Connector terminal with resilient contacts
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A connector terminal formed of sheet metal comprising:
- a base with an opening extending therethrough, the opening being surrounded by an inner border of the base; and
a socket comprising a series of resilient contacts extending away from the base, the contacts extending from said border and having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart from each other and positioned to define the socket, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting a male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness.
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Abstract
A connector terminal has a base with an opening extending therethrough. The opening is surrounded by an inner border of the base. A series of resilient contacts extend away from the base from the inner border to form a socket. The contacts have opposed surfaces which are spaced apart from each other and positioned to define the socket. The contacts have tips that extend in an outwardly direction relative to the opening to allow easy insertion into and removal of a male terminal from the socket. A securement portion on the base allows a conductor to be secured to the connector terminal.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A connector terminal formed of sheet metal comprising:
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a base with an opening extending therethrough, the opening being surrounded by an inner border of the base; and
a socket comprising a series of resilient contacts extending away from the base, the contacts extending from said border and having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart from each other and positioned to define the socket, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting a male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of making an electrical connection comprising:
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providing a female connector terminal formed from sheet metal comprising a base having an opening extending therethrough, the opening being surrounded by an inner border of the base, a series of resilient contacts extending away from the base to form a socket, the contacts extending from said border and having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart from each other and positioned to define the socket, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting a male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness; and
inserting the mating male terminal into the socket for obtaining electrical communication between the male and female terminals. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of forming a connector terminal from sheet metal comprising the steps of:
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providing a base having an opening extending therethrough, the opening being surrounded by an inner border of the base; and
extending a series of resilient contacts away from the base to form a socket, the contacts extending from said border and having opposed surfaces which are spaced apart from each other and positioned to define the socket, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting a male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification