Contact of a Connector

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025112406-A1
Application number	US-202418979762-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2024
Priority date	Aug 11, 2021
Publication date	Apr 3, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrical contact includes a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end connected to a body of the electrical contact to a beam free end along an insertion direction, and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end connected to the body of the electrical contact to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction. The tab free end is positioned between the beam free end and the beam connected end along the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

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

2 . The electrical 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 a bend in the protection tab.

3 . The electrical contact of claim 2 , wherein the protection tab bends away from a central longitudinal axis extending centrally through the electrical contact between the tab connected end and the guard portion.

4 . The electrical contact of claim 3 , wherein the protection tab bends toward the cantilever beam between the guard portion and the tab free end.

5 . The electrical contact of claim 4 , wherein a portion of the protection tab between the guard portion and the tab free end is approximately parallel to the central longitudinal axis.

6 . The electrical contact of claim 2 , wherein the guard portion is positioned further from a central longitudinal axis extending centrally through the contact than the beam free end.

7 . The electrical contact of claim 6 , wherein the guard portion is positioned in front of the beam free end along the insertion direction.

8 . The electrical contact of claim 2 , 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.

9 . The electrical contact of claim 1 , wherein the protection tab is one of a plurality of protection tabs extending in the direction opposite to the insertion direction, the protection tabs are separated from each other in a width direction perpendicular to the insertion direction.

10 . The electrical contact of claim 9 , wherein the protection tabs extend from an end section of the body, the end section extends circumferentially around a dielectric housing receiving space defined by the electrical contact.

11 . The electrical contact of claim 10 , wherein the protection tabs are separated by a gap in the width direction, a portion of the end section is aligned with the gap along the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

12 . The electrical contact of claim 10 , wherein the cantilever beam is one of a plurality of cantilever beams extending along the insertion direction, the cantilever beams are separated from one another in the width direction.

13 . The electrical contact of claim 12 , wherein the cantilever beams extend from a transition section of the body, the transition section extends circumferentially around the dielectric housing receiving space and is separated from the end section along the insertion direction.

14 . The electrical contact of claim 13 , 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.

15 . The electrical contact of claim 14 , 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 electrical contact than the first end and the second end.

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

17 . An electrical connector, comprising:
an electrical contact including a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end connected to a body of the electrical contact to a beam free end along an insertion direction and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end connected to the body of the electrical contact to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the tab free end is positioned between the beam free end and the beam connected end along the direction opposite to the insertion direction.

18 . The electrical connector of claim 17 , further comprising a dielectric housing disposed within the electrical contact.

19 . The electrical connector of claim 18 , further comprising an inner ferrule disposed around the dielectric housing, the inner ferrule is electrically connected to the electrical contact.

20 . An electrical connector system, comprising:
an electrical connector including an electrical contact having a cantilever beam extending from a beam connected end connected to a body of the electrical contact to a beam free end along an insertion direction and a protection tab extending from a tab connected end connected to the body of the electrical contact to a tab free end in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, the tab free end is positioned between the beam free end and the beam connected end along the direction opposite to the insertion direction; and a mating connector including a mating contact, the mating contact is electrically connected to the electrical contact when the electrical connector is mated with the mating connector, the protection tab prevents the mating contact from contacting the beam free end of the cantilever beam.

Assignees

• Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh
• Te Connectivity Solutions Gmbh

Inventors

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

Classifications

• H01R13/6592

  the conductive member being a shielded cable · CPC title

• H01R13/6591

  Specific features or arrangements of connection of shield to conductive members · CPC title

• H01R13/6582 Primary

  with resilient means for engaging mating connector · CPC title

• H01R13/658

  High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse] {(coaxial coupling devices specially adapted for high frequency H01R24/40; for flat or ribbon cable connectors H01R12/774; for coaxial cable H01R9/05)} · CPC title

• H01R13/648

  Protective earth or shield arrangements on coupling devices {, e.g. anti-static shielding}   (coaxially arranged shields H01R24/38) · CPC title