Electrical connector

• US 6,572,419 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 06/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Phoenix Contact GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Feye-Homann, Jürgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): Figueroa, Felix O.
• Application Number:
  US09/985,640
• Publication Number:
  US 20020076998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 439/839, 439/856, 439/833, 439/441
• US Class Current: 439/839
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/113 co-operating with pins or blades having a rectangular transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/18 with the spring member surrounding the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4816 the spring shape preventing insertion of the conductor end when the spring is unbiased
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/4846 Busbar details
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/485 Single busbar common to multiple springs

Abstract

Electrical connector with a contact element and an additional spring element, the contact element having a contact zone formed by two contact legs and a bent spring area that applies a contact force to a mating contact element inserted into the contact zone, the additional spring element having two legs and a bridge which connects the legs. The contact force is increased by the additional spring element which is arranged relative to the contact element such that the stretching of the additional spring element is in the direction of the contact force.

Claims

1. Electrical connector comprising:

a contact element having two contact legs which form a contact zone and a bent spring area connecting the contact legs, the bent spring area being adapted to apply a contact force to a mating contact element inserted into the contact zone; and

an additional spring element having two legs and a bridge connecting the legs, the additional spring element being adapted to be secured to the contact element in a manner that stretching of the additional spring element in a direction of the contact force is greater than stretching of the additional spring element perpendicular to the direction of the contact force;

wherein the contact element includes a slot in a lengthwise direction of the contact element, and the additional spring element is secured to the contact element by being inserted into the slot; and

wherein the slot extends continuously from one contact leg to the other contact leg through the spring area.

2. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the additional spring element is comprises a retaining ring having an oblong shape.

3. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the additional spring element is a retaining ring conforming with German standard DIN 471 and having an oblong shape.

4. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact element is made of a material with high electrical conductivity selected from a group consisting of copper, silver, and alloys thereof, and the additional spring element is made of spring steel.

5. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the contact element is connected to a current conductor piece in one integrated piece and the current conductor piece is connected to at least one conductor terminal element.

6. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 5, wherein the at least one conductor terminal element is a tension spring clamp with a current bar formed by a portion of the current conductor piece.

7. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contact element is connected to a current conductor piece in one integrated piece and the current conductor piece is connected to at least one conductor terminal element.

8. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least one conductor terminal element is a tension spring clamp with a current bar formed by a portion of the current conductor piece.

9. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein ends of the contact legs of the contact element are bent into the contact zone in at least one of a wedge shape and a triangular shape.

10. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein ends of the legs of the additional spring element have at least one of a wedge shape and a triangular shape corresponding to the ends of the contact legs of the contact element.

11. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the contact element is made of a material with high electrical conductivity selected from a group consisting of copper, silver, and alloys thereof.

12. Electrical connector as claimed in claim 10, wherein the additional spring element is made of spring steel.