EP0055042A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Preloaded electrical contact terminal
Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
•
Filing: 1981-12-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2001-12-04
Abstract
Abstract Electrical contact terminal (2) of the flat stamped complanate type has a yoke (52) portion having a latch arm (54) and a spring arm (56) extending therefrom. The latch arm (54) is short and the spring arm (56) is sufficiently long to permit deflection. The two arms have free ends (70, 74) which are resiliently biased against each other and latched to each other in a manner which permits movement of the free end (70) of the spring arm (56) along a side edge (79) of the latch arm (54). An edge portion (67) of the spring arm (56) serves as a contact portion and current flows from this contact portion to the end (70) of the spring then to the latch arm (54) and to the yoke portion (52) of the terminal (2). The spring arm (56) is in a preloaded and flexed condition so that an elevated contact pressure is achieved.
Inventors
- 👤 Dimitry G. Grabbe
- 👤 Iosif Korsunsky
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 07:49
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2442; H01R12/00; H01R12/50; H01R12/51; H01R12/55; H01R12/57; H05; H05K; H05K7/00; H05K7/02; H05K7/10; H05K7/1053; H05K7/1061; H05K7/1069; H01R12/70; H01R12/82; H01R12/85; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49204
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
292 words
An electrical contact terminal (2) of the type having a contact portion (67) which is intended to contact a mating contact surface (4) and a spring for maintaining the contact portion (67) against said mating contact surface, the terminal (2) being of the flat complanate type having substantially all of its parts lying in a single plane, the terminal (2) having a spring arm (56) and a latch arm (54), the arms having free ends (70, 74) which are in overlapping latched relationship, the free end (70) of the spring arm being movable in one direction along the latch arm (54), the contact portion comprising contact edge portions (67) of the spring arm (56), the terminal being characterized in that: the latched position of said free end (70) of the spring arm (56) is a displaced postition relative to the normal position (70') of the free end of said spring arm (56) being adjacent to, and beyond, the free end (74) of the latch arm (54), the spring arm (56) being in a prestressed and flexed condition as a result of the displacement of the free end (70) of said spring arm, and the free end of the spring arm (56) being resiliently biased against the latch arm (54) whereby, upon movement of the mating contact surface (4) against the contact portion (67) of the spring arm (56), the free end (70) of the spring arm (56) is moved in one direction along the latch arm (54) with accompanying further flexing of said spring arm (56) and with a resulting development of a predetermined contact force at the interface of the mating contact surface (4) and current flows from said contact surface (4) through the interface and through the latch arm (54).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
292 words
An electrical contact terminal (2) of the type having a contact portion (67) which is intended to contact a mating contact surface (4) and a spring for maintaining the contact portion (67) against said mating contact surface, the terminal (2) being of the flat complanate type having substantially all of its parts lying in a single plane, the terminal (2) having a spring arm (56) and a latch arm (54), the arms having free ends (70, 74) which are in overlapping latched relationship, the free end (70) of the spring arm being movable in one direction along the latch arm (54), the contact portion comprising contact edge portions (67) of the spring arm (56), the terminal being characterized in that: the latched position of said free end (70) of the spring arm (56) is a displaced postition relative to the normal position (70') of the free end of said spring arm (56) being adjacent to, and beyond, the free end (74) of the latch arm (54), the spring arm (56) being in a prestressed and flexed condition as a result of the displacement of the free end (70) of said spring arm, and the free end of the spring arm (56) being resiliently biased against the latch arm (54) whereby, upon movement of the mating contact surface (4) against the contact portion (67) of the spring arm (56), the free end (70) of the spring arm (56) is moved in one direction along the latch arm (54) with accompanying further flexing of said spring arm (56) and with a resulting development of a predetermined contact force at the interface of the mating contact surface (4) and current flows from said contact surface (4) through the interface and through the latch arm (54).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
An electrical contact terminal (2) as set forth in claim 1, characterized in that the terminal was manufactured by stamping sheet metal stock, substantially all of the parts of the terminal lying in the plane of the sheet metal stock from which the terminal was stamped.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
60 words
A contact terminal (2) as set forth in claim 2, characterized in that the terminal is contained in a slot-like cavity in an electrical connector housing, the cavity having parallel sidewalls which are immediately adjacent to side surfaces of the terminal and which prevent lateral movement of the spring arm whereby the spring arm is maintained in a latched position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
A sheet metal contact terminal (2) as set forth in claim 3, characterized in that the terminal has a yoke portion (52), the latch arm (54) and the spring arm (56) extending from the yoke portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
A sheet metal contact terminal as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the yoke portion has a solder tab (58, 59) extending therefrom.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
90 words
A sheet metal contact terminal as set forth in claim 4, characterized in that the latch arm (54) and the spring arm (56) extend from the yoke portion (52) at spaced-apart locations, the spring arm (56) having a first portion (62) which extends arcuately away from the yoke portion (52) to the contact portion (67), the spring arm (56) being reversely curved (66) at the contact portion (67) and having a second portion (68) which extends from the contact portion (67) to the free end (70) of said spring arm.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
107 words
A sheet metal contact terminal (2) as set forth in either of claims 1 or 6, characterized in that the terminal was manufactured by stamping the sheet metal stock and producing a blank having the free end (74') of each latch arm (54) integral with the free end (70') of the spring arm arm (56), thereafter severing the blank along a severing line extending between said free end (70') of the spring arm (56) and the free end (74') of the latch arm (54), and then flexing at least one of the arms and moving the one arm to position the spring arm in the displaced position.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
274 words
A method of manufacturing an electrical contact terminal (2) of the flat complanate type having substantially all of its parts lying in a single plane, the terminal further having a spring arm (56) and a latch arm (54), the arms having free ends (70, 74) which are in overlapping latched relationship and which are held in a latched position in a manner which permits movement of the free end (70) of the spring arm (56) in one direction along the latch arm (54) and which prevents movement of the free end (70) of the spring arm in the opposite direction, the spring arm (56) having a contact portion on each portion (67) thereof, the method comprising the steps of: forming a flat blank for the contact terminal having the free end (70') of spring arm (56) integral with the free end (74') of the latch arm (54) and having the free ends in non-overlapping relationship, severing the blank along a severing line (86) which extends between the free end (70') of the spring arm and the free end (74') of the latch arm (54) and which forms the latch on the free ends of the arms, flexing at least one of the arms (56) and displacing the one arm to position the free ends (70, 74) of the arms in said overlapping latched relationship whereby, the spring arm (56) is in a preloaded condition and upon engagement of the contact portion (67) of said spring arm (56) by a mating contact surface (4), a predetermined elevated contact force is established at the interface of said contact portion (67) and said mating contact surface (4).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
274 words
A method of manufacturing an electrical contact terminal (2) of the flat complanate type having substantially all of its parts lying in a single plane, the terminal further having a spring arm (56) and a latch arm (54), the arms having free ends (70, 74) which are in overlapping latched relationship and which are held in a latched position in a manner which permits movement of the free end (70) of the spring arm (56) in one direction along the latch arm (54) and which prevents movement of the free end (70) of the spring arm in the opposite direction, the spring arm (56) having a contact portion on each portion (67) thereof, the method comprising the steps of: forming a flat blank for the contact terminal having the free end (70') of spring arm (56) integral with the free end (74') of the latch arm (54) and having the free ends in non-overlapping relationship, severing the blank along a severing line (86) which extends between the free end (70') of the spring arm and the free end (74') of the latch arm (54) and which forms the latch on the free ends of the arms, flexing at least one of the arms (56) and displacing the one arm to position the free ends (70, 74) of the arms in said overlapping latched relationship whereby, the spring arm (56) is in a preloaded condition and upon engagement of the contact portion (67) of said spring arm (56) by a mating contact surface (4), a predetermined elevated contact force is established at the interface of said contact portion (67) and said mating contact surface (4).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method as set forth in claim 8, characterized in that the blank is produced by stamping sheet metal stock.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as set forth in claim 9, characterized in that a multiplicity of terminals identical to the terminal are produced as a continuous strip (82).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.