ELECTRICAL TERMINAL HAVING A CONTACT END AND A CRIMPING FERRULE

TRADUCTION NON-DISPONIBLE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT

An electrical connector comprises an electrical
terminal having a contact end and a crimping ferrule
for connection to an electrical conductor, the crimping
ferrule being received in a metal sleeve which extends
beyond the end of the crimping ferrule in the direction
away from the contact end of the terminal, the metal
sleeve in turn being received in an outer sleeve of
electrically insulating material. The metal sleeve
is a seamless member having a relatively thick wall
over the portion overlying the crimping ferrule, and
a relatively thin wall over the portion extending
beyond the end of the crimping ferrule. The different
thicknesses of the two portions of the metal sleeve
ensure reliable crimping of the connector to an
insulated conductor at these two positions.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention for which an exclusive
property or privilege is claimed are as follows:-

1. An electrical connector comprising an
electrical terminal having a contact end and a
crimping ferrule for connection to an electrical
conductor, the crimping ferrule being received in a
metal sleeve which extends beyond the end of the
crimping ferrule in the direction away from the
contact end of the terminal, the metal sleeve being
a seamless member having a relatively thick wall
over the portion overlying the crimping ferrule, and
a relatively thin wall over the portion extending
beyond the end of the crimping ferrule, the metal
sleeve in turn being received in an outer sleeve
of electrically insulating material.
2. A connector as claimed in Claim 1, in which
the metal sleeve has an intermediate portion between the
relatively thick wall and relatively thin wall portions,
the intermediate portion providing a funnel entry from
the thin wall portion into the thick wall portion.
3. A connector as claimed in Claim 2, in
which the intermediate portion provides a shoulder
facing into the thick wall portion.
4. A connector as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim
3, in which the free end of the thin wall portion of
the metal sleeve is flared outwardly to provide funnel
entry thereto.

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Description

Thjs i.nvention relates to an electrical
connector.
~ ccordinc~ to this invention an electrical
connector comprises an electrical terminal havlng
a con~act end and a crimping ferrule for connection
to an electrical conductor, the crimping ferru~.e
being received in a metal sle2ve ~hich extends
beyond the end of the cr.imping ferrule in the direction
away from the contact end of the terminal, the metal
sleeve belng a seamless member llaving a relaiively
thick wall over the portion overlying the crimping
ferrule, and a relatively thin wall over the portion
extending beyond t.he end of the crimping ferrule,
the metal sleeve in turn being received in an outer
sleeve of el2ctrically insulating material.
An electrical connector according to this
invention will now be described by way of example
with reference to the drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a side elevational view, partly
in cross-section, of a metal sleeve of the connector;
Figure 2 is a sectional plan view of the sleeve
of Figure 1 recaived in an outer lnsulating sleeve
of the conn~c~or; and
Figure 3 is a plan view of the complete connector.
Figure 1 shows a seamless circular cross-section
metal sleeve :L having a relativel~ thick wall portion
2 and a relatLvely thin wall portion 3. Such a metal
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sleev~ can be forrn~.a by conventional metal working
techniques.
Be~ween the portions 2 and 3 is an intermediate
portion 4 providing a funnel entry 5 from the portion
3 into the portion 2. The intermediate portion 4 also
provides a shoulder 6 facing into the portion 2.
The free end 7 of the portion 3 is flared
out~ardly to provide a funnel entry there-to.
Referriny now to Figure 2, this shows the metal
sleev2 1 received in an outer sleeve 8 of electrically
insulating plastics material, which outer sleeve 8
extends beyond the ree end 7 of the poxtion 3 of the
sleeve l.
Figure 3 shows the complete connector which
includes an electrical terminal 9 having a receptacle
contact end.10 for mating ~ith a flat tab (not
shown) and a crimping ferrule 11 of known form for
connection to an electrical conductor, the crimping
ferruls 11 being received in the portion 2 of the
metal sle~ve 1 with its insertion limited by the
shoulder 6 therein.
For use of the connector, the insulation
12 is stripped rom a portion at the end of an
insulated elec~r:ical~ conductor 13, and the end portion
is then .inserted into the free end of the outer sleeve
8 ~ith the end o the conductor 13 ~eing guided
into the crimping ferrule 11 by ~he funnel entry 5

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of the metal sl2eve 1, which funnel entry 5 also serves
to limit insertion of the conductor by engagelnent
of the insulation 12 on the conductor with the funnel
entry 5. The crimping ferrule 11 is then crimped
down onto ~he conductor 13 through the outer sleeve
8 and the portion 2 of the metal sleeve 1, and the
portion 3 of the metal sleeve 1 can be crimped down
onto th~ insulation 12 of the conductor throu~h the
outer sleeve 8, in known manner.
lo The relatively thick wall of the portion 2
of the metal sleeve 1 ensures reliable crimping of
the connector 1 onto the conductor 13 even when the
materiàl from ~7hich the terminal 9 is made is relatively
thin as may be necessary to ensure the necessary
spring propsrties for the receptacle end 10 thereof,
while the relatively thin wall of the portion 3 of
the metal sleeve 1 allo~s for easy crimping of this
portion onto the insulation 12 of the conductor.
Further, the absence of a seam in the metal sleeve
1 en~sur s that the metal sleeve 1 will not relax
after crimping as could occur if the metal sleeve 1
; had a longitudinally extending open seam as found

in some known connectors.
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