Compact Multi-Contact Plug and Socket

• US 20110263163A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Assembly Electronics Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Assembly Electronics Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Schmidli, John
• Application Number:
  US13/130,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20110263163A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 439/700
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/17 with spring member on the pin
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/20 Coupling parts carrying sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/28 Coupling parts carrying pins, blades or analogous contacts and secured only to wire or cable

Abstract

An electrical connector has a plug (8.08.070) and a socket (9.002). The plug has a plurality of adjacent plug contacts (8.052, 8.054), the contact sections of the plug contacts being staggered axially. The socket (9.002) has the socket contacts (12.064) staggered axially to facilitate a compact transverse dimension of the connector.

Claims

1. An electrical connector having a plurality of adjacent contacts, the contact sections of the contacts being staggered axially to facilitate a compact transverse dimension of the connector.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact blades are flat.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector includes a housing having a plurality of substantially parallel contact supports, at least some of the contact supports having a first contact recess on one side and a second contact arm movement recess on the opposite side, the first contact recess and the second contact arm movement recess being axially staggered.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the base of the first contact recess and the base of the second contact arm movement recess are aligned on or overlap an axially aligned axis.

5. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 1, the socket including a plurality of contact springs corresponding to and cooperatively associated with the contacts, wherein the contact springs are axially staggered to facilitate a compact transverse dimension of the connector.

6. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 5, wherein each contact spring is a substantially U shaped spring, having at least one side of one arm of the U turned to provide a caroming face for engaging a mating plug contact blade.

7. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 1, including a tapered channel to receive a mating plug contact blade.

8. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tapered channel merges with a contact guide having parallel sides to direct the plug contact blade into engagement with the contact spring.

9. A plug comprising an electrical connector having a plurality of adjacent contacts, the contact sections of the contacts being staggered axially to facilitate a compact transverse dimension of the connector, and having long and short plug contact blades the distal ends of which are axially staggered.

10. A plug as claimed in claim 9 having a blade arrangement adapted to connect with a socket.

11. (canceled)

12. (canceled)