Electrical receptacle and connector

Claim 2

In the combination of an electrically insulating housing and an electrically conducting contact retained in said housing and adapted for receipt over an electrically conducting post, the improvement comprising: a receptacle of electrically conducting material adapted to receive an electrically conducting post therein, a first spring means on said receptacle resiliently biasing said electrically conducting posts against one side of said receptacle, second spring means having a latching portion bitingly engaged on said post, said second spring means being capable of resilient deflection to a second position for disengaging said latching portion from said post, said first spring means upon resilient deflection of said second spring means continuing to bias said post against said one side of said receptacle in a direction generally away from said latching portion, thereby allowing removal of said receptacle from said post without further biting engagement of said latching portion on said post, said housing having an apertured portion allowing passage therethrough of said post for receipt of said post in said receptacle, and said housing being relatively movable with respect to said receptacle for forcibly engaging said housing on said second spring means and for resiliently deflecting said second spring means to said second position.

Claim 3

A connector for removable latching engagement over a male electrical terminal, comprising: a housing having a cavity therein for removably receiving a male terminal, an electrically conductive receptacle in the cavity of said housing, the receptacle having an open end for removably receiving a male terminal therein, the receptacle having a resilient spring tab defining a narrow throat area internally of said receptacle for engagement upon a male terminal removably receivable in said receptacle, the receptacle having a resilient leaf spring overlying the open end of said receptacle, the leaf spring having an aperture therein capable of receiving therethrough a male electrical terminal, said leaf spring having a chamfered edge adjacent the aperture thereof, with the chamfered edge capable of being resiliently urged by said resilient leaf spring into latching and biting engagement on a male electrical terminal receivable in the receptacle and through said aperture of the leaf spring, and said housing being movable relative to said receptacle and into engagement against said leaf spring, to resiliently deflect said leaf spring and disengage the chamfered edge thereof from a male electrical terminal removably receivable in said receptacle and to permit removal of a male electrical terminal from said receptacle and said housing without further biting engagement of said chamfered edge against a male electrical terminal removably receivable in said housing.

Claim 4

A connector for removable latching engagement over a male electrical terminal, comprising: a housing having a cavity therein for removably receiving a male terminal, an electrically conductive receptacle in the cavity of said housing, the receptacle having an open end for removably receiving a male terminal therein, the receptacle having a resilient spring tab defining a narrow throat area internally of said receptacle for engagement upon a male terminal removably receivable in said receptacle, the receptacle having a resilient leaf spring overlying the open end of said receptacle, the leaf spring having an aperture therein capable of receiving therethrough a male electrical terminal, said leaf spring having a chamfered edge adjacent the aperture thereof, with the chamfered edge capable of being resiliently urged by said resilient leaf spring into latching and biting engagement on a male electrical terminal receivable in the receptacle and through said aperture of the leaf spring, and said housing being movable relative to said receptacle and into engagement against said leaf spring, to resiliently deflect said leaf spring and disengage the chamfered edge thereof from a male electrical terminal removably receivable in said receptacle and to permit removal of a male electrical terminal from said receptacle and said housing without further biting engagement of said chamfered edge against a male electrical terminal removably receivable in said housing.

Claim 5

The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein, said housing includes a first shoulder portion and an inclined inner wall, said receptacle includes a protruding portion thereof disposed between said first shoulder and said inclined inner wall for limiting relative movement of said housing with respect to said receptacle, said inclined inner wall being movable into engagement on said leaf spring, upon said relative movement of said housing, to resiliently deflect said leaf spring and thereby disengage the chamfered edge of said leaf spring from said male electrical terminal.

Claim 6

The structure as recited in claim 2, wherein, said leaf spring initially is in spaced relationship from said open end of said receptacle, said leaf spring is capable of partial resilient deflection toward the open end of said receptacle to allow the leaf spring to resiliently urge the chamfered edge thereof into biting engagement on a male elEctrical terminal receivable in the open end of said receptacle, and said leaf spring being capable of resilient deflection further beyond said partial resilient deflection, upon said relative movement of said housing into engagement against said leaf spring, to disengage said leaf spring from a male electrical terminal receivable in said receptacle.

Claim 7

A connector capable of removable latching engagement on a male electrical terminal, comprising: a housing of dielectric material, an electrically conducting receptacle in the housing adapted for receipt over a male electrical terminal, the receptacle having an apertured leaf spring receiving therethrough a male electrical terminal for resilient latching engagement of the leaf spring on the male terminal, said housing being relatively movable with respect to the receptacle for engagement of said housing against the leaf spring to deflect the leaf spring and to disengage the leaf spring from the male electrical terminal, permitting removal of the receptacle and the housing from the male electrical terminal.

Claim 8

A connector capable of removable latching engagement on a male electrical terminal, comprising: a housing of dielectric material, an electrically conducting receptacle in the housing adapted for receipt over a male electrical terminal, the receptacle having an apertured leaf spring receiving therethrough a male electrical terminal for resilient latching engagement of the leaf spring on the male terminal, said housing being relatively movable with respect to the receptacle for engagement of said housing against the leaf spring to deflect the leaf spring and to disengage the leaf spring from the male electrical terminal, permitting removal of the receptacle and the housing from the male electrical terminal.

Claim 9

The structure as recited in claim 5, wherein, said receptacle includes a body portion of channel configuration provided with an integral spring tab and further provided with an open end, said leaf spring overlies one side of the channel configuration body portion, an end portion of the leaf spring overlying the open end of the channel configuration body portion, a portion of said spring tab protruding into the channel configuration body portion to define a reduced throat area and the spring tab resiliently engageable upon a male terminal receivable in the open end of the channel configuration body portion, an end of said leaf spring having a chamfered edge adjacent the apertured portion thereof for resilient latching engagement on a male electrical terminal receivable in the open end of the channel configuration body portion, the end of said leaf spring being in spaced relationship from said open end of said channel configuration body portion and capable of being resiliently deflected toward the open end configuration of said channel configuration body portion to disengage the chamfered edge of the apertured portion from the male electrical terminal, said spring tab being maintainable in protruding relationship within the channel configuration body portion to bias the male electrical terminal into said reduced throat area and away from the chamfered edge of the apertured portion, permitting withdrawal of the male electrical terminal from the receptacle without undesired engagement of the male electrical terminal against the chamfered edge of the apertured portion.

Claim 10

The structure as recited in claim 6, wherein, said housing includes an internal wall portion adjacent the end of said leaf spring, the housing being movable relative to said receptacle for engaging the internal wall portion against the end of said leaf spring and for deflecting the leaf spring toward the open end of said channel configuration body portion.