and contact arm section.
  • a terminal according to French patent application 2 751 793 overcomes certain of the aforementioned problems by reducing material usage and providing a well protected inner receptacle contact section in a single piece design.
  • the cantilever beam contact arms are protected from the effects of false insertion of a mating pin terminal by provision of a front wall that guides and locates a mating pin terminal during insertion into the receptacle terminal.
  • the front wall also serves to provide inwardly stamped extensions or tabs against which the cantilever beam contact arms resiliently abut in order to pre-stress the contact arms thereby increasing the contact force against a mating terminal.
  • the terminal described in this reference also has the advantage of being easily inserted through a seal without damaging the seal.
  • a single piece electrical receptacle terminal for mating with a complementary tab or pin terminal the terminal stamped and formed from sheet metal and comprising a connection section and a contact section comprising a contact body with top, side and bottom walls forming a box-shape defining an inner cavity area for receiving the mating terminal therein, the contact section further comprising cantilever beam contact arms extending from the opposed side walls and having contact portions arranged proximate a mating end wall at a mating end of the terminal, the mating end wall provided with a cutout for guiding and locating the mating tab or pin terminal into the inner cavity area and between the contact arms, wherein the side walls comprise mating end portions attached and extending from opposed side edges of the mating end wall and folded substantially orthogonally therefrom in order to be arranged along sides of the contact section, the side wall mating end portions comprising locking shoulders for locking the terminals in a connector housing,
  • the layout of sheet metal from which the single piece electrical terminal is formed is compact thereby requiring little material usage and scrap, in view of provision of the mating wall side portions extending from side edges of the mating end wall. Nevertheless, a compact and well protected contact area is provided by extension of the mating end side wall portions to the region of the contact arm contact portions. Secure and reliable locking of the terminals within connector housings is ensured in a simple manner by the locking shoulders provided on the mating end side wall portions.
  • the mating end side wall portions may be secured to the top or bottom walls by welding, for example laser welding, in order to provide a compact yet rigid mating end portion of the contact section.
  • the top or bottom walls and the mating end side wall portions may be provided with interleaving extensions projecting transverse to the terminal mating direction. The interleaving extensions thus also securely hold the mating end wall of the terminal to the top, bottom and side walls.
  • the mating end wall may be folded from the bottom wall substantially orthogonally thereto whereby the interleaving extensions of the mating end side wall portions co-operate with complementary extensions provided on the top wall.
  • connection end of the contact section may be provided with a connection end wall, for example folded substantially orthogonally from the top wall, in order to prevent material or objects from flowing or being inserted into the inner cavity area from a rear end of the terminal, thereby further protecting the contact arms.
  • the connection end wall may also assist in rigidifying the box-shape of the contact section.
  • a connection end of the side walls may be further provided with secondary locking extensions having locking shoulders provided over a transition portion of the contact that interconnects the contact and connection sections, the transition portion having a width narrower than the contact section side walls such that space is provided for engagement of secondary locking shoulders of a connector housing behind the secondary locking extensions.
  • an electrical receptacle terminal 2 comprises a connection section 4 in the form of a crimping barrel for connection to a wire, and a contact section 6 attached to the connection section 4 via a transition section 8.
  • the terminal 2 is stamped and formed from sheet metal, for example as illustrated in figures 3-6, as a single piece terminal.
  • the contact section 6 comprises a bottom wall 10, opposed side walls 12 extending substantially orthogonally from side edges 13 of the bottom wall, and a top wall 14 facing the bottom wall 10.
  • the top, side and bottom walls form a box-shaped receptacle defining an inner cavity area 16 receiving a mating tab or pin contact section of a complementary terminal (not shown).
  • the contact section 6 is further provided with a front or mating end wall 18 and a rear or connection end wall 20 positioned respectively at the mating end and connection end of the contact section 6.
  • the mating end and connection end walls 18, 20 extend approximately perpendicularly to the insertion direction (I) of a mating pin terminal.
  • the mating end wall 18 is attached to and extends from the bottom wall 10 and is bent substantially 90° from the bottom wall as best seen when comparing figures 5 and 6.
  • the mating end wall 18 is further provided with a cutout 20 as best seen in figures 5 or 6, formed by inwardly stamping extensions or ledges 22 (see figures 2 or 5) that project roughly in the insertion direction (I).
  • the contact section is further provided with a pair of opposed cantilever beam contact arms 24 extending from an attachment portion 26 proximate the connection section 4 to free ends 28 proximate the mating end wall 18.
  • the contact arms 24 are integrally connected with the side walls 12 at the attachment portion 26 and converge into the inner cavity area 16 to contact portions 29 proximate the free ends 28.
  • the free ends 28 resiliently abut against the inward extensions 22 of the mating end wall 18 such that the contact arms are in a pre-stressed condition, in order to increase the contact force against a mating pin terminal inserted between the contact portions 29.
  • the free ends 28 of the contact arms 24 may be coined (i.e. stamped thinner) in order to extend the length of the contact arms to enable engagement with ledges 22.
  • the contact section 6 further comprises mating end side wall portions 30 that extend from side edges 32 of the mating end wall 18 and which are bent substantially orthogonally from the mating end wall 18, for approximate alignment with the side walls 12 as best seen when comparing figures 6 and 7.
  • the mating end side wall portions 30 are fairly short in comparison to the overall length of the contact section, a rear end 34 of the side wall portions 30 being in the vicinity (with respect to the insertion direction (I)) of the contact portions 29 of the contacts 24.
  • the rear end or edge 34 of the mating end side wall portions 30 forms a locking shoulder for engagement of a connector housing locking protrusion thereagainst in order to lock the terminals in connector housings.
  • the mating end side wall portions 30 provide protection for the contact arm free end and contact portions 28, 29.
  • the mating end side wall portions 30 are attached to the top wall 14 (and could similarly be attached to the bottom wall 10) by welding a top (and/or bottom) edge 38 of the side wall portions to the top (and/or bottom) wall 14.
  • the weld may for example be a laser generated spot weld 40.
  • Attachment of the mating end side wall portions 30 to the top and/or bottom walls provides for a rigid box-shape contact section with well protected contact portions 29 in a compact arrangement that requires particularly low material usage and wastage.
  • This can be understood by viewing figure 3 which shows the planar layout of sheet metal stamped to form the various walls and contact arms, prior to the bending (forming) operations.
  • the length of material L in the insertion direction (I) is particularly short, and the scrap material resulting from stamping out the arms and side walls (see spaces 33) is particularly low in view of the advantageous arrangement of contact arms 24, bottom 10, top 14, side 12, front 18 walls and mating end side wall portions 30 extending from side edges 32 of the mating end wall 18.
  • the contact arms 24 are formed and top wall halves 14a are folded up along bend lines 42 parallel to the insertion direction (I) as shown in figure 4.
  • the side walls 12 are folded perpendicularly from the base wall 10 around bend lines 43 extending in the insertion direction (I).
  • the contact pre-stressing ledges 22 may be folded from the mating end wall 18 in the steps shown in figure 4 or figure 5, simultaneously forming the terminal receiving cutout 20.
  • the mating end wall 18 may then be folded upwards from the bottom wall 10 as shown in figure 6 and subsequently the mating end side wall portions 30 folded into the side walls as shown in figure 7, and welded to the top and/or bottom walls.
  • connection end wall 20 Whilst the connection end wall 20 is not shown in figures 4-7, the connection end wall halves 20a may be folded down from the top wall halves 14a in the steps of figures 6 or 7. After forming of the contact section 6, the transition and connection sections 4, 8 may be formed, the transition section 8 partially capturing the lower end 45 of the connection end wall 20 as best seen in figure 1.
  • connection end wall 20 may serve to prevent matter from entering into the contact area from a rear end of the terminal for example during over-molding of the terminal with plastic or elastomeric material (for example for sealing purposes or assembly in insulative housing components).
  • connection end wall provides a further support for the box-shape contact section 6 to further enhance the robustness thereof.
  • the mating end side wall portions 30 are further provided with a recessed portion 48 in the upper edge 47 that receives a complementary extension 50 of the top wall 14 to form an interleaving extension arrangement as best seen in figures 1 and 7.
  • the interleaving extensions 47, 50 assist in securely holding the mating end wall 18 to the top wall as well as securing the mating end side wall portions 30 to the top wall to form a mating end box-shaped portion that is securely interlocked and held together.
  • the contact section is further provided with secondary locking shoulders 52 directed towards the connection section 4 and provided on extensions 54 of the side walls 12, for engaging a secondary locking member of a connector housing thereagainst.
  • the secondary locking shoulders 52 are provided in a region (with respect to the insertion direction (I)) above the transition section 8 which is of a relatively small width compared to the contact section 6, such that a secondary locking member can be positioned behind the secondary locking shoulder 52.
  • a cutout 56 is stamped out for the base wall of the contact section transition section.

Claims (10)

  1. Einteilige elektrische Buchsenklemme (2) für einen Eingriff mit einem komplementären Flachkontakt oder einer Stiftklemme, wobei die Klemme aufweist: einen Verbindungsabschnitt (4); einen Übergangsabschnitt (8); und einen Kontaktabschnitt (6), der einen Kontaktkörper mit einer oberen Wand, Seitenwänden und einer unteren Wand (14, 12, 10) aufweist, die eine Kastenform bilden, die einen inneren Hohlraumbereich (16) für das Aufnehmen der passenden Anschlussklemme darin definiert, wobei der Kontaktabschnitt (6) außerdem Kontaktarme (24) aufweist, die sich von den gegenüberliegenden Seitenwänden (12) erstrecken und Kontaktabschnitte (29) aufweisen, die in unmittelbarer Nähe einer Eingriffswand (18) an einem Eingriffsende der Anschlussklemme angeordnet sind, wobei die Eingriffswand (18) mit einer Aussparung für das Führen und Anordnen des passenden Flachkontaktes oder Stiftklemme im inneren Hohlraumbereich und zwischen den Kontaktarmen (24) versehen ist, wobei die Seitenwände (12) Eingriffsendabschnitte (30) aufweisen, die befestigt sind und sich von den gegenüberliegenden Seitenrändern (32) der Eingriffswand (18) erstrecken und im Wesentlichen orthogonal davon abgekantet sind, um längs der Seiten des Kontaktabschnittes (6) angeordnet zu werden, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass Eingriffsendabschnitte (30) der Seitenwand Sperrvorsprünge (34) für das Sperren der Anschlussklemme (2) in einem Verbindergehäuse umfassen, wobei die Sperrvorsprünge annähernd über den Kontaktabschnitten (29) der Kontaktarme (24) positioniert sind.
  2. Anschlussklemme nach Anspruch 1, bei der die Eingriffsendseitenwandabschnitte (30) und die obere Wand (14) mit ineinandergreifenden Verlängerungen (47, 50) versehen sind.
  3. Anschlussklemme nach Anspruch 1 oder 2, bei der die Eingriffsendseitenwandabschnitte (30) an die obere Wand (14) geschweißt sind.
  4. Anschlussklemme nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der der Kontaktabschnitt (6) eine Verbindungsendwand (20) aufweist, die sich im Wesentlichen senkrecht zur Einsetzrichtung (I) in unmittelbarer Nähe des Verbindungsabschnittes erstreckt.
  5. Anschlussklemme nach Anspruch 4, bei der die Verbindungsendwand (20) ein Ende (45) aufweist, das in einem U-förmigen Übergangsabschnitt (8) erfasst wird, der den Verbindungs- und Kontaktabschnitt verbindet.
  6. Anschlussklemme nach Anspruch 4 oder 5, bei der die Verbindungsendwand (20) von der oberen Wand (14) abgekantet ist.
  7. Anschlussklemme nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der die Eingriffsendwand (18) nach innen gepresste Absätze (22) aufweist, an die die freien Enden (28) der Kontaktarme (24) elastisch für deren Vorspannen anstoßen.
  8. Anschlussklemme nach Anspruch 7, bei der die freien Enden (28) der Kontaktarme (24) geprägt sind, um die Länge der Kontaktarme für einen Eingriff mit den Absätzen (22) zu verlängern.
  9. Anschlussklemme nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der die Eingriffsendwand (18) im Wesentlichen orthogonal von der unteren Wand (10) abgekantet ist.
  10. Anschlussklemme nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, bei der die untere Wand (10) mit einer Aussparung (56) in unmittelbarer Nähe des Übergangsabschnittes versehen ist, um das Verengen der Seitenwände des Übergangsabschnittes nach innen von den Kontaktabschnittseitenwänden (12) zu erleichtern.
EP19990109536 1998-05-18 1999-05-12 Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse Expired - Lifetime EP0959531B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP19990109536 EP0959531B1 (de) 1998-05-18 1999-05-12 Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP98401196 1998-05-18
EP98401196 1998-05-18
EP19990109536 EP0959531B1 (de) 1998-05-18 1999-05-12 Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0959531A2 EP0959531A2 (de) 1999-11-24
EP0959531A3 EP0959531A3 (de) 2001-03-07
EP0959531B1 true EP0959531B1 (de) 2006-07-26

Family

ID=26151638

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19990109536 Expired - Lifetime EP0959531B1 (de) 1998-05-18 1999-05-12 Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0959531B1 (de)

Families Citing this family (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2840736B1 (fr) * 2002-06-11 2004-08-27 Framatome Connectors Int Borne de contact electrique femelle d'une seule piece ayant une partie de transition renforcee
JP3885190B2 (ja) * 2002-11-05 2007-02-21 矢崎総業株式会社 雌端子
JP2007184171A (ja) 2006-01-06 2007-07-19 Jst Mfg Co Ltd 案内片付き雌端子
US7717759B2 (en) 2006-01-06 2010-05-18 J.S.T. Mfg. Co., Ltd. Female terminal with guiding piece
DE102008041726A1 (de) * 2008-08-29 2010-03-04 Robert Bosch Gmbh Kunststoff-Gehäuseteil und Verfahren zu seiner Herstellung
CN103811904B (zh) * 2014-02-14 2017-03-01 萧至仁 中空端子结构

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2054846A5 (de) * 1969-07-29 1971-05-07 Ferriere Rene
JPS5222593U (de) * 1975-08-06 1977-02-17
FR2730864B3 (fr) * 1995-02-17 1997-04-30 Amp France Borne femelle electrique d'une seule piece
DE19612630C2 (de) * 1995-03-30 2001-09-20 Yazaki Corp Steckbuchse und Verfahren zu deren Herstellung
FR2751793B1 (fr) * 1996-07-26 2001-10-12 Whitaker Corp Borne electrique femelle d'une seule piece

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0959531A2 (de) 1999-11-24
EP0959531A3 (de) 2001-03-07

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6095874A (en) Single piece electrical receptacle terminal
EP0727842B1 (de) Einstückige Ansschlussbüchse
EP0517077B1 (de) Elektrischer Kontakt
EP0517076B1 (de) Elektrischer Kontakt
KR100244733B1 (ko) 전기콘택트
EP1689034B1 (de) Anschlusskontakt , dazugehöriger Verbinder und Verfahren zur Herstellung
EP0600419A1 (de) Elektrische Anschlussbuchse
US5645458A (en) Electrical receptacle terminal
KR100524835B1 (ko) 암형 콘택트 및 그것을 사용한 전기 커넥터
US7014515B2 (en) Female terminal for a flat male terminal
EP3096409B1 (de) Kontakt für elektrische steckverbinder
CN113273037B (zh) 连接器及外导体
EP0687033B1 (de) Buchsenklemme für Hochstrom
JP3745634B2 (ja) 端子金具
EP0959531B1 (de) Einstückige elektrische Anschlussbuchse
US5690517A (en) Receptacle contact
US5711687A (en) Electrical terminal with locking lance
EP1089387A2 (de) Modulare elektrische Anschlussbuchse
JPH0997644A (ja) コネクタ用端子
CN114122764A (zh) 端子零件及链式端子
EP0958638B1 (de) Einstückiges polarisiertes elektrisches anschlusselement
JP3307877B2 (ja) 電気コンタクト
US11381009B2 (en) Contact and connector
US6287157B1 (en) Connector assembly
EP0656674B1 (de) Elektrische Anschlussbuchse mit einer Überfeder

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

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: A3

Designated state(s): AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

AX Request for extension of the european patent

Free format text: AL;LT;LV;MK;RO;SI

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 20010814

AKX Designation fees paid

Free format text: DE FR GB IT

GRAP Despatch of communication of intention to grant a patent

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR1

GRAS Grant fee paid

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: EPIDOSNIGR3

GRAA (expected) grant

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009210

AK Designated contracting states

Kind code of ref document: B1

Designated state(s): DE FR GB IT

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF FAILURE TO SUBMIT A TRANSLATION OF THE DESCRIPTION OR TO PAY THE FEE WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED TIME-LIMIT;WARNING: LAPSES OF ITALIAN PATENTS WITH EFFECTIVE DATE BEFORE 2007 MAY HAVE OCCURRED AT ANY TIME BEFORE 2007. THE CORRECT EFFECTIVE DATE MAY BE DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE RECORDED.

Effective date: 20060726

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: GB

Ref legal event code: FG4D

REF Corresponds to:

Ref document number: 69932471

Country of ref document: DE

Date of ref document: 20060907

Kind code of ref document: P

ET Fr: translation filed
PLBE No opposition filed within time limit

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009261

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

Free format text: STATUS: NO OPPOSITION FILED WITHIN TIME LIMIT

26N No opposition filed

Effective date: 20070427

GBPC Gb: european patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20070512

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: GB

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20070512

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: PLFP

Year of fee payment: 17

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Payment date: 20150528

Year of fee payment: 17

PGFP Annual fee paid to national office [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: FR

Payment date: 20150519

Year of fee payment: 17

Ref country code: IT

Payment date: 20150527

Year of fee payment: 17

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: R119

Ref document number: 69932471

Country of ref document: DE

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: IT

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20160512

REG Reference to a national code

Ref country code: FR

Ref legal event code: ST

Effective date: 20170131

PG25 Lapsed in a contracting state [announced via postgrant information from national office to epo]

Ref country code: DE

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20161201

Ref country code: FR

Free format text: LAPSE BECAUSE OF NON-PAYMENT OF DUE FEES

Effective date: 20160531