LOW PROFILE CONTACT

• US 20090311922A1
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Ltd. (United Kingdom))
• Inventors: WALKER, Robert Wayne, DAMODHARAN, Kasthuri Sankar
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,961 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/862
• CPC Class Codes: B27C 5/10 Portable hand-operated wood-milling machines; Routers
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2457 consisting of at least two resilient arms contacting the same counterpart
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2492 multiple contact points
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/26 Pin or blade contacts for sliding co-operation on one side only for modular jack type connectors H01R24/62
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/306608 End mill [e.g., router, etc.]

Abstract

The invention provides a modular housing assembly system having a first housing assembly and second housing assembly. The first housing assembly has first contacts mounted thereon. The first contacts have elongated contact sections. The second housing assembly has second contacts mounted thereon. Each of the second contacts has more than one resilient contact sections spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of the second contact. As the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly are moved into engagement, at least one resilient contact section of each of the second contacts are positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact sections of the first contacts. This configuration of the first contacts and second contacts allows the first contacts to make electrical engagement with second contacts of housing assembly or second contacts of housing assembly even though the housing assemblies have different configurations which causes the second contacts to be positioned at a different height than second contacts.

Claims

1. A contact system for electrically connecting two assemblies when the assemblies are moved into engagement, the contact system comprising

a first contact provided on a first assembly housing, the first contact having an elongated contact section;

a second contact provided on a second assembly housing, the second contact having more than one resilient contact sections spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of the second contact;

whereby as the first assembly housing and the second assembly housing are moved into engagement, at least one resilient contact section of the second contact is positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact section of the first contact.

2. The contact system as recited in claim 1 wherein the second contact has a first beam portion and a second beam portion, the second beam extends from the first beam at approximately ninety degrees therefrom.

3. The contact system as recited in claim 2 wherein the resilient contact sections are resilient cantilever contact arms that are stamped and formed from the second beam portion.

4. The contact system as recited in claim 3 wherein the resilient contact sections are positioned at different heights along the longitudinal axis of the second beam portion.

5. The contact system as recited in claim 4 wherein a cover is mounted to the first assembly housing, the housing having a slot provided proximate the first contact.

6. The contact system as recited in claim 5 wherein the second beam portion of the second contact is positioned in the slot when the resilient contact arms are positioned in electrical engagement with the first contact.

7. A modular housing assembly system comprising:

a first housing assembly including first contacts, the first contacts having elongated contact sections;

a second housing assembly including second contacts, the second contacts having more than one resilient contact sections spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of the second contacts;

whereby as the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly are moved into engagement, at least one resilient contact section of each of the second contacts are positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact sections of the first contact.

8. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 7 wherein the first housing assembly has a flat contact mounting area on which the first contacts are mounted.

9. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 8 wherein a cover with contact receiving slots is mounted on the contact mounting area, the longitudinal axis of the contact receiving slots are spaced from and slightly offset from the longitudinal axis of the first contacts.

10. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 9 wherein the second contacts have first beam portions and second beam portions, the second beams extend from the first beams at approximately ninety degrees therefrom.

11. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 10 wherein the resilient contact sections are resilient cantilever contact arms which are stamped and formed from the second beam portions.

12. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 11 wherein the first beam portions of the second contacts extend through the contact receiving slots of the cover when the resilient contact sections are positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact sections of the first contacts.

13. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 12 wherein the elongated contact sections are dimensioned to allow the elongated contact sections to make electrical connection to the second contacts even as the first housing assembly is mated to second housing assemblies of different heights.

14. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 12 wherein the resilient contact sections are positioned at different heights along the longitudinal axis of the second beam portions to make electrical connection to the elongated contact sections of the first contacts even as the second housing assembly is mated to first housing assemblies of different heights.

15. A modular housing assembly system comprising:

a first housing assembly including first contacts, the first contacts having elongated contact sections;

a second housing assembly including second contacts, the second contacts having more than one resilient contact sections spaced apart from each other along the longitudinal axis of the second contacts;

at least one resilient contact section of each of the second contacts is positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact section of a respective first contact as the first housing assembly and the second housing assembly are moved into engagement;

whereby the elongated contact sections of the first contacts are dimensioned to allow the elongated contact sections to make electrical connection to respective resilient contact sections of the second contacts even as the first housing assembly is mated to second housing assemblies of different heights.

16. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 15 wherein a cover with contact receiving slots is mounted on the first housing, the longitudinal axis of the contact receiving slots are spaced from and slightly offset from the longitudinal axis of the first contacts.

17. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 16 wherein first portions of the second contacts extend through the contact receiving slots of the cover when the resilient contact sections are positioned in electrical engagement with the elongated contact sections of the first contacts.

18. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 17 wherein the resilient contact sections are resilient cantilever contact arms which are stamped and formed from second portions of the second contacts.

19. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 15 wherein the second contacts have first beam portions and second beam portions, the second beams extend from the first beams at approximately ninety degrees therefrom.

20. The modular housing assembly system as recited in claim 19 wherein the resilient contact sections are resilient cantilever contact arms which are stamped and formed from the second beam portions.