• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The invention relates to a female electrical contact (30) made by cutting and folding in a strip of electrically conductive material. It comprises a cage (34) for insertion of a male contact tongue (51), a retention pawl (36) of the cage (34) into a connector cavity and a fixing portion for electrically and mechanically connecting the cage (34) to an electric cable. The pawl (36) comprises a guiding guide lug (137) inserted into the cage (34) and bent at its end to limit movements of the pawl (36) relative to the cage (34). The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing such a contact (30).
    公开号:FR3044172A1
    申请号:FR1561198
    申请日:2015-11-20
    公开日:2017-05-26
    发明作者:Francois Cormier；Pascal Guillet
    申请人:Delphi International Operations Luxembourg SARL；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    FEMALE ELECTRIC CONTACT WITH LINGUET GUIDE PAD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH CONTACT
    [001] The invention relates to the field of electrical contacts, or terminals, with locking latch. The invention relates more particularly, for example, electrical contacts intended to be housed in the connectors used in motor vehicles.
    [002] For electrical connections in motor vehicles, it is common to use male and female contacts made from a strip of electrically conductive material (a copper alloy for example) cut by stamping and bent. These male and female contacts are then mounted in connector housings of insulating material, such as plastics.
    [003] Thus, for example, from a strip of conductive material, a female electrical contact is made, as described in document WO2014127817A1, with a cage, a pawl and a fixing portion, in which the cage is extends in a longitudinal direction between a front opening, for the insertion of a male contact tongue, and the fixing portion located at the rear of the contact, the cage comprising a bottom wall, an upper wall and two side walls , each extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction, between the bottom wall and the upper wall, the pawl extends, at least in part, above at least a portion of the upper wall, the front to the back of the contact, between a junction by which it is linked to the cage and a free end.
    [004] Contacts of this type may be satisfactory, but there is a tendency in this technical field to want to miniaturize them more. It is therefore desired to manufacture them in increasingly thin sheets. In addition, when these contacts reach a certain degree of miniaturization, it is no longer possible to make the cage in a material chosen for these electrical conduction properties (a copper alloy for example) and the pawl in a material chosen for its mechanical properties (of steel for example) and the contact and its pawl are formed in one and the same material (usually a copper alloy).
    An object of the invention is to make a contact of the type mentioned above whose latch can support a relatively high retention force, even for a miniature contact.
    [006] To this end, it is proposed a female electrical contact further comprising a guide lug, integral with the pawl, folded near the free end of the pawl, extending in a plane parallel to the side walls and extended by a hook in the cage and folded, substantially at right angles to the guide tab, under a portion of the cage.
    [007] Thus, thanks to the guide lug, the pawl is limited in these displacements both in the direction of a spacing of the free end relative to the upper wall of the cage, that laterally perpendicular to the side walls.
    [008] The female electrical contact according to the invention may further comprise one or the other of the following characteristics considered in isolation or in combination with one or more others: [009] - the hook is housed in a space of the cage located between a portion of the upper wall and the tongue of a male contact, when the male contact is inserted in the use position in the cage; [010] - the guide lug passes through an opening formed between a portion of the upper wall extending from one of the two side walls and another portion of the upper wall extending from the other side wall; [011] the latch comprises at least one longitudinal reinforcement extending in a plane parallel to the side faces and from which extends the guide tab; [012] - the free end of the pawl, seen from the fastening portion, has a U-shape, one of the branches is extended by the guide lug.
    [013] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a connection assembly comprising a connector and a counter-connector, the connector comprising a housing molded in an electrically insulating material, with at least one cell in which is housed a contact such that the one mentioned previously. The movement of this contact in the cell to the attachment portion is limited by a stop cooperating with the pawl. Moreover, the guide lug and the hook limit the displacement of the free end of the pawl.
    [014] This connection assembly may optionally comprise a hook housed in a space of the cage located between a portion of the upper wall and the tongue of a male contact, when the connector and the counter-connector are coupled in the position of use.
    [015] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method of manufacturing a female electrical contact, in which a sheet of electrically conductive material is stamped to form a blank with an area corresponding at least to a cage, and an area corresponding to a pawl and an area corresponding to a fixing portion. The areas corresponding to the pawl and the fixing portion are related to the area corresponding to the cage. The zone corresponding to at least one cage comprises a portion corresponding to a lower wall of the cage, two parts each corresponding respectively to a side wall of the cage and at least one part corresponding to an upper wall of the cage. This method further comprises [016] - the cutting of a guide tab, integral with the pawl, [017] - the folding of this guide tab at right angles, on the one hand, close to the free end of the pawl, and secondly, at the free end of the guide lug to form a hook, [018] - the folding of the blank by bringing the side walls parallel to each other and closing around the guide tab a window of which at least one edge is formed in a portion of the upper wall folded from a side wall and at least one other edge is formed in another portion of the folded top wall from the other side wall.
    [019] This method may further comprise any of the following features taken alone or in combination with one or more others: [020] - a portion of the top wall has an edge of the window that comes from a cut forming a tooth in a slot, the tooth being bent at the upper wall, when the contact is formed, and the slot providing a space between the pawl and a side wall to allow the pawl to flex towards the upper wall ; [021] - the hook is returned under the folded tooth after final folding.
    [022] Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows as well as in the accompanying drawings. In these drawings: - Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a connector, - Figure 2 shows schematically in perspective the cage of a female electrical contact of the type inserted in the connector of Figure 1; - Figure 3 shows schematically in perspective the cage of Figure 2, seen at another angle; - Figure 4 shows the stamped blank corresponding to the cage of Figures 2 and 3, before folding; - Figures 5A and 5B show schematically in longitudinal section the cage of Figures 2 to 4, respectively without and with a male electrical contact tab inserted into the cage.
    [023] In this document the terms "before", "back", "above", "below", etc. are purely conventional and make, where appropriate, reference to the orientations as shown in the figures.
    [024] In the figures, the same references denote identical or similar elements.
    [025] Figure 1 shows an electrical connector 1. This electrical connector 1 comprises a housing 10 of insulating material such as a plastic material (eg, PBT, PA66, etc.). It comprises a plurality of cavities, or cells, 20 for receiving contacts, or female electrical terminals 30. In the figure. 1, a single miniaturized female contact is shown in a cavity 20.
    [026] This female contact 30 has a rear fixing portion 31 on an electrical conductor 33 (a cable or a wire for example). In the embodiment shown here, the fixing portion 31 has a crimping section 32 for fixing the electrical conductor 33. The female contact 30 also comprises a cage 34 for receiving a tab 51 of the male contact 50 (only the part of coupling of this male contact is shown in Fig. 1). The male contact 50 is housed in the cell of a counter connector (not shown) comprising a housing made of a material similar to that of the connector 1.
    [027] The cage 34 extends in a longitudinal direction L also corresponding to the direction of the coupling, or the insertion, of the male contact 50 in the cage 34.
    [028] The cage 34 extends between a front end, having an opening 35 inside which the tongue 51 of the male contact 50 is inserted, and a rear end, to which is attached the fixing portion 31.
    [029] As shown in Figure 2, for example, the cage 34 has a bottom wall 37, an upper wall 39 and two side walls 40, substantially perpendicular to the upper and lower walls 39 and 37.
    [030] The cage 34 is adapted to receive tabs 51 having a cross section whose largest dimension is 0.5 mm or less.
    [031] For example, the outer dimensions of the cage are 1 mm in width (from one side wall 40 to the other) and 1.15 mm in height (from the upper wall 39 to the bottom wall 37).
    [032] If the sheet is 0.15 mm thick, the internal dimensions of the cage 34 are about 0.7 mm in width and 0.85 mm in height. These are average values, the female contacts being manufactured within specified tolerance ranges.
    [033] For mounting the female contact 30 in the housing 10, it is inserted into a cavity 20, from the rear face 12 of the housing 10 (see Figure 1). The female contact 30 is inserted in a direction which is opposite to the direction of insertion of the male contact 50. The female contact 30 is housed in its cavity 20 and blocked towards the front, by a front wall 14 (or face of coupling with a counter-connector) having openings 16 for insertion of male contact tabs 50.
    [034] In order to prevent the female contact 30 from moving backwards and being withdrawn from its cavity 20, a pawl 36, or locking lance, whose free end 38 engages a stop 22 formed in the cavity 20.
    [035] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the latch 36 is at an angle with the upper wall 39. This angle is for example between 3 and 10 degrees when the female contact 30 is housed in a cavity 20. The latch 36 extends longitudinally, from front to rear, from a junction 41 connected to the cage 34, to the free end 38. The free end 38 of the pawl 36 protrudes from the top of the contact female 30 (in the example illustrated, the free end 38 is projecting relative to a polarizing rib 43).
    [036] The pawl 36 is elastically connected to the cage 34. During the insertion of the female contact 30 in its cavity 20, it can retract so as to be essentially in alignment with the polarizing rib 43. After insertion, when the female contact 30 is in place in its housing 20, the latch 36 expands to engage with the stop 22. The latch 36 comprises two beams, or reinforcements, 136, 236 extending longitudinally over the upper wall 39. These two beams 136, 236 have essentially their main faces in the bending plane of the pawl 36. In other words, the dimension of these beams 136, 236 in this bending plane is greater than perpendicular to it (That is to say according to the thickness of the sheet constituting the female contact 30), so as to confer more rigidity and robustness on the pawl 36. They therefore reinforce the pawl 36.
    [037] These two beams 136, 236 are interconnected at each of their longitudinal ends, by U-shaped portions, respectively at the junction 41 and the free end 38.
    [038] At the free end 38, a guide lug 137, integral with the pawl 36 extends from a beam 136 inwardly of the cage 34. View of the fixing portion 31 , the free end 38 of the pawl 36, has a U-shape of which one of the branches is extended by the guide lug 137 (it will be noted that, according to one variant, two symmetrical guide lugs may be provided, one of which the other with respect to a longitudinal median plane of the latch 36). The U-shape of the free end 38 contributes to giving stability to the support on the abutment 22. The guide lug 137 therefore extends in a plane parallel to the side walls 40. It is extended, at the level of its end opposite to that which attaches it to the beam 136, by a hook 138 (see Figures 5A and 5B).
    [039] This hook 138 is located in the cage 34. It is formed by folding the free end of a guide lug 137 at right angles. This hook 138 is retained in the cage 34, under a portion of the upper wall 39. The guide lug 137 thus passes through an opening 139 formed in the upper wall 39. More particularly, this opening 139 is closed on both sides. other of the guide lug 137, during the folding forming the cage 34. The opening 139 is formed, during this folding, between a portion of the upper wall 39 extending from one of the two side walls 40 and another portion of the upper wall 39 extending from the other side wall 40.
    The cage 34 is shown unfolded in FIG. 4.
    [041] The face of the stamping blank 500 shown in this figure comprises several zones respectively corresponding to the outer faces of the lower 37, upper 39 and lateral 40 walls respectively. In this FIG. 4, on the left, the beams 136, 236 are shown. separated by a slot 141. The guide lug 137 extends substantially perpendicular to the pawl 36, towards the outside of the blank 500, at the free end 38 of the pawl 36, thus located towards the fixing portion 31. The paw of guide 137 is attached to the outermost beam 136. The end of the guide lug 137 which is not attached to this beam 136, is provided with the hook 138. The hook 138 comprises two branches 238, each extending on one side of the guide lug 137, in parallel in the longitudinal direction L.
    [042] On the right side of the blank 500 of Figure 4, is shown a tooth 142. The tooth 142 is located in alignment with a reinforcing blade 143 for covering a contact blade 144. The periphery of the reinforcing blade 143 and tooth 142 contributes to the production of a slot 145 forming a space between pawl 36 and a side wall 40 to allow pawl 36 to flex towards upper wall 39 when it is inserted into cavity 20 (see also Figures 2 and 3). The tooth 142 is folded at the upper wall 39, when the contact is formed (see Figure 3).
    [043] When folding the blank 500, a window is provided for the passage of the guide tab 137. An edge 146 is formed in a portion of the upper wall folded from a side wall 40 and another edge 147 , this on the tooth 142, is formed in another portion of the top wall bent from the other side wall 40.
    [044] As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the contact blades 143 and 144 are located upstream of the hook 138 and avoid, when introducing a tab 51 of the male contact 50 into the cage 36, that this tab 51 interferes with the hook 138. By cons, once the tab 51 housed in the cage 36, it blocks the hook 138 to prevent the pawl 36 is retracted and the female contact 30 can be extracted from its cavity 20.
    权利要求:
    Claims (10)
    [1" id="c-fr-0001]
    Claims female electrical contact made by cutting and folding in a strip of electrically conductive material of a cage (34), a pawl (36) and a fixing portion (31), in which the cage (34) extends in a longitudinal direction (L) between a front opening (35), for the insertion of a tongue (51) of male contact (50), and the fixing portion (31) located at the rear of the contact (30), and the cage (34) has a bottom wall (37), an upper wall (39) and two side walls (40), each extending in a plane parallel to the longitudinal direction (L), between the lower wall (37) and the upper wall (39), the pawl (36) extends, at least in part, above at least a portion of the upper wall (39), from the front towards the rear of the contact (30), between a junction (41) by which it is connected to the cage (34) and a free end (38), characterized by the fact that further comprises a guide tab (137) integral with the pawl (36), folded near the free end (38) of the pawl (36), extending in a plane parallel to the side walls (40). ), and extended by a hook (138) located in the cage (34) and folded, substantially at right angles to the guide tab (137), under a portion of the cage (34).
    [2" id="c-fr-0002]
    2. Contact according to claim 1, wherein the hook (138) is housed in a space of the cage (34) between a portion of the upper wall (39) and the tongue (51) of a male contact (50). ), when this male contact (50) is inserted in the use position in the cage (34).
    [3" id="c-fr-0003]
    3. Contact according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide lug (137) passes through an opening (139) formed between a portion of the upper wall (39) extending from one of the two walls. side members (40) and another portion of the top wall (39) extending from the other side wall (40).
    [4" id="c-fr-0004]
    4. Contact according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pawl (36) comprises at least one longitudinal reinforcement (136) extending in a plane parallel to the side faces (40) and from which extends the leg of guiding (137).
    [5" id="c-fr-0005]
    5. Contact according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the free end (38) of the pawl (36), seen from the fastening portion (31), has a U-shape of which one of the branches is extended by the guide tab (137).
    [6" id="c-fr-0006]
    6. Connection assembly comprising a connector (1) and a counter-connector, the connector (1) comprising a housing (10) molded in an electrically insulating material, with at least one cavity (20) in which a contact is housed ( 30) according to one of the preceding claims, the movement of this contact (30) in the cavity (20) to the fixing portion (31) being limited by a stop (22) cooperating with the pawl (36), and the guide lug (137) and the hook (138) limiting the displacement of the free end (38) of the pawl (36).
    [7" id="c-fr-0007]
    7. Connection assembly according to claim 6, wherein the hook (138) is housed in a space of the cage (34) located between a portion of the upper wall (39) and the tongue (51) of a male contact. (50), when the connector (1) and the counter-connector are coupled in the use position.
    [8" id="c-fr-0008]
    8. A method of manufacturing a female electrical contact (30) in which is stamped a strip of electrically conductive material to form a blank (500) with a zone corresponding to at least one cage (34), and a corresponding zone a pawl (36) and an area corresponding to a fixing portion (31), the zones corresponding to the pawl (36) and to the fixing portion (31) being connected to the zone corresponding to at least one cage (34) , the zone corresponding at least to a cage (34) having a portion corresponding to a lower wall (37) of the cage (34), two parts each corresponding respectively to a lateral wall (40) of the cage (34) and to less a portion corresponding to an upper wall (39) of the cage (34), characterized in that it further comprises - the cutting of a guide tab (137), integral with the pawl (36) the folding of this guide lug (137) at right angles, close to the free end (38) of the pawl (36), and at the free end of the guide tab (137) to form a hook (138), and - the folding of the blank (500) by reducing the side walls ( 40) parallel to each other and closing around the guide tab (137), a window (139) at least one edge (146) is formed in a portion of the upper wall (39) folded to from a side wall (40) and at least one other edge (147) is formed in another portion of the top wall (39) bent from the other side wall (40).
    [9" id="c-fr-0009]
    The method of claim 8, wherein a portion of the top wall (39) having an edge (147) of the window (139) comes from a tooth-forming cutout (142) in a slot, the tooth (142). ) being folded at the upper wall (39), when the contact (30) is formed, and the slot (145) providing a space between the pawl (36) and a side wall (40) to allow the pawl (36) ) to flex towards the upper wall (39).
    [10" id="c-fr-0010]
    10. The method of claim 9, wherein the hook (138) after final folding is brought back under the tooth (142) folded.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    FR3044172B1|2019-05-17|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    EP1239547A2|2001-03-06|2002-09-11|Tyco Electronics AMP GmbH|Electrical contact, in particular pin contact|
    JP2002280106A|2001-03-15|2002-09-27|Yazaki Corp|Terminal fitting|
    US20100210154A1|2007-08-30|2010-08-19|Christian Otto Boemmel|Electrical Contact|
    DE102011089315A1|2011-12-20|2013-06-20|Robert Bosch Gmbh|Electrical contact element with locking lance for a connector housing|
    WO2013091935A1|2011-12-20|2013-06-27|Robert Bosch Gmbh|Electrical contact element comprising a latching lance for a plug housing|EP3435491A1|2017-07-24|2019-01-30|Hirose Electric Co., Ltd.|Terminal with contact piece, connector, and connector device|
    WO2019076745A1|2017-10-17|2019-04-25|Kostal Kontakt Systeme Gmbh|Plug connector part|
    EP3671969A1|2018-12-21|2020-06-24|Tyco Electronics Japan G.K.|Contact and connector|
    法律状态:
    2016-11-23| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |
    2017-05-26| PLSC| Search report ready|Effective date: 20170526 |
    2017-11-27| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |
    2019-11-25| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 5 |
    2020-11-24| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 6 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    FR1561198|2015-11-20|
    FR1561198A|FR3044172B1|2015-11-20|2015-11-20|FEMALE ELECTRIC CONTACT WITH LINGUET GUIDE PAD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH CONTACT|FR1561198A| FR3044172B1|2015-11-20|2015-11-20|FEMALE ELECTRIC CONTACT WITH LINGUET GUIDE PAD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SUCH CONTACT|
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