Socket type contact terminal

Claim 2

An electrical connector assembly including, in combination: a socket member in the form of a U-shaped channel of resilient metal to be received in a throughway of a supporting electrically insulating receptacle, the base of the channel being omitted from the side walls along an intermediate portion of the length of the member, thus leaving a pair of spaced webs along the base of the channel between said side walls, the side walls of the channel being bowed inwardly along said intermediate portion and providing, within the channel shape, converging contact surfaces, a contact terminal member of thin blade-shaped formation insertable lengthwise into the mouth of the socket member formed at one end thereof, similar rounded protrusions bulged out from at least one inner face of said bowed side walls and disposed in offset relation to one another for guidingly engaging the leading end of the terminal member introduced into the mouth of the socket member, said protrusions being located midway of the length of said bowed side walls and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the socket member of the connector, and said protrusions acting to space the bowed side walls from one another and cooperating therewith to form a narrow opening having a longitudinal dimension approximating the width of the contact terminal member insertable thereinto and a transverse dimension aproximately half the thickness of such contact member.

Claim 3

An electrical socket for receiving a contact member and comprising a sheet metal socket made from a single blank longitudinally folded to provide a channel-shaped formation comprised of a base and a pair of side walls, said socket having a struck-out section along the base which terminates short of the upper and lower ends of the socket to form upper and lower connecting webs integrally joined to the side walls, said pair of side walls being bowed inwardly toward one another to bring their respective midsections into juxtaposition, the midsection of each of said side walls being dimpled to form an inwardly directed protrusion which is offset in laterally displaced relation to the similar protrusion formed on the other side wall of the socket, one such protrusion being located at the inner edge of its side wall formed by the struck-out section of the socket and such other protrusion being located at the opposite outer edge of its side wall, the two protrusions cooperating with one another in the operating condition of the socket to maintain the midsections of said pair of side walls in slightly spaced apart parallel relation to one another, and said protrusions being rounded to engage the side edges of an introduced mating contact member and guide the same therebetween.

Claim 4

An electrical socket for receiving a contact member and comprising a sheet metal socket made from a single blank longitudinally folded to provide a channel-shaped formation comprised of a base and a pair of side walls, said socket having a struck-out section along the base which terminates short of the upper and lower ends of the socket to form upper and lower connecting webs integrally joined to the side walls, said pair of side walls being bowed inwardly toward one another to bring their respective midsections into juxtaposition, the midsection of each of said side walls being dimpled to form an inwardly directed protrusion which is offset in laterally displaced relation to the similar protrusion formed on the other side wall of the socket, one such protrusion being located at the inner edge of its side wall formed by the struck-out section of the socket and such other protrusion being located at the opposite outer edge of its side wall, the two protrusions cooperating with one another in the operating condition of the socket to maintain the midsections of said pair of side walls in slightly spaced apart parallel relation to one another, and said protrusions being rounded to engage the side edges of an introduced mating contact member and guide the same therebetween.

Claim 5

A contact terminal of the socket type having a folded section exhibiting an open-ended channel shaped formation thereby to provide a pair of confronting side walls, the side walls being bowed inwardly toward one another to bring the midsections thereof into juxtaposition, and protrusions carried on the midsection of at least one of said side walls and extending toward the other side wall, said protrusions being laterally spaced apart sufficiently to permit the passage of a contact member therebetween which is introduced through the open end of the channel formed by the pair of side walls, said bowed side walls being resiliently arched toward one another but being maintained in spaced-apart relationship by the abutment of each protrusion against the side wall opposite to that upon which it is carried.

Claim 6

A contact terminal of the socket type having a folded section exhibiting an open-ended channel shaped formation thereby to provide a pair of confronting side walls, the side walls being bowed inwardly toward one another to bring the midsections thereof into juxtaposition, and protrusions carried on the midsection of at least one of said side walls and extending toward the other side wall, said protrusions being laterally spaced apart sufficiently to permit the passage of a contact member therebetween which is introduced through the open end of the channel formed by the pair of side walls, said bowed side walls being resiliently arched toward one another but being maintained in spaced-apart relationship by the abutment of each protrusion against the side wall opposite to that upon which it is carried.

Claim 7

The contact terminal as recited in claim 3 wherein the protrusions are generally conically shaped and integrally joined at their bases to the side wall upon which they are carriEd.

Claim 8

The contact terminal as recited in claim 4 whrein the protrusions are displaced from one another transversely of the longitudinal dimension of the side walls and cooperate with one another and the side walls to form a narrow gap for receiving a mating contact member introduced into the channel of the contact terminal.

Claim 9

An electrical socket-type connector having the socket thereof in the form of a channel of electrically conductive resilient material adapted to be received in a cavity of a supporting receptacle of electrically insulating material, the base of the channel being omitted from the side walls along an intermediate portion of the length of the member thus leaving a pair of spaced webs along the base of the channel between said side walls, the side walls of the socket between said pair of spaced webs being resiliently arched toward one another inwardly along said intermediate portion and providing, within the channel shape, converging contact surfaces for guiding a contact terminal member inserted lengthwise into the mouth of the socket formed at one end thereof, similarly shaped protrusions carried on the inner face of the midsection of at least one of said bowed side walls and disposed in offset relation to one another transverse to and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the channel of the socket, the protrusions each forming an integral part of the side wall on which it is carried and being formed by a deformation of each side wall from its initial flat condition, said protrusions being cooperable with the side walls to form a narrow opening extending crosswise to the longitudinal axis of the socket for receiving a contact terminal member introduced into the mouth of the socket, said protrusions being rounded on the sides thereof facing one another and cooperating with one another to engage the leading end of the contact terminal member introduced into the mouth of the socket to guide the same therebetween.

Claim 10

An electrical socket-type connector having the socket thereof in the form of a channel of electrically conductive resilient material adapted to be received in a cavity of a supporting receptacle of electrically insulating material, the base of the channel being omitted from the side walls along an intermediate portion of the length of the member thus leaving a pair of spaced webs along the base of the channel between said side walls, the side walls of the socket between said pair of spaced webs being resiliently arched toward one another inwardly along said intermediate portion and providing, within the channel shape, converging contact surfaces for guiding a contact terminal member inserted lengthwise into the mouth of the socket formed at one end thereof, similarly shaped protrusions carried on the inner face of the midsection of at least one of said bowed side walls and disposed in offset relation to one another transverse to and on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of the channel of the socket, the protrusions each forming an integral part of the side wall on which it is carried and being formed by a deformation of each side wall from its initial flat condition, said protrusions being cooperable with the side walls to form a narrow opening extending crosswise to the longitudinal axis of the socket for receiving a contact terminal member introduced into the mouth of the socket, said protrusions being rounded on the sides thereof facing one another and cooperating with one another to engage the leading end of the contact terminal member introduced into the mouth of the socket to guide the same therebetween.