Contact Of A Connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023046887-A1
Application number	US-202117399540-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 11, 2021
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Feb 16, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A contact includes a cantilever beam and a protection tab. The cantilever beam extends from a beam connected end to a beam free end along an insertion direction. The protection tab extends from a tab connected end to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The tab free end is positioned adjacent to the beam free end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A contact, comprising:
a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end to a beam free end along an insertion direction; and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the tab free end is positioned adjacent to the beam free end.

2 . The contact of claim 1 , further comprising a transition section and an end section each extending circumferentially around a dielectric housing receiving space defined by the contact.

3 . The contact of claim 2 , wherein the transition section and the end section are separated from another along the insertion direction.

4 . The contact of claim 3 , wherein the beam connected end is connected to the transition section and the cantilever beam extends away from the transition section along the insertion direction.

5 . The contact of claim 4 , wherein the tab connected end is connected to the end section and the protection tab extends away from the end section in the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

6 . The contact of claim 5 , further comprising a connected beam extending along the insertion direction, the connected beam has a first end connected to the transition section and a second end connected to the end section.

7 . The contact of claim 6 , wherein the connected beam has a connected contact portion between the first end and the second end, the connected contact portion is positioned further from a central longitudinal axis extending centrally through the contact than the first end and the second end.

8 . The contact of claim 1 , wherein the protection tab has a guard portion on an outer surface of the protection tab between the tab connected end and the tab free end, the guard portion is positioned further from a central longitudinal axis extending centrally through the contact than the beam free end.

9 . The contact of claim 8 , wherein the guard portion is formed by a bend in the protection tab between the tab connected end and the tab free end.

10 . The contact of claim 8 , wherein the guard portion is positioned in front of the beam free end along the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

11 . The contact of claim 8 , wherein the cantilever beam has a cantilever contact portion between the beam connected end and the beam free end, the guard portion is positioned closer to the central longitudinal axis than the cantilever contact portion.

12 . The contact of claim 5 , wherein the cantilever beam is one of a plurality of cantilever beams extending along the insertion direction from a top side and a bottom side of transition section.

13 . The contact of claim 12 , wherein the protection tab is one of a plurality of protection tabs extending in the direction opposite to the insertion direction from a top side and a bottom side of the end section.

14 . The contact of claim 13 , wherein the tab free end of at least one of the protection tabs is positioned between a plurality of beam free ends of the cantilever beams along a width axis perpendicular to the insertion direction.

15 . The contact of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of connected beams extending along the insertion direction and each connected between a lateral side of the transition section and a lateral side of the end section.

16 . The contact of claim 1 , wherein the cantilever beam and the protection tab are monolithically formed in a single piece.

17 . A connector, comprising:
a contact having a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end to a beam free end along an insertion direction and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the tab free end is positioned adjacent to the beam free end.

18 . The connector of claim 17 , further comprising a dielectric housing disposed within the contact and an inner ferrule disposed around the dielectric housing, the inner ferrule is electrically connected to the contact.

19 . A connector system, comprising:
a connector including a contact having a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end to a beam free end along an insertion direction and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the tab free end is positioned adjacent to the beam free end; and a mating connector including a mating contact, the mating contact is electrically connected to the contact when the connector is mated with the mating connector.

20 . The connector system of claim 19 , wherein the protection tab prevents the mating contact from contacting the beam free end.

Assignees

• TE Connectivity Services Gmbh
• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh

Inventors

• Swanger Nathan William
• Evans Nicholas Lee
• Schroll Neil Franklin
• Mumper Guenther
• Hall John Wesley
• Jochen Brandt

Classifications

• H01R13/65915

  Twisted pair of conductors surrounded by shield · CPC title

• H01R13/6582 Primary

  with resilient means for engaging mating connector · CPC title

• H01R13/642 Primary

  by position or shape of contact members · CPC title

• H01R13/6592

  the conductive member being a shielded cable · CPC title

• H01R13/64

  Means for preventing incorrect coupling · CPC title