Disengageable electrical connector

Claim 2

A disengageable electrical connection comprising, first and second insulating housings, said housings having mating faces in abutting relationship, first and second contact cavities extending through said first and second housings respectively, said cavities having rectangular transverse cross-sections, first and second contact terminals in said first and second cavities, said first contact terminal comprising an elongated channel-shaped member having a leading end portion extending beyond said mating face of said first housing and into said second contact cavity in said second housing, said second contact terminal having a resilient contact portion adjacent to said mating face, said resilient contact portion comprising a pair of spaced apart channel sections and three leaf springs connecting the sidewalls and webs of said channel sections, said leaf springs being normally outwardly bowed relative to the planes defined by said webs and sidewalls of said channel sections, said leading end portion of said first contact terminal being in surrounding relationship with said contact portion of said second contact terminal with said channel sections of said second contact terminal in the same orientation as said projecting channel portion of said first terminal, said springs being inwardly flexed, relative to the axis of said second terminal and bearing against internal surface portions of said first terminal.

Claim 3

An electrical contact terminal having resilient contact means extending from a location intermediate the ends thereof to one end of said terminal, said resilient contact means comprising: first and second channel sections each comprising a web and sidewalls, said channel sections being spaced apart and aligned with each other, first, second, and third leaf spring means, said first leaf spring means being integral at its ends with the opposed edges of said webs of said channel sections, said second and third spring means being integral with opposed edges of said sidewalls of said channel sections, said first, second and third leaf spring means being outwardly bowed relative to the planes defined by said webs and sidewalls, said terminal being engageable with a complementary channel shaped terminal having opposed sidewalls.

Claim 4

An electrical contact terminal having resilient contact means extending from a location intermediate the ends thereof to one end of said terminal, said resilient contact means comprising: first and second channel sections each comprising a web and sidewalls, said channel sections being spaced apart and aligned with each other, first, second, and third leaf spring means, said first leaf spring means being integral at its ends with the opposed edges of said webs of said channel sections, said second and third spring means being integral with opposed edges of said sidewalls of said channel sections, said first, second and third leaf spring means being outwardly bowed relative to the planes defined by said webs and sidewalls, said terminal being engageable with a complementary channel shaped terminal having opposed sidewalls.

Claim 5

A multi-contact electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating block having a plurality of contact receiving cavities extending therethrough from the rearward face thereof to the mating face and having electrical contact terminals in each of said cavities, said cavities having a rectangular cross-section, each of said contact terminals having a contact portion at its forward end proximate to said mating face, each said contact portion comprising forward and rearward U-shaped sections and three semi-elliptic spring members extending between said U-shaped sections, the center one of semi-elliptic spring members being substantially against one wall of said cavity thereby to locate said contact terminal against the wall of said cavity which is opposite to said one wall, rib means integral with, and extending centrally from, said opposite wall of said cavity and into said contact terminal, said rib means functioning to center said contact terminal between the two remaining walls of said cavity, said semi-elliptic spring members which are proximate to said remaining walls being spaced from said remaining walls, a channel section extending from said rearward U-shaped section, said channel section having a web disposed proximate to said one cavity wall and having sidewalls disposed proximate to said remaining cavity walls, lance means struck from said web and having a free end in engagement with the rearward end of said rib means thereby to retain said terminal against forward movement in said cavity, and stop means extending from said forward U-shaped section, said stop means being engageable with the forward end of said rib means thereby to retain said terminal against rearward movement in said cavity, each of said terminals being engageable with a channel-shaped terminal extending from a complementary multi-contact connector oriented such that the web of said channel-shaped contact terminal moves between said center spring and said one wall of said cavity and said remaining springs are received between the sidewalls of said channel shaped terminal.

Claim 6

A multi-contact electrical connector of the type comprising an insulating block having a plurality of contact receiving cavities extending therethrough from the rearward face thereof to the mating face and having electrical contact terminals in each of said cavities, said cavities having a rectangular cross-section, each of said contact terminals having a contact portion at its forward end proximate to said mating face, each said contact portion comprising forward and rearward U-shaped sections and three semi-elliptic spring members extending between said U-shaped sections, the center one of semi-elliptic spring members being substantially against one wall of said cavity thereby to locate said contact terminal against the wall of said cavity which is opposite to said one wall, rib means integral with, and extending centrally from, said opposite wall of said cavity and into said contact terminal, said rib means functioning to center said contact terminal between the two remaining walls of said cavity, said semi-elliptic spring members which are proximate to said remaining walls being spaced from said remaining walls, a channel section extending from said rearward U-shaped section, said channel section having a web disposed proximate to said one cavity wall and having sidewalls disposed proximate to said remaining cavity walls, lance means struck from said web and having a free end in engagement with the rearward end of said rib means thereby to retain said terminal against forward movement in said cavity, and stop means extending from said forward U-shaped section, said stop means being engageable with the forward end of said rib means thereby to retain said terminal against rearward movement in said cavity, each of said terminals being engageable with a channel-shaped terminal extending from a complementary multi-contact connector oriented such that the web of said channel-shaped contact terminal moves between said center spring and said one wall of said cavity and said remaining springs are received between the sidewalls of said channel shaped terminal.

Claim 7

A stamped and formed electrical contact terminal which is adapted to be mounted in a cavity in an insulating housing, said terminal comprising: a contact portion having first and second U-shaped sections, said sections beiNg in axial alignment and spaced from each other. contact springs extending between the corresponding sidewalls of, and the webs of, said U-shaped sections, said contact springs being outwardly bowed relative to the axis of said terminal, said springs being integral with the web and sidewalls of one of said U-shaped sections and being integral with at least the sidewalls of the other one of said U-shaped sections, a mounting section integral with, and extending from said second U-shaped contact section, said mounting section having a channel-shaped cross section comprising a web and sidewalls, the width of said mounting section being greater than the width of said U-shaped sections of said contact portions, and stop means comprising inwardly directed ears extending towards each other from said sidewalls of said first U-shaped section and a lance struck from said web of said channel-shaped mounting section, said lance being directed obliquely inwardly and towards said contact portion whereby, said terminal can be mounted in a rectangular cavity having centrally located forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders, said ears being cooperable with said forwardly facing shoulder and said lance being cooperable with said rearwardly facing shoulder to retain said terminal in said cavity, said terminal being engageable with a channel-shaped complementary terminal upon insertion thereof into said cavity.

Claim 8

A stamped and formed electrical contact terminal which is adapted to be mounted in a cavity in an insulating housing, said terminal comprising: a contact portion having first and second U-shaped sections, said sections beiNg in axial alignment and spaced from each other. contact springs extending between the corresponding sidewalls of, and the webs of, said U-shaped sections, said contact springs being outwardly bowed relative to the axis of said terminal, said springs being integral with the web and sidewalls of one of said U-shaped sections and being integral with at least the sidewalls of the other one of said U-shaped sections, a mounting section integral with, and extending from said second U-shaped contact section, said mounting section having a channel-shaped cross section comprising a web and sidewalls, the width of said mounting section being greater than the width of said U-shaped sections of said contact portions, and stop means comprising inwardly directed ears extending towards each other from said sidewalls of said first U-shaped section and a lance struck from said web of said channel-shaped mounting section, said lance being directed obliquely inwardly and towards said contact portion whereby, said terminal can be mounted in a rectangular cavity having centrally located forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders, said ears being cooperable with said forwardly facing shoulder and said lance being cooperable with said rearwardly facing shoulder to retain said terminal in said cavity, said terminal being engageable with a channel-shaped complementary terminal upon insertion thereof into said cavity.