Electrical contact and electrical connector using such contact

Claim 2

An electrical connector, comprising: a dielectric housing having front open end compartments; a grounding contact including a base section extending along an inner surface of each said compartment and a grounding terminal extending through a rear wall of said housing, flexible contact members extending outwardly from said base section and along other inner surfaces of said compartments substantially normal to said inner surface, securing means provided by said grounding contact and said housing securing said grounding contact in said compartments; and electrical terminal means in the form of a pair of electrical contacts each including a coupling section having a pair of separated tab contacts and a connection terminal, said tab contacts of each electrical contact extending through the rear wall of said housing and into each respective compartment such that the tab contacts in each compartment are disposed in the same plane and the coupling sections of the contacts extend parallel to each other along the rear wall while the connection terminals extend substantially normal to said coupling sections.

Claim 3

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible contact members are flag shaped.

Claim 4

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said securing means include a lance in said base section disposed in an opening in said housing.

Claim 5

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein said base section includes legs extending through the rear wall and bent therealong.

Claim 6

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said tab contacts are twisted in the same direction relative to the coupling section so that the tab contacts extend normal with respect to the coupling section and parallel with respect to each other.

Claim 7

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the tab contacts of each of the electrical contacts are twisted so as to be oriented opposite to each other and the connection terminals of the electrical contacts extend in the same direction parallel to each other.

Claim 8

An electrical connector, comprising: a shield member including a termination section for termination to a shielding member of an electrical cable; an inner dielectric housing having contact-receiving cavities in which electrical contacts electrically connected to electrical wires of the electrical cable are to be secured, said inner housing being positionable within said shield member, securing means provided by the shield member and the inner housing securing the inner housing within the shield member; and an outer dielectric housing disposed over said shield member including latch members for latching engagement with said shield member to secure said outer housing thereon and another latch member for latching the connector to a matable connector, said outer housing having an opening exposing a section of said shield member for engagement with a ground contact of the matable connector.

Claim 9

An electrical connector, comprising: a shield member including a termination section for termination to a shielding member of an electrical cable; an inner dielectric housing having contact-receiving cavities in which electrical contacts electrically connected to electrical wires of the electrical cable are to be secured, said inner housing being positionable within said shield member, securing means provided by the shield member and the inner housing securing the inner housing within the shield member; and an outer dielectric housing disposed over said shield member including latch members for latching engagement with said shield member to secure said outer housing thereon and another latch member for latching the connector to a matable connector, said outer housing having an opening exposing a section of said shield member for engagement with a ground contact of the matable connector.

Claim 10

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said termination section is a U-shaped member along which the electrical cable extends and a semi-cylindrical ferrule member is disposed within the U-shaped member and clamped therein by the U-shaped member.

Claim 11

An electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein said outer housing has another opening exposing another section of said shield member.

Claim 12

Matable electrical connectors, comprising: a cap connector including a cap housing having at least one compartment, a grounding contact extending along an inner surface of said compartment and including a grounding terminal extending outwardly from said cap housing and a flexible contact member extending along another inner surface of said compartment, spaced electrical contacts having tab contacts extending through a rear wall of said cap housing into said compartment and a connection terminal extending outwardly from said cap housing; a plug connector including a shield member having a termination section for termination onto an electrical cable, an inner housing disposed in said shield member and having contact-receiving cavities in which receptacle contacts connectable to electrical wires of the electrical cable are to be disposed, an outer housing secured onto said shield member including an opening exposing a section of the shield member, and a latch member on said outer housing latchable with said cap housing when said plug connector is positioned within said compartment with said receptacle contact electrically engaged with said tab contacts and said flexible contact member electrically engaged with said section of said shield member.

Claim 13

Matable electrical connectors, comprising: a cap connector including a cap housing having at least one compartment, a grounding contact extending along an inner surface of said compartment and including a grounding terminal extending outwardly from said cap housing and a flexible contact member extending along another inner surface of said compartment, spaced electrical contacts having tab contacts extending through a rear wall of said cap housing into said compartment and a connection terminal extending outwardly from said cap housing; a plug connector including a shield member having a termination section for termination onto an electrical cable, an inner housing disposed in said shield member and having contact-receiving cavities in which receptacle contacts connectable to electrical wires of the electrical cable are to be disposed, an outer housing secured onto said shield member including an opening exposing a section of the shield member, and a latch member on said outer housing latchable with said cap housing when said plug connector is positioned within said compartment with said receptacle contact electrically engaged with said tab contacts and said flexible contact member electrically engaged with said section of said shield member.

Claim 14

Matable electrical connectors as claimed in claim 10, wherein said cap housing has another compartment, each of said electrical contacts having a coupling section including another tab contact extending through the rear wall of the cap housing and into the other compartment, the coupling sections extending parallel to each other along the rear wall and the tab contacts being disposed in the same plane, each coupling section having the connection terminal extending normally therefrom.

Claim 15

An electrical contact comprising a planar coupling section having tab-contacts at either end, said tab contacts being twisted and bent to a perpendicular position with respect to said coupling section and substantially planar to each other, and said coupling section having an integral connection terminal midway between said tab contacts.

Claim 16

An electrical contact comprising a planar coupling section having tab-contacts at either end, said tab contacts being twisted and bent to a perpendicular position with respect to said coupling section and substantially planar to each other, and said coupling section having an integral connection terminal midway between said tab contacts.

Claim 17

An electrical contact as in claim 12, wherein said connection terminal is bent so as to be perpendicular to the plane of said coupling section.