Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6000973?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-08-03 22:01:42
Document Index: 352604400

Matched Legal Cases: ['art. 20', 'art 1', 'arts 2', 'art 1', 'arts 2', 'arts 2', 'arts 9', 'arts 9', 'arts 9', 'art 1', 'arts 9', 'arts 2', 'arts 9', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'arts 2', 'art 1', 'art 36', 'art 1', 'arts 2']

Patent US6000973 - Electrical connector with plug contact elements of plate material - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn electrical connector with plug contact elements of plate material is disclosed. The electrical connector comprises a housing of electrically insulating material, provided with at least one contact element of electrically conducting material designed as a plug contact. The plug contact is made up of...http://www.google.com/patents/US6000973?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6000973 - Electrical connector with plug contact elements of plate materialAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6000973 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/674,617Publication dateDec 14, 1999Filing dateJul 3, 1996Priority dateJan 22, 1992Fee statusPaidPublication number08674617, 674617, US 6000973 A, US 6000973A, US-A-6000973, US6000973 A, US6000973AInventorsNiranjan Kumar MitraOriginal AssigneeBerg Technology, Inc.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (15), Non-Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (11), Classifications (6), Legal Events (5) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetElectrical connector with plug contact elements of plate material
US 6000973 AAbstract
An electrical connector with plug contact elements of plate material is disclosed. The electrical connector comprises a housing of electrically insulating material, provided with at least one contact element of electrically conducting material designed as a plug contact. The plug contact is made up of two substantially oppositely spaced elongated plate parts. An end of each plate part is fixedly connected to a base part of the connector, while free ends of the plate parts are in physical contact. The contact element may be secured in a channel of the housing by a lip-shaped member fixedly joined in a resilient manner to the base part. The contact element is provided with a terminal end adapted for electrically interfacing with other electrical components. A method of making the contact element as a whole by a single punching process from a sheet of electrically conducting material is also disclosed.
1. An electrical connector comprising:a housing of electrically insulating material; and a plug contact element formed from a sheet of electrically conducting material, said contact element comprising:a base part comprising a flat plate section, said flat plate section defining a base plane, and a contact end extending from said base part, said contact end having a slot dividing said contact end into a first cantilever elongated plate part and a second cantilever elongated plate part, said first plate part substantially parallel to said second plate part, said plate parts defining a contact plane therebetween, said contact plane substantially perpendicular to said base plane, said plate parts and said flat plate section forming a U-shaped boundary of an interspace, each said plate part having a fixed end and a free end, the fixed end of each said plate part fixedly joined to said base part and integrally formed with edges of said flat plate section, the free end of said first plate part in physical contact with the free end of said second plate part in a mutually supporting, non-attached configuration. 2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the plate parts, between the fixed and free end thereof, are provided with one or more protuberances which face one another.
3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the two plate parts are flat and have a flat contact surface, and form the boundary of a prismatic interspace having a substantially rectangular cross-section.
4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the two plate parts have a contact surface which is curved transversely to their longitudinal direction and form the boundary of a substantially cylindrical interspace.
5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the free ends of the two plate parts are designed to taper in an approximately conical or prismatic form.
6. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the housing is provided with channels having an essentially rectangular cross section for receiving a contact element, the fixed ends of the two plate parts and the adjoining base part forming the boundary of an essentially U-shaped cross section, the cross-sectional dimensions of the channel and the U-shaped section being mutually matched to secure the contact element so as to impede rotation.
7. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is provided with a second contact end, extending from the base part, for making contact to a second connector, which second contact end is optionally designed as a plug contact or socket contact.
8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is adapted for mounting on a printed circuit board.
9. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the base part comprises a flat plate provided with means for securing the contact element in a channel of the housing.
10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein the securing means comprise at least one lip-shaped member which is raised with respect to the flat base part, which lip-shaped member has an end which is fixedly joined in a resilient manner to the base part and a free end which is raised with respect to the base part, which free end acts on a wall part of the associated channel of the housing.
11. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact element is provided with a terminal end extending from the base part, the terminal end being adapted for electrically interfacing with other electrical components.
12. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the terminal end is an insulation-displacement contact.
13. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the terminal end is a solder end.
14. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the terminal end is a wire-wrap terminal pin.
15. The electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the terminal end is a press-fit terminal end suitable for insertion into an opening of a substrate.
16. The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said contact element is a signal contact.
17. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein said sheet of electrically conductive material has a thickness of about 0.15 mm.
18. The electrical connector of claim 17, wherein each said plate part has a width of about three times the thickness thereof.
19. An electrical connector comprising:a housing of electrically insulating material, and a contact element formed from a sheet of electrically conducting material, said contact element comprising:a base part comprising a flat plate section, and a contact end extending from said base part, said contact end having a slot dividing said contact end into a first cantilever elongated plate part and a second cantilever elongated plate part substantially parallel to said first plate part, wherein each said plate part has a fixed end integrally formed with an edge of said flat plate section, said flat plate section and said fixed ends defining a first interspace having a U-shaped boundary, wherein each said plate part has a middle part that forms a boundary of the entire periphery of a second interspace, and wherein each said plate part has a free end, the free ends of said plate parts tapering toward one another such that the free end of said first plate part is in mutually supporting, non-attached contact with the free end of said second plate part. 20. The electrical connector of claim 19, wherein said second interspace has a substantially uniform cross-section along the boundary formed by said middle parts.
21. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein said cross-section is substantially rectangular.
22. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein said cross-section is substantially elliptical.
23. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein the free ends of said plate parts taper so as to form a substantially prismatic end of said contact element.
24. The electrical connector of claim 20, wherein the free ends of said plate parts taper so as to form a substantially conical end of said contact element.
This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 08/256,752, filed Oct. 14, 1994, now abandoned, filed as PCT/NL93/00021 filed on Jan. 22, 1993.
The invention relates to an electrical connector comprising a housing of electrically insulating material, provided with at least one contact element of electrically conducting material having a contact end, extending from a base part and designed as a plug contact, for making contact to a further contact element, in which the contact end is made up of two oppositely spaced elongated plate parts extending from the base part, with one end fixedly joined thereto.
An electrical power connector provided with contact elements having a contact end designed as a plug contact of the type mentioned above is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,905.
It has been found that such stiff plug contacts have a number of disadvantages which, in particular, weigh heavily in producing connectors having reduced dimensions for which there is a still growing requirement in view of the current trend for scale reduction (miniaturization) of electronic components.
In the plug contact element known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,905 the two oppositely spaced elongated plate parts are joined to the base part in a cantilevered manner. That is to say, the free ends of the plate parts are not in physical contact with one another. When contacting a further contact element, i.e. a socket contact element, the plate parts are deflected towards each other which produces a certain mechanical stress in the contact element. In order to reduce the amount of deflection and stress without affecting the thickness, length and material constant of the contact element, the width of the plate parts has to be enlarged. This however contraverses the current trend for scale reduction in the electronics field, i.e. designing small pitch miniature connectors.
DE-A-1,540,643 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,371,152 disclose contact elements having connecting ends for wire wrap applications, comprising adjacently spaced elongated plate parts. However these plate parts are connected via an intermediate strip in longitudinal direction. For miniaturisation purposes these connecting ends have an insufficient self-aligning action on mating with a receiving contact element, due to said intermediate connecting strip.
The object of the invention is therefore to provide an electrical connector having one or more contact elements provided with a contact end designed as plug contact, suitable in particular for miniaturization purposes.
In the contact element designed according to the invention, each plate part acts as a load support for the other, adjacent plate part. Thus, in the design of the invention, each plate part resembles a beam supported at both ends, in contrast to the cantilevered beams of the contact element known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,905. It can be demonstrated that when contacting a further contact element, assuming the same length, width, thickness and material constant, the deflection and mechanical stress in the plate parts according to the invention are lower, in the order of magnitude of half the values, compared to the prior art plug contact element.
Because the contact element according to the invention is made of plate material without the need for a pressing or flattening processing of the contact surface as in the case of a plug contact made of solid material, the contact surface in the plug contact of the invention will be less rough than in a contact element known from the prior art, and this also has, on the other hand, a beneficial effect on the wear of the contact layer of the socket contact.
Although the physical contact of the free ends of the plate parts can be achieved using an intermediate member, in the preferred embodiment of the invention the plate parts touch one another at their free ends. With this embodiment, damage to a socket contact is avoided as much as possible, because when the plug contact and a socket contact mate, the respective processed free ends of the plate parts do not engage the contact surface of the socket contact. A possible disturbance of the surface accuracy of the plate parts due to the mechanical action to cause the two plate parts to touch will not have a disadvantageous effect on the contact surface wear.
An advantageous embodiment of a connector having one or more plug contacts according to the invention is that in which the two plate parts are flat and have a flat contact surface, and form the boundary of an interspace having an essentially hollow rectangular cross section. This plug contact can be made without damaging the faces which come into contact with the contact faces of a socket contact made of flat plate material having a predetermined surface accuracy and can be provided with desired spring properties by a suitable dimensioning.
To facilitate the introduction of the plug contact into a socket contact, in yet a further embodiment, the free ends of the plate parts are designed to taper towards one another, for example in conical or prismatic form.
In the case of a connector having a housing provided with one or more channels for receiving a contact element, the base part comprises a flat plate provided with means for securing the contact element in the relevant channel of the housing. Suitable means for this purpose are, for example, retention hooks which, in the assembled state act on one or more walls of the channel and provide the necessary force for securing the contact element in the relevant channel by deforming (biting into) the surface of the walls.
In the preferred embodiment of the connector according to the invention which is particularly suitable for miniaturisation purposes, the securing means consist of at least one lip-shaped member which is raised with respect to the base part, which lip-shaped member has an end which is joined in a resilient manner to the flat base part and a free end which is raised with respect to the base part, which free end acts on a wall part of the associated channel of the housing in the assembled state of the contact element.
The invention also relates to a contact element as described above for use in an electrical connector and/or for mounting on a printed circuit board.
FIGS. 1, 2a, 3 show diagrammatically and in perspective various preferred embodiments of contact ends according to the invention designed as a plug contact.
FIG. 4 shows diagrammatically a cross-sectional view of a connector having a plug contact according to the invention in the position where contact is made to a further connector.
FIGS. 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, 6a, 6b, 6c, 7a, 7b and 7c show diagrammatically and in perspective various embodiments of terminal ends for a plug contact according to the invention.
FIGS. 8a, 8b and 8c shows diagrammatically and in perspective various embodiments of a further contact end for combination with the plug contact according to the invention.
FIGS. 9 illustrates in elevation plug contacts according to the invention, made from a sheet of electrically conducting material, in combination with a terminal end or further contact elements according to one or more of FIGS. 5 to 8 inclusive.
FIG. 1 shows a section of a contact element according to the invention having a base part 1 in the form of a flat plate, at one end of which two elongated flat plate parts 2, 3 extend opposite one another, which plate parts are joined in a fixed manner to the base part 1 by means of an end 4 or 5, respectively, and form a plug or male contact according to the invention. The free ends 6 and 7, respectively, of the two plate parts 2, 3 are designed to taper in prism form towards one another, such that they touch one another. Between the two plate parts 2, 3 there is a hollow interspace 8 having an essentially rectangular cross section.
FIG. 2 shows a plug contact according to the invention, made up of plate parts 9, 10 as in FIG. 1, which plate parts 9, 10 form the boundary of a curved surface, as is shown enlarged in cross section. The two curved plate parts 9, 10 are joined in a fixed manner to the base part 1 by means of an end 11 or 12, respectively, and their free ends 13 and 14, respectively, are designed to taper conically and touching one another. As is evident from the enlarged cross section, the curved plate parts 9, 10 form the boundary of an essentially elliptical cylindrical hollow interspace 15.
A plug contact made up of flat plate parts 2, 3 has a greater flexible action than a plug contact made up of curved plate parts, for example the plate parts 9, 10. Apart from the shape of the plate parts, the flexible properties of the plug contact according to the invention may also be affected by providing protuberances 16, 17 in the direction of the interspace 8 in one or both surfaces of the plate parts, as shown in FIG. 3.
To secure the plug contact in a channel of a housing, the base part 1 is provided with securing means, for example in the form of a lip-shaped securing member 18 which extends from the face of the base part 1 and which is formed out of the face of the base part 1 in the embodiment shown. The lip-shaped securing member 18 is in this case joined in a fixed and resilient manner to the base part 1 by means of its end 19 adjacent to the plug contact, whereas the free end 20 of the securing member 18 is raised with respect to the base part 1 adjacent to a terminal end 21 joined to the base part 1, which terminal end 21 is shown partly broken away in FIGS. 1-3.
FIG. 4 shows in cross-sectional view, a connector 22 provided with a plurality of contact elements 23 having a plug contact according to FIG. 1 in the position where contact is made to a further connector 24 provided with a plurality of contact elements 25 each having a socket, or female contact 26. In the embodiment shown, the contact element 23 has a terminal end in the form of a solder end 27 which is received in an opening 28 of, for example, a printed circuit board 29 for connection to the printed circuit board 29 by means of soldering. The contact elements 25 in the connector 24 are also provided with a terminal end in the form of a solder end 30 for connection by soldering in an opening 32 of a printed circuit board 31.
The contact element 23 extends in a channel 33 of the connector 22 by means of its base part 1 and the ends 4, 5 of the two plate parts 2, 3, which ends 4, 5 form the boundary, together with the relevant end of the base part, of a U-shaped cross section. The cross-sectional dimensions of this channel 33 are matched to the dimensions of the base part 1 and the U-shaped end formed by the ends 4, 5 or 11, 12, respectively, in the embodiment of FIG. 2 in such a way that rotation of the plug contact is impeded as much as possible. The plug contact itself extends in a U-shaped space formed by walls 34, 35 and a bottom part 36 of the plastic connector housing, for receiving a section 37 of the plastic housing of the connector 24, in which section 37 channels 38 are formed for receiving the socket contacts 26.
The plug contacts shown in FIG. 1, 2 and 3 can be provided with terminal ends 21 in the form of, for example, solder or wire-wrap pins 50-54, as shown in FIGS. 5a-e, the pins 53 and 54 being suitable, in particular, for surface mounting technology, or in the form of, for example, insulation-displacement contacts 55, 56, 57, as shown in FIGS. 6a-c or in the form of, for example, terminal ends 58, 59, 60 suitable for clamping in an opening of a substrate, as shown in FIGS. 7a-c, alternatively referred to as press-fit or press-in terminal ends.
In addition to terminal ends for the connection of electrical wiring, the plug contact according to the invention may, of course, also be provided with a further plug contact joined to the base part 1, or with a further contact end designed as socket contact 61, or with a further contact end, designed as contact finger 62, for making contact, for example, to a contact face at the edge of a substrate, or with a contact end 63, equipped with two contact fingers situated at a distance from one another, for making contact, for example, to contact faces on both sides of a printed circuit board, as shown respectively in FIGS. 8a-c.
FIGS. 9a-c show various contact element combinations having a plug contact according to FIG. 1 viewed towards the edges of the flat plate parts 2, 3, which have been made by punching and then folding from a sheet 65 of electrically conducting material having a thickness, for example, of 0.15 mm.
FIG. 9a shows a plug contact having a solder end 50, FIG. 9b shows a plug contact having a socket contact 61, and FIG. 9c shows a plug contact having an insulation-displacement contact 55. The plug contact shown in FIG. 9b has protuberances 40 provided near the fixed ends 4, 5 of the plate parts, which protuberances 40, like the protuberances 16, 17 shown in FIG. 3, serve to increase the stiffness of the plug contact. The contact face of the plug contact is not affected by the protuberances 40.
It will be clear that the invention is not limited to the embodiments shown, but that deviations and additions which are obvious to the person skilled in the art are possible without departing from the inventive idea underlying the invention. The connector according to the invention is in no way limited solely to contact elements having a contact end designed as a plug contact but may also contain other contacts, for example socket contacts, in addition to plug contacts.
Patent CitationsCited PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS2521298 *Jul 8, 1947Sep 5, 1950Louis LudwigElectric plugUS3288915 *Jul 25, 1963Nov 29, 1966Amp IncElectrical terminal meansUS3371152 *Feb 14, 1964Feb 27, 1968Sperry Rand CorpContact springUS3425029 *Aug 24, 1967Jan 28, 1969Zak Alfred MElectrical terminalUS3588789 *Jul 10, 1969Jun 28, 1971Bunker RamoMiniature connector constructionUS3989331 *Aug 21, 1974Nov 2, 1976Augat, Inc.Dual-in-line socketUS3993391 *Sep 19, 1975Nov 23, 1976Itt Industries, Inc.Electrical contact for stripless cable connectionsUS4169654 *Feb 23, 1978Oct 2, 1979General Motors CorporationPin type electrical contact terminalUS4437726 *Jun 14, 1982Mar 20, 1984Omnetics, Inc.Flexible pinUS4820207 *Aug 19, 1987Apr 11, 1989Labinal Components And Systems, Inc.Electrical contactUS4881905 *Sep 11, 1987Nov 21, 1989Amp IncorporatedHigh density controlled impedance connectorUS4908942 *Feb 19, 1985Mar 20, 1990Amp IncorporatedMethod of making an electrical terminalUS5209680 *Jan 10, 1992May 11, 1993Molex IncorporatedMale electrical terminal with anti-overstress meansUS5669792 *Jun 11, 1996Sep 23, 1997The Whitaker CorporationElectrical connectorDE1540643A1 *Feb 10, 1964Sep 4, 1969Amp IncElektrische Anschlussklemme und Verfahren zu ihrer Herstellung* Cited by examinerNon-Patent CitationsReference1IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 15, No. 2 "Split Function Contact", Jul. 1972.2 *IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 15, No. 2 Split Function Contact , Jul. 1972.3 *Molex Full Line Catalog No. 870 (Distributed by Pyttronic Industries, Inc., p. 77E (1987).* Cited by examinerReferenced byCiting PatentFiling datePublication dateApplicantTitleUS6241549 *Dec 3, 1999Jun 5, 2001Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.Pressure-contact terminal and electric connection box containing pressure-contact terminalsUS6379198 *Mar 13, 2000Apr 30, 2002Avaya Technology Corp.Electrical connector terminal constructionUS6612880Dec 26, 2001Sep 2, 2003Avaya Technology Corp.Communication connector terminal and terminal block configurationUS8092235 *Jul 24, 2008Jan 10, 2012Tyco Electronics CorporationConnector assembly with grouped contactsUS8118623 *Jun 25, 2010Feb 21, 2012Hon Hai Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.Electrical contact having folded contacting portionUS8444444 *Aug 10, 2011May 21, 2013Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.ConnectorUS8840408 *Oct 15, 2012Sep 23, 2014Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.Crank-shaped board terminal with a protruding support portionUS20120064782 *Aug 10, 2011Mar 15, 2012Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.ConnectorUS20120231677 *Sep 21, 2010Sep 13, 2012W�rth Elektronik ICS GmbH & Co.Multi-Fork Press-In PinUS20130115790 *Oct 15, 2012May 9, 2013Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd.Board terminal and printed circuit board provided with board terminalCN101950870BJul 10, 2009Nov 28, 2012富士康(昆山)电脑接插件有限公司Contact terminal* Cited by examinerClassifications U.S. Classification439/825International ClassificationH01R43/16, H01R13/02Cooperative ClassificationH01R43/16, H01R13/02European ClassificationH01R13/02Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionOct 21, 1996ASAssignmentOwner name: BERG TECHNOLOGY, INC., NEVADAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:MITRA, NIRANJAN KUMAR;REEL/FRAME:008188/0636Effective date: 19940810May 29, 2003FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4May 17, 2007FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Mar 14, 2011ASAssignmentFree format text: CONVERSION TO LLC;ASSIGNOR:FCI AMERICAS TECHNOLOGY, INC.;REEL/FRAME:025957/0432Owner name: FCI AMERICAS TECHNOLOGY LLC, NEVADAEffective date: 20090930May 23, 2011FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services