US2967288A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Electrical connector Download PDF

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Publication number
US2967288A
US2967288A US713636A US71363658A US2967288A US 2967288 A US2967288 A US 2967288A US 713636 A US713636 A US 713636A US 71363658 A US71363658 A US 71363658A US 2967288 A US2967288 A US 2967288A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
spring
socket
pin
groove
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
US713636A
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English (en)
Inventor
Keller Herman
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.)
Bendix Corp
Original Assignee
Bendix Corp
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 Bendix Corp filed Critical Bendix Corp
Priority to US713636A priority Critical patent/US2967288A/en
Priority to GB3128/59A priority patent/GB853540A/en
Priority to ES0246973A priority patent/ES246973A1/es
Priority to DEB51983A priority patent/DE1122123B/de
Priority to FR785953A priority patent/FR1222860A/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US2967288A publication Critical patent/US2967288A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • H01R13/15—Pins, blades or sockets having separate spring member for producing or increasing contact pressure

Definitions

  • This invention relates to electrical apparatus and more particularly to electrical connectors of the type wherein electrical connections are made by interfitting plug and socket contacts.
  • One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a socket contact of novel construction for use in readily separable electrical connectors of the pin and socket type.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide a socket contact having a contact spring on the body thereof which provides more accurate positioning of the contact spring on the body.
  • a further object is the provision of a socket contact having a contact spring on the body thereof which provides increased holding of the spring against turning about the axis of the body.
  • a still further object is the provision of a socket contact which lends itself advantageously to the manufacture and assembly thereof in large quantities while assuring the above improvements as to accuracy of location of the contact spring on the body, and the increased securing of attachment and holding of the contact spring on the body.
  • Yet another object of the invention is the provision of a socket contact having the above advantages which is simple and economical in construction, which is made without the need of undue accuracy of the parts, and which may be readily assembled by existing mechanisms.
  • Fig. 1 is a view in plan of one form of socket contact embodying the present invention
  • Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the socket member of Fig. 1, the section being taken generally on the line 22 of Fig. 1, certain parts being shown in elevation, a fragmentarily shown male or contact pin being shown in elevation inserted in the socket contact;
  • Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the contact spring of the socket contact prior to assembly of the spring on the body of the socket contact;
  • Fig. 4 is a view in end elevation of the contact spring of Fig. 3, the view being taken from the line 44 of Fig. 3;
  • Fig. 5 is a view in transverse section through the socket contact, the section being taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4;
  • Fig. 6 is a view in transverse section through the forward end of the contact spring, the section being taken along line 6--6 of Fig. 3.
  • the present invention represents an improvement in electrical connectors which may be used to advantage in connectors such as disclosed in the application of Swanson and Kokalas, Serial No. 665,471. It will be under- 2,967,288 Patented Jan. 3, 1961 shown in such application, or to use in' connectors of the construction shown herein.
  • the socket contact thereof has an elongated body having a longitudinal, contact pin-receiving passage therein.
  • a longitudinally extending contact spring is affixed to the body remote from the forward, open end of the passage, the forward end of the spring communicating with the passage through a slot in the body, whereby the spring may contact a contact pin in the socket.
  • the contact spring is conventionally attached at its rear end by having wings on the spring bent around the body to form a substantially closed ring, the ring being received within a transverse annular groove in the body. Engagement between the ring and the groove end walls maintains the contact spring from marked movement endwise of the body of the socket contact. Relative rotation between the spring and the body is opposed by the frictional engagement between the ring and the groove, and engagement between the forward end of the contact spring and the body.
  • Such engagement may be that shown in the said Swanson and Kokalas application, wherein the contact spring overlies flat surfaces on the body, or may be that shown in Swanson et al. Patent No. 2,716,744, wherein the contact spring has its forward end lying within a radial slot through the sidewall of the body.
  • the present invention overcomes the above discussed difficulties of prior electrical connectors of the type indicated in a simple, inexpensive manner. It allows the grooves in the body of the socket contact and the band or ring-forming wings on the contact spring to be made with tolerances such that the socket contact body and the contact spring may be assembled rapidly by machine without difiiculty. It prevents rearward travel of the contact spring relative to the body upon the insertion of a pin into the socket. In preferred constructions, the means which prevents rearward travel of the contact spring on the body also aids in maintaining the contact spring from rotation on the body.
  • the novel electrical socket contact of the invention includes only two parts-21 body or a socket member 10 and a contact spring 11.
  • the body 10 is made in the form of a rigid metallic bar suitably machined, as by drilling and milling, in the manner to be described.
  • the spring 11 is made of sheet metal, and is applied to member 10 in a permanent manner by fastening means which, in the contact shown, is integral with spring 11.
  • the socket member is designed to receive a pin 12 of a plug member so as to make secure, non-arcing contact therewith, while permitting the ready separationof the pin and socket member by movement of the two axially away from each other.
  • Socket or body member is preferably made from copper alloy bar stock such as brass.
  • One end of body member 10 is drilled to provide a bore 14 for slidably receiving the pin 12 of the aforementioned plug member.
  • the open end or mouth of bore 14 is preferably made bell-shaped at 15 to facilitate entry of the pin 12, which has a diameter only slightly less, usually about .002 to .005", than the diameter of bore 14.
  • the other end of member 10 is likewise drilled and partially cut away at one side to provide a suitable recess 17 in which the end of an electrical conductor may be secured by soldering or other suitable means.
  • member 10 is machined to form two annular grooves 19 and 20, the first of which is utilized in mounting the contact in a resilient support or insert, such as in the manner disclosed in Uline et al. U.S.P. No. 2,563,762.
  • Groove 20 is utilized, in the manner to appear hereinafter, for mounting spring 11.
  • the body member 10 is provided with an elongated flatted portion 21, shown at the top in Fig. 2, which extends from a position adjacent but spaced from the free end of body 10 rearwardly along the body to intersect the forward edge of groove 20.
  • the fiatted portion 21 is of such radial depth that it lies somewhat radially inwardly of the bottom wall of groove 20 but the upper flat edges 22 lie somewhat radially outwardly of the horizontal diameter of bore 14-. There is thus formed a slot, of less width than the diameter of bore 14, which extends through the wall of such bore.
  • the pin 12 is securely retained against escape from bore 14 at all times, that is, during the insertion of the pin, while it is received in the socket member, and during the withdrawal of the pin from the socket member.
  • the complete annular portion 18, at the entrance or free end of contact member 10, aids in the initial insertion of pin 12, and likewise aids in preventing any tendency of pin 12 to escape laterally from the bore.
  • the fiatted. portion 21 may be made by use of a suitable rotary milling cutter, or otherwise, the cut preferably being taken in a direction transversely of the length of body member 10.
  • Spring 11 is preferably formed from a blank cut in the form of a. 'i from a suitable hard stiff resilient metal. Various metals may be used for this purpose; one suitable metal is a chrome-nickel alloy known as #93084.
  • Spring steel may also be used in making spring 12, if
  • the central leg 24 of the T-shaped blank constitutes a leaf spring or finger which is preferably slightly tapered in width toward its free end.
  • the free end 25 of finger 24- has a width which somewhat exceeds the distance be tween the confronting inner edges of flatted portions 2-2 of body 10.
  • the width of finger 24 at no portion throughout its length exceeds the diameter of body 10.
  • tact including spring 11, lies appreciably outwardly of the circumference of body 10, even when a pin 12 is engaged in the socket.
  • the free end 25 of spring 11 is bent somewhat upwardly, and inwardly of its tip has a centrally disposed depressed or dimpled portion 26, the inner surface of which projects into bore 14- when there is no pin in the bore of the socket member.
  • the collar portion 28 of spring 11 is formed of wing portions 27 on the spring blank.
  • the blank is first bent into the contour shown in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the wings, there designated 27 form the parallel legs of an inverted U, and finger 24 is bent downwardly so that its free end 25 lies markedly below its root.
  • the spring 11 is applied to contact member 10 by wrapping the wings on the former tightly around body 10 within groove 20.
  • the depth of groove 20 is preferably approximately equal to the radial thickness of collar 28, and the width of the collar is such as closely to fit between the ends of the groove 20.
  • no part of spring 11 at its point of attachment to body 10 projects radially
  • the contact assembly 10, 11 may be removably mounted within a supporting insert in a desirable manner without creating interference with the free action of the spring member.
  • the construction is such that the free end 25 of finger 24 does not substantially project beyond the circumference of body 10 when contact end 16 is in bore 14.
  • the socket contact of the present invention employs a novel contact spring employing a resilient tab 29 on the rear edge thereof at the retaining ring or band-forming portion thereof.
  • tab 29 is located in alignment with the longitudinal axis of portion 24 of the contact spring.
  • tab 29 is formed integral with the contact spring, is generally triangular in plan, and has sharp inner edges 30.
  • the tab 29 extends rearwardly as an extension of the stock in the central zone of ring portion 28.
  • the wings 27 on the contact spring blank have an axial width which is somewhat less than the axial length of groove 20.
  • Tab 29 is of such axial length that when the contact spring is placed on the body 10 with the forward edges of wings 2'7 in contact with the forward end wall 31 of groove 20, a substantial part of tab 29 projects rearwardjy of the rear end wall 32 of groove 20.
  • the stock of spring contact 11 has a thickness of .012 in.
  • groove 20 has a radial depth somewhat less than this
  • groove 20 has an axial length of .084, +005, .000 in.
  • wings 27 have an axial length of .082, +000, .005 in.
  • total axial length of Wings 27' and tab 29 is .092, +002, .002 in.
  • the contact spring preliminarily formed as shown in Fig. 4, is applied to body 10 so that wings 27' lie in groove 20 and portion 24 of the contact spring overlies the flatted portion of the body. Thereupon the free ends of wings 27' are clenched around groove 20 by suitable dies, a further die engaging the upper portion of ring or band 28 as the ring is shown in Fig. 2.
  • Such further die is preferably of such length that its rear edge engages the upper zone of the ring at least slightly forwardly of tab 29. The tab 29 is thereby pressed strongly into engagement with the confronting zone of edge 32 of groove 20, the tab being bent upwardly somewhat, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.
  • tab and edge 32 of groove 20 The interaction of the tab and edge 32 of groove 20 is such that there is a strong axially forwardly directed component of force which thrusts the contact spring to the right, so that the forward edges of the wings on the contact spring engage forward wall 31 of groove 20.
  • the resilience of tab 22 and of the clenched wings maintains such engagement throughout the life of the socket contact, thereby preventing any substantial axial movement of the contact spring on the body of the socket contact.
  • the described assembly of the hard contact spring on the relatively soft body 10 causes the sharp inner edges 30 on tab 29 on the former to tend to dig into the outer nopedge of rear wall 32 of groove 20.
  • the tab has a keying action upon the body, tending to prevent relative rotation between the contact spring and body 10.
  • An electrical socket contact comprising an elongated metallic body having a longitudinally extending cylindrical bore in a first, forward end thereof, an elongated longitudinally extending slot in the Wall of the body around the bore, said slot communicating with the bore at a zone adjacent the forward end of the bore, a spring contact strip disposed along the body and having a portion adapted to make contact at said zone with a pin inserted in the bore, a split band on the rear end of the contact strip, an outwardly extending shoulder on the rear of the body in axial alignment with the contact strip, the band being bent to embrace the body forwardly of the shoulder, abutment means on the body confronting the forward edge of the band, and means for constantly thrusting the contact strip in a forward direction so that such forward edge of the band contacts the abutment means, said contact strip thrusting means comprising a short, stiff and resilient tab on the rear edge of the contact strip, the rear end of the tab overlying and strongly resiliently engaging the forward edge of the shoulder, the tab being bent to incline radi

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  • Contacts (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
US713636A 1958-02-06 1958-02-06 Electrical connector Expired - Lifetime US2967288A (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US713636A US2967288A (en) 1958-02-06 1958-02-06 Electrical connector
GB3128/59A GB853540A (en) 1958-02-06 1959-01-28 A contact for an electrical connector
ES0246973A ES246973A1 (es) 1958-02-06 1959-01-31 Perfeccionamientos en contactos eléctricos de enchufe
DEB51983A DE1122123B (de) 1958-02-06 1959-02-04 Elektrische Steckerbuchse
FR785953A FR1222860A (fr) 1958-02-06 1959-02-06 Dispositif de connexion électrique

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US713636A US2967288A (en) 1958-02-06 1958-02-06 Electrical connector

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US2967288A true US2967288A (en) 1961-01-03

Family

ID=24866891

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US713636A Expired - Lifetime US2967288A (en) 1958-02-06 1958-02-06 Electrical connector

Country Status (5)

Country Link
US (1) US2967288A (de)
DE (1) DE1122123B (de)
ES (1) ES246973A1 (de)
FR (1) FR1222860A (de)
GB (1) GB853540A (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3266009A (en) * 1961-12-08 1966-08-09 Microdot Inc Multi-contact electrical connector
US4588240A (en) * 1983-11-16 1986-05-13 Ruehl William E Bridging clip

Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2162453A (en) * 1935-12-27 1939-06-13 Gen Railway Signal Co Detachable electrical connector
US2716744A (en) * 1952-04-01 1955-08-30 Bendix Aviat Corp Socket contact for electrical connector

Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2162453A (en) * 1935-12-27 1939-06-13 Gen Railway Signal Co Detachable electrical connector
US2716744A (en) * 1952-04-01 1955-08-30 Bendix Aviat Corp Socket contact for electrical connector

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3266009A (en) * 1961-12-08 1966-08-09 Microdot Inc Multi-contact electrical connector
US4588240A (en) * 1983-11-16 1986-05-13 Ruehl William E Bridging clip

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1222860A (fr) 1960-06-14
ES246973A1 (es) 1959-05-16
GB853540A (en) 1960-11-09
DE1122123B (de) 1962-01-18

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