US3380012A - Butt type electrical contact - Google Patents

Butt type electrical contact Download PDF

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Publication number
US3380012A
US3380012A US531428A US53142866A US3380012A US 3380012 A US3380012 A US 3380012A US 531428 A US531428 A US 531428A US 53142866 A US53142866 A US 53142866A US 3380012 A US3380012 A US 3380012A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
contact
electrical contact
electrical
rotatable
type electrical
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
US531428A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Norbert L Moulin
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.)
Raytheon Co
Original Assignee
Hughes Aircraft Co
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 Hughes Aircraft Co filed Critical Hughes Aircraft Co
Priority to US531428A priority Critical patent/US3380012A/en
Priority to FR96010A priority patent/FR1512154A/fr
Priority to BE694878D priority patent/BE694878A/xx
Priority to GB10025/67A priority patent/GB1131788A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3380012A publication Critical patent/US3380012A/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
    • H01R13/10—Sockets for co-operation with pins or blades
    • H01R13/11—Resilient sockets
    • H01R13/111—Resilient sockets co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section

Definitions

  • the female member has a tubular portion which, where contact is to be made with the male member, defines a plurality of spiral slots.
  • the spiral slots permit both a compression and a rotation of the tubular portion as it is deformed by the coupling force.
  • This invention relates to an improved electrical contact and more particularly to an electrical contact of the butt type having greatly simplified construction and improved reliability.
  • an object of the present invention is to provide an improved butt-type electrical contact of simplified construction.
  • a further object of the improved butt-type electrical contact of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact which mates in a wiping action to increase its reliability.
  • a still further object of the improved electrical contact of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact which is self-centering.
  • an electrical connector which comprises a pair of mateable members each constructed to have an electrical conductor affixed thereto.
  • One of the contact members contains a pin-like end portion, while the other member includes a spring-like rotatable portion which may include a detent for receiving the end portion.
  • This rotatable portion includes in a preferred embodiment spiral slots which function like coils of a spring to cause it to rotate and deflect when engaged by the other contact member.
  • both of the contact members include retaining springs for securing them in chambers in connector bodies.
  • FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the improved electrical contact of the present invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the portion of a pair of connector bodies and electrical conductors illustrating the securing of the improved electrical contacts of the present invention in chambers in the bodies.
  • the improved electrical contacts of the present invention comprise a first or male contact member or element and a second or female contact member or element 12.
  • the male element is generally elongated in shape having one extremity formed into a tip portion 14 which may be blunt or, if desired,
  • the female element like the male element, is generally elongated in shape and includes at one end a chamber 16 for receiving and retaining an electrical contact; however, at the other end it includes a rotatable portion 18.
  • the rotatable portion 18 has a generally cylindrical shape and includes a plurality of spiral slots 20 spaced around its circumference.
  • the spiral slots 20 are of a size and location that permits the rotatable portion to function like a plurality of stacked coaxial springs when it is contacted by the tip portion 14 of the male element 10.
  • the extremity of the rotatable portion 18 may include a detent 22 of a shape substantially similar to that of the tip portion 14 of the male element. This permits the improved electrical contact to be self-centering since the engagement of the curved surfaces of the tip 14 and detent 22 causes the respective contact element to be slightly deflected into alignment although initially their longitudinal axes may not be aligned.
  • the rotatable portion 18 functions in a spring-like fashion, the force of contact of the elements causes the rotatable portion 18 to rotate and since the male element 10 is held substantially stationary this causes the detent 22 to slide over the tip 14 resulting in a wiping action between the contact elements.
  • the present embodiment has been illustrated to include a rotatable member 18 having spiral slots 20, it should be understood that since this member functions in the nature of a spring, if desired, the female element 12 could be made from two parts, one a coil spring and the other a cylindrical portion containing the electrical conductor termination chamber. Further, it should be understood that in both embodiments, depending upon the amount of rotation desired and the nature of the contact force, the physical properties of the rotatable portion whether it comprises a spring or cylindrical member having spiral slots may be varied.
  • the spiral slots 20 should have a total area within the range of 30% to 60% of the total area of the outer surface of the rotatable member and should be positioned with its longitudinal axis at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the female element 12 within the range of 30 to 60 degrees of arc.
  • the rotatable member 18 may not rotate sufliciently under a conventional contact force to permit sufficient wiping of the contacts and above these ranges the rotatable portion 18 may rotate more than desired which may result in excluding the elastic limit of the material of the contact, thus preventing its return when the contact force is removed.
  • a reduced diameter portion 2 4 shown best in FIG. 1 in which is positioned a conventional retaining clip 30. It is the function of the clip 30 to deflect sufficiently to permit the contact element to be inserted into a chamber 32 in a connector body 34 and then once inserted expanded into engagement with the annular retaining shoulders of a reduced diameter portion 36 to retain the contact element in the connector body 34.
  • An electrical contact comprising:
  • a first contact element including a tip portion and a conductor termination portion for retaining an electrical conductor
  • a second contact element including a rotatable portion having means for receiving said tip portion in abutting relationship and a conductor termination portion for retaining an electrical conductor, which permit a portion of said tube to rotate around substantially the longitudinal axis of said second contact element as said first and second contact elements are engaged,
  • each of the slots is oriented with its longitudinal axis at an angle with the longitudinal axis of the rotatable portion which is greater than 30 degrees of are but less than 60 degrees of arc.
  • An electrical connector comprising:
  • a pair of connector bodies each including at least one chamber having a reduced diameter portion
  • a first contact element positioned in the said chamber of one of said bodies, said contact element having a .4 blunted tip portion at one end of said chamber and a conductor termination portion at the other end of said chamber;
  • a second contact element positioned in the said chamber of the other of said bodies and aligned for engagement with said blunted tip portion of said first contact element and including at one end a rotatable portion having a contact surface complementary to said blunted tip portion for receiving Said tip portion in abutting relationship, said rotatable portion defining a hollow cylindrical tube having a plurality of spiral slots around its periphery which permit said tube to rotate around substantially the longitudinal axis of said second contact element as said first and second contact elements are engaged, said second contact element further having a conductor termination portion for retaining an electrical conductor at the other end of said chamber of said other of said bodies; and

Landscapes

  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
US531428A 1966-03-03 1966-03-03 Butt type electrical contact Expired - Lifetime US3380012A (en)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US531428A US3380012A (en) 1966-03-03 1966-03-03 Butt type electrical contact
FR96010A FR1512154A (fr) 1966-03-03 1967-02-22 élément de contact électrique bout à bout pour connecteur
BE694878D BE694878A (fr) 1966-03-03 1967-03-02
GB10025/67A GB1131788A (en) 1966-03-03 1967-03-02 Improvements in and relating to electrical contact arrangements

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US531428A US3380012A (en) 1966-03-03 1966-03-03 Butt type electrical contact

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3380012A true US3380012A (en) 1968-04-23

Family

ID=24117608

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US531428A Expired - Lifetime US3380012A (en) 1966-03-03 1966-03-03 Butt type electrical contact

Country Status (4)

Country Link
US (1) US3380012A (fr)
BE (1) BE694878A (fr)
FR (1) FR1512154A (fr)
GB (1) GB1131788A (fr)

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3829820A (en) * 1972-07-13 1974-08-13 Bunker Ramo Plug and socket connector
US4753617A (en) * 1986-11-17 1988-06-28 Raychem Corporation Electrical device having flexible electrical contacts
US4778404A (en) * 1983-12-27 1988-10-18 Amp Incorporated Spring terminal
US5415571A (en) * 1990-12-28 1995-05-16 The Whitaker Corporation Receptacle for a connector
US20040106327A1 (en) * 2002-11-29 2004-06-03 Baker Robert William Electrical one-piece double-ended receptacle contact and electrical connector comprising such a contact
US20040192122A1 (en) * 2003-01-20 2004-09-30 Daniel Bischoff Electrical contact element
US20120253438A1 (en) * 2011-03-31 2012-10-04 Wei Gan Coupling mechanisms for use with a medical electrical lead
USD793345S1 (en) * 2015-09-04 2017-08-01 Automatic Switch Company Seal groove vent
US20200099157A1 (en) * 2018-09-25 2020-03-26 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Terminal structure

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0203653A3 (fr) * 1985-05-24 1989-03-15 Favag Sa Procédé de fabrication d'une douille et douille ainsi fabriquée

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1349405A (en) * 1917-03-06 1920-08-10 Westinghouse Air Brake Co Electric train-wire coupling
US1390607A (en) * 1919-12-10 1921-09-13 Westinghouse Air Brake Co Electric contact device
US1392558A (en) * 1917-08-20 1921-10-04 Ohio Brass Co Electric coupling
US2742626A (en) * 1952-10-30 1956-04-17 John J Collins Multiple electrical connector with tapered pin contacts
GB941840A (en) * 1960-01-11 1963-11-13 United Carr Fastener Corp Improvements in and relating to electrical connectors

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1349405A (en) * 1917-03-06 1920-08-10 Westinghouse Air Brake Co Electric train-wire coupling
US1392558A (en) * 1917-08-20 1921-10-04 Ohio Brass Co Electric coupling
US1390607A (en) * 1919-12-10 1921-09-13 Westinghouse Air Brake Co Electric contact device
US2742626A (en) * 1952-10-30 1956-04-17 John J Collins Multiple electrical connector with tapered pin contacts
GB941840A (en) * 1960-01-11 1963-11-13 United Carr Fastener Corp Improvements in and relating to electrical connectors

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3829820A (en) * 1972-07-13 1974-08-13 Bunker Ramo Plug and socket connector
US4778404A (en) * 1983-12-27 1988-10-18 Amp Incorporated Spring terminal
US4753617A (en) * 1986-11-17 1988-06-28 Raychem Corporation Electrical device having flexible electrical contacts
US5415571A (en) * 1990-12-28 1995-05-16 The Whitaker Corporation Receptacle for a connector
US20040106327A1 (en) * 2002-11-29 2004-06-03 Baker Robert William Electrical one-piece double-ended receptacle contact and electrical connector comprising such a contact
US6872096B2 (en) 2002-11-29 2005-03-29 Tyco Electronics Uk Ltd Electrical one-piece double-ended receptacle contact
US20040192122A1 (en) * 2003-01-20 2004-09-30 Daniel Bischoff Electrical contact element
US6848954B2 (en) 2003-01-20 2005-02-01 Tyco Electronics Amp Gmbh Electrical contact element
US20120253438A1 (en) * 2011-03-31 2012-10-04 Wei Gan Coupling mechanisms for use with a medical electrical lead
USD793345S1 (en) * 2015-09-04 2017-08-01 Automatic Switch Company Seal groove vent
US20200099157A1 (en) * 2018-09-25 2020-03-26 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Terminal structure
US10879640B2 (en) * 2018-09-25 2020-12-29 Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha Terminal structure

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
FR1512154A (fr) 1968-02-02
GB1131788A (en) 1968-10-30
BE694878A (fr) 1967-08-14

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