Female electrical contact member

A female electrical contact member has at one end crimping lugs and at the other end a rectangular cross-section receptacle with a floor wall and a ceiling wall. The floor wall is extended and bent towards the inside of the receptacle to form a spring strip. A male tab inserted into the receptacle is therefore clamped between this strip and the ceiling wall. A cut-out bar in the floor wall is bent so that it extends under the spring strip and cooperates with the latter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention concerns a female electrical contact member. 
The invention relates to a female electrical contact member having at one 
end means for fixing it to a conductor and at the other end a receptacle 
adapted to receive a male tab, a spring strip in the receptacle being 
pressed against the tab. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Some prior art electrical contact members have means at one end for fixing 
an electrical conductor and the other end shaped to form a rectangular 
cross-section receptacle adapted to receive a male tab. 
In order to increase the pressure on the male tab in the receptacle, one 
wall is extended and bent into the receptacle to form a spring strip. 
Because such electrical contact members are often small in size and because 
the material from which they are cut out is thin, in some designs a bar is 
cut out from the body of the member and, by cooperating with the spring 
strip, enhances the spring action of the latter. 
Patents EP-A-0 147 076 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,699,444 show a design of this 
kind. 
The designs described in these patents have the disadvantage that if the 
male tab is not offered up correctly or is too thick the spring strip is 
forced and no longer fulfils its function and the bar acquires a permanent 
set and is therefore no longer of any utility. 
An object of the present invention is to remedy this. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention consists in a female electrical contact member of the 
type made from a strip of a material which is a good conductor of 
electricity and has some degree of elasticity, cut and bent to have at one 
end lugs for crimping an electrical conductor and at the other end a 
rectangular cross-section receptacle having a floor wall, two side walls 
and a ceiling wall, the floor wall being extended and bent towards the 
interior of the receptacle to form a spring strip so that a male tab 
inserted into the receptacle is gripped between the strip and the ceiling 
wall, the floor wall including a cut-out bar which is bent to extend under 
the spring strip and cooperate therewith, the bar being cut out from the 
lug end and bent to extend towards the free end of the receptacle adapted 
to receive the male tab, the side walls including plunged bosses forming 
internal abutments limiting movement of the spring strip, and the bar 
having a width less than the gap between the plunged bosses. 
With this arrangement, with the bar bent into a hairpin shape, its spring 
action is strengthened and as the plunged bosses limit movement of the 
strip the latter cannot be forced and this prevents permanent setting of 
the bar. 
The spring strip is preferably provided with lateral wings adapted to bear 
against the plunged bosses.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
The contact member shown in the figures is made from a strip of a metal 
which is a good conductor of electricity cut and bent to form a body 1 
with at one end a receptacle 2 and at the other end lugs 3 for crimping an 
insulated electrical conductor and lugs 4 for crimping a bared end of the 
conductor. 
The receptacle 2 has a floor wall 6, two side walls 7 and 8 and a ceiling 
wall 9 formed by the free edges 10 and 11 of the respective side walls 7 
and 8 which are bent towards each other, the free edges being stamped to 
form an internal projection 14 in the receptacle 2. 
The floor wall 6 is extended at the end opposite the crimping lugs 3 and 4, 
the extension being bent inside the receptacle 2 to form an electrical 
contact spring strip 16 having a boss 17 near its free end and facing 
towards the projection 14. 
The strip 16 has wings 18 and 19 at the side. A plunged boss 20 is formed 
in the wall 7 at the wing 18 and a plunged boss 21 is formed in the side 
wall 8 at the wing 19. 
The plunged bosses 20 and 21 are formed at a level such that they oppose 
insertion into the receptacle 2 of a male tab whose thickness exceeds a 
predetermined threshold. 
A bar 24 is cut out from the floor 6 and bent so that it extends towards 
the free end of the receptacle 2 in order to cooperate with the strip 16 
and strengthen the spring action of the latter. 
The width of the bar 24 is less than the distance between the plunged 
bosses 20 and 21 so that it can move freely between the latter. 
When a male tab 25 is inserted into the receptacle 2 it is gripped between 
the boss 17 and the projection 14. The strip is pressed down elastically 
and abuts against the bar 24 which strengthens the spring action. 
The plunged bosses 20, 21 constitute abutments limiting movement of the 
strip 16 and preventing insertion of male tabs having a thickness greater 
than the permitted thickness. 
Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment shown that has 
Just been described. Numerous modifications of detail can be made thereto 
without departing from the scope of the invention.