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EP0068656A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electrical terminal with cavity compensator

Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
•
Filing: 1982-06-04
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2002-06-04
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Abstract

Abstract A terminal (11) for use in electrical connector housings (51) and the like which is press fitted into position and is retained in the connector housing (51). printed circuit board or the like by means of a friction fit. The terminal (11) includes a rigid post (21) at one end and a resilient spring contact structure (23) at the other end thereof. The contact structure (23) and the post (21) are joined by an intermediate section (31) having an aperture (37) therethrough and a lance (43) extending outwardly from the bottom of the aperture (37), the lance (43) being fittable into the aperture (37) but being of smaller dimension. The intermediate section (31) is a spring member having tapered sides (33, 35) with the narrow portion of the taper extending toward the post (21). The intermediate section (31) can move inwardly from both sides by spring type action to occupy a portion of the aperture (37). thereby decreasing the dimension across the intermediate section (31). Upon insertion into a housing (51) or the like, the lance (43) will push against a housing wall (47) and move the terminal against an opposite wall (49) as the terminal (11) enters an appropriate housing cavity (53). As the terminal (11) moves farther into the cavity (53). the tapered portion will move against the other pair of opposing cavity walls (55, 57) and force the sides of the intermediate section (31) together, thereby preventing the lance (43) from moving into the aperture (37) and providing a friction fit within the housing cavity (53) at the lance (43) as well as both sides of the intermediate section (31).

Inventors

  • 👤 James Edward Lynch

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 17:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/50; H01R12/51; H01R12/55; H01R12/58; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49204; Y10T29/49208; Y10T29/49217; Y10T29/49222

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 95 words
1 . A terminal for use in connectors and having a post (21) at one end and a resilient contact structure (23) at another end and an intermediate section (31) connecting the post (21) and contact structure (23) and having an aperture (37) therein with a lance (43) secured to one wall thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, characterized in that the intermediate section (31) is substantially trapezoidal with the parallel sides being normal to the terminal axis and with the non-parallel sides (33, 35) being resilient in a direction toward and away from each other.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 95 words
1 . A terminal for use in connectors and having a post (21) at one end and a resilient contact structure (23) at another end and an intermediate section (31) connecting the post (21) and contact structure (23) and having an aperture (37) therein with a lance (43) secured to one wall thereof and extending outwardly therefrom, characterized in that the intermediate section (31) is substantially trapezoidal with the parallel sides being normal to the terminal axis and with the non-parallel sides (33, 35) being resilient in a direction toward and away from each other.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 21 words
A terminal according to claim 1 characterized in that the non-parallel sides (33, 35) of the intermediate section (31) are tapered.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 20 words
A terminal according to claims 1 or 2 characterized in that the aperture (37) and lance (43) are trapezoidally shaped.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 23 words
A terminal according to claims 1 or 2 characterized in that aperture (37) comprises an upper portion (39) and a lower portion (41).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 38 words
A terminal according to claim 4 characterized in that the lower portion (41) of the aperture (37) and the lance (43) are trapezoidally shaped and the lance (43) is secured to a wall of the lower portion (41).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 21 words
A terminal according to claim 3 characterized in that the non-parallel sides of the aperture (37) and lance (43) are tapered.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 27 words
A terminal according to claim 5 characterized in that the non-parallel sides of the lower portion (41) of the aperture (37) and the lance (43) are tapered.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 179 words
A method of fixing a terminal of the type having an intermediate section (31) between a post (21) and a contact structure (23) and an aperture (37) in the intermediate section (31) with a lance (43) extending outwardly therefrom into a housing (51), the method comprising the steps of: a. providing the intermediate section (31) with tapered sides (33,35) which are resilient into and away from the aperture (37); b. inserting the terminal into the housing (51) with the narrowest end of the intermediate section (31) entering the cavity (53) first so that the lance (43), in encountering a wall (47) of the cavity (53) can be deflected towards the aperture (37) as required by the cavity dimension; and c. further inserting the terminal into the housing so that as the tapered sides (33, 35) of the intermediate section (31) encounter opposing walls (55-57) of the cavity (53), the tapered sides (33, 35) are compressed into the aperture (37) so that the aperture size is reduced and the lance (43) becomes locked against further movement towards the aperture (37).
Claim 10
Independent Claim 179 words
A method of fixing a terminal of the type having an intermediate section (31) between a post (21) and a contact structure (23) and an aperture (37) in the intermediate section (31) with a lance (43) extending outwardly therefrom into a housing (51), the method comprising the steps of: a. providing the intermediate section (31) with tapered sides (33,35) which are resilient into and away from the aperture (37); b. inserting the terminal into the housing (51) with the narrowest end of the intermediate section (31) entering the cavity (53) first so that the lance (43), in encountering a wall (47) of the cavity (53) can be deflected towards the aperture (37) as required by the cavity dimension; and c. further inserting the terminal into the housing so that as the tapered sides (33, 35) of the intermediate section (31) encounter opposing walls (55-57) of the cavity (53), the tapered sides (33, 35) are compressed into the aperture (37) so that the aperture size is reduced and the lance (43) becomes locked against further movement towards the aperture (37).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method as claimed in claim 8 further including the step of providing the aperture (37) and lance (43) with a trapezoidal shape.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
The method as claimed in claim 9 further including the step of adding an upper portion (39) to the aperture (37).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3467944A Cited
US3761871A Cited
US3923365A Cited
US4119360A Cited

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