Low resistance, low insertion force electrical connector

• US 20070037456A1
• Filed: 05/11/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: James Burgess
• Original Assignee: James Burgess
• Inventors: Burgess, James
• Granted Patent: US 7,429,199 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/841
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/111 co-operating with pins having a circular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/33 Contact members made of resilient wire

Abstract

A female electrical terminal is comprised of a contact body which is electrically conductive and at least partially bounds an interior volume. The doubly coiled contact spring is disposed in the interior volume. The spring is configured to have a first coil which defines a first helix having a central axis, and the spring is wound so that the central axis defines a second helix.

Claims

1. A female electrical terminal, said terminal comprising:

a contact body, said contact body at least partially bounding an interior volume; and

a contact spring, said contact spring comprising an electrically conductive material which is wound into a first coil so as to define a first helix, said first helix having a central axis;

said contact spring being at least partially disposed within the interior volume in electrical communication with said contact body, said contact spring being wound into a second coil so that the central axis defines a second helix.

2. The electrical terminal of claim 1, further including a retainer which maintains the spring in contact with the contact body.

3. The terminal of claim 2, wherein said retainer comprises a spring member.

4. The terminal of claim 3, wherein said retainer is a coil spring.

5. The terminal of claim 3, wherein said retainer is a leaf spring.

6. The electrical terminal of claim 1, wherein said second helix defines a volume configured to receive a male terminal member.

7. The terminal of claim 1, wherein said contact body is fabricated from a metal.

8. The terminal of claim 1, wherein said contact spring is fabricated from a metal.

9. The terminal of claim 8, wherein said metal is an alloy of copper.

10. The terminal of claim 1, wherein said contact spring is fabricated from a wire having a diameter in the range of 1-5 mil.

11. The terminal of claims 1-10 wherein the first helix defined by said contact spring has a diameter of approximately 0.05 inch.

12. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the contact body is a cylindrical body having a diameter of approximately 0.2 inch.

13. The terminal of claim 1, further including a male pin engageable therewith.

14. The terminal of claim 1, wherein the first coil is a closed coil.

15. An electrical connector comprising:

a contact body having a first end and a second end separated from the first end by a sidewall;

a helical coil spring, said spring coiled into a corkscrew cylindrical sleeve;

said sleeve having an outside diameter and an inside diameter, wherein the corkscrew cylindrical sleeve is disposed within said contact body with the outside diameter of said sleeve in physical contact with the sidewall of said contact body, and the inside diameter of said sleeve being configured and operable to receive and retain a male electrical connector pin in physical contact therewith.

16. An electrical connector comprising:

a contact body, said contact body at least partially bounding an interior volume; and

a contact spring comprising an electrically conductive material which is wound into a first coil so as to define a first helix, said first helix having a central axis, said contact spring being further configured to form a plurality of loops, said loops being defined by the central axis of said spring, said spring being disposed within said interior volume, in electrical communication with said contact body.

17. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein said spring is a unitary member and said plurality of loops form a second helix as defined by said central axis.

18. The electrical connector of claim 16, wherein said spring comprises a plurality of discrete segments, said segments forming a plurality of discrete toroidal loops, each loop being defined by the central axis of a respective segment.