US2759165A

US2759165A - Electrical connector member with spring tongue

Info

Publication number: US2759165A
Application number: US271949A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hugh W Batcheller
Original assignee: Ark Les Electronic Products Corp
Current assignee: Ark Les Electronic Products Corp
Priority date: 1952-02-16
Filing date: 1952-02-16
Publication date: 1956-08-14
Anticipated expiration: 1973-08-14

Description

14, 1956 H. WEBATCHELLER 2,759,165

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER WITH SPRING TONGUE Filed Feb. 16, 1952 United States Patent ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR MEMBER WITH SPRING TONGUE Hugh W. Batcheller, Newton Highlands, Mass, assignor to Ark-Les Switch Corporation, Waterfown, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application February 16, 1952, Serial No. 271,949

2 Claims. (Cl. 339-256) This invention relates to an electric connector member adapted to cooperate with a corresponding member comprising a flat metal tongue with a central recess such as a dimple or hole. It is desirable that when the members of the connectors are joined, surface areas of the two members will be firmly pressed together to make a good electrical contact. It is also desirable that the interengagement of the members be such as to prevent too easy a separation of the members. It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector member which has these desirable characteristics and which can easily and cheaply be made.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description thereof and to the drawing of which- Figure 1 is a plan view of two members of an electrical connector, one of which embodies the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the two members in their mutually connected position, a portion being broken away to show in section;

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a part of a modified form of connector member embodying the invention;

Figure 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a plan view of part of another modified form of connector member; and

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

The female connector member 10 embodying the invention is shown in Figures 1 and 2, with a male member 12 which is of common construction and is of a spade type consisting chiefly of a rectangular tongue of metal which slides into the shallow channel of the female member 10. The latter may conveniently be made of sheet metal such as brass or copper. A blank is cut from the sheet and folded to shape. The member 10 comprises a plane floor 14 having side walls 16 extending along the side edges of the floor and rising up therefrom. An inturned flange 18 extends along the upper edge of each wall 16 and overhangs a portion of the floor 14. The flanges 13 are spaced above the floor 14 by a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the male member 12, the width of which is slightly less than the distance between the two side walls 16 so that the member 10 receives the member 12 with a sliding fit, the side margins of the member 12 being between the floor 14 and the overhanging flanges 18. The receiving end of the member 10 as shown in Figure 1 is the left end. At the opposite end of the member, elements 20 and 22 may be provided, if desired, to clamp on to the bared end portion of a Wire 24 and on to the adjacent insulation 26, respectively. If preferred, the wire can be welded to the attaching portion of the member 10.

In order to provide a good electrical connection between these two members, the floor 14 of the member 10 is cut as at 30 to form a tongue 32 lying within the margins of the floor. This tongue is integral with the ice floor and is bent upward so that it extends out of the plane of the 'fioor as indicated in Figure 2. Near the free end of the tongue 32 a small boss 34 is preferably formed, this boss being the highest point on the tongue above the plane of the floor 14. If a relatively soft metal such as soft brass is used in making the member 10, the floor of the member may be struck along the juncture of the tongue 32 with the floor 14 to indent a transversely extending area of the floor as indicated at 36. Part or all of the tongue itself may be similarly cold worked. This hardens the metal at the base of the tongue and provides a resilient restoring force if the free end of the tongue is depressed. If preferred, the entire member 10 may be made of spring metal instead. In either case, the tongue serves as a spring to press against the under face of the member 12 when the latter is thrust between the floor 14 and the flanges 18. The member 12 is preferably provided with recesses 38 which may be in the form of indentations as shown or a hole through the member. The boss 34 enters one of these recesses to prevent easy retraction of the member 12 from the member 10. The tongue 32 shown in Figures 1 and 2 extends away from the receiving end of the member 10 so that the advancing end of the member 12 will ride up on the sloping surface of the tongue to depress the same when the two members are brought together.

A modified form of the member 10 is illustrated at 40 in Figures 5 and 6. The member 40 has a plane floor portion 42 with side walls 44 and inturned flanges 46 which overhang part of the floor. Portions of the floor are cut away as at 48 to form two or more tongues 50 which are bent up to extend out of the plane of the floor as indicated in Figure 6. The tips of these tongues are shaped as at 52 to form portions of a boss somewhat similar to the boss 34 so as to cooperate with the recesses 38 of the member 12. The side margins 54 of the tongues 50 which are toward the receiving end of the member are sloped so as to guide the leading edge of the member 12 as it enters the member 40. Other numbers and arrangements of tongues can be made to serve the same purpose of pressing the member 12 against the end faces of the

flanges

18 or 46.

Another modification is shown in Figures 7 and 8. A U-shaped cut-out 60 is made in the floor to form a tongue 62 which extends toward the receiving end of the member instead of extending away from it as in Figure 1. In lieu of forming a boss 34 on the tongue 62, its free end portion 64 is bent down to form a transverse ridge 66 which is adapted to enter a corresponding recess (not shown) in a complementary male connector member. The end portion 64 of the tongue slopes downward toward the receiving end of the member, its tip being at or below the level of the upper surface of the floor 70, so that when a male member is thrust into the channel, its entering end slides on the inclined end portion 64 and springs the tongue downward.

I claim:

1. An electric connector member consisting of a piece of sheet brass bent to shape with a plane floor, upstanding side walls along the sides of the floor and inturned flanges on the side Walls overhanging the side margins of said floor, said floor being cut within the margins thereof to form a tongue integral therewith, said tongue being indented and bent along its line of juncture with the floor so as to incline upward from the plane of the floor, the highest point of the tongue being near the free end thereof.

2. An electrical connector for receiving a spade type terminal comprising a floor portion, two opposing sides of the floor rolled and doubled back in a tubular manner, a substantially V-shaped slot in said floor the apex of which is in the direction of an entering spade terminal, the tongue of said V-slot being bent upwardly to cooperate with the edges of said tubularly bent sides in exerting yieldable pressure on a spade type terminal inserted therebetween, a detent centrally disposed in said 5 spade terminal.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 581,455 Dean Apr. 27, 1897 4 Nichols May 16, Rabezzana Nov. 11, McClatchie June 1, Douglas Mar. 19, Folsom June 11, Hayes Dec. 25, Batcheller June 10, Batcheller June 10,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Sept. 24,