Coaxial electrical connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11469557-B2
Application number	US-202016940619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2020
Priority date	Jul 28, 2020
Publication date	Oct 11, 2022
Grant date	Oct 11, 2022

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a terminal having a first surface defining a plurality of ridges protruding from the first surface. A first ridge in the plurality of ridges has a different height above the first surface than a second ridge in the plurality of ridges. The plurality of ridges is configured to provide a plurality of electrical contact points between the terminal and a corresponding mating terminal. A method of manufacturing the electrical connector includes the steps of providing a terminal preform formed of sheet metal having the first surface and forming the plurality of ridges which protrude from the first surface.

First claim

We claim:

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a terminal having a first surface defining a plurality of ridges protruding from the first surface, wherein a first ridge in the plurality of ridges has a first height above the first surface and is configured to provide a first electrical contact point between the terminal and a corresponding mating terminal, wherein a second ridge in the plurality of ridges has a second height above the first surface that is lower than the first height, wherein the second ridge in the plurality of ridges is configured to provide a second electrical contact point between the terminal and the corresponding mating terminal after the first electrical contact point is degraded by fretting, wherein the first surface defines a plurality of indentations recessed below the first surface, wherein the plurality of ridges is arranged on perimeters of the plurality of indentations, and wherein the plurality of ridges is formed by material displaced from the plurality of indentations.

2. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 , wherein there is an air gap of less than 0.1 mm between the terminal and the corresponding mating terminal when the terminal is received within the corresponding mating terminal.

3. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface is curved.

4. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the first surface does not define an aperture extending therethrough.

5. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the first surface is an outer surface.

6. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 5 , wherein the terminal is an inner shield terminal, wherein the first surface defines an outer surface of the inner shield terminal, and wherein the corresponding mating terminal is an outer shield terminal having an inner surface and configured to receive the inner shield terminal within.

7. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 6 , wherein at least a portion of the plurality of ridges are in an interface fit with the inner surface when the inner shield terminal is disposed within the outer shield terminal.

8. The electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the second ridge in the plurality of ridges is configured to provide the second electrical contact point between the terminal and the corresponding mating terminal only after the first ridge in the plurality of ridges providing the first electrical contact point is degraded by fretting.

9. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
a terminal having a first surface defining a plurality of ridges protruding from the first surface, wherein a first ridge in the plurality of ridges has a first height above the first surface and is configured to provide a first electrical contact point between the terminal and a corresponding mating terminal, wherein a second ridge in the plurality of ridges has a second height above the first surface that is lower than the first height, wherein the second ridge in the plurality of ridges is configured to provide a second electrical contact point between the terminal and the corresponding mating terminal after the first electrical contact point is degraded by fretting, wherein the first surface defines a slit extending longitudinally along a length of the first surface, wherein the slit has a width of less than 0.1 mm when the terminal is inserted within the corresponding mating terminal, and wherein the first surface is configured to exert a spring force against an inner surface of the corresponding mating terminal.

10. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector assembly, comprising the steps of:
providing a terminal preform formed of sheet metal, said terminal preform having a first surface;
forming a plurality of ridges in the first surface which protrude from the first surface, wherein a first ridge in the plurality of ridges has a first height above the first surface and a second ridge in the plurality of ridges has a second height above the first surface that is lower than the first height;
forming a plurality of indentations in the first surface that are recessed below the first surface;
arranging the plurality of ridges on perimeters of the plurality of indentations, wherein the plurality of ridges is formed by material of the terminal preform displaced from the plurality of indentations by a knurling process;
providing a first electrical contact point between the terminal and a corresponding mating terminal via the first ridge in the plurality of ridges; and
providing a second electrical contact point between the terminal and a corresponding mating terminal via the second ridge in the plurality of ridges after the first electrical contact point is degraded by fretting.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the plurality of ridges and the plurality of indentations are simultaneously formed by the knurling process.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
arranging the plurality of ridges between the first surface and the plurality of indentations.

13. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the step of:
bending the terminal preform such that the first surface has a generally cylindrical shape.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising the step of:
bending the terminal preform such that edges of the first surface define a slit extending longitudinally along a length of the first surface.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the second ridge in the plurality of ridges is configured to provide the second electrical contact point between the terminal and the corresponding mating terminal only after the first electrical contact point between the provided by the first ridge in the plurality of ridges terminal is degraded by fretting.

Assignees

• Aptiv Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Morello John R
• Rainey James M

Classifications

• H01R2103/00

  Two poles · CPC title

• H01R24/40 Primary

  specially adapted for high frequency · CPC title

• H01R9/05 Primary

  for coaxial cables · CPC title

• H01R24/56 Primary

  specially adapted to a specific shape of cables, e.g. corrugated cables, twisted pair cables, cables with two screens or hollow cables · CPC title

• H01R13/6581

  Shield structure · CPC title