Contact retention system

• US 5,609,502 A
• Filed: 03/31/1995
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Thumma, Mark R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Eugene G.
• Application Number:
  US08/414,260
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 439/637, 439/62, 439/182, 439/733.1, 439/746, 439/747, 439/748, 439/749
• US Class Current: 439/747
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/40 Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve

Abstract

A contact retention system using a self-seating contact (56) includes a housing (22) having at least one contact receiving passageway (30) and a contact (56) associated therewith. Contact (56) has leading and trailing end portions (62, 80) and an intermediate body portion (66). Body portion (66) has a dimension wider than end portions (62, 80) and defines forwardly facing and rearwardly facing latch surfaces (76, 74). Each of opposed passageway side surfaces (36, 42) has a latching projection (38, 44) extending toward the other passageway side surface (44, 38) defining forwardly and rearwardly facing stop surfaces (40, 46) offset from at least one edge (74, 76) of the contact (56) and axially spaced at a slightly greater length that the length of the body portion (66). Upon inserting leading end portion (62) into passageway (30), portion (62) encounters the first latching projection (38) so that trailing end portion (80) is constrained to urge the contact (56) against projection (38) until full insertion thereafter the latch seats and body portion (66) is disposed between the two latch projections (38, 44) and is self-seating in the passageway (30).

Claims

1. A contact retention system using a self-seating contact comprising:

a housing having at least one contact receiving passageway extending from an assembly face to a connecting face;

a contact associated with said passageway, and insertable thereinto from said assembly face, said contact having opposed side surfaces and opposed edges, and leading and trailing end portions of selected widths, said contact further having a body portion intermediate said leading and trailing end portions to be disposed along a portion of said passageway upon full contact insertion, said contact body portion having a dimension wider than said leading and trailing end portions and extending laterally outwardly from at least one said edge of said contact and defining at least one forwardly facing latch surface and at least one rearwardly facing latch surface;

said housing passageway portion having opposed first and second side surfaces associated with said side surfaces of said contact, said first passageway side surface having at least one first latching projection extending toward said second passageway side surface and defining a forwardly facing stop surface associated with said rearwardly facing latch surface on said contact, said second passageway side surface having at least one second latch projection extending toward said first passageway side surface and defining a rearwardly facing stop surface associated with said forward facing latch surface of said contact, said first and second latch projections being offset from said edges of trailing and leading end portions of said contact and axially spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the length of said body portion;

said housing including a biasing surface proximate said assembly face and opposed from said first passageway side surface, and said contact including a biasing portion along said trailing end portion engageable with said biasing surface prior to full contact insertion, urging said body portion against said first projection along said first passageway side surface until said body portion passes said projection;

whereby upon inserting said leading end portion of said contact into said passageway from the assembly face of said housing, said leading end portion encounters said first latching projection so that said trailing end portion of said contact is constrained to urge said contact against said first latching projection until full insertion thereafter said latch seats, whereafter

said wide body portion is disposed between said first and second latch projections upon being fully inserted in said housing and is self-seating in said passageway portion.

2. The contact retention system of claim 1 wherein said contact has a contact body portion extending laterally outwardly from each of said opposed edges of said contact defining two forwardly facing latch surfaces and two rearwardly facing latch surfaces and said housing passageway has two first latching projections defining two forwardly facing stop surfaces on said first passageway side surface and two second latching projections defining two rearwardly facing stop surfaces on said second passageway side surface.

3. The contact retention system of claim 1 wherein said contact has a selected thickness and said second latch projection is spaced from said housing side surface a distance less that the thickness of said contact thereby defining a constriction along said connecting face.

4. A contact retention system with a self-seating contact, comprising:

a housing including at least one contact receiving passageway having opposed side surfaces; and

a contact associated therewith having leading and trailing end portions and an intermediate body portion having a selected length and width, said width being of a dimension wider than that of said end portions, said body portion defining forwardly facing and rearwardly facing latch surfaces;

each said side surface of said passageway having a latching projection extending toward the other passageway side surface defining forwardly and rearwardly facing stop surfaces offset from at least one latch surface of said contact and axially spaced at a slightly greater length then the length of the body portion;

whereby upon inserting said leading end portion of said contact into said passageway from the assembly face of said housing, said leading end portion encounters said first latching projection so that said trailing end portion of said contact is constrained to urge said contact against said first latching projection until full insertion thereafter said latch seats, whereafter

said wide body portion is retained between said two latch projections upon being fully inserted in said housing and is self-seating in said passageway portion.