High-current electrical connector with multi-point contact spring

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10230191-B2
Application number	US-201715724682-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 4, 2017
Priority date	Aug 1, 2017
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

A high-current electrical connector includes a female electrical-terminal and a contact-spring. The female electrical-terminal is configured to receive a male electrical-terminal and is formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material. The female electrical-terminal has a first-sidewall and a second-sidewall. The second-sidewall defines a distal-end, a proximal-end, and a medial-zone. The first-sidewall is opposite and parallel to the distal-end of the second-sidewall. The contact-spring is formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material disposed intermediate to the first-sidewall and the second-sidewall. The contact-spring defines a plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams. Each of the opposed-pair contact-beams have a plurality of outer-contact-points and a plurality of inner-contact-points. The plurality of outer-contact-points are in contact with the female electrical-terminal, and the plurality of inner-contact-points contact opposed sides of the male electrical-terminal. Contact is formed between the contact-beam, the female electrical-terminal, and the male electrical-terminal in at least four separate locations.

First claim

We claim:

1. A high-current electrical connector, comprising:
a female electrical-terminal configured to receive a male electrical-terminal, said female electrical-terminal formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material, said female electrical-terminal having a first-sidewall and a second-sidewall connected by a web, said second-sidewall defining a distal-end, a proximal-end, and a medial-zone disposed therebetween, wherein the first-sidewall is opposite and parallel to the distal-end of the second-sidewall, and wherein the female electrical-terminal defines an open distal-end and a channel opposite the web to receive the male electrical-terminal;
a contact-spring formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material disposed intermediate to the first-sidewall and the second-sidewall, said contact-spring defines a plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams, wherein each of the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams have a plurality of outer-contact-points and have a plurality of inner-contact-points, wherein the plurality of outer-contact-points are in electrical and physical contact with the female electrical-terminal, and wherein the plurality of inner-contact-points are in electrical and physical contact with opposed sides of the male electrical-terminal such that a electrical and physical contact is formed between the contact beam, the female electrical-terminal, and the male electrical-terminal in at least four separate locations;
the male electrical-terminal, wherein the male electrical-terminal includes a planar blade-shaped portion formed of an electrically conductive material having two exposed-edges of the planar blade-shaped portion formed of a dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material is integrally formed with a header-wall and a base of a male-connector.

2. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams are characterized as having a sinusoidally shaped cross-section.

3. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the plurality of inner-contact-points and the plurality of outer-contact-points are characterized as having a rounded shape.

4. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the contact-spring further includes a pair of opposing guide-ribs formed in leading-edges of the contact-spring, said pair of opposing guide-ribs configured to engage and align the male electrical-terminal upon insertion into the female electrical-terminal and thereby reduce a transverse-movement of the male electrical-terminal when the male electrical-terminal is in a seated-position.

5. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the contact-spring is characterized as having a U-shape.

6. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the female electrical-terminal further includes a third-sidewall that extends from a medial-edge of the first-sidewall to the medial-zone of the second-sidewall, wherein the third-sidewall is in electrical and physical communication with the medial-zone of the first-sidewall.

7. The high-current electrical connector in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the third-sidewall is joined to the medial-zone of the second-sidewall by a single clinch-rivet.

8. A female terminal assembly, comprising:
a female electrical-terminal formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material, said female electrical-terminal having a first-sidewall and a second-sidewall connected by a web, said second-sidewall defining a distal-end, a proximal-end, and a medial-zone disposed therebetween, wherein the first-sidewall is opposite and parallel to the distal-end of the second-sidewall and wherein the female electrical-terminal defines an open distal-end and a channel opposite the web to receive the male electrical-terminal; and
a contact-spring formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material disposed intermediate to the first-sidewall and the second-sidewall, said contact-spring defines a plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams, wherein each of the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams have a plurality of outer-contact-points and have a plurality of inner-contact-points, wherein the plurality of outer-contact-points are in electrical and physical contact with the female electrical-terminal, and wherein the plurality of inner-contact-points are in electrical and physical contact with opposed sides of a male electrical-terminal such that a electrical and physical contact is formed between the contact beam, the female electrical-terminal, and the male electrical-terminal in at least four separate locations.

9. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams are characterized as having a sinusoidally shaped cross-section.

10. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the plurality of inner-contact-points and the plurality of outer-contact-points are characterized as having a rounded shape.

11. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 8 wherein the contact-spring further includes a pair of opposing guide-ribs formed in leading-edges of the contact-spring, said pair of opposing guide-ribs configured to engage and align the male electrical-terminal upon insertion into the female electrical-terminal and thereby reduce a transverse-movement of the male electrical-terminal when the male electrical-terminal is in a seated-position.

12. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the contact-spring is characterized as having a U-shape.

13. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the female electrical-terminal further includes a third-sidewall that extends from a medial-edge of the first-sidewall to the medial-zone of the second-sidewall, wherein the third-sidewall is in electrical and physical contact with the medial-zone of the first-sidewall.

14. The female terminal assembly in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the third-sidewall is joined to the medial-zone of the second-sidewall by a single clinch-rivet.

15. A contact-spring formed of a single piece of electrically conductive material configured to be disposed within a female electrical-terminal, said contact-spring defines a plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams, wherein each of the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams have a plurality of outer-contact-points and have a plurality of inner-contact-points, wherein the plurality of outer-contact-points are configured to be in electrical and physical contact with the female electrical-terminal, and wherein the plurality of inner-contact-points are configured to be in electrical and physical contact with opposed sides of a male electrical-terminal such that a electrical and physical contact is formed between the contact beam, the female electrical-terminal, and the male electrical-terminal in at least four separate locations, wherein the contact-spring further includes a pair of opposing guide-ribs formed in leading-edges of the contact-spring, said pair of opposing guide-ribs configured to engage and align the male electrical-terminal upon insertion into the female electrical-terminal and thereby reduce a transverse-movement of the male electrical-terminal when the male electrical-terminal is in a seated-position.

16. The contact-spring in accordance with claim 15 , wherein the plurality of opposed-pair contact-beams are characterized as having a sinusoidally shaped cross-section.

17. The contact-spring in accordance wi

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Lui Hoi
• Rainey James M
• Reedy Patrick Joseph

Classifications

• H01R13/187 Primary

  with spring member in the socket · CPC title

• H01R2201/26

  for vehicles · CPC title

• H01R13/28

  Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices {(H01R24/84 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• H01R13/44

  Means for preventing access to live contacts {(making use of a switch actuated by engagement of counterpart H01R13/7036)} · CPC title

• H01R24/66

  with pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall · CPC title