ELECTRICAL SOCKET CONTACT FOR PANEL MOUNTING

CONTACT DE PRISE ELECTRIQUE POUR MONTAGE SUR PANNEAU

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
An electrical contact has a tubular body defining
a passageway for receiving a mating post. The tubular body
is generally rectangular in transverse cross-section
and two substantially identical contact arms struck out
from the body and bowed inwardly of the passageway to
present contact surfaces extending towards the longitudinal
axis of the passageway. Each contact arm has one end
integral with the body and an opposite free end laying outside
the passageway and engaging an individual stop on the
body, which stop prevents outward movement of the opposite
free ends away from the longitudinal axis of the passageway.

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An electrical contact having a tubular body defining a passageway
for receiving a mating post, at least one resilient contact arm struck out
from the body and bowed inwardly of the passageway to present a contact
surface extending towards the longitudinal axis of the passageway, the
contact arm having one end integral with the body and an opposite free end
lying outside the passageway and engaging a stop on the body which stop
prevents outward movement of the opposite free end away from the longitudinal
axis of the passageway.
2. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 1, in which the tubular
body is generally rectangular in transverse cross-section and two substan-
tially identical contact arms are provided, struck out from opposite sides
of the body to embrace between them a mating post.
3. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 1 in which a resilient
latch arm is formed from the body and extends outwardly from the body.
4. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 1, in which the stop is
formed by a reversely bent portion of the body.

Description

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The present invention relates to electrical
contacts.
According to the present invention an electrical
contact has a tubular body defining a passageway for
recelving a mating post, at least one resilient contact
arm struck out from the body and bowed inwardly of the
passageway to present a contact surface extending towards
the longitudinal axis of the passageway, the contact arm
~ having one end integral with the body and an opposite
free end lying outside the passagway and engaging a stop
on the body which stop prevents outward movement of the
opposite free end away from the longitudinal axis of the
passageway. i,
In a preferred embodiment, the tubular body
is generally rectangular in transverse cross-section and
two substantially identical contact arms are provided, struck
out from opposite sides of the body to embrace between
them a mating post.
An embodiment of the invention will now be
described, by way of example, reference being 7~ade to
the Figures of the accompanying diagrammatic drawings
in which:-
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an electrical
contact; and
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a plurality of
electrical contacts ~ounted on a printed circuit board.
- As sho~m, an electrical contact 1 formed from
electrically conductive sheet material has a tubular body
2 of generally rectangular transverse cross-section which
body 2 defines a passageway 3 for receiving a mating post
2.

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20. A pair of resilient contact arms 4 are struck out from
opposite sides of the body 2. The arms 4 are substantially
identical each being bowed inwardly of the passageway
3 to present a contact surface extendinq towards the
longitudinal axis of the passageway 3. Each contact
arm 4 has one end 5 fixed integrally with the body 2
and an opposite free end 6 lying outside the passageway 3
and engaging a stop 7 on the body 2. A palr of legs 8
extend from one end of the body 2 for staking the electrical
contact l to a printed circuit board lO. The legs 8 are
pushed through an aperture in the printed circuit board
and then bent over for staking the contact l to the board
lO and making contact with a conductive path (not shown)
. on the board lO. The aperture in the board lO permits
entry of a post 20 through the board lO and into the
passaqeway 3. The contact arms 4 make electrical contact
with opposite sides of the post 20 but the stops 7
prevent outward movement of the ends 6 away from the
longitudinal axis of the passageway 3. Each end 6 slides
along the inside surface of its respective stop 7 to
enable the contact arms 4 to embrace between them varying
thickness of post 20 with substantially the same contact
pressure.
Further, since the free ends 6 lie outside the
passageway 3 a post 20 can be inserted from the opposite end
of body 2. The free ends 6 will not foul the post 20
on entry of the post into the passageway 3.
As shown in Figure 2, the contacts l are mounted
perpendicular to the printed circuit board lO. However,
the legs 8 can be arranqed at each end of the body 2 so

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that the body can be mounted parallel to the printed circuit
board 10.
A resilient latch arm .12 is formed from the body 2
for releasably latchin~ the contact 1 in a passageway in $
a housing (not shown) when such a housing is required to
insulate the contact 1 on the board 10.
In order to ease manufacturing problems when
forming the electrical contact 1 from conductive sheet
material, it has been found that the folded over stops 7
1~ can each be formed with cut-outs. The cut outs extend
into those parts of the stops which are not engaged by
the free ends of the contact arms.
4.