GB2073505A - Mounting electrical contacts - Google Patents

Abstract

A housing element (25) intended to receive a female contact member comprising a bent metallic sheet including a resilient holding tongue which provides means for locking with a male member, the housing element has a tubular body and a boss (36) of substantially tetrahedral shape formed internally and adapted to provide a sliding surface (38) for the resilient tongue during its introduction to the housing and a face (37) against which the tongue abuts after insertion into the housing. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Housing element for electrical connections The present invention relates to a housing element for electrical connection purposes, particularly designed to be used with contact members adapted to co-operate with male contact members of flat section.

In our Patent Application No. 46491/78 (Serial No.

2010602) a female contact member has been described which is of the type made from an electrically conducting metallic sheet which is suitably cut and bent for providing means for connection to an electrical conductor at one end, while it has at its other end a seating of which the transverse section assumes substantially the form of a U with a base and two side walls, one of the side walls being provided with an extension which is bent in such a way as to extend above the base, the said extension comprising a resilient holding tongue extending from one side of the free end of the said seating and bent towards the inside of the latter in the direction of the end comprising the connection means, the base having drilled therein an opening in the vicinity of the connection means and the resilient holding tongue being terminated by a hook engaged in the said opening.

The present invention seeks to provide a housing element adapted to house a female member, such as that which is described in the said patent application, the connection of the said female member being simple, fast and certain.

The housing element for electrical connection purposes in accordance with the invention is of the type formed of a tubular body made of a moulded plastics material and having at least one conduit designed in use to receive a contact member and in which is disposed a retaining boss for the said contact member, which contact member is of the type made from an electrically conducting metallic sheet which is suitably cut and bent so as to provide means for connection to an electrical conductor at one end, while its other end has a seating of which the transverse section assumes the shape of a U with a base and two side walls and adapted to receive a male contact element of flat section which has, at a point intermediate of its length, a cavity designed to co-operate with a lug of a resilient holding tongue of the said female element, one of the side walls comprising an extension which is bent over in such a way as to extend above the base, the resilient holding tongue being formed by an arm of the extension extending from the side of the free end of the seating and bent towards the interior of the latter in the direction of the end comprising the connection means, the base having drilled therein an opening in the vicinity of the connection means and the resilient holding tongue terminating in a hookwhich is engaged in the said opening, the boss of the housing element projecting on the internal surface of the wall of the conduit adapted to receive the contact member and designed so as to face the upper surface of the extension, the said boss having substantially the form of a tetrahedron, so that, when the contact member is placed in position, the free end of the extension rocks resiliently on coming into contact with the boss and then reassumes its initial position after having passed beyond it and abuts against one face of the tetrahedron.

Because of this structure, at the time when the contact member engages in the housing element, the free end of the extension is elastically deformed in co-operation with the top of the tetrahedron in order to permit the introduction and then returns to its initial position in order to oppose the withdrawal of the contact member by butting against the abrupt end surface of the tetrahedron.

As a result, the movement of the extension is small and there is no danger of any permanent deformation being caused, which deformation would be harmful to the satisfactory functioning of the contact member.

The invention is now to be described in greater detail by reference to one particular embodiment which is given simply by way of example and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing an electrical contact female member during manufacture; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the completed female member; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a housing element for electrical connection purposes, which is adapted to receive the female contact member of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the housing element shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a view in longitudinal section, showing the contact member positioned inside the housing element.

Illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 is a female contact member designated as a whole by the reference 1.

The member 1 is made from a metallic strip which is a good conductor of electricity and which has, at one end, lugs 2 designed to grip the insulating sheath or covering 5 of an electrical conductor 4 and lugs 3 designed to grip the said conductor 4.

The member 1 is bent to U-shape so as to provide a base 6 and two side walls 7 and 8, the wall 7 having an extension 9 provided with a resilient tongue 10 folded towards the inside and terminated at its free end by a hook 12 projecting through an opening 13 to the underneath surface of the base.

The extension 9 is bent over parallel to the base 6 and ends in a tab 14 which is engaged in an opening 15 in the side wall 8, the height of this opening being greater than the thickness of the tab 14 and the bottom edge of the opening 15 comprising a lug 17 disposed facing a lug 18 cut in the wall 7. The side walls 7 or 8 may comprise cut-outs or tabs which form stops 16.

The free edge of the side walls 8 is bent over against the corresponding edge of the extension 9.

The resilient tongue 10 comprises a lug 19 adapted to engage in a hole 20 in a flat male member 21 which is adapted to be engaged in the female member 1.

In the constructional form as illustrated, the base 6 comprises a flat part 6a connected by V-section parts 6b and Sc respectively to the side walls 8 and 7.

illustrated in Figure 4 is a housing element 25 which is adapted to contain a member 1, the said element being made of plastics material and being formed of a tubular body with an opening 26 for the introduction of the member 1 at one end and an opening 27 at the other end for the passage of the male member 21.

The element 25 is formed internally on one face with grooves 33, in which are adapted to be fitted the parts Sc and 6b. Extending between the grooves 33 is a flat part 30 which ends, on the side of the opening 26, in an inclined ramp 31 adapted to co-operate with the hook 12.

On its inside face 35, opposite to that provided with the grooves 33, the housing element 25 is formed with a boss 36.

On the side of the opening 27, the boss 36 has an abrupt surface 37 and assumes substantially the form of a tetrahedron towards the opening 26 and towards the side wall adjacent to the groove 33, the said boss forming an inclined ramp 38.

The member 1 is engaged in the element 25 through the opening 26 and is pushed forward until the hook 12 reaches the lower end of the ramp 31.

With the positioning of the member 1, the extension 9 encounters the ramp 38 and, by means of its elastic deformation, slides along the said ramp in order then to return to its initial position when it has passed beyond the abrupt surface 37. In this position, the member 1 is no longer able to be withdrawn from the element 25, since the rim of the extension 9 turned towards the lugs 2 and 3 abuts against the abrupt surface 37.

When the male member 21 is introduced, it pushes back the resilient tongue 10 until the lug 19 of the latter is engaged in the hole 20. For withdrawing the male 21, a traction effect is exerted on the housing element 25, this tending to cause the member 1 to be displaced in the said housing in a direction in which the hook 12, in co-operation with the ramp 31, tends to space the resilient tongue 10 from the base 6, so that the male member is automatically freed.

The side walls of the housing 25 are formed with grooves 29, in which is engaged the stop 16 of the wall 7, which limits the displacement of the member 1 by bearing against the end of the groove 29.

Obviously, the invention is not limited to the embodiment which has just been described and which has been shown in the accompanying drawings. Numerous modifications as regards details may be incorporated therein without thereby departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (4)

1. A housing element for electrical connection purposes, comprising a tubular body made of moulded plastics material having at least one con duit adapted to receive a contact member and in which conduit is disposed a boss for holding the said contact member, the contact member being made from an electrically conducting metallic sheet suit ably cut and bent so as to provide means for connec tion to an electrical conductor at one end and a seat ing at its other end, the transverse section of said seating assuming the form of a "U" with a base and two side walls, and adapted to receive a male contact element of flat section having, at a point intermediate of its length, a cavity designed to co-operate with a lug of a resilient holding tongue of the said female element, one of the side walls comprising an extension which tis bent over in such a way as to extend above the base, the resilient holding tongue being formed by an arm of the extension extending from the side of the free end of the seating and bent towards the interior ofthe latter in the direction of the end comprising the connection means, the base having formed therein an opening in the vicinity of the connection means and the resilient holding tongue being terminated by a hookengaged in the opening, and wherein the boss of the housing element projects on the internal surface of the wall of the conduit adapted to receive the contact member and faces the upper surface ofthe extension, the said boss having substantiallythe form of a tetrahedron, so that, during positioning of the contact member, the free end of the extension rocks resiliently on meeting the boss and then reassumes its initial position after having passed beyond the boss and butts against a face of the tetrahedron.

2. A housing element for electrical connection purposes according to claim 1, wherein the internal surface of the wall of the conduit adapted to receive the contact member and facing the external face of the base is provided with a ramp inclined in the direction of the end opposite to that intended in use for the introduction of the male member.

3. A housing element intended for use in an electrical connection substantially as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 of the accompanying drawings and described herewin with reference thereto.

4. An electrical connection comprising afemale contact member, a male contact member and a housing element according to anyone of claims 1 to 3.