Motor vehicle light connector terminal

• US 4,774,637 A
• Filed: 09/10/1986
• Issued: 09/27/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Original Assignee: HELLA KG Hueck & Co.
• Inventors: Stracke, Gunter, Vorweg, Manfred, Budde, Wilhelm, Schmuck, Franz
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Samuel
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAMEN, NOAH P
• Application Number:
  US06/905,855
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 339/97 PR, 339/99 R, 339/217 S, 339/278 T, 362/61, 362/80, 362/227, 362/249, 439/395, 439/404, 439/746
• US Class Current: 362/548
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/432 by stamped-out resilient tongue snapping behind shoulder in base or case
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/2429 mounted in an insulating base

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle lamp with several light bulbs. The light bulbs are electrically connected by cables with a multiplug connector disposed at the casing of the lamp. The multiple plug connector comprises contact parts produced from sheet metal strips and provided at the center region with an attachment means. The contact parts are formed as flat plugs at one end section while the contact parts are provided at the other end section in each case with a protruding bent off flag. The clamping jaws of a cutter clamping device generated by a slot are set in the flag. The slot runs in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the contact parts. The contact parts are inserted with the flat plugs in slot-shaped openings and are sequentially disposed in a plane with their wide extension at a distance from each other. The neighboring contact parts in a row are rotated by 180 degrees relative to each other about the longitudinal axis. Upon pressing in of the cable into the slot of the cutter clamping means, the clamping jaws penetrate the insulation of the cable and generate an electrical contact between the core of the cable and the contact part.

Claims

1. A multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp with several light bulbs where the light bulbs are connected via cable to the multiple plug connector terminal comprising

contact parts made of sheet metal having one end formed as a flat elongated plug section and having a protruding flag bent off along a bending line generally parallel to the plug section, where a slot is provided in the flag in a direction about parallel to the elongated plug section furnishing a cutter clamping means which has two clamping jaws which penetrate a cable insulation of a cable being pressed into the cutter clamping means and which thereby provide an electrical contact between the core of the cable and the contact part;

a terminal casing having slotted openings disposed in a row sequence, into which slotted openings the contact parts are inserted alternatingly turned by about 180 degrees relative to each other around an axis about parallel to the elongated plug section, and the terminal casing including cable support means for positioning cable to be connectedly clamped to the contact parts such that a reliable positioning and contact to the contact part is assured.

2. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 wherein the terminal casing is an integral part of a lamp casing.

3. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 where the slot of the cutter clamping means is open on the side of the flag directed toward the elongated plug section.

4. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 wherein the flag is bent at about a right angle relative to the flat elongated part.

5. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 wherein the cable support means comprises in each case two protruding wall shaped extensions running about parallel to each other and about parallel to the angled flag of the contact part and extending opposite to the insertion direction of the contact parts relative to the terminal casing, where the wall shaped extensions are provided with a longitudinal slot open on the side of the approaching contact part where the cable rests at the bottom of the longitudinal slot and where the core of the cable contacts the contact part after cutting of the insulation with the clamping jaws.

6. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 5 wherein at least one elongated slot of the two wall shaped protrusions is sufficiently narrow at its base for fixedly clamping the cable in position.

7. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 5 further comprising a third wall connecting the two wall shaped protrusions to each other at one of two longitudinal edge sides and where the third wall additionally provides a boundary for the flag of the contact part.

8. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 wherein the flat elongated plug of the contact part comprises a double layer of sheet metal based on a folding and further comprising

a nose disposed on the elongated plug and directed toward the cutter clamping means, which nose grips behind an edge of a respective slotted opening of the terminal casing after insertion of the contact part into the terminal casing.

9. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 8 wherein the two layer flat elongated plug is produced by folding the two side sections of a contact part blank around two bending lines running in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the contact part.

10. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 8 wherein the folding extends along about one third to two thirds of the full length of the contact part and where the width of the flat elongated plug is slightly larger as compared to the width of an adjoining section.

11. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 8 wherein the flag has a bending line extending from about 0.1 to 0.4 of the total length of the contact part and where the flag includes extensions running in a direction about parallel to the flat elongated plug toward an end of the plug remote from the flag for about 0.1 to 0.3 of the length of the bending line of the flag.

12. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 11 wherein the elongated slot in the flag is provided with rounded edges in the area of about the extension of the flag.

13. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 11 wherein the bottom of the elongated slot in the flag is provided with a side recess for improved retention of a contacted cable wire core.

14. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 8 wherein the length of the nose of the contact part is from about 5 to 15 percent of the total length of the contact part and wherein the total width of the nose is from about 50 to 90 percent of the width of the folded plug section.

15. The multiple plug connector terminal for a motor vehicle lamp according to claim 1 wherein the terminal casing forms an integral part of a multiple motor vehicle light casing, which is recessed in an area of the location of the lamp socket by at least about 4 percent of the largest diameter of the lamp.

16. A method for providing a multiple plug connection at a terminal for a motor vehicle lamp with several light bulbs where the light bulbs are connected via cable to the multiple plug connector terminal comprising

cutting a sheet metal blank to provide an elongated section and a protruding flag extending from one end of the elongated section where a slot is provided in the flag in a direction about parallel to the elongated plug section furnishing a cutter clamping means which has two clamping jaws which penetrate a cable insulation of a cable being pressed into the cutter clamping means and which thereby provide an electrical contact between a core of a cable and a formed contact part;

bending off the protruding flag along a bending line generally parallel to the flat elongated plug section;

inserting the flat elongated plugs alternatingly turned around by 180 degrees relative to each other around an axis about parallel to the elongated plug section into a terminal casing having slotted openings disposed in a row sequence for passing the flat elongated plugs; and

positioning a cable in the terminal casing which includes cable support means for positioning cable to be connectedly clamped to the plug parts such that a reliable positioning and contact to the contact part is assured.

17. The method for providing a multiple plug connection according to claim 16 further comprising

cutting the sheet metal piece such as to provide for an about double width in the area of the flat elongated plug connector;

folding the area of the flat elongated plug connector to generate a double layer of sheet metal based on the folding;

bending a nose from part of the double sheet metal layer disposed on the elongated plug and directed toward the cutter clamping means;

whereby the nose grips behind an edge of a respective slotted opening of the terminal casing after insertion of the flat elongated plug into the terminal casing.

18. The method for providing a multiple plug connection according to claim 17 wherein the cutting and folding steps comprise

folding two side sections of a contact part blank for the flat elongated plug connector around two bending lines running in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the contact part for producing a two layer flat elongated plug.

19. The method for providing a multiple plug connection according to claim 17 wherein the folding extends along for about one third to two thirds of the full length of the contact part and where the width of the flat elongated plug is slightly larger as compared to the width of an adjoining section.