Connector having means for positively seating contacts

• US 4,544,220 A
• Filed: 12/28/1983
• Issued: 10/01/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMP Limited
• Original Assignee: AMP Limited
• Inventors: Poleshuk, Robert J., Moist, Stanford C. Jr., Aiello, Richard E., Wildman, Timothy C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidenfeld, Gil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin, Paula A.
• Application Number:
  US06/566,233
• Time in Patent Office: 643 Days
• Field of Search: 339/59, 339/63 M, 339/217 S
• US Class Current: 439/594
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/424 Securing in base or case composed of a plurality of insulating parts having at least one resilient insulating part

Abstract

Electrical connector assembly comprises a housing having a plurality of cavities therethrough and a retainer having a like plurality of cavities therethrough, said housing and retainer being latchably matable so that said cavities and passages are coaxially aligned. Retainer has contact engaging means formed as sets of spring fingers radially arranged about respective passages and extending from the forward face of the retainer to distal ends of the fingers. Each set of fingers defines a first diameter at said forward face and a second smaller diameter toward said sital ends, the fingers spreading apart resiliently as a contact inserted through the passage reaches the smaller diameter, the fingers returning so that the distal ends engage a shoulder on the contact when same is fully inserted. The fingers and cavities are profiled so that the distal ends will stub against the rearward face of the housing rather than entering cavities when the fingers are spread apart, thereby precluding mating of the housing and retainer when contacts are not fully seated.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a housing having a forward face and a rearward face, said forward face being constructed for mated connection with a complementary housing of another connector assembly, a plurality of cavities extending between said forward face and said rearward face;

a retainer having a forward face and a rearward face, said retainer having projecting from the forward face thereof a plurality of contact engaging means arranged for entry in respective cavities at the rearward face of said housing, each engaging means comprising a plurality of resilient contact engaging fingers situated radially about a passage which extends from the rearward end of said retainer to the distal ends of said fingers each resilient finger being sufficiently expandable to stub the rearward face of said housing adjacent a corresponding housing cavity, each said passage having a first diameter at said forward face and a second more restricted diameter toward the distal ends of said fingers;

a plurality of elongate contacts each having a mating portion at one end, a wire connecting portion at the other end, and a bearing portion therebetween, said bearing portion being bounded by the mating portion at a shoulder facing away from said one end, said mating portion being smaller than said first diameter, said bearing portion having a diameter equal to or smaller than said first diameter but larger than said second diameter, the diameter of the bearing portion being sufficient to engage the resilient fingers and expand the resilient fingers to stub the rearward face of said housing adjacent a corresponding housing cavity, whereby,

upon moving one of said contacts through one of said passages from the rearward face of the retainer, said bearing portion will urge said resilient fingers apart as it approaches the distal ends thereof, said fingers at this stage precluding entry of said engaging means into a respective cavity at the rear face of said housing, and upon moving said contacts further through said passage until said bearing portion passes the distal ends of the fingers, said ends will return resilient to engage said shoulder, whereby said forward face of said retainer cannot be mated against said rearward face of said housing unless contacts in passages are fully inserted, and said contact cannot back out when fully inserted.

2. An electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein

said retainer further comprises a restriction in said passage between said forward face and said distal ends, said restriction necking said passage down between said first diameter and said second diameter,

said contact further comprising a seating portion adjacent said bearing portion opposite said mating portion, said seating portion being bounded by said shoulder facing away from said one end and an opposed shoulder facing said end, said opposed shoulder being positioned to bear against said restriction when said distal ends engage said shoulder, whereby,

said distal ends prevent back-up of said contact while said restriction prevents over-insertion, said contacts thus being positively positioned.

3. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a housing having a plurality of cavities extending therethrough;

a retainer having a plurality of resilient fingers, each insertable into corresponding housing cavities, each resilient finger being sufficiently expandable to stub the housing adjacent the corresponding cavity, preventing insertion therein;

a plurality of elongate contacts, each contact being insertable through corresponding resilient fingers, each contact having a mating portion, a wire connecting portion and a bearing portion therebetween, the bearing portion defining a shoulder engagable with the resilient fingers upon insertion therethrough, the resilient fingers retaining the contacts against removal, for insertion of the contacts and resilient fingers into corresponding housing cavities;

the diameter of the bearing portion being sufficient to engage and expand the resilient fingers to stub the housing adjacent a corresponding housing cavity preventing insertion therein;

whereby

the resilient fingers prevent mating between the housing and the retainer unless the contacts are secured against removal from the retainer.