Electrical connector assembly

• US 4,657,327 A
• Filed: 01/03/1986
• Issued: 04/14/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/1982
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neutrik AG (Neutrik USA Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Neutrik AG (Neutrik USA Inc.)
• Inventors: Weingartner, Bernhard
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidenfeld, Gil
• Assistant Examiner(s): Austin, Paula A.
• Application Number:
  US06/817,081
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 339/48, 339/49 R, 339/49 B, 339/59 R, 339/59 M, 339/61 R, 339/61 M, 339/76, 339/176
• US Class Current: 439/289
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/28 Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices H01R24/84 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/562 Bending-relieving
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/59 Threaded ferrule or bolt operating in a direction parallel to the cable or wire

Abstract

A first and a second connector member adapted to be plugged together to establish an electrical connection therebetween are each formed to include a housing member, a contact element carrier made of electrically insulating material mounted within the housing, and elongate contact elements mounted in the carrier and adapted to be placed in electrical conducting engagement with each other when the first and second connector members are plugged together, the contact elements being arranged to be brought into abutting engagement in pairs with their longitudinal axes extending parallel to each other, the contact elements including contact portions which comprise at least parts thereof having a generally planar configuration, with the contact elements being supported in the carrier so that the planar portions thereof are arranged with their planes extending perpendicularly relative to each other when the first and second connector members are plugged together.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly formed of a first and a second connector member adapted to be plugged together to establish electrical connection therebetween, each of said first and second connector members comprising:

housing means;

contact element carrier means made of electrically insulating material mounted within said housing means;

elongate contact elements mounted in said carrier means having longitudinal axes and adapted to be placed in electrically conducting engagement with each other in pairs with said longitudinal axes of each member of a contacting pair extending parallel to each other when said first and second connector members are plugged together;

all of the contact elements in said assembly in both said first and second connector members being identically structured, with each of said contact elements consisting of

a connection part having a generally planar configuration for mounting said contact elements in said carrier means so that the planar configurations of the connection parts of the contact elements in one of said first and second connector members are arranged to extend within planes perpendicular to the planes of the planar configurations of the connection parts of the contact elements in the other of said first and second connector members when said connector members are plugged together, and

contact parts shaped with a generally arched configuration extending outwardly from said connection parts, said arched configuration having a convex side, a concave side and a pair of opposed edges having said convex and concave sides extending therebetween;

means mounting said contact elements in said connector members to enable flexure of said contact parts by application of pressure on said convex side thereof;

said contact elements being arranged in said connector members so that when said connector members are plugged together electrical contact is established between the contact elements thereof by abutting engagement of one of said edges of a contact part of one contact element against said convex side of a contact part of another mating contact element;

said contact elements being rigid against pressure applied to said edges and operating to effect flexure of those of said contact elements upon which pressure is applied against said convex side by an edge of another contact element thereby to enhance electrical contact therebetween;

each of the contact elements in one of said first and second connector members being mounted with an orientation turned 90°

relative to the orientation of the mating contact element in the other of said connector members.

2. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said contact elements are formed with connection ends having side walls extending perpendicularly to the planar parts thereof with each of said contact elements having side walls on one side which are a different height than the side wall on the opposite side to form said connection end with a U-shaped configuration.

3. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said carrier means of one of said connector members is constructed with its length formed as a stepped cylindrical member having a smaller diameter portion and a larger diameter portion with the smaller diameter portion thereof carrying said contact elements on its cylindrical wall and wherein the carrier means of said other connector member is constructed as a hollow cylinder with said contact elements arranged at its inner wall, the outer diameter of said smaller diameter portion and the inner diameter of said hollow cylinder being correspondingly constructed relative to each other.

4. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the carrier means of said first connector member is constructed with a cylindrical configuration comprising a cylindrical section having a smaller outer diameter and a cylindrical section having a larger outer diameter, said cylindrical section having the smaller outer diameter being formed as a hollow cylinder carrying said contact elements on the inside and on the outside thereof and wherein the carrier means for said second connector member is formed with a cylindrical section which carries thereon said contact elements, said cylindrical section being constructed as a hollow cylinder having said contact elements on the inside thereof with a central cylindrical shaft being arranged in said hollow cylinder, said shaft also having said contact elements thereon.

5. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said carrier means of said first connector member is constructed as a hollow cylinder which receives therein the carrier means of said second connector member so as to enclose said carrier means of said second connector member when said first and second connector members are plugged together, said carrier means of both said first and said second connector members being formed with a generally cylindrical configuration, and with said contact elements mounted in one of said carrier means being arranged with the planes of said planar parts extending tangentially relative to said cylindrical configuration of said carrier means and with the contact elements of the other of said carrier means being arranged to extend radially relative to said cylindrical configuration.

6. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein the carrier means for at least one of said connector members has an inside and is constructed as a hollow cylinder having grooves on the inside thereof, said grooves having ends formed with an undercut configuration wherein said contact elements are engaged in order to support said contact elements on said carrier means, said contact elements being arranged to lie within said grooves with the planes of said planar parts arranged to extend substantially tangentially relative to said cylindrical configuration of said carrier means and to be gripped in said undercut configuration at ends thereof.

7. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said carrier means are formed with grooves within which said contact elements are mounted, said contact elements being slidable within said grooves from one end of said carrier means, said contact elements including spring clip means for fixing said contact elements within said carrier means.

8. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said carrier means comprise sides thereof which lie flush against sides of said housing means.

9. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing has an inner wall and said carrier means of both said first and said second connector members are formed with parts thereof arranged to contact said inner wall of said housing means in order to secure said carrier means against relative axial displacement within said housing means, said contacting parts having identical cross-sectional dimensioning so that the carrier means of each of said first and second connector members may be interchangeable relative to said housing means.

10. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said contact element carrier means are formed with a polygonal cross-sectional configuration and wherein said carrier means include flat surfaces against which said contact elements are arranged.

11. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the contact element carrier means of at least one of said first and second connector members is arranged with the contact elements thereof lying in grooves provided in the contact element carrier means at least over their contact length, said contact elements extending beyond said grooves only by the surfaces thereof serving for establishment of direct contact with the contact elements of the other of said first and second connector members.

12. An assembly according to claim 1 wherein said housing means has an inner wall, said carrier means for one of said connector members is formed with a stepped cylindrical configuration including a larger diameter cylindrical section and a smaller diameter cylindrical section, said larger diameter cylindrical section being arranged in contact with said inner wall of said housing means and said smaller diameter cylindrical section having grooves therein for receiving said contact elements, said contact elements including connection ends opposite said contact portions which extend through openings provided in said larger diameter cylindrical section and which project forwardly relative to these openings.

13. An assembly according to claim 12 wherein said contact elements are arranged with the planes of said planar parts extending radially relative to said cylindrical configuration of said carrier means.

14. An assembly according to claim 12 wherein said cylindrical section of said carrier means having said grooves for receiving said contact elements is constructed as a hollow cylinder having said contact elements at its outer and inner cylinder wall.

15. An assembly according to claim 14 wherein said grooves are shorter than the axial length of said cylindrical section on which said grooves are formed and wherein said grooves have front ends which lie behind the front side of said contact element carrier means.