Electrical crimp terminal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9853368-B2
Application number	US-201615144984-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

An electrical terminal includes a crimp barrel having an interior side and an exterior side. The interior side of the crimp barrel defines a channel that extends along a longitudinal axis. The crimp barrel is configured to mechanically hold and electrically connect to one or more electrical conductors of an electrical device received in the channel. The crimp barrel includes multiple primary serrations spaced apart along the longitudinal axis. The primary serrations are groove-shaped recesses formed along the interior side. Adjacent primary serrations are separated from one another by a band. The crimp barrel further includes at least one micro-serration on the band. Each micro-serration is a groove-shaped recess formed along the interior side that has a smaller size relative to the primary serrations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical terminal comprising:
a crimp barrel having an interior side and an exterior side, the interior side of the crimp barrel defining a channel that extends along a longitudinal axis, the crimp barrel configured to mechanically hold and electrically connect to one or more electrical conductors of an electrical device received in the channel, the crimp barrel including multiple primary serrations spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, the primary serrations being groove-shaped recesses formed along the interior side, adjacent primary serrations being separated from one another by a band, the crimp barrel further including at least one micro-serration on the band such that the at least one micro-serration on the band is disposed between the adjacent primary serrations, each micro-serration being a groove-shaped recess formed along the interior side that has a smaller size relative to the primary serrations.

2. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein each primary serration has a width along the longitudinal axis that is greater than a width of each micro-serration along the longitudinal axis.

3. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the primary serrations and the at least one micro-serration have respective depths that extend from the interior side of the crimp barrel towards the exterior side, the depths of the primary serrations being greater than the depth of each micro-serration.

4. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein a cross-sectional area of the recess of each micro-serration along the longitudinal axis is less than a cross-sectional area of the recess of each primary serration along the longitudinal axis.

5. The electrical terminal of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the recess of each micro-serration is less than one-fifth of the cross-sectional area of the recess of each primary serration.

6. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the band between adjacent primary serrations includes multiple micro-serrations spaced apart along the longitudinal axis.

7. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the primary serrations and the at least one micro-serration are elongated laterally along the interior side of the crimp barrel to at least partially surround the one or more electrical conductors in the crimp barrel, the primary serrations extending parallel to one another and to the at least one micro-serration.

8. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein each micro-serration on the band extends between and partially defines two adjacent barrel teeth, each barrel tooth having a top surface that faces the channel and two tapered sides extending from corresponding edges of the top surface, the edges of the barrel teeth configured to engage and scrape against the one or more electrical conductors during a crimping operation to form metal-to-metal contacts.

9. The electrical terminal of claim 8 , wherein the top surfaces of the barrel teeth are concave such that the top surface of a respective barrel tooth bows between the edges towards the exterior side.

10. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the primary serrations include two outer primary serrations, each outer primary serration defining a side of a corresponding band on only an inner side of the outer primary serration, the crimp barrel further including at least one micro-serration along the interior side of the crimp barrel on an opposite outer side of each outer primary serration such that micro-serrations are located on both sides of each primary serration.

11. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the crimp barrel extends along the longitudinal axis between a contact end and a device end, the primary serrations and at least one micro-serration are arranged in a serration array that includes first, second, and third primary serrations such that the second primary serration is disposed between the first and third primary serrations, the serration array further including a first group of multiple micro-serrations disposed between the contact end and the first primary serration, a second group of multiple micro-serrations disposed between the first and second primary serrations, a third group of multiple micro-serrations disposed between the second and third primary serrations, and a fourth group of multiple micro-serrations disposed between the third primary serration and the device end.

12. The electrical terminal of claim 1 , wherein the crimp barrel extends along the longitudinal axis between a contact end and a device end, the electrical device received in the channel extending from the device end of the crimp barrel, the electrical terminal further comprising an electrical contact connected to the contact end of the crimp barrel via a transition segment of the electrical terminal.

13. An electrical terminal comprising:
a crimp barrel extending along a longitudinal axis between a contact end and a device end, the crimp barrel having an interior side that defines a channel extending along the longitudinal axis, the crimp barrel configured to mechanically hold and electrically connect to one or more electrical conductors of an electrical device received in the channel, the crimp barrel including multiple primary serrations and multiple micro-serrations in a serration array, the primary serrations and the micro-serrations being groove-shaped recesses formed along the interior side, the micro-serrations having a smaller size relative to the primary serrations, the micro-serrations arranged in groups of at least one micro-serration, the groups of the micro-serrations and the primary serrations arranged in an alternating sequence along the longitudinal axis such that one of the primary serrations is disposed between adjacent groups of micro-serrations and one of the groups of micro-serrations is disposed between adjacent primary serrations.

14. The electrical terminal of claim 13 , wherein each primary serration is bordered on a contact end-side of the primary serration by one group of micro-serrations and on an opposite device end-side by another group of micro-serrations.

15. The electrical terminal of claim 13 , wherein the primary serrations and the groups of micro-serrations are elongated laterally along the interior side of the crimp barrel to at least partially surround the one or more electrical conductors in the crimp barrel, the primary serrations extending parallel to one another and to the micro-serrations.

16. The electrical terminal of claim 13 , wherein each primary serration has a width along the longitudinal axis that is greater than a width of each micro-serration along the longitudinal axis.

17. The electrical terminal of claim 13 , wherein the primary serrations and the micro-serrations have respective depths that extend from the interior side of the crimp barrel towards an exterior side of the crimp barrel opposite the interior side, the depths of the primary serrations being greater than the depths of the micro-serrations.

18. An electrical terminal comprising:
a crimp barrel having an interior side and an exterior side, the interior side of the crimp barrel defining a channel that extends along a longitudinal axis, the crimp barrel configured to mechanically hold and electrically connect to one or more electrical conductors of an electrical device received in the channel, the crimp barrel including multiple primary serrations spaced apart along the longitudinal axis, adjacent primary serrations being separated from one another by a band, the crimp barrel further including at least one micro-serration on the band

Assignees

• Tyco Electronics Corp
• Te Connectivity Corp

Inventors

• Myer John Mark
• Yancey Rodney Timothy
• Bushey John G
• Leight Ricky S

Classifications

• H01R4/188 Primary

  having an uneven wire-receiving surface to improve the contact · CPC title

• H01R4/185

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

• H01R4/184

  comprising a U-shaped wire-receiving portion · CPC title