Patent US5793993A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US3131612A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent EP0591723A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0591723A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical connector system
Assignee: Molex LLC
•
Filing: 1993-09-15
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2013-09-15
Abstract
Abstract An electrical connector system includes first (20) and second (24) electrical connectors mateable in a given general direction (A). Each connector includes a housing (38, 98) having a mating end (42, 112) and at least a pair of terminals (26/28, 32/34) mounted on the housing. The pair of terminals of each connector have contact portions (26d/28d, 32c/34c) engageable with the contact portions of the pair of terminals of the other connector. The contact portions of the terminals of at least one of the connectors are at angles to the mating direction to define a generally V-shaped engaging configuration. The contact portions of the terminals of at least one of the connectors are resilient. Therefore, wiping engagement between the respective terminals is effected during mating of the connectors, and the resilient contact portions are effective to store energy upon mating of the connectors, which energy is effective to assist in unmating of the connectors.
Inventors
- 👤 Brian Bryce
- 👤 Patrick G. Casey
- 👤 Thomas W. Cruise
- 👤 Paul Michael O'brien
- 👤 Matthew Wilhite
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 09:48
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/15; H01R13/62; H01R13/629; H01R13/633; H01R13/635; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/71; H01R12/72; H01R12/722; H01R12/724; H01R12/73; H01R13/10; H01R13/11; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R24/00; H01R24/76; H01R12/727; H01R2107/00; H01R2201/00; H01R2201/16; H01R24/20; H01R24/60
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
155 words
In an electrical connector system which includes first (20) and second (24) electrical connectors mateable in a given general direction (A), each connector including a housing (38, 98) having a mating end (42, 112) and at least a pair of terminals (26/28, 32/34) mounted on the respective housing, the pair of terminals of each connector having spring contact portions (26d/28d, 32c/34c) engageable with the spring contact portions of the pair of terminals of the other connector, wherein the improvement comprises the spring contact portions (26d, 28d) of the terminals of the first connector (20) being configured to diverge at angle to said mating direction toward the mating end (42) of the first connector in a generally V-shaped configuration, and the spring contact portions (32c, 34c) of the terminals of second connector (24) being configured to converge at angles to said mating direction toward the mating end (112) of the second connector in a generally V-configuration.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
99 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the spring contact portions (26d, 28d) of the first connector (20) diverge at angles to said mating direction which are less than the angles at which the spring contact portions (32c, 34c) of the second connector (34) converge relative to the mating direction, whereby the spring contact portions of the respective connectors have a wiping engagement during mating of the connectors and the spring contact portions are effective to store energy upon mating of the connectors which energy is effective to assist in unmating of the connectors.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said terminals (26/28, 32/34) include spring arm portions (26b/28b, 32a/34a) with generally U-shaped ends defining said spring contact portions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the U-shaped ends of the terminals are bent outwardly of the respective spring arm portions of the terminals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the spring arm portions (26b, 28b) of the terminals (26, 28) of the first connector (20) are configured to be more flexible than the spring arm portions (32a, 34a) of the terminals of (32, 34) the second connector (24).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the housing (38) of the first connector (20) includes wall means (62) for engaging the U-shaped ends of the terminals thereof for compressing the U-shaped ends and further storing energy therein upon mating of the connectors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
99 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 5, wherein the spring contact portions (26d, 28d) of the first connector (20) diverge at angles to said mating direction which are less than the angles at which the spring contact portions (32c, 34c) of the second connector (20) converge relative to the mating direction, whereby the spring contact portions of the respective connectors have a wiping engagement during mating of the connectors and the spring contact portions are effective to store energy upon mating of the connectors which energy is effective to assist in unmating of the connectors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
157 words
In an electrical connector system which includes first (20) and second (24) electrical connectors mateable in a given general direction (A), each connector including a housing (38, 98) having a mating end and (42, 112) at least a pair of terminals (26/28, 32/34) mounted on the housing, the pair of terminals of each connector having contact portions (26d/28d, 32c, 34c) engageable with the contact portions of the pair of terminals of the other connector, wherein the improvement comprises the contact portions of the terminals of one of the connectors being at angles to said mating direction to define a generally V-shaped configuration, and the contact portions of the terminals of one of the connectors being resilient, whereby a wiping engagement between the respective terminals is effected during mating of the connectors and the resilient contact portions are effective to store energy upon mating of the connectors which energy is effective to assist in unmating of the connectors.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
39 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 8, wherein the contact portions (26d, 28d) of the terminals of the first connector (20) diverge at angles to said mating direction to define said generally V-shaped engaging configuration.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
44 words
In an electrical connector system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the contact portions of the terminals (26, 28) of the first connector (20) are at least more resilient than the contact portions of the terminals 32, 34) of the second connector (24).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.