Electrical contact assembly

• US 4,193,660 A
• Filed: 12/15/1978
• Issued: 03/18/1980
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hubbell, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Harvey Hubbell, Inc. (Hubbell, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jaconette, Frank C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/969,730
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 339/65, 339/66, 339/191, 339/192, 339/176 MP, 339/217 R, 339/258 R, 339/258 P
• US Class Current: 439/752
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/112 forked sockets having two legs
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/64 Means for preventing incorrect coupling

Abstract

A female contact has at least one contact arm with an outwardly diverging tip end for guiding the tip of a male blade inserted into the contact. A contact arm abutment is mounted on a contact chamber sidewall and projects inwardly into the chamber. The abutment is aligned with an elongated contact arm of the female contact and is spaced outwardly from that arm to set the limit of acceptable outward contact arm deflection. A portion of the contact arm extending rearwardly from the diverging tip end is channeled to allow this end to clear the abutment when the contact is inserted longitudinally into the chamber from the rearward end thereof. The abutment limits outward displacement of the contact arm to prevent the overstressing of the arm by an engaging male blade and in a preferred embodiment, is formed as a unitary part of the pocket sidewall.

Claims

1. A female electrical contact assembly having a contact pocket defined by a sidewall, a front end and a rear end, the front end having an opening therein for receiving a male contact, the pocket having a longitudinal axis and housing a female contact including a base member and at least one elongate contact arm having a rearward portion extending from the base member toward the front end of the pocket, the rearward portion of said contact arm being inclined inwardly from the base member toward said longitudinal axis to provide a region wherein electrical contact is made with the male contact inserted into the opening, a frontward portion of said contact arm diverging outwardly from the region to a position rearwardly of the opening for guiding the tip of the male contact into the region, wherein the improvement comprises;

a contact arm abutment mounted on the pocket sidewall and having a part thereof opposite the contact arm and extending inwardly of said frontward portion thereof substantially in said region for restraining outward displacement of said contact arm, said frontward portion of said contact being open to pass said abutment part when the contact arm is inserted into the pocket through the rear end thereof with the frontward contact portion leading the rearward contact portion.

2. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said abutment has a longitudinal cross-section of substantially triangular shape.

3. The assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact arm abutment is a unitary part of the pocket sidewall.

4. The assembly as claimed in claim 3 wherein said abutment comprises, a rib member extending inwardly adjacent said contact arm from a sidewall of the contact pocket.

5. The assembly as claimed in claim 4 wherein a channel is formed in said contact arm adjacent said frontward portion thereof in substantial alignment with said rib member when said contact arm is inserted into the contact pocket, said channel allowing said contact arm to pass said rib member.

6. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein the innermost surface of said rib member extends progressively further inward in a direction from the rear to the front ends of the pocket.

7. The assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the inwardmost part of the rib member is opposite said region of said contact arm.

8. The assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the inwardmost part of said rib member is proximate the male blade opening.

9. The assembly as claimed in claim 6 wherein the inwardmost surface of said abutment follows substantially the contour of the adjacent outer surface of the contact arm.

10. The assembly as claimed in claim 5 wherein said channel extends rearwardly from the frontward portion of said contact arm to a location adjacent said region.

11. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein said channel is formed in one side edge of said contact arm.

12. The assembly as claimed in claim 10 wherein said channel is formed between opposite side edges of said contact arm.

13. The assembly as claimed in claim 5, wherein first and second edges intersect to at least partially define said channel, the first edge lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of one edge of said rib member and spaced therefrom in a direction perpendicular to said longitudinal axis so as to provide clearance to relative movement therebetween, said contact arm having an arcuate surface portion defining said region, the second edge located forwardly at, or rearwardly of said arcuate surface portion and extending laterally from said first edge transverse to said rib member a distance at least equal to the corresponding dimension of said rib member.

14. The assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein said channel is further defined by a third edge, said third edge being substantially parallel and coextensive to said first edge, said second edge extending laterally between said first and third edges, the lateral spacing between said first and third edges being less than the lateral dimension between the opposite edges of said tip which are in substantial alignment with said second edge, said lateral dimension being slightly greater than the corresponding lateral dimension of said rib member.

15. The assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein said first and third edges are substantially parallel to adjacent respective edges of said contact arm and said second edge is substantially perpendicular to said first and third edges.

16. The assembly as claimed in claim 14 wherein said first and third edges terminate at the frontwardmost tip end of said male contact.

17. The assembly as claimed in claim 16, wherein said first and third edges are located substantially equal distances from respective adjacent edges of said tip.

18. The assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein said first and second edges intersect at substantially right angles.

19. The assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein said second and third edges intersect at substantially right angles.

20. The assembly as claimed in claim 13 wherein said first surface is substantially parallel to an adjacent edge of said contact arm.

21. The assembly as claimed in claim 20 wherein said second surface is substantially perpendicular to said edge of said contact arm.

22. A female electrical contact assembly having a contact pocket defined by a sidewall, a front end and a rear end, the front end having an opening therein for receiving a male contact, the pocket housing a female contact including a base member and at least one elongate contact arm having a rearward portion extending from the base member toward the front end of the pocket, the rearward portion of said contact arm being inclined inwardly from the base member to provide a region wherein electrical contact is made with the male contact inserted into the opening, a frontward portion of said contact arm diverging outwardly from the region for guiding the tip of the male contact into the region, wherein the improvement comprises;

a contact arm abutment mounted on the pocket sidewall opposite and adjacent the contact arm and extending inwardly of said frontward portion of said arm for restraining outward displacement of said arm, said frontward portion of said arm being recessed to pass said abutment when the contact arm is inserted into the pocket through the rear end thereof with the frontward contact portion leading the rearward contact portion.

23. The assembly according to claim 22 wherein there are a pair of elongated female contact arms having portions in said region and frontward thereof of substantially identical configuration, said arms mounted in said contact pocket in mutually opposing relationship, and wherein a pair of abutments of substantially identical configurations are formed as integral parts of opposing pocket sidewalls, each of said female contacts having a recess for passing over a part of a corresponding one of said abutments upon insertion of said arms in said pocket.

24. The assembly according to claim 23 wherein the portions of said contact arms immediately frontward of said region are smooth surfaces against which the tip of a contact can slide without interruption into said region.

25. A female contact assembly comprising,

at least two opposing sidewalls composed of an electrical insulating material and providing a cavity having two oppositely disposed ends and a longitudinal axis, one end of said cavity having an aperture to receive a male contact,

an electrically conductive contact mounted in the cavity, said contact having a free tip end thereof adjacent said one end of the cavity, said tip end diverging outwardly of said longitudinal axis for guiding a male contact blade inserted into the aperture at said one end of the cavity,

a portion of one of said sidewalls projecting inwardly from the one sidewall toward said longitudinal axis and spaced from an opposing portion of said contact for defining the permissible outward displacement of said opposing portion of said contact,

said portion of said one sidewall having a width dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity,

said tip end of said contact having a recess with a width dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity which is greater than the width dimension of the one sidewall portion and a length dimension parallel to said axis which is greater than the amount of inward projection of said one sidewall portion opposite said tip end so that said tip end can pass said sidewall portion upon its longitudinal insertion into the cavity from the cavity end opposite said one end of the cavity,

said tip end of said contact extending outwardly of said one sidewall portion both prior to, and with, the male blade being inserted into the cavity.

26. A female contact assembly comprising,

at least two opposing sidewalls composed of an electrical insulating material and providing a cavity having two opposite ends and a longitudinal axis, one end of said cavity having an aperture to receive a male contact,

an electrically conductive contact mounted in the cavity, said contact comprising a pair of elongated contact blades joined together at one end thereof and disposed substantially symmetrically with respect to said longitudinal axis, each of said blades having a free tip at the other end thereof adjacent said one end of the cavity, said tips being spaced apart to define a gap therebetween into which the male contact is inserted and diverging outwardly of said longitudinal axis for guiding the male contact blade inserted into said aperture,

a rib formed on each one of said sidewalls and projecting inwardly thereof toward said longitudinal axis, the ribs positioned opposite one another and each rib being spaced adjacent an opposing portion of one of said contact blades for limiting the outward displacement of its associated contact blade,

each of said ribs having a width dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity,

the tips of each of said contacts having a slot formed therein, each slot having a width dimension perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cavity which is greater than the width dimension of its opposing rib and length dimensions parallel to said axis which is a function of the amount of inward projection of the rib portions opposite said tips whereby said tips can pass by said ribs upon the longitudinal insertion of the contact into the cavity from the cavity end opposite said one end of the cavity.

27. The female contact assembly as claimed in claim 26, wherein a portion of each contact blade is inclined inwardly toward said longitudinal axis substantially from said one end thereof to form a knee region therebetween where electrical contact is established with the male contact, and wherein said tips diverge outwardly from said knee region to a location adjacent the aperture.

28. The female contact assembly as claimed in claim 27 wherein each slot has a length dimension which extends from the tip to the inwardly inclined portion of each blade.