Terminal for electrical connector, electrical connector and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12562519-B2
Application number	US-202217994505-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2022
Priority date	Oct 28, 2022
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrical connector includes (a) inserting a first end of an electrically conductive terminal into a compartment of an insulative housing; (b) inserting joining plates of the terminal into a slot of the compartment; and (c) seating the joining plates in the slot such that portions of lateral edges of the joining plates abut slot endwalls and such that opposite surfaces of the slot prevent the joining plates from separating from each other. The seating of the joining plates includes sliding the joining plates into the slot such that slot ledges of the slot abut protrusions extending from a surface of the joining plates. After the seating of the joining plates, the slot ledges and a slot wall exert a compressive force on the joining plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A terminal for an electrical connector, the terminal comprising:
an electrically conductive first finger plate comprising a first joining plate and a plurality of first fingers extending from the first joining plate, the first fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the first joining plate; and an electrically conductive second finger plate comprising a second joining plate and a plurality of second fingers extending from the second joining plate, the second fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the second joining plate, wherein:
the first ends of the first fingers are spaced apart from the first ends of the second fingers,
a total number of the second fingers of the second finger plate is different from a total number of the first fingers of the first finger plate,
a plurality of first engagement portions disposed on a first side of the first joining plate are engaged with a plurality second engagement portions disposed on a second side of the second joining plate such that the first and second joining plates are mated in a fixed position relative to each other, and
a plurality of protrusions extend from a first side of the second joining plate, the plurality of protrusions protruding from a thickness of the second joining plate, the first side of the second joining plate being opposite to the second side of the second joining plate.

2 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein, for at least some of the first fingers, the first end is separated from the second end by an elongated first beam comprising at least one skiving section having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the first beam.

3 . The terminal of claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one skiving section of the first beam is located in a section proximate the first joining plate, and the thickness of the at least one skiving section of the first beam is between 25% and 35% less than the thickness of the remainder of the first beam.

4 . The terminal of claim 2 , wherein, for at least some of the second fingers, the first end is separated from the second end by an elongated second beam comprising at least one skiving section having a thickness less than a thickness of a remainder of the second beam.

5 . The terminal of claim 4 , wherein the at least one skiving section of the second beam is formed of at least one recess facing towards the first finger plate.

6 . The terminal of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least one skiving section of the second beam is located in a section proximate the second joining plate, and the thickness of the at least one skiving section of the second beam is between 25% and 35% less than the thickness of the remainder of the second beam.

7 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
the first engagement portions comprise recesses in the first joining plate, and the second engagement portions comprise protrusions extending from the second joining plate and seated in the recesses in the first joining plate.

8 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein a length of the first finger plate is greater than a length of the second finger plate.

9 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
for at least some of the first fingers, the first end comprises a hook and a tip at a distal end of the hook, for at least some of the second fingers, the first end comprises a tip, and portions of the tips of the first fingers face towards the tips of the second fingers.

10 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the first fingers is between 25% and 30% greater than a thickness of the second fingers.

11 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein:
for at least some of the first fingers, the first end of the first finger has a first contact surface configured to contact a first side of a connector card, and for at least some of the second fingers, the first end of the second finger has a second contact surface configured to contact the first side of the connector card, the first contact surface being different from the second contact surface.

12 . The terminal of claim 11 , wherein, for at least some of the first fingers:
an elongate straight first beam connects the first and second ends of the first finger, and a surface of the first beam is coplanar with a surface of the first joining plate.

13 . The terminal of claim 11 , wherein, for at least some of the second fingers:
an elongate second beam connects the first and second ends of the second finger, and the second beam and the second joining plate are not parallel to each other.

14 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the first and second finger plates are configured to be held together in a insulative housing of the connector without an adhesive and without being fused together by a joining technique.

15 . The terminal of claim 14 , wherein the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate are configured to abut against at least one surface of the housing.

16 . The terminal of claim 14 , wherein the first joining plate comprises shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates in the housing.

17 . The terminal of claim 14 , wherein the second joining plate comprises shoulder portions configured to limit an insertion distance of the first and second joining plates in the housing.

18 . The terminal of claim 1 , wherein the electrical connector further comprises an insulative housing comprising a terminal compartment in which the first and second finger plates are disposed, the compartment comprising a slot sized to fit the first and second joining plates therein such that:
slot endwalls limit an insertion distance of the first and second finger plates into the housing, and slot ledges abut the protrusions extending from the first side of the second joining plate.

19 . The terminal of claim 18 , wherein:
the housing comprises a slot wall parallel to the slot ledges, and the slot ledges and the slot wall exert a compressive force on the first and second joining plates disposed in the slot.

20 . An electrical connector, comprising:
an insulative housing; and a plurality of electrically conductive first terminals disposed in the housing, wherein each of the first terminals comprises:
an electrically conductive first finger plate comprising a first joining plate and a plurality of first fingers extending from the first joining plate, the first fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the first joining plate; and
an electrically conductive second finger plate comprising a second joining plate and a plurality of second fingers extending from the second joining plate, the second fingers comprising first ends spaced apart from each other and second ends connected to the second joining plate,
wherein, for each of the first terminals:
the first ends of the first fingers are spaced apart from the first ends of the second fingers,
a total number of the second fingers of the second finger plate is different from a total number of the first fingers of the first finger plate,
a plurality of first engagement portions disposed on a first side of the first joining plate are engaged with a plurality second engagement portions disposed on a second side of the second joining plate such that the first and second joining plates are mated together in a fixed position relative to each other, and
a plurality of protru

Assignees

• Amphenol Commercial Products Chengdu Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cheng Yanming
• Zou Chao

Classifications

• H01R13/2457

  consisting of at least two resilient arms contacting the same counterpart · CPC title

• H01R12/721 Primary

  cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits · CPC title

• H01R13/2407

  characterized by the resilient means · CPC title

• H01R12/7005

  Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors (for printed circuit boards H05K) · CPC title

• H01R12/57

  surface mounting terminals · CPC title