Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A SOCKET CONTACT FOR AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR
This invention relates to electrical connectors and
more particularly to a socket type electrical contact
mounted within the electrical connector.
Electrical connectors generally include a plug and
5 receptacle, each having an insert of dielectric material
provided with a plurali~y of axial passages within which
electrical contacts are retained. The contacts are
generally pin and socket type contacts that may be
removable to facilitate servicing of the connector.
10 Examples of such prior art electrical connectors may be
found in U.S. patent 3,221,292 entitled "Electrical
Connector" and issued November 30, 1965. An example of a
socket type contact may be found in U.S. patent 3,845,459
entitled "Dielectric Sleeve for Electrically and Mechani
15 cally Protecting Exposed Female Contacts of an Electrical
Connector" and issued October 29, 1974. The socket type
contact may be machined from a solid piece of metal or
stamped and formed from a thin flat piece of metal such
as beryllium copper. The forward mating end of the
20 socket contact includes a plurality of radially and
resiliently deflectable fingers which are adapted to
engage a pin type contact upon mating with the other half
of an electrical connector assembly. In many instances
an outer sleeve or hood is located around the deflectable
fingers to protect them from damage as well as to provide
a rigid member that will locate the fingers concentri-
cally within the passage in the connector insert. If the
fingers are not concentrically located within the insert
passage damage to the fingers may eventually result
30 during the mating of the socket type contact with a pin
type contactO For example, if the fingers of the socket
contact are not concentric with the axial passage in the
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insert they will not axially align with a pin type contact
upon mating, causing some of the fingers to be subjected to
more stress and pressure than other fingers. Accordingly,
many prior art socket type contacts include an outer hood or
sleeve to protect the mating fingers of the socket contact and
to locate the socket contact concentrically within an axial
passage of the connector insert.
Disclosure of the Invention
The invention is used in combination with an
electrical connector assembly of the type having a dielectric
insert that includes an axial passage and a socket type
electrical contact mounted in the insert passage. The socket
contact comprises a tubular body having a forward mating
portion with a plurality of axially extending resiliently
and radially deflectable fingers annularly arranged adjacent
to each other. The invention relates to the improvement
wherein there are an even number of fingers with every other
finger extending radially outward further than the remaining
fingers and engaging the wall of the passage in the insert
to locate the socket contact concentrically within the insert
passage, the remaining fingers adapted to contact a pin
contact upon entry of the pin contact into the forward mating
portion of the socket contact.
Thus, this invention eliminates the need for an
outer hood or sleeve around the mating portion of a socket
contact. This invention is especially useful in connectors
with socket contacts having a diameter of about .6 centimeters.
Accordingly, it is an advantage of this invention
to eliminate the need for an outer hood or a sleeve around the
mating portion of a socket contact.
It is another advantage of this invention to reduce
the cost of making a socket contact.
Another advantage of this invention is that electrical
contact between a socket and pin contact is established as early
as possible upon mating of a connector assembly and hence
maintained for a maximum distance during mating and unmating
of the connector assembly.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional diagram with a socket
contact.
5FIGURE 2 illustrates an end view of the mating por-
tion of the socket contact shown in FIGURE 1.
FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of a socket con-
tact mounted within a connector insert.
Referring now to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates
10 an electrical socket type contact 20 having at the mating
end thereof a plurality of resiliently and radially
deflectable spring fingers 23, 24, 25 and 26. The
electrical contact is generally machined from a piece of
beryllium copper or stamped and formed from a thin sheet
15 of metal.
FIGURE 2 is an end view of the mating end of the
socket contacts and illustrates that one half of the
spring fingers 21, 23, 25 and 27 extend radially inwardly
further than the remaining fingers 22, 24, 26 and 28. It
20 is the function of the fingers 21, 23, 25 and 27 that
extend further inwardly to engage an electrical pin type
contact (not shown) upon mating with such a contact.
Preferably, there are eight fingers so that there
wi]l be four outer fingers 22, 24, 26 and 28 to locate
25 and maintain the socket contact in a concentric
relationship with the axial passage in the insert 10.
FIGURE 3 is a cutaway view of the socket contact 20
located within an axial passage 11 within a connector
insert 10. It is the function of every other finger
30 24,26 to engage the wall of the passage 11 to locate the
socket contact 20 concentrically within the axial passage
11 o the insert. The remaining fingers 23 and 25 do not
contact the wall of the axial passage 11 in the insert 10
but extend further inwardly to mate with a pin type con-
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tact (not shown). Since the only function of the inwardfingers 21, 23, 25 and 27 is mating, the taper of these
fingers may be such that the forward most portion of each
finger 23, 25 and 27 is also the furthest inward portion.
5 This permits the ends of the fingers to be closer to the
end of the passage 11 in the connector insert 10 than
would be the case where the contact required a protective
hood around the fingers. This is because such a hood
includes a rolled forward portion for guiding a pin
10 between the fingers which consequently results in spacing
the ends of the finger back from the end of the passage
to allow room for the rolled end portion of the hood.
While a preferred embodiment of this invention has
been disclosed, it will be apparent to those skilled in
15 the art that changes may be made to the invention as set
forth in the appended Claims, and in some instances,
certain features of the invention may be used without to
advantage without corresponding use of other features.
For instance, although a socket type contact has been
20 dlsclosed for use within a pin and socket type electrical
connector assembly the socket type contact disclosed may
also be used in coaxial type electrical connector wherein
there is a need to concentrically locate the socket por-
tion of the coaxial connector. Accordingly, it is
25 intended that the illustrative and descriptive materials
herein be used to illustrate the principles of this
invention and not to limit the scope thereof.
