Wire-to-wire connector with integrated wire stop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10468787-B2
Application number	US-201816012116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Jul 7, 2017
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

A system includes a housing and a contact portion. The housing includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion interlocking with the second portion so as to enclose a first volume and form a first wire opening within a first end of the housing and a second wire opening within a second end of the housing. The contact portion is disposed within the first volume and includes a first wire receiving portion, a first flexing beam extending from a first surface of the first wire receiving portion towards a second surface of the first wire receiving portion, a second wire receiving portion, a second flexing beam extending from a first surface of the second wire receiving portion towards a second surface of the second wire receiving portion, and a common wire stop disposed between the first wire receiving portion and the second wire receiving portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A contact portion for a wire-to-wire connector, the contact portion comprising:
a first wire receiving portion, the first wire receiving portion including a first surface and a second surface extending from an end of the first wire receiving portion, the first wire receiving portion further including a first flexing beam extending from the first surface of the first wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the first wire receiving portion;
a second wire receiving portion, the second wire receiving portion including a first surface and a second surface extending from an end of the second wire receiving portion, the second wire receiving portion further including a second flexing beam extending from the first surface of the second wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the second wire receiving portion; and
a common wire stop disposed between the first wire receiving portion and the second wire receiving portion, wherein the common wire stop includes a first wire stop portion and a second wire stop portion, and wherein the first wire stop portion abuts the second wire stop portion at about a central axis of the contact portion.

2. The contact portion of claim 1 , wherein the first and second flexing beams extend from bends in the first surfaces of the first and second wire receiving portions.

3. The contact portion of claim 2 , wherein the first flexing beam includes a first end and the second flexing beam includes a second end, wherein the first and second ends are displaced from the second surfaces of the first and second wire receiving portions, respectively, to form gaps between the first and second ends and the second surfaces.

4. The contact portion of claim 3 , wherein the first surface of the first wire receiving portion is disposed on a first side of the contact portion and the first surface of the second wire receiving portion is disposed on a second side of the contact portion.

5. The contact portion of claim 4 , wherein the first flexing beam extends in a first direction towards the second side of the contact portion, wherein the second flexing beam extends in a second direction towards the first side of the contact portion.

6. The contact portion of claim 4 , wherein the second surfaces of the first and second wire receiving portions each include a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the distal portions have a lesser height than the proximal portions.

7. The contact portion of claim 1 , wherein the common wire stop includes a first wire stop portion and a second wire stop portion, wherein the first wire stop portion extends from the second surface of the first wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the second wire receiving portion and the second wire stop portion extends from the second surface of the second wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the first wire receiving portion, wherein the first wire stop portion is substantially co-planar to the second wire stop portion in a direction substantially parallel to a central axis of the contact portion.

8. The contact portion of claim 1 , wherein the first wire stop portion extends from the second surface of the first wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the second wire receiving portion and the second wire stop portion extends from the second surface of the second wire receiving portion towards the second surface of the first wire receiving portion such that the first and second wire stop portions overlap.

9. The contact portion of claim 1 , further comprising a base portion extending from the end of the first wire receiving portion to the end of the second wire receiving portion, wherein the first and second surfaces of the first and second wire receiving portions are each connected to the base portion and extend in a direction substantially perpendicular to a surface the base portion.

10. The contact portion of claim 9 , wherein the first wire receiving portion comprises a first cover portion, the first cover portion being connected to the second surface of the first wire receiving portion and extending in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the base portion, wherein the second wire receiving portion comprises a second cover portion, the second cover portion being connected to the second surface of the second wire receiving portion and extending in the direction substantially parallel to the surface of the base portion.

11. The contact portion of claim 1 , wherein the first wire stop portion physically contacts the second wire stop.

12. A system comprising:
a housing including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion interlocking with the second portion so as to enclose a first volume and form a first wire opening within a first end of the housing and a second wire opening within a second end of the housing; and
a contact portion disposed within the first volume, the contact portion being constructed of an electrically-conductive material and comprising:
a first wire receiving portion enclosing a second volume extending from the first wire opening;
a first flexing beam extending from a first surface of the first wire receiving portion towards a second surface of the first wire receiving portion; and
a second wire receiving portion enclosing a third volume extending from the second wire opening;
a second flexing beam extending from a first surface of the second wire receiving portion towards a second surface of the second wire receiving portion; and
a common wire stop disposed between the first wire receiving portion and the second wire receiving portion, wherein the common wire stop includes a first wire stop portion and a second wire stop portion, and wherein the first wire stop portion abuts the second wire stop portion at about a central axis of the contact portion.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein there is a first gap between the first wire opening and the second volume enclosed by the first wire receiving portion and a second gap between the second wire opening and the third volume enclosed by the second wire receiving portion.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the first portion of the housing includes:
a first set of latching prongs and a first set of connection cutout portions disposed on a first side of the housing; and
a second set of latching prongs and a second set of connection cutout portions disposed on a second side of the housing, wherein the first sets of latching prongs and connection cutout portions are offset from the second sets of latching prongs by a distance in the lengthwise direction of the housing.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the second portion of the housing includes:
a first set of latching prongs and a first set of connection cutout portions disposed on the first side of the housing; and
a second set of both latching prongs and a second set of connection cutout portions disposed on the second side of the first portion, wherein the first sets of latching prongs and connection cutouts are offset from the second sets of latching prongs by the distance in the lengthwise direction of the housing, wherein the latching prongs of the first portion of the housing are engaged with the connection cutout portions of the second portion of the housing to secure the first portion of the housing to the second portion of the housing.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first and second sets of latching prongs and connection cutout portions of both the first and second portions of the housing include two latching prongs and two connection cutout portions.

Assignees

• Avx Corp

Inventors

• Lybrand Brent

Classifications

• H01R11/22

  End pieces terminating in a spring clip · CPC title

• H01R11/09

  the connecting locations being identical · CPC title

• H01R4/206 Primary

  with transversal grooves or threads · CPC title

• H01R4/646

  for cables or flexible cylindrical bodies · CPC title

• H01R4/5066

  mounted in an insulating housing having a cover providing clamping force · CPC title