Pin and socket type electrical contact terminals

Claim 2

An electrical contact terminal capable of being housed in an electrical connector member having a retention means, said retention means including a resiliently deflectable retaining finger, said terminal comprising: a stamped and formed cylindrical terminal body and annular collar; said terminal body having an electrical wire fastening means integral with and extending from one end thereof and an axial seam extending axially thereon; said collar being formed from ear means integral with and extending from at least one edge of said terminal body at said axial seam; said collar coaxially encircling said cylindrical terminal body to provide a surface on its trailing edge which extends laterally of the surface of said cylindrical terminal body in close proximity therefrom; said surfaces of said edge and said body forming an angle therebetween which is less than an obtuse angle; and said finger of said retention means capable of engaging said surface of said edge adjacent the vertex of said angle when in an undeflected position to retain said electrical contact terminal within said connector member.

Claim 3

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 1, said cylindrical terminal body having an intermediate region, said ear means extending from said terminal body in said intermediate region to provide said collar encircling said terminal body at said intermediate region.

Claim 4

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 1, said ear means being corrugated to provide said collar with a height above the cylindrical surface of said terminal body which is greater than the thickness of the stock sheet material from which said contact terminal is stamped and formed.

Claim 5

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 1, said surface being swagged at an acute angle to provide an indentation in said trailing edge of said collar with which said retention means engages.

Claim 6

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 1, said ear means extending from said edge over said axial seam and circumferentially around said terminal body, said ear means having an extended end which terminates at said edge from which said ear means extended, said collar means encircling said terminal body to prevent expansion of said axial seam.

Claim 7

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 5 including an opening in said terminal body and a locking tab means integral with and extending from said extended end, said opening being adjacent said edge of said terminal body from which said ear means extends, said locking tab extending inwardly through said opening and retaining said collar around said cylindrical terminal body.

Claim 8

An electrical contact terminal capable of being housed in an electrical connector member having a retention means comprising: a stamped and formed cylindrical terminal body and annular collar; said terminal body having an electrical wire fastening means integral with and extending from one end thereof and an axial seam extending axially thereon; said collar being formed from ear means integral with and extending from at least one edge of said terminal body at said axial seam; said collar coaxially encircling said cylindrical terminal body to provide a surface on its trailing edge which extends laterally of the surface of said cylindrical terminal body and with which said retention means is capable of engaging to retain said electrical contact terminal within said connector member; said cylindrical terminal body having an intermediate region; said ear means extending from said terminal body in said intermediate region to provide said collar encircling said terminal body at said intermediate region; at least one opening in said terminal body; an extended end of said ear means; and said extended end extending inwardly through said opening and retaining said collar around said cylindrical terminal body.

Claim 9

An electrical contact terminal capable of being housed in an electrical connector member having a retention means comprising: a stamped and formed cylindrical terminal body and annular collar; said terminal body having an electrical wire fastening means integral with and extending from one end thereof and an axial seam extending axially thereon; said collar being formed from ear means integral with and extending from at least one edge of said terminal body at said axial seam; said collar coaxially encircling said cylindrical terminal body to provide a surface on its trailing edge which extends laterally of the surface of said cylindrical terminal body and with which said retention means is capable of engaging to retain said electrical contact terminal within said connector member; said cylindrical terminal body having an intermediate region; said ear means extending from said terminal body in said intermediate region to provide said collar encircling said terminal body at said intermediate region; at least one opening in said terminal body; an extended end of said ear means; and said extended end extending inwardly through said opening and retaining said collar around said cylindrical terminal body.

Claim 10

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 7, said ear means being integral with and extending from each of said edges of said terminal body and wrapping around said terminal body away from said axial seam, said opening being in the side of said cylindrical terminal body which is opposite to the side of said axial seam on said terminal body, said extended ends of said ear means meeting at said opening and extending therethrough, said ear means combining to form said collar around said terminal body.

Claim 11

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 8 including an incision in said edge of said terminal body adjacent each edge of said ear means, said ear means terminating at the base of said incisions to be wrapped therefrom around said terminal body, said ear means being circumferentially displaced from said edges to allow their meeting with minimal displacement therebetween to form said axial seam.

Claim 12

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 7 having a pair of said openings and a pair of said ear means, each of said ear means being wrapped circumferentially around said terminal body away from said axial seam, each of said ear means having portions which mate one to the other and overlap in side-by-side relationship on said terminal body, each of said openings adapted to receive correspondingly each said extended end of said ear means, said ear means having said mating portions combining to form said collar around said terminal body.

Claim 13

An improved circumferential collar of a type to be used on a stamped and formed electrical contact terminal having an electrical wire fastening means at one end thereof and having a cylindrical terminal body extending from said wire fastening means, said terminal body having an axially extending seam, said terminal body having said collar thereon to provide a traIling surface extending laterally of the cylindrical surface of said terminal body for cooperation with a retention means in a cavity of an electrical connector member, said improvement comprising: a pair of ear means integral with and extending respectively from a pair of edges of said terminal body at said axial seam in an intermediate region of said terminal body; each said ear means terminating at the base of an incision in said edge of said terminal body which is adjacent each edge of said ear means; said ear means being wrapped from said base of said incisions circumferentially around said terminal body away from said axial seam; and said ear means having extended ends which meet at an opening in the side of said terminal body which is opposite to the side of said axial seam and extend therethrough.

Claim 14

An improved circumferential collar of a type to be used on a stamped and formed electrical contact terminal having an electrical wire fastening means at one end thereof and having a cylindrical terminal body extending from said wire fastening means, said terminal body having an axially extending seam, said terminal body having said collar thereon to provide a traIling surface extending laterally of the cylindrical surface of said terminal body for cooperation with a retention means in a cavity of an electrical connector member, said improvement comprising: a pair of ear means integral with and extending respectively from a pair of edges of said terminal body at said axial seam in an intermediate region of said terminal body; each said ear means terminating at the base of an incision in said edge of said terminal body which is adjacent each edge of said ear means; said ear means being wrapped from said base of said incisions circumferentially around said terminal body away from said axial seam; and said ear means having extended ends which meet at an opening in the side of said terminal body which is opposite to the side of said axial seam and extend therethrough.

Claim 15

A contact terminal as set forth in claim 11, said ear means being corrugated to provide said collar with a height above said cylindrical surface of said terminal body which is greater than the thickness of the stock sheet material from which said contact material is stamped and formed.