ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING NORMALLY ENGAGED CAMMABLY OPERATED CONTACTS

• US 3,627,929 A
• Filed: 11/20/1969
• Issued: 12/14/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hermanus Petrus Johannes Gilissen, Lucas Gerardus Christianus Teurlings
• Original Assignee: Hermanus Petrus Johannes Gilissen, Lucas Gerardus Christianus Teurlings
• Inventors: Gilissen, Hermanus Petrus Johannes, Teurlings, Lucas Gerardus Christianus
• Primary Examiner(s): Claffy, Kathleen H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Black, Jan S.
• Application Number:
  US04/878,468
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 179/96 200/51.1,51.09 339/183
• US Class Current: 200/51.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7033 making use of elastic extensions of the terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/142 Terminal blocks for distribution frames

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises an insulating housing containing pairs of contact springs, the springs of each pair normally engaging one another. The springs of the pairs can be cammed apart by insulating plugs inserted through holes in the housing to isolate subscribers and to allow line testing by test tabs inserted through further holes in the housing to engage the contact springs.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having a compartment therein, a pair of electrical contact members having sections secured in said housing and spring contact sections disposed in said compartment, said spring contact sections having first, second, third and fourth sections, said first sections extending toward each other, said second sections in normal engagement with each other and defining contact surfaces, said third sections spaced from each other and providing a recess therebetween, said fourth sections defining contact arms provided with bowed contact portions in engagement with walls of said compartment for slidable engagement therewith and thereby maintaining said contact surfaces in biased engagement with each other, said housing having a cover at an entrance to said compartment, said cover having openings in alignment with said bowed contact portions and another opening in alignment with said recess.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein said compartment includes ribs on opposing walls thereof in alignment with said recess, said third sections having lugs thereon for engagement with said ribs to assure that said recess is formed between said third sections.

3. A break jack assembly comprising, in combination, an electrical connector and a plug;

said electrical connector having a dielectric housing and electrical contact members arranged in pairs in opening means of said housing, said contact members having conductor-engaging sections secured in said housing and spring contact sections, contact surfaces of said spring contact sections in normal engagement, camming portions of said spring contact sections adjacent said contact surfaces and spaced from each other defining recesses therebetween said recesses being directed toward entrances of said opening means, contact arms of said spring contact sections extending outwardly from said camming portions and extending in a rearward direction away from said entrance means and toward respective wall means of said opening means, ends of said contact arms in engagement with said wall means and adapted to be slidable therealong;

plug means having a dielectric body and a dielectric plug member extending outwardly from a surface thereof for disposition into one of said recesses of a selected pair of contact members, when said plug means is moved into an operating position with said electrical connector, to electrically separate said contact surfaces of said selected pair of contact members, and electrical terminals provided by said plug means which extend outwardly from said surface in the same direction as said plug member and said terminals elEctrically engaging said ends of said contact arms between said wall means and said contact arms when said plug means is moved into said operating position.

4. A break jack assembly according to claim 3 wherein said terminals are engageable with said ends of said selected pair of contact members before said plug member electrically separates said contact surfaces.

5. A break jack assembly according to claim 3 wherein said contact arms maintain said contact surfaces in normal biased engagement with each other.

6. A break jack assembly according to claim 3 wherein bight means connect said cam portions and said contact arms together and said bight means maintain said ends in biased engagement with said terminals when said plug member is in engagement therewith.

7. A break jack assembly for an automatic telephone exchange main distribution frame, the assembly comprising an insulating housing in which are arranged pairs of contact springs, each contact spring having a terminal for connection to an external electrical lead, contact surfaces of the contact springs of each pair normally engaging one another electrically to connect the terminals of each pair of contact springs, the contact springs of the pair being separable from one another electrically to disconnect the terminals, an insulating plug insertable through a hole in the housing to engage between the contact springs so as to move the contact surfaces of the contact springs apart from one another to thus effect the electrical disconnection, each contact spring also having a contact portion, the insulating plug having a pair of conductive tabs insertable through a pair of holes spaced from the first hole in the housing resiliently to engage the contact portion of the contact springs.