Retention system for electrical contacts

Claim 2

An electrical connector member comprising: a body of insulation material having a passage extending from a front face to a rear face thereof: an electrical contact member in said passage insertable from the rear of said body, said contact member embodying a flattened body section having an opening therein defining forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a laterally movable contact retention element fixed with respect to said body against axial shifting, said element extending forwardly and inwardly from the wall of said passage to a forward free end, said free end embodying stop means receivable in said opening and cooperating with said forwardly and rearwardly facing edges to limit axial movement of said contact member in said passage, said element having an inner rearwardly facing inclined surface between said wall and said free end; and the wall of said passage being spaced from said contact member between said retention element and said rear face of said body to provide a clearance space opening at said rear face for the insertion of a tool from the rear in a forward direction to deflect said retention element laterally outwardly to retract said stop means from said opening and thereby permit withdrawal of said contact member rearwardly from said passage, said contact member being devoid of any obstruction in said clearance space.

Claim 3

An electrical connector member As set forth in claim 1 wherein there are provided a pair of said contact retention elements positioned on opposite sides of said flattened body section, said stop means on the forward free ends of said elements being both receivable in said opening.

Claim 4

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said contact member embodies a contacting section forward of said flattened body section and a tail section rearward of said flattened body section; and said tail section extends beyond the rear of said body and is formed as a wire wrap tail.

Claim 5

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said contact member is either a flat tuning fork-type contact or a flat pin-type contact.

Claim 6

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said opening in said contact member has a rectangular configuration; and said stop means on said forward free end of said retention element comprises a rectangular projection having a configuration complementary to that of said opening.

Claim 7

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 1 wherein: said contact retention element is integral with said body.

Claim 8

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 6 wherein there are provided a pair of said contact retention elements on opposite sides of said passages, said stop means on the forward free ends of said elements being both receivable in said opening.

Claim 9

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 7 wherein: said inner surface of each said retention element forms a continuation of the wall of said passage.

Claim 10

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 1 including: an insulator member forward of and fixed with respect to said body; said insulator member having a cavity therein aligned with said passage and opening adjacent thereto; said contact member being a flat tuning fork-type contact; and said cavity having a rectangular cross section complementary to the configuration of said contact member for slidably and nonrotatably receiving said contact member.

Claim 11

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 9 wherein: a relatively small passage is formed in said insulator member extending from said cavity to the front face of said insulator member defining an inwardly extending flange extending over a portion of the forward end of said contact member.

Claim 12

An electrical connector member comprising: a body of insulation material having a passage extending from a front face to a rear face thereof; an electrical contact member in said passage insertable from the rear of said body, said contact member embodying a flattened body section having an opening therein defining forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a laterally movable contact retention element fixed with respect to said body against axial shifting, said element extending forwardly and inwardly from the wall of said passage to a forward free end, said free end embodying stop means receivable in said opening and cooperating with said forwardly and rearwardly facing edges to limit axial movement of said contact member in said passage; said contact member is a flat tuning fork-type contact having a pair of spaced forwardly extending contact legs terminating in inwardly extending projections; and said retention element has a width greater than the maximum distance between said legs whereby upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passage said legs will slide freely past said retention element until said opening comes into registry with said stop means on said forward free end of said retention element.

Claim 13

An electrical connector member comprising: a body of insulation material having a passage extending from a front face to a rear face thereof; an electrical contact member in said passage insertable from the rear of said body, said contact member embodying a flattened body section having an opening therein defining forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a laterally movable contact retention element fixed with respect to said body against axial shifting, said element extending forwardly and inwardly from the wall of said passage to a forward free end, said free end embodying stop means receivable in said opening and cooperating with said forwardly and rearwardly facing edges to limit axial movement of said contact member in said passage; said contact member is a flat tuning fork-type contact having a pair of spaced forwardly extending contact legs terminating in inwardly extending projections; and said retention element has a width greater than the maximum distance between said legs whereby upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passage said legs will slide freely past said retention element until said opening comes into registry with said stop means on said forward free end of said retention element.

Claim 14

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 11 wherein: said inwardly extending projections on said legs are chamfered to facilitate movement of said contact member past said retention element.

Claim 15

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 11 wherein: said contact member embodies a rearwardly extendiNg wire wrap tail extending beyond the rear face of said body.

Claim 16

An electrical connector member comprising: front and rear insulator members having aligned passages therethrough extending from a front face of the front insulator member to a rear face of the rear insulator member; a flat tuning-fork type contact member positioned in said passages insertable from the rear of said rear insulator member, said contact member having a generally rectangular shaped opening therein, a forwarding extending contacting section and a rearwardly extending tail section extending beyond the rear face of said rear insulator member, said opening providing forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a pair of contact retention elements integral with said rear insulator and extending forwardly and inwardly from opposite sides of the wall of the passage in said rear insulator to forward free ends, said forward free ends being formed with rectangular projections extending toward each other, each said projection having a configuration complementary to that of said opening in said contact member so as to be receivable in said opening, each said projection providing forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders thereon, each said element having an inner rearwardly facing inclined surface between said wall and said projection; said retention elements being resiliently laterally expandable to permit said contacting section to move past said projections upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages, said projections contracting into said opening in said contact member whereby said forwardly facing shoulders on said projections and rearwardly facing edge cooperate to limit rearward movement of said contact member in said passages and said rearwardly facing shoulders on said projections and forwardly facing edge cooperate to limit forward movement of said contact member in said passages; and the wall of said passage being spaced from said contact member between said retention elements and said rear face of said body to provide a clearance space opening at said rear face for the insertion of a tool from the rear in a forward direction to deflect said retention elements laterally outwardly to retract said projections from said opening and thereby permit withdrawal of said contact member rearwardly from said passage, said contact member being devoid of any obstruction in said clearance space.

Claim 17

An electrical connector member comprising: front and rear insulator members having aligned passages therethrough extending from a front face of the front insulator member to a rear face of the rear insulator member; a flat tuning-fork type contact member positioned in said passages insertable from the rear of said rear insulator member, said contact member having a generally rectangular shaped opening therein, a forwarding extending contacting section and a rearwardly extending tail section extending beyond the rear face of said rear insulator member, said opening providing forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a pair of contact retention elements integral with said rear insulator and extending forwardly and inwardly from opposite sides of the wall of the passage in said rear insulator to forward free ends, said forward free ends being formed with rectangular projections extending toward each other, each said projection having a configuration complementary to that of said opening in said contact member so as to be receivable in said opening, each said projection providing forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders thereon, each said element having an inner rearwardly facing inclined surface between said wall and said projection; said retention elements being resiliently laterally expandable to permit said contacting section to move past said projections upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages, said projections contracting into said opening in said contact member whereby said forwardly facing shoulders on said projections and rearwardly facing edge cooperate to limit rearward movement of said contact member in said passages and said rearwardly facing shoulders on said projections and forwardly facing edge cooperate to limit forward movement of said contact member in said passages; and the wall of said passage being spaced from said contact member between said retention elements and said rear face of said body to provide a clearance space opening at said rear face for the insertion of a tool from the rear in a forward direction to deflect said retention elements laterally outwardly to retract said projections from said opening and thereby permit withdrawal of said contact member rearwardly from said passage, said contact member being devoid of any obstruction in said clearance space.

Claim 18

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 14 wherein: said passage in said front insulator member includes a section having a rectangular cross section complementary to the configuration of the contacting section of said contact member for slidably and nonrotatably receiving said contacting section.

Claim 19

An electrical connector member as set forth in claim 14 wherein: said tail section of said contact member is a flat sided wire wrap tail.

Claim 20

An electrical connector member comprising: front and rear insulator members having aligned passages therethrough extending from a front face of the front insulator member to a rear face of the rear insulator member; a flat tuning-fork type contact member positioned in said passages insertable from the rear of said rear insulator member, said contact member having a generally rectangular shaped opening therein, a forwarding extending contacting section and a rearwardly extending tail section extending beyond the rear face of said rear insulator member, said opening providing forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a pair of contact retention elements integral with said rear insulator and extending forwardly and inwardly from opposite sides of the wall of the passage in said rear insulator to forward free ends, said forward free ends being formed with rectangular projections extending toward each other, each said projection having a configuration complementary to that of said opening in said contact member so as to be receivable in said opening, each said projection providing forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders thereon; said retention elements being resiliently laterally expandable to permit said contacting section to move past said projections upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages, said projections contracting into said opening in said contact member whereby said forwardly facing shoulders on said projections and rearwardly facing edge cooperate to limit rearward movement of said contact member in said passages and said rearwardly facing shoulders on said projections and forwardly facing edge cooperate to limit forward movement of said contact member in said passages; said contacting section of said contact member includes a pair of spaced forwardly extending contact legs; and the projections on said retention elements each have a width greater than the distance between said legs whereby upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages said legs will slide freely past said projections until said opening comes into registry with said projections.

Claim 21

An electrical connector member comprising: front and rear insulator members having aligned passages therethrough extending from a front face of the front insulator member to a rear face of the rear insulator member; a flat tuning-fork type contact member positioned in said passages insertable from the rear of said rear insulator member, said contact member having a generally rectangular shaped opening therein, a forwarding extending contacting section and a rearwardly extending tail section extending beyond the rear face of said rear insulator member, said opening providing forwardly and rearwardly facing edges; a pair of contact retention elements integral with said rear insulator and extending forwardly and inwardly from opposite sides of the wall of the passage in said rear insulator to forward free ends, said forward free ends being formed with rectangular projections extending toward each other, each said projection having a configuration complementary to that of said opening in said contact member so as to be receivable in said opening, each said projection providing forwardly and rearwardly facing shoulders thereon; said retention elements being resiliently laterally expandable to permit said contacting section to move past said projections upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages, said projections contracting into said opening in said contact member whereby said forwardly facing shoulders on said projections and rearwardly facing edge cooperate to limit rearward movement of said contact member in said passages and said rearwardly facing shoulders on said projections and forwardly facing edge cooperate to limit forward movement of said contact member in said passages; said contacting section of said contact member includes a pair of spaced forwardly extending contact legs; and the projections on said retention elements each have a width greater than the distance between said legs whereby upon forward insertion of said contact member into said passages said legs will slide freely past said projections until said opening comes into registry with said projections.