Patent US2779455A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0321257B1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hermaphroditic low insertion force mating electrical contacts
Assignee: Molex LLC
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Filing: 1988-12-16
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Granted: 1993-04-28
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Expires: 2008-12-16
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Frank Alan Harwath
- 👤 Russell John Leonard
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 07:08
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/28; H01R13/193
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
237 words
An hermaphroditic terminal for a low insertion force mating electrical contact structure comprising a base (12) and two cantilevered contact beams (16,18) unitary with and extending forwardly from said base (12), each said contact beam having a rear end adjacent said base and an opposed front end, said beams being formed to define a plurality of bends such that said beams are disposed generally to opposite sides of a central plane (p), each said beam further having a front cam surface (38) angularly aligned to said central plane (p) and disposed generally adjacent said front end, a front contact surface (36) intermediate said front cam surface (38) and said rear end, a rear cam surface (30) angularly aligned to said central plane (p) and intermediate said front cam surface (38) and said rear end, and a rear contact surface (26) intermediate said rear cam surface (30) and said base (12), whereby as the pair of terminals (10) are mated the front cam surfaces (38) of each terminal slidably engage the rear cam surfaces (30) on the other terminal and the front contact surfaces (36) of each terminal are gradually deflected away from the central plane (p) until a final mated position is achieved wherein the front contact surfaces (36) of each terminal are electrically engaged on the rear contact surfaces (26) of the other terminal to provide four independent points of electrical contact between the mated terminals.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
28 words
A terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein each front contact surface (36) is disposed on a side of said contact beam (16,18) facing said central plane (p).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
20 words
A terminal as claimed in claim 2 wherein said front contact surfaces (36) are spaced from said central plane (p).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each said rear cam surface (30) intersects said central plane (p), and wherein each said front contact surface (36) is spaced from and facing said central plane (p), and each said rear contact surface (26) is spaced from and facing away from said central plane (p).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A terminal as claimed in claim 4 wherein the distance (c.) between said central plane and said rear contact surfaces is greater than the distance (e.) between said front contact surfaces and said central plane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
33 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the front and rear cam surfaces (38,30) of each said contact beam (16,18) are disposed at approximately equal angles to said central plane (p).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
19 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said contact beams (16,18) are generally parallel to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
20 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said contact beams (16,18) are disposed in spaced apart parallel relationship.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
20 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the terminal (10) is stamp formed from generally flat metallic material.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
26 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the contact beams (16,18) are generally symmetrical with respect to one another about the central plane (p).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the distance between said central plane and each said front cam surface (38) is greater at greater distances from said base (12), said front cam surfaces being disposed on sides of said contact beams (16,18) generally facing said central plane (p).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said front contact surfaces (36) are adjacent said front cam surfaces (38).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said rear contact surfaces (26) are adjacent said rear cam surfaces (30).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein said rear contact surfaces (26) are generally parallel to said central plane (p).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
57 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein each of said contact beams (16,18) is formed such that the distance between the central plane (p) and the portion of said rear cam surface (30) most distant from said base (12) is greater than the distance between said central plane (p) and said front contact surface (36).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A terminal as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the contact beams (16,18) are symmetrically bent with respect to one another to opposite sides of the central plane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
A low insertion force mating electrical contact structure comprising a pair of hermaphroditic terminals (10) as claimed in any preceding claim.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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