Electrical contact element and an electrical connector and an electrical connector assembly comprising the contact element

Claim 2

An electrical contact element which has been stamped from a single piece of sheet metal stock of uniform thickness so as to be substantially uniplanar, the contact element comprising first and second cantilever contact springs extending in the same direction from a base and being resiliently deformable in the plane of the contact element to grip a male contact member inserted between the contact springs, each of the contact springs comprising a first portion extending from the base and being capable of flexing relative thereto and a second portion which is angled with respect to the first portion and being capable of flexing relative thereto and which is engaged by the male member when the male member is inserted between the contact springs; each said second portion extending in the same general direction from its associated first portion, the first and second portions of the contact springs being so angled and the cross-sectional areas of these portions being so chosen that the second portions are flexed about their junctions with the first portions upon the second portions being engaged by the male member so that the first portions are flexed about their junctions with the base.

Claim 3

A contact element according to claim 1, in which the first portions of the contact springs are parallel, the first portion of the first contact spring being shorter than the first portion of the second contact spring, the second portion of the second contact spring extending substantially at right angles to the first portion of that contact spring, and the second portion of the first contact spring being inclined towards the second portion of the second contact spring.

Claim 4

A contact element according to claim 2, in which the first contact spring has a third portion extending from the end of the second portion remote from the first portion, the third portion being angled with respect to the second portion to cooperate with an inclined surface on the second portion of the second contact spring to provide a guiding mouth for the male member.

Claim 5

A contact element according to claim 1, in which the base extends parallel to the insertion direction of the male member, at least one first post extending from an end of the base, a second post extending from the base in substantial axial alignment with the first portion of the second contact spring.

Claim 6

An electrical contact element, which has been stamped from a single piece of sheet metal stock of uniform thickness so as to be substantially uniplanar, the contact element comprIsing a base member having first and second cantilever contact spring members extending outwardly from one side of said base member in the same direction, said contact spring members being contained in the same plane as said base member and being resiliently movable toward and away from each other in this plane, said contact spring members having first sections extending outwardly from said base member in a substantially parallel manner and second sections extending at an angle with respect to said first sections and in the same general direction and being spaced apart a sufficient distance thereby defining a contact-receiving area therebetween, junctions between said first and second sections and between said first sections and said base member adapted to be flexed when said contact-receiving area receives a contact member therein.

Claim 7

An electrical contact element, which has been stamped from a single piece of sheet metal stock of uniform thickness so as to be substantially uniplanar, the contact element comprIsing a base member having first and second cantilever contact spring members extending outwardly from one side of said base member in the same direction, said contact spring members being contained in the same plane as said base member and being resiliently movable toward and away from each other in this plane, said contact spring members having first sections extending outwardly from said base member in a substantially parallel manner and second sections extending at an angle with respect to said first sections and in the same general direction and being spaced apart a sufficient distance thereby defining a contact-receiving area therebetween, junctions between said first and second sections and between said first sections and said base member adapted to be flexed when said contact-receiving area receives a contact member therein.

Claim 8

An electrical contact element as defined in claim 5 wherein one of said contact spring members is an outer spring member and its second section is disposed substantially at a right angle with respect to its first section while the other of said spring contact members is an inner spring member and its second section is disposed at an acute angle with respect to its first section, and said second section of said inner spring member extends toward but spaced from the second section of said outer spring member.

Claim 9

An electrical contact element as defined in claim 6 wherein said second section of said inner spring member has an outer section defining a free end which is disposed at an acute angle with respect to said second section of said inner spring member and extends in a direction away from said second section of said outer spring member, a free end of said second section of said outer spring member has a chamfered area facing said free end of said second section of said inner spring member, said free ends defining guide means.

Claim 10

An electrical contact element as defined in claim 5 wherein said base member at one end has first and second contact sections extending outwardly from said base member at a right angle with respect to one another and at the other end a third contact section extending in the same direction as said base member.

Claim 11

An electrical contact element as defined in claim 5 where said base member has an extension along a section thereof.

Claim 12

An electrical connector comprising in combination a dielectric housing and an electrical contact element, said housing being substantially rectangular and having a cavity therein, an internal wall provided in said housing dividing said cavity into a base-receiving portion and a contact-receiving portion, a wall of said housing having an opening in communication with said contact-receiving portion, another wall of said housing having another opening in communication with said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions through which said electrical contact element is positioned in said cavity, said another opening and said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions cooperating to form a generally C-shaped cavity, said electrical contact element having a base member disposed in said base-receiving portion and cantilever spring contact members extending outwardly from said base member, said spring contact members having first sections extending substantially parallel to one another and disposed in the bight portion of the C-shaped cavity and second sections disposed at an angle with respect to said first sections, said second sections disposed in said contact-receiving portion and having a contact-engaging area in alignment with said first-mentioned opening, and means provided by said housing and said electrical contact element securing the base member of said contact element in said cavity while permitting free flexing movement of said first and second sections of said spring contact members.

Claim 13

An electrical connector comprising in combination a dielectric housing and an electrical contact element, said housing being substantially rectangular and having a cavity therein, an internal wall provided in said housing dividing said cavity into a base-receiving portion and a contact-receiving portion, a wall of said housing having an opening in communication with said contact-receiving portion, another wall of said housing having another opening in communication with said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions through which said electrical contact element is positioned in said cavity, said another opening and said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions cooperating to form a generally C-shaped cavity, said electrical contact element having a base member disposed in said base-receiving portion and cantilever spring contact members extending outwardly from said base member, said spring contact members having first sections extending substantially parallel to one another and disposed in the bight portion of the C-shaped cavity and second sections disposed at an angle with respect to said first sections, said second sections disposed in said contact-receiving portion and having a contact-engaging area in alignment with said first-mentioned opening, and means provided by said housing and said electrical contact element securing the base member of said contact element in said cavity while permitting free flexing movement of said first and second sections of said spring contact members.

Claim 14

An electrical connector comprising in combination a dielectric housing and an electrical contact element, said housing being substantially rectangular and having a cAvity therein, an internal wall provided in said housing dividing said cavity into a base-receiving portion and a contact-receiving portion, a wall of said housing having an opening in communication with said contact-receiving portion, another wall of said housing having another opening in communication with said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions through which said electrical contact element is positioned in said cavity, said electrical contact element having a base member disposed in said base-receiving portion and cantilever spring contact members extending outwardly from said base member, said spring contact members having first sections extending substantially parallel to one another and second sections disposed at an angle with respect to said first sections, said second sections disposed in said contact-receiving portion and having a contact-engaging area in alignment with said first-mentioned opening, means provided by said housing and said electrical contact element securing said contact element in said cavity, post members extending outwardly from said base member and outwardly beyond said housing through said another opening and a further opening in said first-mentioned wall and spaced apart from said first-mentioned opening therein.

Claim 15

An electrical connector comprising in combination a dielectric housing and an electrical contact element, said housing being substantially rectangular and having a cAvity therein, an internal wall provided in said housing dividing said cavity into a base-receiving portion and a contact-receiving portion, a wall of said housing having an opening in communication with said contact-receiving portion, another wall of said housing having another opening in communication with said base-receiving and contact-receiving portions through which said electrical contact element is positioned in said cavity, said electrical contact element having a base member disposed in said base-receiving portion and cantilever spring contact members extending outwardly from said base member, said spring contact members having first sections extending substantially parallel to one another and second sections disposed at an angle with respect to said first sections, said second sections disposed in said contact-receiving portion and having a contact-engaging area in alignment with said first-mentioned opening, means provided by said housing and said electrical contact element securing said contact element in said cavity, post members extending outwardly from said base member and outwardly beyond said housing through said another opening and a further opening in said first-mentioned wall and spaced apart from said first-mentioned opening therein.

Claim 16

An electrical connector comprising an electrical contact element having first and second cantilever contact springs extending in the same direction from a base and being resiliently deformable to grip a male contact member inserted between the contact springs, the contact element being disposed within a cavity in an insulating housing, said housing being substantially rectangular and having an open first side through which the contact element is insertable into the cavity, the housing having a first aperture in a second side thereof opposite to the first side for receiving the male member, a first post projecting from the contact element and extending from the open side of the housing, and a second post also projecting from the contact element and extending from the housing at right angles to the first post, and a third post extending from the base through a second aperture in the second side of the housing, the second aperture also extending through a third wall of the housing adjacent to the second wall.

Claim 17

An electrical connector comprising an electrical contact element having first and second cantilever contact springs extending in the same direction from a base and being resiliently deformable to grip a male contact member inserted between the contact springs, the contact element being disposed within a cavity in an insulating housing, said housing being substantially rectangular and having an open first side through which the contact element is insertable into the cavity, the housing having a first aperture in a second side thereof opposite to the first side for receiving the male member, a first post projecting from the contact element and extending from the open side of the housing, and a second post also projecting from the contact element and extending from the housing at right angles to the first post, and a third post extending from the base through a second aperture in the second side of the housing, the second aperture also extending through a third wall of the housing adjacent to the second wall.

Claim 18

A connector as set forth in claim 12 further including an internal wall in the housing, said wall extending on the opposite side of the base of the contact element from the said third wall, the base being secured between the internal wall and the third wall.

Claim 19

A connector as set forth in claim 12 wherein the contact element base has an enlarged portion having a boss which engages a sidewall portion of the housing, the enlarged portion further having opposite flat surfaces for locating the contact element in the cavity between the internal wall and the third wall.