US2716744A - Socket contact for electrical connector - Google Patents
Socket contact for electrical connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US2716744A US2716744A US279862A US27986252A US2716744A US 2716744 A US2716744 A US 2716744A US 279862 A US279862 A US 279862A US 27986252 A US27986252 A US 27986252A US 2716744 A US2716744 A US 2716744A
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- contact
- socket
- spring
- pin
- finger
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
- H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
- H01R13/02—Contact members
- H01R13/15—Pins, blades or sockets having separate spring member for producing or increasing contact pressure
Description
Aug. 30, 1955 G. J. SWANSON ET AL 2,716,744
SOCKET CONTACT FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed April 1, 1952 F- I G INVENTORS 5 Q/mm, BY dmla MA! ATTORN EY nited States Patent SOCKET CONTACT FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR George J. Swanson, Unadiila, and Edward Kokalas, Sidney, N. Y., assignors to Bendix Aviation Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 1, 1952, Serial No. 279,862
Claims. (Cl. 339-262) This invention relates to electrical apparatus and more particularly to electrical connectors of the type wherein electrical connections are made by interfitting plug and socket contacts.
The advantages of the socket contact assemblies of the type comprehended by the present invention have long been recognized and many attempts have been made to provide sockets of this general type without attaining the degree of success and results attained by the present novel construction. Others have been unable to provide a structure comprising a minimum number of parts which could be readily and inexpensively fabricated and at the same time be capable of attaining the desired functional advantages throughout long periods of usage under se- Vere operating conditions.
One of the objects, of the present invention is to provide a novelly constructed socket contact for use in readily separable electrical connectors of the pin and socket type.
Another object of the invention is to provide a novel socket contact or contact assembly which is so constructed as to substantially eliminate the likelihood of damage by the insertion of an over-sized pin contact or probe or by improper manipulation of the pin contact with respect to the socket.
A further object is to provide a substantially rigid socket contact having pin retaining and contact making spring means associated therewith and secured thereto in a novel manner.
A still further object is to provide a novel socket contact assembly which is fabricated from a minimum number of parts that are novelly assembled in such manner as to facilitate assembly and insure a long and eifective operating life.
The above and further objects and novel features of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description when the same is read in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the invention.
in the drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views,
Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one form of socket contact embodying the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;
Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are detail end, side and plan views, respectively, of the contact spring just prior to assembly with the socket body; and,
Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line '77 of Fig. 6.
In the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, by way of example, the novel electrical socket contact comprehended by this invention comprises only two partsa body or socket member 10 and a contact spring Patented Aug. 30, 1955 11. As shown, said body or socket member is a rigid metallic bar suitably drilled, machined and slotted in a novel manner to be next described. The spring 11 is fabricated from sheet metal and applied to member 10 in a permanent manner and under initial tension without the aid of supplementary fastening means of any kind.
Socket or body member 10 is preferably made from copper alloy bar stock which has been cold drawn after heat treatment. In one successful embodiment, the copper alloy consists of about 60% copper, .5 to 1% tin, .4 to 1% lead, .1% or less iron, and the remainder zinc. In another suitable embodiment the copper alloy consists of a minimum of 96.5% copper, .85 to 1.35% nickel, .15 to 35% phosphorus, .35 to .65 tellurium, a maximum of .2% iron, a maximum of .1% lead, and a maximum of 1% zinc.
One end of body member 10 is drilled to provide a bore 12 for slidably receiving a pin or plug contact (not shown), the mouth of said bore being contoured or hellshaped, as at 14, to facilitate entry of the pin which has a diameter only slightly less, about .002.005 inch, than the diameter of bore 12. The other end of member 10 is likewise drilled and partially cut away at one side to provide a suitable recess 13 in which the end of an electrical conductor may be secured by soldering or other suitable means. Intermediate its ends, member 10 is machined to form two annular grooves 15' and 16, the first of which is utilized in mounting the contact in a resilient support or insert, such as in the manner disclosed in Uline et al. U. S. Patent No. 2,563,762.
bore for making an electrical connection in a manner well understood in the art. In order to insure adequate strength in spring finger 19 and hence the required pressure on the pin contact, a rib 21 is formed on the finger in a forming die by reciprocably deforming the opposed surfaces thereof in the manner best seen in Figs. 2' and 7.
The collar portion 22 of spring 11 is integral with finger 19 and is tightly wrapped around body 10 within groove 16. The depth of said grooves is preferably approximately equal to the thickness of collar 22 and the width of the collar is such as to closely fit between the ends of the groove. Thus, no part of spring 11 projects radially beyond the surface of the adjacent portions of body member 10. The contact assembly 10, 11 may accordingly be removably mounted within a supporting insert in a desirable manner without creating interference with the free action of the spring finger. Additionally, when the spring is thus novelly constructed and mounted on the body member, it is protected from either accidental or deliberate over-stressing and is held against undesirable movement relative to body 10. The construction is preferably such that the free end of finger 19 does not project beyond the circumference of body 10 when a contact pin is in bore 12.
Prior to assembly with body 10, the collar 22 of spring 11 is bent to U shape, as seen in Fig. 4, and leg or finger 19 is shaped as above described and bent at a suitable angle to the collar for attaining the desired initial tension in the finger when the assembly is complete with the curved end of the finger resting on bevelled surface 18. The spring is then held in position on the body member with a contact pin inserted in bore 12 while two oppositely directed crimping tools having convex end surfaces cold press the sides of the U-shaped collar snugly against the bottom of groove 16. A third and similar crimping tool is then moved in at right angles to the first two for cold pressing the ends of the collar firmly against the body member. Both the body member and spring are preferably silver-plated to a thickness of from .0002 inch to .0004 inch. If desired, the ends of the wings of collar 22 may be suitably secured together or said wings may be soldered, spot-welded or similarly secured to body 10.
It will now be seen that when a contact pin or plug having a diameter comparable to the diameter of bore 12 is inserted in the latter, the curved end portion of spring finger 19 will be engaged by the pin and the spring flexed outwardly, placing it under additional tension. The spring thus yieldably presses the pin firmly against the opposite wall of bore 12 to provide good electrical conduction. The pressure exerted on the contact pin by the spring is so predetermined that it will neither be too easy nor too difficult to engage and disengage the pin and socket contacts. The present construction is such that the force required to engage a pin with the socket or disengage it therefrom will remain reasonably constant during long periods of use and excellent control of these forces is possible.
There is thus provided an electrical socket contact assembly which is highly efficient in effecting a good electrical connection and exceptionally durable in use under most severe adverse conditions. Additionally, the novel construction of said assembly obviates damage of the type which ordinarily results from carelessness or inadvertence of personnel in the use of electrical apparatus. Said assembly is also advantageously constituted by only two parts of simple construction which may in turn be readily and inexpensively made and assembled in a manner which will insure the desired engaging and disengaging force.
Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings by way of example, it is to be expressly understood that various changes, such as in the relative dimensions of the parts, the materials used and the like, may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as will now be apparent to those skilled in the art. For a definition of the limits of the invention, reference is had primarily to the appended claims.
What is claimed is:
1. An electrical socket contact comprising an elongated cylindrical metallic body having an axial cylindrical bore in one end and terminating short of the other end, an annular external groove adjacent the closed end of said bore and an elongated axially extending slot in the wall thereof around said bore, said slot terminating at one end in said groove and at its other end adjacent the open end of said bore, the wall of said slot at said other end being bevelled externally of the bore, and a contact retainer comprising a cylindrical collar received in said groove and tightly wrapped around and in intimate contact throughout its extent with the bottom surface of the groove, the outer surface of the collar having a diameter not greater than the outer diameter of said body, said retainer further comprising a resilient finger extending from said collar in said slot, said finger having a curved intermediate portion which extends into said bore when the free end portion thereof engages said bevelled surface and being normally under tension urging said free end portion into engagement with said bevelled surface, and said finger also having a longitudinally extending rib in that portion thereof between said curved intermediate portion and said collar.
2. An electrical socket contact comprising an elongated body having an axial recess for receiving a contact pin of a diameter only slightly less than the diameter of the recess and an axially extending slot in one wall thereof, both ends of said slot terminating intermediate the ends of said body, and a spring contact clip comprising a collar received in an external annular groove in said body and tightly cold pressed around and into intimate contact throughout its extent with the bottom surface of the groove, the outer surface of the collar having a diameter not substantially greater than the outer diameter of said body, said clip further comprising a resilient finger in and extending the full length of said slot, said finger being biased toward said recess and having a curved portion near the free end thereof extending through said slot into said recess for engagement with said pin, the movement of said finger into said recess being limited by the engagement of the free end portion of the finger with the end wall of said slot remote from said collar when no pin is in said recess.
3. An electrical socket contact as defined in claim 2 wherein said body is cylindrical and said clip is mounted thereon so that no part of the clip extends outside of the circumference of the body.
4. An electrical socket contact consisting of a socket member having a recess for slidably receiving a pin contact, and a resilient clip mounted on the socket member for yieldably engaging said pin contact to resist engagement and separation of the pin and socket, said clip comprising a collar portion received in an external groove in said socket member and tightly wrapped around and in intimate contact throughout its extent with the bottom surface of the groove, the outer surface of the collar having a diameter not substantially greater than the outer diameter of said socket member, said clip further comprising a resilient finger having a free fit in a closedend slot in the wall of said socket and inherently biased toward said recess, said finger having a curved portion adapted to project through said slot into said recess to en gage the pin contact.
5. An electrical socket contact as defined in claim 4 wherein the wall of said slot at the end thereof remote from said collar is bevelled and an end portion of said finger is biased toward said recess against said bevelled wall which serves as a stop for said finger when no pin contact is in place in the recess.
References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS 206,628 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1923 571,900 Great Britain Sept. 13, 1945 982,410 France June 11, 1951
Priority Applications (8)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US279862A US2716744A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1952-04-01 | Socket contact for electrical connector |
GB5450/53A GB730070A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1953-02-26 | Improvements in or relating to electrical connectors |
FR1073222D FR1073222A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1953-03-25 | Electrical connection device |
GB18434/58A GB839095A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1958-06-09 | Improvements in or relating to electrical plug and socket connectors |
GB18721/58A GB843885A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1958-06-11 | Electrical plug and socket connector |
DEB49272A DE1119944B (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1958-06-12 | Socket |
DEB49271A DE1121151B (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1958-06-12 | Socket |
FR767901A FR73732E (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1958-06-13 | Electrical connection device |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US279862A US2716744A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1952-04-01 | Socket contact for electrical connector |
US665557A US3023396A (en) | 1957-06-13 | 1957-06-13 | Socket contact |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US2716744A true US2716744A (en) | 1955-08-30 |
Family
ID=26959921
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US279862A Expired - Lifetime US2716744A (en) | 1952-04-01 | 1952-04-01 | Socket contact for electrical connector |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US2716744A (en) |
DE (2) | DE1119944B (en) |
FR (1) | FR1073222A (en) |
GB (3) | GB730070A (en) |
Cited By (21)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2967288A (en) * | 1958-02-06 | 1961-01-03 | Bendix Corp | Electrical connector |
US3009130A (en) * | 1959-03-23 | 1961-11-14 | Amp Inc | Pin-socket connector |
US3023396A (en) * | 1957-06-13 | 1962-02-27 | Bendix Corp | Socket contact |
US3028575A (en) * | 1958-05-14 | 1962-04-03 | Burndy Corp | Removable control assembly for an electrical connector |
US3029411A (en) * | 1960-01-11 | 1962-04-10 | United Carr Fastener Corp | Closed-entry spring contact |
US3031638A (en) * | 1960-03-11 | 1962-04-24 | Burndy Corp | Connector assembly |
US3065448A (en) * | 1959-08-13 | 1962-11-20 | Gen Motors Corp | Terminal means |
US3078439A (en) * | 1960-01-14 | 1963-02-19 | United Carr Fastener Corp | Closed-entry contact |
US3112146A (en) * | 1961-05-09 | 1963-11-26 | Bendix Corp | Electrical connector |
US3112150A (en) * | 1956-08-16 | 1963-11-26 | Aircraft Marine Prod Inc | Electrical connections |
US3140141A (en) * | 1961-11-08 | 1964-07-07 | Pyle National Co | Shrouded contact |
US3141723A (en) * | 1960-01-20 | 1964-07-21 | Curtiss Wright Corp | Electric couplings |
US3144292A (en) * | 1961-01-17 | 1964-08-11 | Amp Inc | Twin conductor shielded wire connector |
US3173737A (en) * | 1963-08-05 | 1965-03-16 | Amp Inc | Connector with tab terminal latching means |
US3193792A (en) * | 1962-12-03 | 1965-07-06 | Inter State Electronics Corp | Connector-contact adapter |
US3233033A (en) * | 1963-08-20 | 1966-02-01 | United Carr Inc | Force fit terminal |
US3275973A (en) * | 1963-11-04 | 1966-09-27 | Amp Inc | One piece plugboard plug connector |
US3383645A (en) * | 1967-04-04 | 1968-05-14 | Elco Corp | Female socket contact having a spring-clip |
US4009927A (en) * | 1974-08-02 | 1977-03-01 | Litton Systems, Inc. | Spiral crimp for retaining a wire conductor in a metal contact |
US5147230A (en) * | 1991-12-19 | 1992-09-15 | General Motors Corporation | Two piece electrical female terminal |
US20110028039A1 (en) * | 2007-09-05 | 2011-02-03 | Preci Dip Sa | Contact clip |
Families Citing this family (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US2813257A (en) * | 1955-11-04 | 1957-11-12 | Burndy Corp | Socket connector |
GB842891A (en) * | 1955-11-04 | 1960-07-27 | Burndy Corp | Electrical socket connector |
US4551187A (en) * | 1984-06-08 | 1985-11-05 | Brush Wellman Inc. | Copper alloy |
FR2596588A1 (en) * | 1986-03-26 | 1987-10-02 | Allied Corp | Socket contact having a split socket for an electrical connector |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB206628A (en) * | 1922-09-11 | 1923-11-15 | Ernest Edward Bramall | Improvements in or relating to electrical plug and socket connectors |
GB571900A (en) * | 1943-12-13 | 1945-09-13 | Charles Leonard Arnold | Improvements in electrical socket contacts |
FR982410A (en) * | 1943-06-16 | 1951-06-11 | Improvements made to the means for coupling two parts by fitting, in particular for electrically connecting male and female plugs |
Family Cites Families (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE734112C (en) * | 1937-01-10 | 1943-04-08 | Walter Ritscher | Socket with one or more springs acting on the associated springless plug pin |
DE1015884B (en) * | 1953-05-16 | 1957-09-19 | Bendix Aviat Corp | Socket |
-
1952
- 1952-04-01 US US279862A patent/US2716744A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
1953
- 1953-02-26 GB GB5450/53A patent/GB730070A/en not_active Expired
- 1953-03-25 FR FR1073222D patent/FR1073222A/en not_active Expired
-
1958
- 1958-06-09 GB GB18434/58A patent/GB839095A/en not_active Expired
- 1958-06-11 GB GB18721/58A patent/GB843885A/en not_active Expired
- 1958-06-12 DE DEB49272A patent/DE1119944B/en active Pending
- 1958-06-12 DE DEB49271A patent/DE1121151B/en active Pending
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB206628A (en) * | 1922-09-11 | 1923-11-15 | Ernest Edward Bramall | Improvements in or relating to electrical plug and socket connectors |
FR982410A (en) * | 1943-06-16 | 1951-06-11 | Improvements made to the means for coupling two parts by fitting, in particular for electrically connecting male and female plugs | |
GB571900A (en) * | 1943-12-13 | 1945-09-13 | Charles Leonard Arnold | Improvements in electrical socket contacts |
Cited By (22)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3112150A (en) * | 1956-08-16 | 1963-11-26 | Aircraft Marine Prod Inc | Electrical connections |
US3023396A (en) * | 1957-06-13 | 1962-02-27 | Bendix Corp | Socket contact |
US2967288A (en) * | 1958-02-06 | 1961-01-03 | Bendix Corp | Electrical connector |
US3028575A (en) * | 1958-05-14 | 1962-04-03 | Burndy Corp | Removable control assembly for an electrical connector |
US3009130A (en) * | 1959-03-23 | 1961-11-14 | Amp Inc | Pin-socket connector |
US3065448A (en) * | 1959-08-13 | 1962-11-20 | Gen Motors Corp | Terminal means |
US3029411A (en) * | 1960-01-11 | 1962-04-10 | United Carr Fastener Corp | Closed-entry spring contact |
US3078439A (en) * | 1960-01-14 | 1963-02-19 | United Carr Fastener Corp | Closed-entry contact |
US3141723A (en) * | 1960-01-20 | 1964-07-21 | Curtiss Wright Corp | Electric couplings |
US3031638A (en) * | 1960-03-11 | 1962-04-24 | Burndy Corp | Connector assembly |
US3144292A (en) * | 1961-01-17 | 1964-08-11 | Amp Inc | Twin conductor shielded wire connector |
US3112146A (en) * | 1961-05-09 | 1963-11-26 | Bendix Corp | Electrical connector |
US3140141A (en) * | 1961-11-08 | 1964-07-07 | Pyle National Co | Shrouded contact |
US3193792A (en) * | 1962-12-03 | 1965-07-06 | Inter State Electronics Corp | Connector-contact adapter |
US3173737A (en) * | 1963-08-05 | 1965-03-16 | Amp Inc | Connector with tab terminal latching means |
US3233033A (en) * | 1963-08-20 | 1966-02-01 | United Carr Inc | Force fit terminal |
US3275973A (en) * | 1963-11-04 | 1966-09-27 | Amp Inc | One piece plugboard plug connector |
US3383645A (en) * | 1967-04-04 | 1968-05-14 | Elco Corp | Female socket contact having a spring-clip |
US4009927A (en) * | 1974-08-02 | 1977-03-01 | Litton Systems, Inc. | Spiral crimp for retaining a wire conductor in a metal contact |
US5147230A (en) * | 1991-12-19 | 1992-09-15 | General Motors Corporation | Two piece electrical female terminal |
US20110028039A1 (en) * | 2007-09-05 | 2011-02-03 | Preci Dip Sa | Contact clip |
US8303352B2 (en) * | 2007-09-05 | 2012-11-06 | Preci Dip Sa | Contact clip |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
DE1121151B (en) | 1962-01-04 |
GB730070A (en) | 1955-05-18 |
GB843885A (en) | 1960-08-10 |
FR1073222A (en) | 1954-09-21 |
DE1119944B (en) | 1961-12-21 |
GB839095A (en) | 1960-06-29 |
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