Electrical connector and method for producing an electrical connector

• US 9,525,235 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2015
• Issued: 12/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: TE Connectivity Germany GmbH (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Siegert, Stefan, Listing, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thanh Tam
• Application Number:
  US14/644,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20150263446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 650 Days
• Field of Search: 439/540.1, 439/541.5, 439/595, 439/701, 439/752
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/4367 Insertion of locking piece from the rear
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/502 composed of different pieces H01R13/514 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/533 Bases, cases made for use in extreme conditions, e.g. high temperature, radiation, vibration, corrosive environment, pressure H01R13/52 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/00 Apparatus or processes specially adapted for manufacturing, assembling, maintaining, or repairing of line connectors or current collectors or for joining electric conductors of trolley lines B60M1/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/20 for assembling or disassembling contact members with insulating base, case or sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/22 Hand tools
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49204 Contact or terminal manufacturing

Abstract

An electrical connector is disclosed having a housing and a splayed member connected to the housing. The housing has two contact receiving passageways spaced a first distance apart from each other, and two contacts, each of which are positioned in one of the contact receiving passageways. The splayed member has a terminating end distal to the contact receiving passageways, a contacting end proximate to the contact receiving passageways, and two opposite dividing surfaces in contact with the contacts. The two opposite dividing surfaces are spaced apart a second distance at the terminating end and taper down to a smaller third distance in a direction towards the contact receiving passageways.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having

two contact receiving passageways spaced a first distance apart from each other, and

two contacts, each of which is positioned in one of the contact receiving passageways; and

a splayed member connected to the housing, and having

a terminating end distal to the contact receiving passageways,

a contacting end proximate to the contact receiving passageways, and

two opposite dividing surfaces in contact with the contacts, spaced apart a second distance at the terminating end and tapered down to a smaller third distance in a direction towards the contact receiving passageways, the contacts spaced further apart from each other along the two opposite dividing surfaces than within the contact receiving passageways.

2. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the splayed member can be displaced along the longitudinal length of the contacts.

3. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the third distance is approximately less than or equal to the first distance.

4. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the contacts resiliently contact the dividing surfaces.

5. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the splayed member at the terminating end has contact positioning passageways through which the contacts protrude.

6. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein the contact positioning passageways extend parallel with each other.

7. The electrical connector according to claim 5, wherein a cross-section of the contact positioning passageways tapers in the direction away from the contact receiving passageways.

8. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein a tapering portion is positioned between the terminating end and the mating end of the splayed member.

9. The electrical connector according to claim 8, wherein the tapering portion has a wedge-like shape.

10. The electrical connector according to claim 9, wherein the tapering portion tapers from the larger second distance to the smaller third distance along a longitudinal direction.

11. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the dividing surfaces are outwardly curved in a convex manner.

12. The electrical connector according to claim 1, wherein the splayed member further comprises ribs positioned on an outer surface.

13. The electrical connector according to claim 12, wherein the dividing surfaces are positioned on the ribs.

14. A method for producing an electrical connector comprising the steps of

(a) displacing a housing along a longitudinal direction towards a splayed member,

the housing having

two contact receiving passageways spaced a first distance apart from each other, and

two contacts, each of which are positioned in one of the contact receiving passageways, and

the splayed member having

a terminating end distal to the contact receiving passageways,

a contacting end proximate to the contact receiving passageways, and

two opposite dividing surfaces in contact with the contacts, spaced apart a second distance at the terminating end and tapered down to a smaller third distance in a direction towards the contact receiving passageways, the contacts spaced further apart from each other along the two opposite dividing surfaces than within the contact receiving passageways;

and

(b) splaying the contacts apart as the housing is displaced.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the contacts are resiliently splayed apart.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the terminating ends of the contacts are splayed outwards to a great extent than the contacting ends.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the contacting ends and the terminating ends are positioned parallel to each other.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein transition regions of the contacts are positioned between the contacting end and the terminating end of each contact, extending obliquely toward each other.