Electrical contact

• US 6,042,433 A
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Services GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Chen, Ping
• Primary Examiner(s): Gellner, Michael L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANDIG, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US09/063,867
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 439/852, 439/853, 439/858, 439/861, 439/843, 439/845, 439/850, 439/851, 439/854, 439/855, 439/856, 439/857, 439/859, 439/860, 439/846-849
• US Class Current: 439/852
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/114 co-operating with pins or blades having a square transverse section

Abstract

A small-size electrical contact includes a female contact section allowing for a highly reliable electrical connection with a mating contact. Electrical contact (10) has a female contact section (20), a contact member (30) is arranged inside the female contact section (20). The contact member (30) includes a bent section (31) and a tongue portion (32). The bent section 31 extends from a back end of a second bottom wall (22). Tongue portion (32) connected to the bent section (31) extends toward a front end of the female contact section and has a contact section (32a) facing the second bottom wall (22). In an upper wall (24), a protrusion (40) is provided extending in a direction of the contact member (30) along the tongue portion (32). The protrusion (40) provides support for the contact member (30) when a mating contact (110) is inserted in the female contact section (20).

Claims

1. An electrical contact comprising:

a box-shaped female contact section having a front end and a back end and formed by a bottom wall, an upper wall and side walls;

a contact member disposed within the female contact section extending from an inner end of the bottom wall adjacent the back end of the female contact section, the contact member including a bent section extending toward the upper wall and a tongue portion extending from the bent section and along the upper wall toward the front end of the female contact section and toward the bottom wall so that the tongue portion has a slanted orientation; and

a protrusion extending inwardly from the upper wall within the female contact section toward the front end of the female contact section and extending along a portion of the tongue portion.

2. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tongue portion has an extension at a front end thereof extending upwardly toward the upper wall.

3. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper wall has an opening to receive the extension.

4. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 3, wherein a projection is located at a front end of the opening.

5. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 4, wherein a contact section is located on the tongue portion adjacent the extension.

6. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bottom wall has a contact projection opposite the contact section.

7. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 6, wherein the female contact section has another bottom wall overlapping the bottom wall and including a lance member extending outwardly from the another bottom wall.

8. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 3, wherein a back end of the opening acts as a stop member for the tongue portion.

9. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 7, wherein one of the side walls has first, second, third and fourth sections;

the first and second sections are disposed opposite each other along a longitudinal seam extending along a back portion of the one of the side walls from the back end of the female contact section to about midway thereof, the third and fourth sections are disposed opposite each other along a longitudinal slot extending along a front portion of the one of the side walls from the longitudinal seam to a position adjacent the front end of the female contact section; and

a vertical slot at an inner end of the longitudinal slot in communication with the longitudinal slot.