U.S. patent number 3,757,277 [Application Number 05/262,440] was granted by the patent office on 1973-09-04 for electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Japan Aviation Electronics Industry Limited. Invention is credited to Yutaka Takeuchi, Takahisa Yamanoue.
United States Patent |
3,757,277 |
Yamanoue , et al. |
September 4, 1973 |
ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
Abstract
An electrical connector comprising electrical contacts and an
insulator body for supporting the electrical contacts, a shank of
each of electrical contacts which is supported in the supporting
portion of the insulator body, comprises a flat plate portion and
three wall members standing on and from the flat plate portion,
which are inserted into the hole of the supporting member. The
three wall members define a box opening at two sides by
incorporating with a portion of the flat plate portion, the box
portion being interference-fitted into the hole of the supporting
portion and the remaining portion of the flat plate portion being
loosely accomodated in the hole. Finger tabs are provided at
opposite ends of the flat plate portion and is forced towards one
another by the internal surface of the hole.
Inventors: |
Yamanoue; Takahisa (Tokyo,
JA), Takeuchi; Yutaka (Tokyo, JA) |
Assignee: |
Japan Aviation Electronics Industry
Limited (Tokyo, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
12733258 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/262,440 |
Filed: |
June 14, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
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Jun 24, 1971 [JA] |
|
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46/45940 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
439/660; 257/773;
439/746; 257/785 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
13/28 (20130101); H01R 13/432 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
13/02 (20060101); H01R 13/28 (20060101); H01R
13/428 (20060101); H01R 13/432 (20060101); H01r
013/50 (); H01r 009/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/176M,176MP,217S,221,275R,275B,275T |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Champion; Marvin A.
Assistant Examiner: Staab; Lawrence J.
Claims
We claim:
1. In an electrical connector member, at least one contact of
electrical conducting material and an insulator body for supporting
said contact, said insulator body comprising at least one contact
supporting portion having one hole penetrating therethrough which
has a greater first hole portion and a smaller second hole portion
interconnected to said first hole portion at the bottom of said
first hole portion, an insulating projecting portion projecting
from said contact supporting portion in an extending direction of
said hole with a flat side surface, and at least one groove formed
in an end portion of said projecting portion, said at least one
contact comprising a shank accommodated in the hole of said
supporting portion with a first means engaging with said bottom of
said first hole portion, a contact blade extending integrally from
said shank portion along said flat side surface of said projecting
portion, a bent portion at the free end of said contact blade being
received in said groove of said projecting portion, a terminal
portion integrally extending from said shank in a opposite
direction of the contact blade and a second means engaging with an
edge of said hole of said supporting portion at the opposite side
thereof in relation to said projecting portion so that said contact
may be prevented from falling off said insulator body by
cooperating action between said first and second means and said
supporting portion;
the improvement comprising,
said shank of said contact comprising,
a flat plate portion integrally connected to said contact blade and
said terminal portion, first and second wall portions extending
from side edges of said flat plate portion in a direction
perpendicular to said flat plate portion at a region near said
contact blade, a third wall portion extending across said flat
plate portion in a direction perpendicular to said flat plate
portion and to said first and second wall portions to connect
between said first and second wall portions at their edges to form
a box-like portion near said contact blade, said box-like portion
serving as said first means,
and finger tabs integrally connected to opposite edges of said flat
plate portion near said terminal portion and extending in a
direction perpendicular to said flat plate portion, said finger
tabs extending toward said contact blade and gradually curving to
depart from one another,
said contact supporting portion including said hole penetrating
therethrough comprising,
said first hole portion having slightly less dimension than said
box-like portion of said shank portion so that said box-like
portion is interference-fitted into said first hole portion without
establishing a space between said box-like portion and the sides of
said first hole portion, said second hole portion having slightly
greater dimensions than the thickness and the width of said flat
plate portion of said shank so that said flat plate portion is
loosely accommodated in said second hole portion,
and additional hole portions communicating between said first and
second hole portions, being arranged along opposite sides of said
second hole portion and having dimensions so that said finger tabs
are able to be inserted therein with the free ends thereof being
forced towards each other by surfaces of said additional hole
portions.
2. The electrical connector member according to claim 1, wherein
the free end of said contact blade convexly curves towards said
flat side surface of said projecting portion of said insulating
body and is reversely bent at the end thereof, the bottom of said
groove at the end portion of said projecting portion being formed
as an inclined surface to slidably receive said reversely bent
portion of the contact.
3. The electrical connector member according to claim 1, wherein
said terminal portion of said contact comprises a flat plate and
side wall members extending from opposite sides of said flat plate
in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface of said flat
plate, said side wall members continuously and integrally
connecting to said finger tabs.
4. The electrical connector member according to claim 3, wherein
said flat plate of said terminal portion comprises a tab near said
shank which is connected to said flat plate at one end and stands
up over said flat plate from said one end to serve as said second
means for engaging with an edge of said second hole portion of the
supporting portion of the insulator body.
5. The electrical connector member according to claim 3, wherein
said side wall members are less than said first, second and third
wall portions of said shank in the height on the surface of the
flat plate.
6. The electrical connector member according to claim 1, wherein
said third wall portion across the flat plate portion of the shank
comprises a first wall member integrally connected to said first
wall portion and a second wall member integrally connected to said
second wall portion, said first and second wall members being in
engagement with one another.
7. The electrical connector member according to claim 1, wherein
the flat plate portion of the shank of the electrical contact
comprises an offset portion at an intermediate region thereof
whereby said flat plate portion defines two different flat regions
integrally interconnected by said offset portion, and each one of
said different flat regions being confined in different ones of
said first and second hole portions so that said flat portion
having said offset portion may be accommodated in said supporting
portion.
8. The electrical connector member according to claim 2, wherein
said reversely bent portion of the contact blade has a flat tongue
portion at the end thereof received in said groove, said end of the
projecting portion of said insulator body is provided with inward
extensions over the groove.
9. The electrical connector member according to claim 1, wherein
said first hole portion of the supporting portion of the insulator
body has outwardly tapered inner surface at the mouth thereof so
that said first, second and third wall portions may be readily
inserted into said first hole.
10. In an electrical connector member, at least one contact of
electrical conducting material and an insulator body for supporting
said contact, said insulator body comprising at least one contact
supporting portion having one hole penetrating therethrough which
has a greater first hole portion and a smaller second hole portion
interconnected to said first hole portion at the bottom of said
first hole portion, an insulating projecting portion projecting
from said contact supporting portion in an extending direction of
said hole with a flat side surface, said at least one contact
comprising a shank accommodated in the hole of said supporting
portion with a first means thereon engaging with a shoulder on said
supporting portion, a bowed contact blade extending integrally from
said shank portion along said flat side surface of said projecting
portion, the free end of said contact blade being positioned
adjacent to the outer edge of said projecting portion, a terminal
portion integrally extending from said shank in an opposite
direction of the contact blade and a second means engaging with an
edge of said hole of said supporting portion at the opposite side
thereof in relation to said projecting portion so that said contact
may be prevented from falling off said insulator body by
cooperating action between said first and second means and said
supporting portion;
the improvement comprising,
said shank of said contact comprising,
a flat plate portion integrally connected to said contact blade and
said terminal portion, a barrier extending across said flat plate
portion near said contact blade in a direction perpendicular to
said flat plate portion, said barrier serving as said first
means,
and finger tabs integrally connected to opposite edges of said flat
plate portion near said terminal portion and extending in a
direction perpendicular to said flat plate portion, said finger
tabs extending toward said contact blade and gradually curving to
depart from one another,
said contact supporting portion including said hole penetrating
therethrough comprising,
said first hole portion having slightly less dimension than said
barrier of said shank portion so that said barrier is
interference-fitted into said first hole portion without
establishing a gap therebetween, said second hole portion having
slightly greater dimensions than the thickness and the width of
said flat plate portion of said shank so that said flat plate
portion is loosely accommodated in said second hole portion,
and additional hole portions communicating between said first and
second hole portions, being arranged along opposite sides of said
second hole portion and having dimensions so that said finger tabs
are able to be inserted therein with the free ends thereof being
resiliently engaged with the surfaces of said additional hole
portions.
11. The electrical connector member according to claim 10, wherein
said terminal portion of said contact comprises a flat plate and
side wall members extending from opposite sides of said flat plate
in a direction perpendicular to the flat surface of said flat
plate, said side wall members continuously and integrally
connecting to said finger tabs.
12. The electrical connector member according to claim 11, wherein
said flat plate of said terminal portion comprises a tab near said
shank which is connected to said flat plate at one end and stands
up over said flat plate from said one end to serve said second
means for engaging with an edge of said second hole portion of the
supporting portion of the insulator body.
13. The electrical connector member according to claim 10, wherein
said barrier comprises first and second wall portions extending
from the side edges of said flat portion in a direction
perpendicular to said flat plate portion, and a third wall portion
extending across said flat plate portion in a direction
perpendicular to said flat plate portion and to said first and
second wall portions to join between said first and second wall
portions to form a U-shaped section near said contact blade.
14. In an electrical connector member, at least one contact of
electrical conducting material and an insulator body for supporting
said contact, said insulator body comprising at least one contact
supporting portion having one hole penetrating therethrough which
has a greater first hole portion and a smaller second hole portion
interconnected to said first hole portion at the bottom of said
first hole portion, an insulating projecting portion projecting
from said contact supporting portion in an extending direction of
said hole with a flat side surface, said at least one contact
comprising a shank accommodated in the hole of said supporting
portion with a first means thereon engaging with said bottom of
said first hole portion, a bowed contact blade extending integrally
from said shank portion along said flat side surface of said
projecting portion, the free end of said contact blade being
positioned adjacent to the outer edge of said projecting portion, a
terminal portion integrally extending from said shank in an
opposite direction of the contact blade and a second means engaging
with an edge of said hole of said supporting portion at the
opposite side thereof in relation to said projecting portion so
that said contact may be prevented from falling off said insulator
body by cooperating action between said first and second means and
said supporting portion;
the improvement comprising,
said shank of said contact comprising,
a flat plate portion integrally connected to said contact blade and
said terminal portion, first and second wall portions extending
from side edges of said flat plate portion in a direction
perpendicular to said flat plate portion at a region near said
contact blade,
a third wall portion extending across said flat plate portion in a
direction perpendicular to said flat plate portion and to said
first and second wall portions to connect between said first and
second wall portions at their edges to form a box-like portion near
said contact blade, said box-like portion serving as said first
means,
said contact supporting portion including said hole penetrating
therethrough comprising,
said first hole portion having slightly less dimension that said
box-like portion of said shank portion so that said box-like
portion is interference-fitted into said first hole portion without
establishing a space between said box-like portion and the sides of
first hole portion, said second hole portion having slightly
greater dimensions than the thickness and the width of said flat
plate portion of said shank so that said flat plate portion is
loosely accommodated in said second hole portion.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to improvements of electrical connectors,
and, in particular, to multiple-contact electrical connectors.
The recent advance of miniaturization of various electrical and/or
electronic elements, parts and/or devices has required miniature
electrical connectors and, in particular, miniature connectors each
having a plurality of pairs of mating contacts.
A known miniature electrical connector having a plurality of pairs
of mating contacts comprises a plug member and a receptacle member
mated thereto, each of which comprising a plurality of contacts of
electrical conducting material and an insulator body for supporting
the contacts. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the insulator body (5,
15) of each of the plug member (FIG. 1) and the receptacle member
(FIG. 2) comprises a supporting portion having holes (7, 17)
penetrating therethrough, in which the contacts (1, 11) are
inserted and supported, individually. Each of the contacts has two
spaced projections (3, 4 ; 13, 14) which are engaged with the step
(8, 18) formed in the hole (7, 17) and the edge (9, 19) of the hole
so that the contact if supported to and prevented from falling off
the insulator body (5, 15). The insulator body has a portion (51,
151) projecting from the supporting portion, along the side surface
of which the contact (1, 11) extends with gradually outwardly
curving. In the end surface of the projecting portion is provided,
near the edge of the end surface, a groove (6, 16), in which is
received a curved or bent end portion (2, 12) of the contact (1,
11). The contact (1, 11) may be pressed out from one metal sheet
and, thereafter, formed a final construction by bending operation.
The differences between contacts 1 and 11 in plug and receptacle
members are the facts that the base plate portion of the contact 1
in the plug extends in one flat surface but that of the contact 11
in the receptacle is bent not to extend one flat surface as shown
by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 2, and that the projections 3, 4 in
the plug are different from the projections 13, 14 in the
receptacle in their orientation.
According to the arrangement of FIGS. 1 and 2, there can be
provided a miniature electrical connector which is simple in the
structure and the producing method and is economical. But each of
contacts are loosely inserted in the hole of the insulating body
and retained only by engagement between a portion of the insulator
body and a pair of spaced projections provided to the contact, so
that a gap is provided between the contact and the inner surface of
the hole. Therefore, the contact is apt to readily move in the
hole. And the flux flows along the contact to the region contacting
to the mating contact in soldering lead wires to the terminal
portion of the contact. It is required to remove the flowed flux
from the contacting region.
In order to complete the engagement between a portion of the
insulator body and a pair of spaced projections of the contact to
retain the contact in the insulator body, one projection must be
formed by setting up a finger provided to the contact after the
contact has been inserted into the hole of the insulator body.
The contact mounted in the receptacle member is complicated in the
construction so that the producing process may be complicated.
Therefore, the construction of the contact is not economical.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The primary object of this invention is to provide a miniature
electrical connector having a construction in which no flux flows
along each contact to a contacting region thereof in soldering lead
wires to a terminal portion of each contact.
Another object of this invention is to provide an electrical
connector in which each contact is mounted in the insulator body
without any movement.
A still another object of this invention is to provide an elctrical
connector which is simple in producing process and construction,
and economical.
According to this invention, there would be obtained an electrical
connector comprising a pair of connector members, in each of which
contacts are retained in an insulator body in such manner that a
portion of shank of each contact is interference-fitted in a hole
of the insulator body, so that flux cannot flow along the contact
to a contacting region thereof from terminal portion thereof.
Each contact has yieldable and resilient finger tabs at the shank
thereof which is accomodated in the hole of the insulator body so
that the contact may be mounted on the insulator body by the action
of the resilient finger tabs.
Further objects, features and constructions of this invention will
be understood from descriptions of preferred embodiments of this
invention referring to annexed drawings in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1 and 2 are cross-sectional views of a known plug and
receptacle respectively,
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the insulator for supporting
contacts of a plug member according to this invention,
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the insulator shown in FIG.
3,
FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views as viewed in directions of arrows A
and B shown in FIG. 3, respectively,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a contact used in plug member of an
embodiment of this invention,
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a plug member in which contacts
shown in FIG. 7 are mounted in the insulator shown in FIG. 4,
FIG. 9 is a partial view as viewed in the direction of arrow C
shown in FIG. 8,
and, FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled receptacle
member of an embodiment of this invention.
DETAILED EMBODIMENT OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and 6, in which an insulator body of a plug
member of an embodiment is shown, the insulator body comprises a
supporting portion having peripheral flange 22 and holes 27, 28, 29
therein, a projecting wall portion 21 extending from and integrally
with the supporting portion having a flat side surface 211 which
integrally connects with inner surfaces of holes 27, and an
opposite projection wall portion 21' having channels 211'. A
plurality of grooves are formed at the edge of the end of the
projection wall portion 211, between adjacent grooves provided is a
separator wall 25 which has inward extensions 26 over adjacent
grooves.
At integral connection between the supporting member and the
opposite projection wall portion 21', steps 30 are provided at
regions corresponding to holes 29, which serves as a means for
engaging with a finger (41 in FIG. 7).
Referring to FIG. 7, which illustrates a contact, the contact
comprises a shank including flat plate portion 43, U-shape wall
portion 36 standing up on and integrally connected to the flat
plate portion 43 with the bottom of U extending across the flat
plate portion and legs of U extending along the opposite ends of
the flat plate portion 43, and a pair of finger tabs 39, 40
extending in a perpendicular direction of the flat plate 43 which
integrally connect with opposite ends of the flat plate portion 43
respectively at one portion of each tab and extends from the
connecting portions with gradually curving to depart each
other.
The flat plate portion 43 integrally connects with the contact
blade 34 at a region including the U-shape wall portion 36. The
contact blade 34 gradually curves to form a convex, at the free end
thereof are formed a tongue 32 and a neck portion 33.
The opposite end of the flat plate portion 43 integrally connects
with the flat plate portion of the terminal portion in which a
finger 41 and a hole 42 are formed. The side walls 37, 38 extending
along opposite ends of and in a direction perpendicular to the flat
plate portion of the terminal, are integrally connected to the
finger tabs 39,40, respectively.
Referring to FIGS. 8 and 9, which illustrate assembly of the plug
member wherein the contact of FIG. 7 are assembled in the insulator
body shown in FIGS. 3-6, the shank portion of the contact is
inserted into holes 27, 28, 29.
The box like portion comprising U-shape wall portion 36 and the
flat plate portion 43 is interference-fitted into the hole 28.
It will be understood that the dimension of the hole 28 is slightly
less than that of the box like portion.
The flat plate portion 43 and finger tabs 39, 40 are losely
inserted into the hole 29. Therefore it will be understood that the
hole 29 should be formed with U-shape section, as shown in FIG.
6.
The finger 41 engages with the step 30, so that the contact is
prevented from falling off the insulator body in a direction of the
contact blade. While the U-shape wall portion 36 engages with the
bottom of the hole 28, which is greater than the hole 29, so that
the contact is prevented from falling off the insulator in a
direction of the terminal portion.
The curved finger tabs 39, 40 are inserted into the U-shape hole 29
and, in particular, in portions corresponding to legs of U, and the
free ends of individual tabs 39, 40 press inner surfaces of
portions of the hole 29, so that the contact is mounted and
retained in the insulator body without any movement.
The tongue 32 is received in the groove and engages with the
inclined bottom 24 of the groove. It will be easily understood that
the inward extensions 26 serves for preventing the removement of
the tongue 32 from the groove due to injurious external force
acting thereon.
The terminal portion of contact is accomodated in the channel 211'
formed on the projection wall 21'.
In assembling process, the terminal portion is inserted into hole
27 and thereafter, the contact is pressed with the terminal being
passed through the holes 27, 28, 29. When the lead end of the
terminal presents out of the hole 29, the terminal portion is
pulled by a tool (not shown) having a hook means at the end along
the bottom 31 of the channel 211', with the hook means being
engaged with the hole 42 of the terminal portion of the contact, so
that the shank of the contact is inserted into the holes 27, 28, 29
with the box like portion including U-shape wall portion 36 being
interference-fitted to the hole 28. The finger 41 automatically
engages with the step 30, when the finger 41 is pulled out of the
hole 29.
Thus the contact is retained in the insulator body.
In soldering lead wires (not shown) to the terminal portion, flux
flows along the contact but does not flow over the box like portion
including U-shape wall portion 36 due to the interference-fit
between the box like portion and the hole 28 to be stored in the
space defined by U-shape wall portion 36, the flat plate portion 43
and inner surface of the hole 28.
It will be understood that the hole 27 is for guiding the U-shape
portion 36 in assembling and has, therefore, a tapered inner
surface as seen in FIG. 4.
The height of the wall portion 36 is greater than that of each of
finger tabs 39, 40 and the side wall portions 37, 38, in order that
the contact may be inserted into the holes 29, 30, 31 to be
assembled to the insulator body.
FIG. 10 shows a receptacle member which has similar construction as
the plug member, except that the offset portion 45 is formed at the
intermediate region of the flat plate portion 43, and that a hole
portion of the U-shape hole 29 corresponding to the bottom of U is,
accordingly, at center region of the bottom of the hole 28 so that
the shank of the contact may be accomodated in holes 27, 28, 29 of
the supporting portion of the insulator body. In this figure same
reference numbers indicate same portions or parts as FIGS. 3 -
9.
Therefore further descriptions are omitted for the simplification
of the descriptions.
In above embodiment different constructions are applied between a
plug member and a receptaCle member. But as will be easily
understood, one construction, as shown in either FIG. 8 or FIG. 10,
may be applied to both plug and receptacle members.
A multi-contact connector has been described but this invention is,
as clearly seen, applied to an electrical connector having one pair
of mating contacts.
This invention provides a miniature and economical multi-contact
connector which is simple in construction and producing method
without any additional working after the contacts being pressed
into the holes of the insulator body.
The used contact may be, preferably, made of and formed from a
sheet of metal by a punching out operation and a following bending
operation.
The insulator body may be, preferably, made of plastic materials by
plastic molding operation.
This invention has been explained in detail relating to a
particular embodiment, which is only for explanation of this
invention, and various designations and modifications may be easily
made to those skilled in the art.
* * * * *