Female terminal with flexible sidewalls and flat angled contacts
US6918798B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 15, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 19, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 15, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01R13/432
- WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A female terminal with a mating end suited for receiving a male pin with flat surfaces and a circuit-connecting end for connection to a wire. A terminal-receiving passageway at the mating end has two spaced apart sidewalls, which may be in the form of U-shaped channels, extending lengthwise along the passageway with one or more slots separating the U-shaped channels. Enlarged flat contacting surfaces are formed in the opposing sidewalls and are disposed at an angle to the sidewalls. The sidewalls resiliently flex apart from each other as the male pin is inserted into the passageway such that the angled contacting surfaces become coplanar with the flat surfaces of the male pin and electrically contact the male pin over a greater area than that provided by dimples. One or more notches may be disposed at selected points in the sidewalls of the female terminal to better define and control the flexing characteristics of the spaced apart sidewalls.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.