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;
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, the contacts having 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, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting said male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection; and
a securement portion on the base for securing to a conductor, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
63 Citations
38 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;
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, the contacts having 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, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting said male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection; and
a securement portion on the base for securing to a conductor, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. 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;
a generally circular 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, the contacts having tips that curve in an outwardly direction relative to the opening to allow easy insertion into and removal of a male terminal from the socket, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting said male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection; and
a securement portion on the base having crimping tabs for crimping to a conductor, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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25. 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;
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, the contacts having 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, each of the contacts having feet which extend from said border, and contact regions for contacting said male terminal, each of the feet being narrower than the contact regions and configured to provide easier deflection; and
providing a securement portion on the base for securing to a conductor, the sheet metal forming the connector terminal having a uniform thickness. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 38)
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Specification