Connector with spring contact member and shorting means

Claim 2

Connector block (3) comprising at least one contact member (22), each contact member being integrally made provided with a first contact terminal (10) for electrical contact to a contact member (6) of a mating electric element (2), a second contact terminal (9) and a spring part (13) giving the contact member a resilient capacity in a predetermined axial direction, the connector block (3) also comprising shorting means (19') electrically contacting predetermined contact members (22) when the connector block (3) is in its disconnected state and being electrically separated from said predetermined contact members (22) when the connector block is in its connected state, characterized in that each spring part (13) has a corrugated structure and is accommodated in a separate cavity (24) within the connector block (3), the shorting means comprising at least one shorting strip (19') extending on the surface of the body of the connector block (3) and being exposed in predetermined cavities (24).

Claim 3

Connector block according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each of the first contact terminals (10) is provided with a bent extremity (16).

Claim 4

Connector block according to claim 3, characterized in that each of the extremities (16) is provided with a dimple (17).

Claim 5

Connector block according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that each of the first contact terminals (10) is provided with a rill (18) arranged in the axial direction of the first contact terminals.

Claim 6

Connector block according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the spring parts (13) extend in a substantially flat surface and are provided with U-shaped or V-shaped interconnected parts.

Claim 7

Connector block according to claim 6, characterized in that the interconnected parts are provided with legs and base parts interconnecting the legs, the width (x) of the legs differing from the width (y) from the base parts.

Claim 8

Connector block according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that the contact block comprises a plurality of said contact members (22) arranged along a line (L1) and said flat surfaces are inclined relative to said line (L1).

Claim 9

Connector block according to any of the claims 1 through 5, characterized in that each of the spring parts (13) are provided with U-shaped or V-shaped interconnected parts provided with legs and base parts interconnecting the legs, at least some of the spring parts (13) being folded in such a way that they show a substantially C-shaped or U-shaped cross section seen in the axial direction of the contact members.

Claim 10

Connector block according to any of the claims 1 through 5, characterized in that each of the spring parts (13) are provided with U-shaped or V-shaped interconnected parts provided with legs and base parts interconnecting the legs, at least one pair of adjacent spring parts (13) being folded in such a way that they show substantially C-shaped cross sections seen in the axial direction of the contact members, the C-shaped cross sections being inter-laced.

Claim 11

Connector block according to any of the claims 1 or 3 through 10, characterized in that those contact members (22) which are accommodated in cavities (24) in which said exposed shorting rod (19) extends extend slightly more from the body of the connector block (3) than do the other contact members (22).

Claim 12

Connector block according to any of the claims 2 through 10, characterized in that those contact members (22) which are accommodated in cavities (24) in which said exposed shorting strip (19') extends extend slightly more from the body of the connector block (3) than do the other contact members (22).

Claim 13

Connector block according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that each of the cavities (24) are provided with a by-pass strip (20) for reducing the electrical resistance between the first terminal (10) and the second terminal (9) of each of the contact members (22).

Claim 14

Connector block according to claim 13, characterized in that the spring part (13) is provided with a part (21) close to the first terminal (10) and is designed in such a way that said part (21) is resiliently forced against the by-pass strip (20).