US3254322A

US3254322A - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: US3254322A
Application number: US309801A
Authority: US
Inventors: Norwood C Graeff
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1963-09-18
Filing date: 1963-09-18
Publication date: 1966-05-31
Anticipated expiration: 1983-05-31

Description

May 31, 1966 c, GRAEFF 3,254,322

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed Sept. 18, 1963 R LA I J r 2, 9% 3o la T v z' eel 28 v INVENTOR.

NoRwoou C. GRAE FF United States Patent 3,254,322 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Norwood C. Graetf, Port Trevorton, Pa., assignor to AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Sept. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 309,801 4 Claims. (Cl. 339-95) The present invention is a continuation-in-part of Serial Number 272,756, filed April 12, 1963.

The present invention relates to a crimpless and solderless terminating means in which electrical conductor means is merely poked into the conductor barrel of a connector or terminal member to effect a secure mechanical and electrical connection without the connector having to be crimped or soldered onto the conductor.

Heretofore an electrical conductor means was mechanically and electrically secured onto a connector or terminal member by crimping at least part of the latter to the former. Such an operation required not only the use of special tools or machines to effect the crimp therebetween, but time in which the crimp was performed.

Another way in which conductor means can be secured to a terminal member or connector is by soldering. This too requires the use of additional tools as well as additional time.

Various other ways similar to those mentioned above can be utilized to secure conductor means to a terminal .member or connector but the use of special tools and time required to effect the securing therebetween are important factors to obviate.

The present invention has an object to eliminate the use of special tools to eifect the mechanical and electrical securing of conductor means to a terminal member or connector as well as the time required to effect the securing therebetween.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved solderless and crimpless connector or terminal member which engages conductor means and has gripping and holding means to hold the conductor means fast thereto as well as to prevent the conductor means from being accidentally removed therefrom.

A further object is to provide an improved connector to which is readily and easily applied conductor means.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent when the description of a preferred form of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view of the invention wherein a standard terminal barrel is used;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view of a further embodiment of the invention wherein the terminal tongue is an integral part of the ferrule;

FIGURE 3 is a partial view of FIGURE 2 showing the connection between a conductor means and a barrel portion of the terminal member; and

FIGURE 4 is a reduced sectional view showing a butt connector utilizing the herein disclosed gripping and holding means.

FIGURE 1 shows a standard terminal member 21 having a tongue portion 22 provided with a hole 23 therethrough which engages a binding post or similar means. Terminal member 21 is further provided with a barrel portion 24. This type of terminal member can be used to crimp the barrel portion onto a conductor upon its being inserted therein.

To provide the terminal of FIGURE 1 with a gripping and holding member 12', which is identical to that shown in FIGURE 2 of the parent application except that the periphery has the same configuration as that of the barrel portion 24, a ferrule 25 engages the outer surface of the barrel portion 24 in order to maintain member 12 in 3,254,322 Patented May 31, 1966 engagement therewith. The end portion 25 in engagement with member 12' has a hole 26 whose axis is coaxial with that of member 12'.

Ferrule 25 can be secured onto barrel portion 24 by a force fit, welding or in any other well known manner.

FIGURE 2 shows a terminal similar to that of FIGURE 1 except the ferrule 25a is utilized as the barrel portion 24a and the tongue portion 22a is integral therewith. The material of the barrel portion as shown in FIGURE 2 is not as thick as that of FIGURE 1 and need not be since no crimp is to be applied thereto. -In the embodiment of FIGURE 2, the gripping and holding member 12', which has a configuration corresponding to the internal configuration of barrel portion 24a, is disposed therein and against the inner wall of end portion 25b so that the axis of hole 26a is coaxial with that of member 12 as in FIGURE 1. A hollow retaining member 27, whose outer surface has a configuration corresponding to the inner surface of barrel portion 24a, is disposed against member 12 to maintain same in engagement with the inner wall of end portion 2512 as shown.

Retaining member 27 can be maintained in position within the inner portion of barrel portion 24a against member 12 by means of a force fit to thereby frictionally engage the inner surface of barrel portion 24a, welding or in any other well known manner. Of course member 12' can be welded in place against end portion 25b if desired thereby obviating the need for retaining member 27.

Retaining member 27 can be made from various metallic materials such as copper, aluminum, iron, steel, brass, etc. as wellas plastic material or similar materials; however, the metallic materials provide a better conductive connection between the barrel portion 24a, member 12 and retaining member 27. 7

In FIGURE 1 the ferrule can be clinched along its outer surface to provide added strength thereto. Also, the forward end of ferrule 25 of FIGURE 1 can be clinched over the sides and top of the barrel portion 24 to hold the barrel portion in place.

FIGURE 3 is a vie-w showing the strands S of the conductor passing through the hole of the terminal and engaging the gripping and holding member and then extending a slight distance into the inner portion of the barrel portion. If desired, epoxy resin or other suitable material can be disposed on the inner portion of the barrel portion so that when the conductor has been inserted therein as shown in FIGURE 3 there would be a permanent interconnection between the conductor and terminal member. The same could also be applied to the embodiment of FIGURE 1. The epoxy resin can be of the non-conductive variety or the conductive variety. The conductive variety lending conductive and securing properties while the non-conductive variety lends only .securing properties.

Instead of providing the embodiments of FIGURES 1 and 2 with a gripping and holding member 12 and a ferrule 25 and retaining member 27, the

end portion

25 and 25b of the barrel portion can be integral with the gripping and holding member formed therein, especially if epoxy is to be disposed within the barrel portion.

Another feature that can be applied to the embodiments of FIGUR-ES l and 2 is that an insulating sleeve can be disposed on ferrule 25 and barrel 24a respectively in order to provide adequate insulation to the conductor and terminal member whereby only the tongue portion is exposed. Of course, the insulating sleeve will extend over the conductor means.

Turning now to FIGURE 4, there is shown a butt connector 23 comprising two

ferrules

29, 30 mounted on a hollow metallic intermediate member 31 which is to interconnect at least two conductor means end-to-end.

Ferrules

29, 30 are mounted on member 3 1 by a force fit, welding or in any other suitable manner. Each

ferrule

29, 30 has an end portion 29' and 30 which is provided with a hole 29", 30 therethroug-h in a manner similar to that of FIGURE 1. Also, in a manner similar to FIGURES l and 2, a gripping and holding member 12 is disposed against the inner wall of end portions 29, 30' and intermediate member 31 maintains each member 12' thereagainst so that the axis of holes 29", 30" is coaxial with that of members 12'.

As in FIGURES 1 and 2,

ferrules

29, 30 can be clinched to lend strength thereto and epoxy resin can be inserted within the intermediate member 31 to secure the conductor means thereto when the conductor means has been inserted in each ferrule as shown in FIGURE 3. A manner in which the epoxy resin can be applied is to place the epoxy resin within member 31 prior to mounting the

ferrules

29, 30 and members 12' thereon especially where a force fit is to be utilized. Of course intermediate member 31 can have more sections other than the two shown in order to provide more crimpless and solderless connections.

As can be discerned from the foregoing, there has been illustrated and described a novel and new concept in the 'use of standard terminal members in order to effect a crimpless and solderless termination of electrical conductors without the use of any tools and the saving of time.

It will, therefore, be appreciated that the aforementioned and other desirable objectives have been achieved; however, it should be emphasized that the particular embodiments of the invention, which are shown and described herein, are intended as merely illustrative and not as restrictive of the invention.

I claim:

1. A solderless connector for making a mechanical and electrical connection to a stranded wire comprising a barrel section having an opening in one end, a metal member disposed within said barrel sect-ion and adjacent said opening and having a series of slots forming spring vfingers pointed at their ends adjacent an axis coaxial with said opening, and securing means engaging said barrel section and said metal member to secure said metal memher within said barrel section, maintain it against said opening and allow said spring fingers to move relative to each other as a result of insertion forces from said stranded Wire so that strands of said stranded wire be- ,come wedgingly disposed between spring fingers to mechanically and electrically secure same therebetween.

2. A solderless connector according to claim 1 wherein epoxy resin is disposed within said barrel section to secure said stranded wire to said connector.

'3. A solderless connector for making a mechanical and electrical connection to a stranded wire comprising a barrel section, a ferrule member secured on said barrel section and having a closed end provided with an opening coaxial with an axis of said barrel section, a metal member disposed between an end of said barrel section and said closed end of said ferrule member, said metal member having a series of slot-s forming spring fingers pointed at their ends adjacent said axis, said spring fingers extending across said opening and capable of moving relative to each other as a result of insertion forces from said stranded wire so that strands of said stranded wire become wedgingly disposed between spring fingers to mechanically and electrically secure same therebetween.

4. A solderless connector according to claim 3 wherein epoxy resin is disposed within said barrel section to secure said stranded wire to said connector.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS JOSEPH D. SEERS, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

Claims

1. A SOLDERLESS CONNECTOR FOR MAKING A MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO A STRANDED WIRE COMPRISING A BARREL SECTION HAVING AN OPENING IN ONE END, A MEAL MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID BARREL SECTION AND ADJACENT SAID OPENING AND HAVING A SERIES OF SLOTS FORMING SPRING FINGERS POINTED AT THEIR ENDS ADJACENT AN AXIS COAXIAL WITH SAID OPENING, AND SECURING MEANS ENGGING SAID BARREL SECTION AND SAID METAL MEMBER TO SECURE SAID METAL MEMBER WITHIN SAID BARREL SECTION, MAINTAIN IT AGAINST SAID OPENING AND ALLOW SAID SPRING FINGERS TO MOVE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER AS A RESULT OF INSERTION FORCES FROM SAID STRANDED WIRE SO THAT STRANDS OF SAID STRANDED WIRE BECOME WEDGINGLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SPRING FINGERS TO MECHANICALLY AND ELECTRICALLY SECURE SAME THEREBETWEEN.