Hermaphroditic terminal

Claim 2

A hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising a one piece member made from thin gauge sheet stock, said connector having a female terminal at one end portion, a male terminal at its other end portion and an intermediate portion which is adapted to be connected to an electrical lead, said female terminal having a base, a pair of wings integral with the base at its sides and with the wings having sections which are bent toward each other to define a slot therebetween which extends longitudinally of the female terminal and a deflectable tongue integral with the base at its forward end and which extends rearwardly of the base and is self-biased toward engagement with the bent over sections of the wings, said male terminal comprising a flat blade having upstanding rib means extending longitudinally thereof for strengthening the blade against bending movement and a tang extending upwardly from the side containing the rib means, one of said blade and tongue having a nib intermediate its ends and the other of said blade and tongue having an aperture intermediate its ends, said male and female terminals being adapted to be connected to a mating terminal, said male terminal being connectable with a mating female terminal by inserting the same between the deflectable tongue and the wing sections and with the tang being received within said slot, said tang insuring that the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal right side up so that the rib means is on the side opposite the tongue whereby the nib will be received in the opening to lock the terminals together.

Claim 3

A hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising a one piece member made of thin gauge sheet stock, said electrical connector having a female terminal at one end portion, a male terminal at its other end portion and an intermediate portion which is adapted to be connected to an electrical lead, said female terminal having a base, a pair of wings having upstanding sections integral with the opposite sides of the base and bent over sections which are bent toward each other to define a slot therebetween which extends longitudinally of the female terminal, and a reversely bent deflectable tongue integral with the base at its forward end and which extends rearwardly of the base and is self-biased toward engagement with the bent over sections of the wings, said tongue being deflectable about its bight portion at the forward end of the base and having an upstruck nib intermediate its ends, said male terminal comprising a flat blade having a pair of indented upstanding spaced ribs extending longitudinally thereof for strengthening the blade against bending movements, an aperture intermediate its ends, laterally extending flanges at its rearward end and a tang adjacent its forward end and extending upwardly from the side of the blade having said ribs, said male and female terminals being adapted to be connected to a mating terminal, said male terminal being connectable with a mating female terminal by inserting the same between the deflectable tongue and the bent over sections of the wing and with the tang being received within said slot, said bent over sections of said wings at their forward ends being upwardly bent to facilitate insertion of the male blade terminal, said tang insuring that the male terminal is inserted right side up so that the ribs are on the side opposite the tongue and whereby the nib on the tongue will be received within the opening to lock the terminals together.

Claim 4

A hermaphroditic electrical connector comprising a one piece member made of thin gauge sheet stock, said electrical connector having a female terminal at one end portion, a male terminal at its other end portion and an intermediate portion which is adapted to be connected to an electrical lead, said female terminal having a base, a pair of wings having upstanding sections integral with the opposite sides of the base and bent over sections which are bent toward each other to define a slot therebetween which extends longitudinally of the female terminal, and a reversely bent deflectable tongue integral with the base at its forward end and which extends rearwardly of the base and is self-biased toward engagement with the bent over sections of the wings, said tongue being deflectable about its bight portion at the forward end of the base and having an upstruck nib intermediate its ends, said male terminal comprising a flat blade having a pair of indented upstanding spaced ribs extending longitudinally thereof for strengthening the blade against bending movements, an aperture intermediate its ends, laterally extending flanges at its rearward end and a tang adjacent its forward end and extending upwardly from the side of the blade having said ribs, said male and female terminals being adapted to be connected to a mating terminal, said male terminal being connectable with a mating female terminal by inserting the same between the deflectable tongue and the bent over sections of the wing and with the tang being received within said slot, said bent over sections of said wings at their forward ends being upwardly bent to facilitate insertion of the male blade terminal, said tang insuring that the male terminal is inserted right side up so that the ribs are on the side opposite the tongue and whereby the nib on the tongue will be received within the opening to lock the terminals together.

Claim 5

An electrical connector comprising a male terminal which is a one piece member made of thin gauge sheet stock and which is adapted to be connected to a female terminal having a base, a pair of wings having upstanding sections integral with the opposite sides of the base and bent over sections which are bent toward each other to define a slot therebetween which extends longitudinally of the female terminal and a reversely bent deflectable tongue integral with the base at its forward end and self-biased toward engagement with the bent over sections of the wings and which has an upstruck nib intermediate its ends, said male terminal comprising a flat blade having a pair of indented upstanding spaced ribs extending longitudinally thereof for strengthening the blade against bending movements, an aperture intermediate its ends, laterally extending flanges at its rearward end and a tang adjacent its forward end and extending upwardly from the side of the blade having said ribs, said male terminal being adapted to be connected with a mating female terminal by inserting the same between the deflectable tongue and the bent over sections of the wing and with the tang being received within said slot, said tang insuring that the male terminal will be inserted right side up so that the ribs are on the side opposite the tongue whereby the nib on the tongue of the mating female terminal will be received within the opening of the male terminal to lock the terminals together when the male terminal is connected to the female terminal.

Claim 6

An electrical connector comprising a male terminal which is a one piece member made of thin gauge sheet stock and which is adapted to be connected to a female terminal having a base, a pair of wings having upstanding sections integral with the opposite sides of the base and bent over sections which are bent toward each other to define a slot therebetween which extends longitudinally of the female terminal and a reversely bent deflectable tongue integral with the base at its forward end and self-biased toward engagement with the bent over sections of the wings and which has an upstruck nib intermediate its ends, said male terminal comprising a flat blade having a pair of indented upstanding spaced ribs extending longitudinally thereof for strengthening the blade against bending movements, an aperture intermediate its ends, laterally extending flanges at its rearward end and a tang adjacent its forward end and extending upwardly from the side of the blade having said ribs, said male terminal being adapted to be connected with a mating female terminal by inserting the same between the deflectable tongue and the bent over sections of the wing and with the tang being received within said slot, said tang insuring that the male terminal will be inserted right side up so that the ribs are on the side opposite the tongue whereby the nib on the tongue of the mating female terminal will be received within the opening of the male terminal to lock the terminals together when the male terminal is connected to the female terminal.