Electrical contact device, electrical contact unit as well as electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10530089-B2
Application number	US-201715460839-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Mar 16, 2016
Publication date	Jan 7, 2020
Grant date	Jan 7, 2020

Abstract

An electrical contact includes a contact body and a contact spring. The contact spring is disposed in the contact body and has a locking arm locking the contact spring in a housing. The locking arm moves in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical contact, comprising:
a contact body; and
a contact spring connected to the contact body and having a locking arm locking the electrical contact in an electrical connector housing, the locking arm having an attached end attached to a contact spring collar of the contact spring and a free end connected to the attached end at a bending point, the attached end extending over the contact body and abutting an edge of a wall of the contact body in an undeformed state of the locking arm, the locking arm moving in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the locking arm is deformed in a direction of an insertion face of the contact when the withdrawal force exceeds the retaining force.

3. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein a deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting a shape of the locking arm.

4. The electrical contact of claim 3 , wherein the deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting a mass distribution of the locking arm in the vertical direction.

5. The electrical contact of claim 4 , wherein the deformability of the locking arm is an elastic deformability or a plastic deformability.

6. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the contact body and the contact spring are integrally formed.

7. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the locking arm is integrally formed with the contact spring.

8. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the locking arm is integrally formed with the contact spring collar of the contact spring.

9. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the attached end abuts the edge of the wall along a longitudinal direction of the locking arm.

10. The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the edge of the wall of the contact body is a body support restricting movement of the attached end in the vertical direction toward the contact body.

11. The electrical contact of claim 10 , wherein a deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting an endpoint of the body support.

12. The electrical contact of claim 11 , wherein the deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting a length of the attached end with respect to a length of the free end.

13. The electrical contact of claim 12 , wherein the attached end and the free end form a bending angle.

14. The electrical contact of claim 13 , wherein the deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting a position of the bending point.

15. The electrical contact of claim 14 , wherein the length of the attached end is calculated by a formula:
L 130= c*L 124, wherein
L 124 is a longitudinal distance of the endpoint of the body support with respect to a connection point between the contact spring and the contact body, and the factor c is equal to or greater than approximately 1.0 to approximately 2.5.

16. The electrical contact of claim 12 , wherein a ratio of the length of the free end to the length of the attached end is approximately 1.05 to approximately 1.5.

17. The electrical contact of claim 12 , wherein the free end has a housing connection section abutting a locking member of the housing in a longitudinal direction of the contact.

18. The electrical contact of claim 17 , wherein the housing connection section has a contact locking member abutting the locking member of the housing in the vertical direction.

19. The electrical contact of claim 12 , wherein the attached end protrudes over the body support.

20. An electrical connector for a cable, comprising:
a housing; and
an electrical contact including a contact body and a contact spring connected to the contact body and having a locking arm locking the electrical contact in the housing, the locking arm having an attached end attached to a contact spring collar of the contact spring and a free end connected to the attached end at a bending point, the attached end extending over the contact body and abutting an edge of a wall of the contact body in an undeformed state of the locking arm, the locking arm moving in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring.

21. A prefabricated cable, comprising:
a cable; and
an electrical contact connected to the cable including a contact body and a contact spring connected to the contact body, the contact spring having a locking arm locking the electrical contact in an electrical connector housing, the locking arm having an attached end attached to a contact spring collar of the contact spring and a free end connected to the attached end at a bending point, the attached end extending over the contact body and abutting an edge of a wall of the contact body in an undeformed state of the locking arm, the locking arm moving in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring.

22. An electrical contact, comprising:
a contact body having a body support; and
a contact spring connected to the contact body and having a locking arm locking the electrical contact in an electrical connector housing, the locking arm having an attached end attached to a contact spring collar of the contact spring and a free end and moving in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring, the attached end and free end are connected at a bending point and form a bending angle, a deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting an endpoint of the body support that abuts the attached end, by adjusting a length of the attached end with respect to a length of the free end, and/or by adjusting a position of the bending point, the length of the attached end is calculated by a formula:
L 130 =c*L 124, wherein

L 124 is a longitudinal distance of the endpoint of the body support with respect to a connection point between the contact spring and the contact body, and the factor c is equal to or greater than approximately 1.0 to approximately 2.5.

23. An electrical contact, comprising:
a contact body having a body support; and
a contact spring connected to the contact body and having a locking arm locking the electrical contact in an electrical connector housing, the locking arm moving in a vertical direction away from the contact body when a withdrawal force acting on the contact spring exceeds a retaining force of the contact spring, the locking arm having an attached end attached to a contact spring collar of the contact spring and protruding over and abutting the body support and a free end connected to the attached end, a deformability of the locking arm is adjusted by adjusting an endpoint of the body support and by adjusting a length of the attached end with respect to a length of the free end.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Raab Stefan
• Goppel Christoph
• Bergmann Christian

Classifications

• H01R13/245

  by stamped-out resilient contact arm · CPC title

• H01R13/114

  co-operating with pins or blades having a square transverse section · CPC title

• H01R13/432 Primary

  by stamped-out resilient tongue snapping behind shoulder in base or case · CPC title

• H01R4/185

  combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion · CPC title

• H01R13/629

  Additional means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts, e.g. aligning or guiding means, levers, gas pressure {electrical locking indicators, manufacturing tolerances (separate tools or apparatus H01R43/26)} · CPC title