Abstract:
An electrical pin or socket terminal includes a vertical tubular body portion, and a spring clip portion connected with the upper end of the body portion. The spring clip portion includes two opposed electrical contacts at least one of which is resiliently biased toward the other. A separating arrangement is operable between a separated condition retaining the contacts in separated spaced relation for longitudinally receiving therebetween a conductor bare end, and a released condition in which the contacts are released for resilient electrical engagement with diametrically opposed surfaces of the conductor bare end. In one embodiment, the spring clip portion includes a pair of parallel spaced struts the upper ends of which are reversely bent toward each other. In another embodiment, a leaf spring electrical contact biases the bare conductor end against a stationary electrical contact.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    An electrical pin or socket terminal includes a vertical tubular body portion, and a spring clip portion connected with the upper end of the body portion. The spring clip portion includes two opposed electrical contacts at least one of which is resiliently biased toward the other. A separating arrangement is operable between a separated condition retaining the contacts in separated spaced relation for longitudinally receiving therebetween a conductor bare end, and a released condition in which the contacts are released for resilient electrical engagement with the conductor bare end. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    Electrical terminals of the male jack or female socket type are known in the art which are provided at one end with spring clip means for connection with the bare end of an insulated conductor, as evidenced, for example, by the German patents Nos. DE 2717402 and DE 102005053566 A1. In the case of German patent No. DE 2717402, disconnection is relatively difficult due to the plurality of shock-absorbing struts. In the case of the terminal plug known from German patent No. DE 102005053566 A1, it is under certain circumstances also difficult to open the contact point in confined spaces. 
         [0005]    The present invention was developed to solve these problems, in other words, to provide for simplified connection and disconnection of the components. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an electrical pin or socket terminal or connector component including a vertical tubular body portion, and a spring clip portion connected with the upper end of the body portion, said spring clip portion having two opposed electrical contacts at least one of which is resiliently biased toward the other. A separating arrangement is operable between a separated condition retaining the contacts in separated spaced relation for longitudinally receiving therebetween a conductor bare end, and a released condition in which the contacts are released for resilient electrical engagement with the conductor bare end. 
         [0007]    In one embodiment, the spring clip portion is bifurcated to define a pair of parallel spaced resilient struts the upper ends of which are reversely bent toward each other. A synthetic plastic operating member is provided having a pair of tab portions that are manually squeezed together on opposite sides of the struts, thereby to pivot the reversely-bent end portions apart about an intermediate stop portion to the separated condition. The stop portion also serves to limit the extent to which the bare conductor end is longitudinally inserted into the spring clip end of the connector. An annular guide collar may be provided for longitudinally guiding the conductor relative to the connector. Limiting means on the operating member serve to limit the extent of separation of the struts. 
         [0008]    In another embodiment, an inverted V-shaped leaf contact spring electrical contact biases the bare conductor end against a stationary electrical contact. The leaf spring is maintained in the separated condition by a horizontal separating spring having a leg portion containing a notch that receives the free extremity of the contact spring to retain the same in the separated condition. When the bare end of the conductor is inserted longitudinally into the connector, the separating spring is deformed to release the contact spring from its separated condition. Alternatively, the leaf contact spring is maintained in the separated condition by a longitudinally displaceable synthetic plastic retaining member. 
         [0009]    As a consequence of the invention, a user may easily connect and disconnect a conductor from a jack or socket connector. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, when viewed in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which: 
           [0011]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are exploded and assembled perspective views, respectively, of a first embodiment of the electrical component of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   d  illustrate the forming and assembling steps for producing the electrical pin component of  FIG. 1   b ,  FIG. 2   e  is a perspective view of a multi-conductor connector arrangement including a plurality of the pin contacts of  FIG. 2   d , and  FIG. 2   f  is a perspective view of a socket modification of the apparatus of  FIG. 1   b;    
           [0013]      FIG. 3   a  is a side elevation view of a second embodiment of the invention when in the separated condition; 
           [0014]      FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c  are side elevation and perspective views, respectively of the apparatus of  FIG. 3   a  when in the released condition; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4   a  is a side elevation view of a third embodiment of the invention when in the separated condition; and 
           [0016]      FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c  are side elevation and perspective views, respectively, of the apparatus of  FIG. 4   a  when in the released condition. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0017]    Referring first more particularly to  FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b , the electrical jack terminal or connector  1  includes a vertical tubular body portion  3  connected at its upper end  5  with a bifurcated spring clip portion  2  including a pair of parallel spaced resilient strut  6  and  7  portions that terminate at their upper ends in reversely-bent inwardly-directed angular contact portions  9  and  10  having opposed terminal edges  11  and  12 , respectively. The struts are resiliently biased together to effect engagement between the contact edges  11  and  12 . The lower end  4  of the tubular body portion is closed, thereby to define the male jack contact. 
         [0018]    A synthetic plastic separating member  13  is provided having a vertical planar base portion  14  that carries intermediate its upper and lower ends an orthogonally arranged horizontal stop portion  16 . The lower end of the base portion is bifurcated to define a pair of leg portions that support a pair of vertical parallel spaced resilient finger tab portions  17  and  18 . At its upper end, the base portion  14  carries an annular horizontally-arranged guide collar  15 , and a pair of limiting projections  19  and  20 . 
         [0019]    When the contact separating member  13  is laterally displaced from the disassembled position of  FIG. 1   a  toward the assembled condition of  FIG. 1   b , the stop portion  16  is inserted between the struts  6  and  7 , and the finger tab portions are arranged externally of the struts  7  and  6 , respectively. The annular guide ring portion is seated on the upper ends of the struts, and the limiting projections  19  and  20  extend between the inwardly reversely bent end portions  11  and  12 , respectively. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIGS. 2   a  and  2   b , the terminal or connector is formed by stamping, rolling and bending a flat blank  1   a  of a resilient conductive metal, such as copper, a brass alloy, or the like. The struts are bent to define the outwardly flared bridging portions  6   a  and  7   a , and the blank is rolled about its longitudinal axis to define the tubular body portion  3 , the edges being slightly spaced to define a small gap G. The lower end of the blank is bent to a closed condition, thereby to define the end of the jack contact terminal. The strut portions  6  and  7  are in parallel spaced relation, and the reversely inwardly bent end portions  9  and  10  are in opposed relation. 
         [0021]    The separating member  13  is then mounted in place ( FIG. 2   c ). When the finger tab portions  17  and  18  are squeezed together, the upper ends of the struts are pivoted a part to separate the bent end portions  9  and  10 , thereby to permit the insertion of the bare end of the conductor  25 . As shown in  FIG. 2   d , the conductor is then longitudinally inserted into the terminal (in the direction x in  FIG. 1   b ) until the bare conductor end engages the stop portion  16  on the contact separating member  13 . The limiting projections  19  and  20  limit the extent of outward displacement of the bent end portions  9  and  10 . Upon release of the pressure on finger portions  17  and  18 , the struts  6  and  7  are resiliently biased together to cause the edges  11  and  12  to engage and dig into the bare conductor end, thereby to resist withdrawal of the conductor from the connector. 
         [0022]    To remove the conductor from the connector, the user merely squeezes together the finger tab portions  17  and  18  to separate the contacts  9  and  10  from the conductor  25 , and then displaces the conductor longitudinally away from the connector. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIG. 2   e , it wall be seen that a number of the connectors may be mounted together by a housing  23  to define a multi-contact plug connector, which housing is provided with mounting ears  24  As shown in  FIG. 2   f , if the free end of the rolled body portion  3 ′ is left open, the connector comprises a socket terminal component. 
         [0024]    The separating member  13  performs at least one or more of the following advantageous functions: 
         [0025]    (a) a conductor insertion aid, 
         [0026]    (b) a conductor insertion limiting function, 
         [0027]    (c) a spring clip contact opener. 
         [0028]    Preferably, the opening movement is limited by bridges  19 ,  20 , which engage into the corner area between ends  9 ,  10  and strut segment  6  and  7 . Upon finger tabs  17  and  18 , which have serrated outer surfaces, one can furthermore arrange catch edges  21 ,  22  for the purpose of catching upon the shock-absorbing struts  6 ,  7 , thereby to lock the functional element  13  upon the metal part. Separating element  13  preferably consists of an insulating synthetic plastic material. It is functionally also conceivable to make it as a metal part, for example, in that bridge  16  is molded upon one of the shock-absorbing struts and that one dispenses with the plastic handle segments. In this case, the pressure is exerted directly upon the shock-absorbing struts  6 ,  7 . The illustrated terminal contact is cheap, compact and reliable. It is sufficiently suitable for use in a rack  23  for the on-site preparation of a patch plug  24  supporting several terminal contacts ( FIG. 2   f ). 
         [0029]    In a second embodiment of the invention illustrated in  FIGS. 3   a - 3   c , the jack terminal  101  includes a vertical lower tubular body portion  103 , and an upper spring clip portion  102  connect by an bridging portion  106  with the upper end of the tubular body portion. In this case, the contact spring  111  is an inverted generally V-shaped leaf spring having a first leg portion  112  secured to the planar first vertical side wall  108  of a conductive clamping cage  107  that is integral with the bridging portion  106 . The clamping cage includes a second vertical side wall  109  normal to the first side wall  108 , a third vertical side wall  110  parallel with the first side wall, and a horizontal bottom wall  116 . The cage side and bottom walls cooperate to define a chamber C in which the contact spring  111  is mounted. The second leg  113  of the contact spring is resiliently biased toward the conductive third side wall  110 , which defines a stationary electrical contact. 
         [0030]    Also connected with the first cage wall  108  is a separating leaf spring  114  having a horizontal upper first leg  115 , and a horizontal lower leg  117  that is supported by the bottom cage wall  116 . The upper surface of the upper leg  115  contains a retaining notch  118  that receives the free extremity of the leg  113  of the contact spring when the contact spring is in the separated condition of  FIG. 3   a . Consequently, when the conductor bare end  25  is inserted longitudinally downwardly into the cage chamber C (as indicated by the arrow x), the upper leg  114  of the separating spring is deformed downwardly to release the contact second leg  113 , thereby to displace the conductor bare end laterally toward electrical engagement with the stationary cage contact  110 , as shown in  FIGS. 3   b  and  3   c . The free extremity edge  113   a  of the contact spring leg  113  digs into the circumferential surface to the conductor bare end, thereby to lock the conductor and the jack terminal together. To release the conductor, the user merely inserts the tip of a screwdriver or the like into the chamber C to deflect the contact spring leg away from, and out of engagement with, the conductor  25 . 
         [0031]    In the modification shown in  FIGS. 4   a - 4   c , the contact spring leg  113  is retained in the separated condition by a separating member  122  that is formed from synthetic plastic material and is mounted for vertical displacement in the cage chamber C. The separating member  122  is hollow and includes a pair of vertical parallel spaced side walls normal to the cage first side wall  108 , a horizontal top wall  120 , and a horizontal retaining bar  121  extending between the side walls  122   a . The separating member  122  is mounted about the contact spring  111  for vertical displacement in the cage chamber C between the upper separating position of  FIG. 4   a , and the lower released position of  FIGS. 4   b  and  4   c.    
         [0032]    When the separating member  122  is in the upper separating position of  FIG. 4   a , the horizontal bar portion  121  retains the contact spring leg  111  in the separated condition. When the separating member  122  is manually displaced downwardly by the application of force to the upper surface of the top wall  120 , the separating bar  121  is displaced downwardly to release the contact spring leg  111 , whereupon the contact spring leg  111  biases the conductor bare end toward electrical engagement with the stationary contact wall  110 . 
         [0033]    Similar to the model according to  FIG. 1 , terminal contact  101  is shaped from sheet metal to form a cylindrical pipe segment  103  whose circumference is not closed. This pipe segment  103  furthermore again is bent into a round shape at a free end  104  in order to simplify the insertion into a corresponding jack contact. In this way, push-in connection can in a simple way be retained in an open separated condition, which simplifies its handling. It is also conceivable to make springs  111  and  114  integral for which purpose one merely needs to bridge the gap  119  between the ends that are fixed upon the clamping cage by using a material bridge. 
         [0034]    This terminal also has a simple construction and is nevertheless functionally reliable. 
         [0035]    While in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statutes the preferred forms and embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made without deviating from the invention described above.