GB1584571A

GB1584571A - Spring biassed electrical contact socket member adapted to receive a corresponding electrical contact spigot member

Info

Publication number: GB1584571A
Application number: GB1082577A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Pressac Ltd
Current assignee: Pressac Ltd
Priority date: 1978-02-20
Filing date: 1978-02-20
Publication date: 1981-02-11

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO A SPRING BIASSED ELECTRICAL CONTACT SOCKET MEMBER ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A CORRESPONDING ELECTRICAL CONTACT SPIGOT MEMBER (71) We, PRESSAC LIMITED a British Company of Acton Grove, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 1FW, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a Patent may be granted to us and the method by which it is to be performed to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to a spring biassed electrical contact socket member adapted to receive a corresponding electrical contact spigot member, generally a contact pin of rectangular or circular crosssection, to form a reliable electrical connection.

An object of this invention is to improve the electrical contact which may be made by uniting the contact socket member with a corresponding spigot member by increasing the available area of contact between the two members and to enable the spigot member to be more readily inserted (i.e.

without too much force) into the contact socket member.

According to one aspect of the invention we provide a spring biassed electrical contact socket member for receiving corresponding electrical contact spigot member to establish an electrical connection therebetween, the contact socket member being of U-shaped cross-section and having a cantilever spring element extending from one limb of the U-section, a surface of the cantilever spring element facing the said other limb of the U-section and disposed close to or biassed towards the other limb of the U-section constituting a first contact surface to be contacted by a contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, and the internal surface of the said other limb of the U-section constituting a second contact surface for the contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, the contact socket member being provided with external spring means enabling it to be retained in a housing therefor.

The external spring means, for instance, is preferably a splayed out end of the cantilever spring element. Conveniently the contact socket member will be one which has been manufactured from a blank of resilient electrically conducting metal, e.g.

phosphor bronze, by cutting and bending.

The contact socket members may be in the form of individual separate articles or if desired in the form of a strip uniting several or a series of contact socket members in a row.

According to another aspect of the invention we provide an assembly of the contact socket members defined in the preceding paragraph and a corresponding electrical contact spigot member constructed so as to form a reliable electrical connection upon insertion of the spigot member into the socket member. Preferably the spigot member is a contact pin of rectangular or circular cross-section.

By way of example, an expedient form of spring biassed electrical contact socket members will be described with reference to the diagrammatic drawings filed with the provisional specification, wherein: Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of spring biassed contact socket member of a suitable resilient electrically conducting material, e.g. phosphor bronze; Figure 2 is a plan view of the socket member of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an end view of the end 9 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section on line IV-IV of Figure 1, showing the U-section of the blank from which the contact socket member has been made; Figure 5 is a section on line V-V of Figure 1.

Referring to Figures 1 - 5, the contact socket member has recesses 1 and 2, the recess 1 being close to the end 8. Cantilever spring biassing means is constituted by a substantially V-shaped spring element 4 integrally formed from the body of the contact member by cutting and bending, leaving recess 3. Slit 6 between wall 5 and the base 7 of the contact member has been provided to facilitate the production of the article from a blank. An end portion 41 of the spring element is bent over at its tip 4a and the end portion 41 forms a first contact surface for a pin (not shown) to be inserted into space 20. The other end of the spring element is splayed out as at 4b to enable the socket member to be retained in a housing therefor (not shown) but any other suitable means may be used. The inside surface of wall 5 serves as the second contact surface.

Figure 3 shows how at the end 9 of the socket member the U-section is much squarer than as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The contact socket members may be produced as individual separate articles or they may be produced as a strip, for instance a number of parallel contact socket members may all be joined at their ends 8 to a transverse longitudinal member (not shown) usually integrally formed with the contact socket members.

By way of a further example, another expedient form of spring biassed electrical contact socket member will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings.

Figure 6 is a plan view of a spring biassed contact socket member of a suitable resilient electrically conducting material, e.g. phosphor bronze.

Figure 7 is a side view of the socket member of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an end view of the end 23 of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a section on line A-A of Figure 6, and Figure 10 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Referring to Figures 6 - 10, the contact socket member has a base 27 and recesses 21 and 22, the recess 21 being close to the end 26. Double cantilever spring biassing means is constituted by a substantially closed loop robust spring element 24 integrally formed from the body of the contact member by.

cutting and bending. A portion 24' of the element 4 leads to a bent over tip 24a. The portion 24l which makes resilient contact with wall 25 of the contact member forms a first contact surface for a pin (not shown) to be inserted into space 28. The wall 25 forms the second contact surface for the pin (not shown). The other end of the spring element 24 is splayed out as at 24b to enable the socket member to be retained in a housing therefor (not shown) but any other suitable means may be used. Figure 8 shows how at the end 23 of the socket member the U-section is much squarer than as shown in Figures 9 and 10. The contact socket members may be produced as individual separate articles or they may be produced as a strip, for instance a number of parallel contact socket members may be joined at their ends 26 to a transverse longitudinal member (not shown) usually integrally formed with the contact socket members.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1.. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member for receiving a corresponding electrical contact spigot member to establish an electrical connection therebetween, the contact socket member being of U-shaped cross-section and having a cantilever spring element extending from one limb of the U-section, a surface of the cantilever spring element facing the said other limb of the U-section and disposed close to or biassed towards the other limb of the U-section constituting a first contact surface to be contacted by a contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, and the internal surface of the said other limb of the U-section constituting a second contact surface for the contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, the contact socket member being provided with external spring means enabling it to be retained in a housing therefor.

2. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to Claim 1, which is elongate.

3. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the cantilever spring element is integrally formed with the body of the contact socket member.

4. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to any preceding claim, wherein the first contact surface of the contact socket member is constituted by an end portion of the cantilever spring element facing or in contact with the said other limb of the U-section.

5. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to any preceding claim, wherein the cantilever spring element is substantially V-shaped.

6. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to any one of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the cantilever spring element forms a substantially closed loop.

7. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to any preceding claim, wherein the external spring means is a splayed out end of the cantilever spring element.

8. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member according to any preceding claim, which has been manufactured.from a blank of resilient electrically conducting

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. recess 1 being close to the end 8. Cantilever spring biassing means is constituted by a substantially V-shaped spring element 4 integrally formed from the body of the contact member by cutting and bending, leaving recess 3. Slit 6 between wall 5 and the base 7 of the contact member has been provided to facilitate the production of the article from a blank. An end portion 41 of the spring element is bent over at its tip 4a and the end portion 41 forms a first contact surface for a pin (not shown) to be inserted into space 20. The other end of the spring element is splayed out as at 4b to enable the socket member to be retained in a housing therefor (not shown) but any other suitable means may be used. The inside surface of wall 5 serves as the second contact surface. Figure 3 shows how at the end 9 of the socket member the U-section is much squarer than as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The contact socket members may be produced as individual separate articles or they may be produced as a strip, for instance a number of parallel contact socket members may all be joined at their ends 8 to a transverse longitudinal member (not shown) usually integrally formed with the contact socket members. By way of a further example, another expedient form of spring biassed electrical contact socket member will be described with reference to Figures 6 to 10 of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings. Figure 6 is a plan view of a spring biassed contact socket member of a suitable resilient electrically conducting material, e.g. phosphor bronze. Figure 7 is a side view of the socket member of Figure 6; Figure 8 is an end view of the end 23 of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a section on line A-A of Figure 6, and Figure 10 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 6. Referring to Figures 6 - 10, the contact socket member has a base 27 and recesses 21 and 22, the recess 21 being close to the end 26. Double cantilever spring biassing means is constituted by a substantially closed loop robust spring element 24 integrally formed from the body of the contact member by. cutting and bending. A portion 24' of the element 4 leads to a bent over tip 24a. The portion 24l which makes resilient contact with wall 25 of the contact member forms a first contact surface for a pin (not shown) to be inserted into space 28. The wall 25 forms the second contact surface for the pin (not shown). The other end of the spring element 24 is splayed out as at 24b to enable the socket member to be retained in a housing therefor (not shown) but any other suitable means may be used. Figure 8 shows how at the end 23 of the socket member the U-section is much squarer than as shown in Figures 9 and 10. The contact socket members may be produced as individual separate articles or they may be produced as a strip, for instance a number of parallel contact socket members may be joined at their ends 26 to a transverse longitudinal member (not shown) usually integrally formed with the contact socket members. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1.. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member for receiving a corresponding electrical contact spigot member to establish an electrical connection therebetween, the contact socket member being of U-shaped cross-section and having a cantilever spring element extending from one limb of the U-section, a surface of the cantilever spring element facing the said other limb of the U-section and disposed close to or biassed towards the other limb of the U-section constituting a first contact surface to be contacted by a contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, and the internal surface of the said other limb of the U-section constituting a second contact surface for the contact spigot member when inserted into the contact socket member, the contact socket member being provided with external spring means enabling it to be retained in a housing therefor.

metal by cutting and bending.

9. A spring biased electrical contact socket member according to any preceding claim, which is made of phosphor bronze.

10. A spring biassed electrical contact socket member substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings filed with the Provisional Specification or with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 6 to 10 of the drawings filed with the provisional specification.

11. A strip uniting several or a series of contact socket members of the kind defined in any preceding claim in a row.

12. An assembly of contact socket members as defined in any one of Claims 1 to 10 and a corresponding electrical contact spigot member constructed so as to form a reliable electrical connection upon insertion of the spigot member into the socket member.

13. An assembly according to Claim 12, wherein the spigot member is a contact pin of rectangular or circular cross-section.