Overmolded contact assembly
AssigneeTE Connectivity Services GmbH
InventorNicholas Lee EVANS
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector having a housing and overmolded contact assemblies. The housing has a mating face and a mounting face. Contact receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the mounting face. The overmolded contact assemblies are provided in the contact receiving cavities. The overmolded contact assemblies include contacts and overmolded housings. The contacts have mating contact portions, securing portions and mounting contact portions. The overmolded housings are overmolded onto the securing portions of the contacts.
Claims21
A contact assembly for mating with an adjacent contact assembly and insertion into an electrical connector, the contact assembly comprising:
- a single contact having a mating contact portion, a securing portion and a mounting contact portion;
- a single contact overmolded housing, the single contact overmolded housing being overmolded onto the securing portion of the single contact, the single contact overmolded housing having a first side with at least one recess and a second side with at least one projection;
- wherein the single contact overmolded housing of the contact assembly is mated to an adjacent single contact overmolded housing of the adjacent contact assembly prior to the single contact overmolded housing of the contact assembly and the adjacent single contact overmolded housing of the adjacent contact assembly being inserted into a housing of the electrical connector.
(canceled)
(canceled)
An electrical connector comprising:
- a housing having a mating face and a mounting face, contact receiving cavities extend from the mating face to the mounting face;
- a first overmolded contact assembly provided in the contact receiving cavities, the first overmolded contact assembly comprising:
- a first single contact having a first mating contact portion, a first securing portion and a first mounting contact portion;
- a first overmolded housing, the first overmolded housing being overmolded onto the first securing portion of the first single contact;
- a second single overmolded contact assembly provided in the contact receiving cavities, the second overmolded contact assembly comprising:
- a second contact having a second mating contact portion, a second securing portion and a second mounting contact portion;
- a second overmolded housing, the second overmolded housing being overmolded onto the second securing portion of the second single contact.
A method of forming a contact assembly for insertion into an electrical connector, the method comprising:
- positioning a contact in a mold, the contact having a securing portion;
- holding the contact at discrete locations of the securing portion;
- overmolding a housing over the securing portion of the contact;
- forming at least one mating member on a side of the housing during the overmolding.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.