Electrical receptacle terminal

Claim 1

An improved electrical receptacle terminal having a longitudinal body for receiving an electrical pin terminal, spring means secured to the body and extending longitudinally therein and the direction of insertion of the pin terminal and being disposed for urging the pin terminal into contact with a part of the body, the improvement comprising: said body including first and second opposing wall regions, a pair of opposing side walls connecting said first and second opposing wall regions, said body being of generally rectangular configuration in cross section transverse to its longitudinal extent, the forward ends of said first wall region and said pair of side walls being folded in and rearward and said spring means being integrally joined at only one end to said body and comprising a forward extension of said second wall which is also folded in and rearward at said one end of said spring means thereby to cumulatively define a substantially continuous entry aperture at the front of said receptacle body; longitudinal rib means extending inwardly from said first wall region; and the spring means being intermediate said rib means and said second wall region and being split longitudinally from the other end thereof for at least part of its length to bifurcate said spring means and provide first and second relatively independent spring arms, a region of said spring means remote from said one end being normally in engagement with said second wall region prior to insertion of the pin terminal, and said first and second spring arms opposing said longitudinal rib means for receiving the inserted terminal pin therebetween and for independently and cooperatively contacting and urging the terminal pin into contact with the longitudinal rib.