Electrical connector

• US 20070259577A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Original Assignee: WAGO Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH (WAGO Holding GmbH)
• Inventors: Stromiedel, Konrad
• Granted Patent: US 7,704,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/886
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/515 Terminal blocks providing connections to wires or cables
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/58 terminals for insertion into holes
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/716 Coupling device provided on the PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/15 Pins, blades or sockets having separate spring member for producing or increasing contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/185 combined with a U-shaped insulation-receiving portion
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48185 adapted for axial insertion of a wire end
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48275 with an opening in the housing for insertion of a release tool
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2416 Means for guiding or retaining wires or cables connected to terminal blocks

Abstract

The invention relates to an electrical connector for connecting a contact pin to an electrical conductor. It is proposed that the insulator housing of the connector provide a connecting space, in which the contact pin and the electrical conductor can be plugged in opposite direction in roughly parallel alignment and overlap by their axial lengths, the conductor being able to move crosswise to its conductor axis within a range of movement permitted by the construction and the leaf springs of the conductor clamp connection pressing the conductor in the direction of the contact pin.

Claims

1. ) An electrical connector,

having an insulator housing, which has plug-in openings on two oppositely-lying sides of the housing, namely, on one side for inserting an electrical contact pin and on the other side for plugging in the insulation-stripped end of at least one electrical conductor,

and, on the pin side, the connector has a pin clamp contact, so that the connector can be plugged onto the contact pin of a circuit board or onto the connecting contact pin of another mating contact,

and, on the conductor side, the connector has a leaf-spring clamp connection with a leaf spring for each electrical conductor to be connected, which extends in the conductor plugging-in direction and oblique to the electrical conductor and, with its leaf spring, firmly clamps the insulation-stripped end of the plugged-in electrical conductor,

wherein the insulator housing of the connector provides a connecting space for each electrical conductor to be connected, into which the contact pin and the electrical conductor can be plugged in adjacent to one another in roughly parallel alignment, the contact pin and the electrical conductor overlapping in their axial lengths,

wherein the contact pin is held in fixed position in the connecting space, whereas the electrical conductor can move crosswise to its conductor axis within a range of movement permitted by the construction,

and wherein the leaf-spring end of the leaf-spring clamp connection is adjacent to the side of the electrical conductor that lies opposite the contact pin, so that the clamping force of the leaf spring presses the electrical conductor in the direction of the contact pin.

2. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the electrical conductor contacts the contact pin directly.

3. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein a contact wall is positioned between the electrical conductor and the contact pin in the region of their mutual axial overlap and this wall guides the electrical conductor in the direction of its conductor axis during the plugging-in operation into the connecting space,

whereby the contact wall can move in the direction of the contact pin, jointly with the electrical conductor, within a range of movement permitted by the construction crosswise to the conductor axis of the electrical conductor, so that the electrical conductor contacts the contact wall directly and the contact wall contacts the contact pin directly.

4. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the connector has two connecting spaces and the contact pin is positioned in the middle between the connecting spaces and serves both connecting spaces as the contact pin.

5. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the head end of the contact pin is held in a positionally precisely fixed position in the insulator housing of the connector by way of a insulator overhang.

6. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the foot end of the contact pin is held in fixed position against the insulator housing of the connector by means of a support formed on the contact pin.

7. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the contact pin has, below its head end, a convexity, the apex of which extends crosswise to the lengthwise axis of the contact pin and which projects in the direction of the electrical conductor to be connected,

and the leaf-spring end of the leaf-spring clamping connection lies against the electrical conductor at roughly the height of the convexity.

8. ) The connector according to claim 1, wherein the leaf-spring clamp connection consists of a U-shaped, bent, two-arm leaf spring, which has a leaf-spring clamp arm and a leaf-spring retaining arm,

and the leaf-spring retaining arm is held in fixed position in the insulator housing of the connector by engaging with the insulator housing.

9. ) An electrical connector comprising:

an insulator housing having oppositely disposed openings;

an electrical contact pin supported from a circuit board and received in one of the openings;

an electrical connector received in the other of the openings;

a leaf spring for each electrical conductor to be connected, which extends oblique to the electrical conductor and firmly clamps the electrical conductor;

wherein the insulator housing of the connector provides a connecting space for each electrical conductor to be connected, into which the contact pin and the electrical conductor can be plugged in adjacent to one another in substantially parallel alignment, the contact pin and the electrical conductor overlapping in their axial lengths;

wherein the contact pin is held in fixed position in the connecting space, whereas the electrical conductor can move transverse to its conductor axis;

and wherein the leaf-spring has an end that is disposed adjacent to the side of the electrical conductor that lies opposite the contact pin, so that the clamping force of the leaf spring presses the electrical conductor in the direction of the contact pin.

10. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the electrical conductor contacts the contact pin directly.

11. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein a contact wall is positioned between the electrical conductor and the contact pin in the region of their mutual axial overlap and this wall guides the electrical conductor in the direction of its conductor axis during the plugging-in operation into the connecting space;

whereby the contact wall can move in the direction of the contact pin, jointly with the electrical conductor, within a range of movement permitted by the construction crosswise to the conductor axis of the electrical conductor, so that the electrical conductor contacts the contact wall directly and the contact wall contacts the contact pin directly.

12. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the connector has two connecting spaces and the contact pin is positioned in the middle between the connecting spaces and serves both connecting spaces as the contact pin.

13. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the head end of the contact pin is held in a positionally precisely fixed position in the insulator housing of the connector by way of a insulator overhang.

14. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the foot end of the contact pin is held in fixed position against the insulator housing of the connector by means of a support formed on the contact pin.

15. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the contact pin has, below its head end, a convexity, the apex of which extends crosswise to the lengthwise axis of the contact pin and which projects in the direction of the electrical conductor to be connected, and the leaf-spring end of the leaf-spring clamping connection lies against the electrical conductor at roughly the height of the convexity.

16. ) The connector according to claim 9 wherein the leaf-spring clamp connection consists of a U-shaped, bent, two-arm leaf spring, which has a leaf-spring clamp arm and a leaf-spring retaining arm, and the leaf-spring retaining arm is held in fixed position in the insulator housing of the connector by engaging with the insulator housing.