Power wire to printed circuit board connector assembly and a method thereof

• US 6,994,598 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2004
• Issued: 02/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/06/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anderson Wood Products Company
• Original Assignee: Anderson Wood Products Company
• Inventors: Holmes, Liam, O'Donnell, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Paumen, Gary
• Application Number:
  US10/833,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20040235320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 439/752.5, 439/752, 439/839, 439/857, 439/856, 439/79, 439/701
• US Class Current: 439/752.5
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7023 integral with the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7088 Arrangements for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4361 Insertion of locking piece perpendicular to direction of contact insertion

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly includes a housing with at least one through passage, at least one socket contact, at least one pin contact, and at least one pin plate. The socket contact is at least partially disposed in one end of the through passage in the housing and has a socket passage. The pin contact is at least partially disposed in another end of the through passage in the housing and detachably mates with the socket passage. The socket plate is detachably secured to the housing about the socket contact adjacent the one end of the through passage. The pin plate which is detachably secured to the housing about the pin contact adjacent the other end of the through passage.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a housing with two or more through passages;

two or more electrical contacts, wherein each of the electrical contacts is at least partially disposed in at least a portion of one of the through passages in the housing;

at least one keying element on each of the electrical contacts, wherein each of the through passages has a size and shape which mates with the at least one keying element on one of the electrical contacts and wherein at least two of the through passages and the at least one keying element on at least two of the electrical contacts have at least one of a different size and shape; and

a plate detachably secured to the housing about the electrical contacts and adjacent one end of the through passage to secure the electrical contacts.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the keying elements is at least one protruded section on one of the electrical contacts.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrical contacts comprises a pin contact.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein at least one of the electrical contacts comprises a socket contact.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein the socket contact comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the electrical contact comprises a socket contact which comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage and further comprising a spring positioned about the plurality of tines.

7. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a housing with at least one through passage;

an electrical contact at least partially disposed in at least a portion of the through passage in the housing, wherein the electrical contact comprises a socket contact which comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage;

a spring positioned about the plurality of tines; and

a plate detachably secured to the housing about the electrical contact and adjacent one end of the through passage.

8. A method for making a connector assembly, the method comprising:

providing a housing with two or more through passages;

at least partially disposing two or more electrical contacts each in at least a portion of one of the through passages in the housing, wherein each of the electrical contacts has at least one keying element and wherein each of the through passages has a size and share which mates with the at least one keying element on one of the electrical contacts and at least two of the through passages and the at least one keying element on at least two of the electrical contacts have at least one of a different size and shape; and

detachably securing a plate to the housing about the electrical contacts and adjacent one end of the through passage to secure the electrical contacts.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the at least one keying element is at least one protruded section on at least one of the electrical contacts.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one of the electrical contacts comprises a pin contact.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein at least one of the electrical contacts comprises a socket contact.

12. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein the socket contact comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8 wherein the electrical contact comprises a socket contact which comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage and further comprising placing a spring about the plurality of tines.

14. A method for making a connector assembly, the method comprising:

providing a housing with at least one through passage;

at least partially disposing an electrical contact in at least a portion of the through passage in the housing, wherein the electrical contact comprises a socket contact which comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage;

placing a spring about the plurality of tines; and

detachably securing a plate to the housing about the electrical contact and adjacent one end of the through passage.

15. An electrical connector assembly comprising:

a housing with at least one through passage;

at least one socket contact at least partially disposed in one end of the through passage in the housing, the socket contact having a socket passage;

at least one pin contact at least partially disposed in another end of the through passage in the housing and detachably mating with the socket passage;

a socket plate detachably secured to the housing about the socket contact adjacent the one end of the through passage; and

a pin plate which is detachably secured to the housing about the pin contact adjacent the other end of the through passage.

16. The assembly as set forth in claim 15 further comprising at least one keying element on the socket contact and at least one other keying element on the pin contact, wherein one end of the through passage has a size and shape which mates with the one keying element and another end of the through passage has a size and shape which mates with the other keying element.

17. The assembly as set forth in claim 16 wherein the one keying element is at least one protruded section on the socket contact and the other keying element is at least one protruded section on the pin contact.

18. The assembly as set forth in claim 15 wherein the socket contact comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage.

19. The assembly as set forth in claim 18 further comprising a spring positioned about the plurality of tines.

20. A method of making an electrical connector assembly, the method comprising:

providing a housing with at least one through passage;

at least partially disposing at least one socket contact in one end of the through passage in the housing, the socket contact having a socket passage;

at least partially disposing at least one pin contact in another end of the through passage in the housing and detachably mating with the socket passage;

detachably securing a socket plate to the housing about the socket contact adjacent the one end of the through passage; and

detachably securing a pin plate to the housing about the pin contact adjacent the other end of the through passage.

21. The method as set forth in claim 20 further comprising providing at least one keying element on the socket contact and at least one other keying element on the pin contact, wherein one end of the through passage has a size and shape which mates with the one keying element and another end of the through passage has a size and shape which mates with the other keying element.

22. The method as set forth in claim 21 wherein the one keying element is at least one protruded section on the socket contact and the other keying element is at least one protruded section on the pin contact.

23. The method as set forth in claim 20 wherein the socket contact comprises a base and a plurality of tines which extend from the base and define a socket passage.

24. The method as set forth in claim 23 further comprising placing a spring about the plurality of tines.