Electrical connector including variable resistance to reduce arcing

US6659783B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Tyco Electronics Co., Ltd · US

Inventors

• Charles Copper · Hummelstown, US
• Henry O. Herrmann, Jr. · Mount Joy, US
• Randy Thomas Matthews · Yadkinville, US
• Larry George Novotny · Clemmons, US
• Jeremy Patterson · Greensboro, US
• Norbert Krause · Bubenreuth, DE
• Horst Teutschlaender · Heppenheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 17, 2001
• Grant date: Dec 9, 2003
• Expiry date: Dec 17, 2021

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01R13/6616
• WIPO field: Electrical machinery, apparatus, energy
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

Electrical connectors (40, 104) including contact terminals that can be unmated without previously disconnecting power include main contacts (12, 112) and auxiliary contacts (16, 130) that are shunted by a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) resistor (6, 140) located between the main and auxiliary contact. The main contact (12, 112) will be disconnected first and the auxiliary contact (16, 130) can be longer than the main contact (12, 112). Arcing will not occur at the mating end of the main contact (12, 112), because the current will be shunted to the still connected longer auxiliary contact (16, 130). I2R heating will increase the resistance in the PTC resistor (6, 140), so when the auxiliary contact (16, 130) is disconnected, current will be below the arcing threshold. Multiple latches (54A,B) and (60A,B) or (180) and (196) permit only discontinuous mating and unmating or two state mating and unmating of electrical connectors, so that the connectors can be disconnected without arcing for a range of currents.