Electrical connector

An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a top mating face and a front terminal-insertion face. At least one terminal-receiving chamber is formed in the housing with a top opening communicating with the top mating face, and a front opening communicating with the front face. The chamber includes a pair of opposite interior side walls, with a pair of guide channels in the side walls communicating with the front opening. A terminal is inserted into the chamber through the front opening in the housing. The terminal includes a contact portion exposed through the top opening for engaging an appropriate contact of a complementary mating connecting device. The terminal has a pair of wing portions for sliding in the guide channels with an interference fit to retain the terminal in the chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIG. 3 , the invention is embodied in an electrical connector, generally designated 40 , which includes a dielectric housing, generally designated 42 , which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals, generally designated 44 . Housing 42 preferably is molded of plastic material, and terminals 44 are stamped and formed from conductive sheet metal material. Referring to FIG. 4 in conjunction with FIG. 3 , dielectric housing 42 includes a bottom face 46 for mounting on a printed circuit board (not shown), a top mating face 48 and a front terminal-insertion face 50 . Connector 40 is designed as a battery connector, and top mating face 48 is oriented for interfacing with a complementary mating connecting device (not shown) which may be a battery-containing component. Still referring to FIG. 4 , housing 42 includes a plurality of terminal-receiving chambers, generally designated 52 , which include opposite interior side walls 54 leading inwardly toward a rear wall 56 . Each chamber includes a bottom opening 58 communicating with bottom circuit board-mounting face 46 , a top opening 60 communicating with top mating face 48 and a front opening 62 communicating with front terminal-insertion face 50 . A pair of guide channels 64 are formed in opposing interior side walls 54 adjacent bottom opening 58 of each channel. The mouths of the channels are rounded or flared, as at 66 , at the tops thereof. Finally, overhanging lips 68 are formed along top openings 60 of the channels. Referring to FIG. 5 in conjunction with FIGS. 3 and 4 , terminals 44 are inserted into chambers 52 in the direction of arrow “A” ( FIG. 4 ) until the terminals are fully seated within the chambers as shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 . Each terminal 44 is generally U-shaped to define a pair of legs 70 and 72 joined by a curved bight portion 74 . Leg 70 defines a spring contact arm of the terminal and leg 72 forms a base of the terminal, while bight portion 74 joins the contact arm to the base and provides resiliency or spring action to the contact arm. Spring contact arm 70 is bowed upwardly to define a contact portion 76 which projects upwardly through top opening 60 of a respective one of the terminal-receiving chambers 52 . Therefore, the contact portion is resiliently engageable with contact means of the complementary mating connecting device. A distal end 78 of the spring contact arm is bent back rearwardly, and a pair of ears 80 project laterally outwardly from the distal end for engagement beneath lips 68 at the top of the respective chamber to limit the amount that contact portion 76 can project upwardly of the connecting housing. In order to guide terminals 44 into chambers 52 of housing 42 , base 72 is wider than bight portion 74 and spring contact arm 70 of the terminal to define a pair of wing portions 82 along opposite edges of the base. Base 72 , along with wing portions 82 , is generally planar, and the wing portions are provided with upwardly turned or offset retention tabs or sections 84 at the front edges of the wing portions. When terminals 44 are inserted into chambers 52 in the direction of arrow “A” ( FIG. 4 ), wing portions 82 at the opposite edges of base 72 slide into channels 64 in opposite side walls 54 of the chambers. The channels guide the terminals into the chambers. When the terminals are substantially inserted, offset retention sections or tabs 84 engage within the guide channels with an interference fit. In other words, tabs 84 are offset or turned upwardly from base 72 and wing portions 82 a distance for establishing an interference fit within the guide channels to retain the terminals in chambers 52 . Flared mouths 54 at the front of guide channels 64 facilitate guiding wing portions 82 into the channels. Therefore, the terminals are very easily inserted into the channels of dielectric housing 42 , while offset retention sections 84 solidly retain the terminals in the chambers. When the terminals are fully inserted into the chambers, front edges of wing portions 82 abut against stop shoulders 86 at opposite sides of the chambers. Finally, as stated above, connector 40 is adapted for mounting on a printed circuit board. To that end, a pair of solder tails 88 and 90 are formed out of base 72 of each terminal 44 . Solder tail 88 projects forwardly of the base, and solder tail 90 is stamped and formed out of an opening 92 in the base. The solder tails are bent downwardly so that they project through bottom opening 58 as seen best in FIG. 5 so that the solder tails are generally flush with bottom face 46 of the housing for connection, as by soldering, to appropriate circuit means on the printed circuit board (not shown). It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein.