US 6,475,019 B1 · Insulation displacement electrical connector · patentgrep

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Abstract

An electrical connector having a body with a plurality of contact cavities therein, and a plurality of insulation penetrating beam contacts received within the cavities. Each contact has a first end portion to engage a wire located at a first cavity end and a second end portion with a protrusion at a second cavity end. The connector also includes a plurality of resilient spring arms positioned adjacent to the contact cavities. Each arm has a hinge portion attached to the body and a resiliently movable free end portion with a receiving aperture receiving therein the contact protrusion when the contact is in the contact cavity at which the spring arm is positioned. The second cavity end is open and the spring arm is resiliently movable to permit insertion and removal of the contact through the open end.

Claims38

Dependent claims

An electrical connector of the type for electrically interconnecting a first set of insulated wire conductors with a second set of conductors, the connector comprising:

a dielectric body having a plurality of contact cavities therein, each contact cavity having an open wire receiving end and an opposite open contact insertion end;
a plurality of planar slotted beam contacts, each contact sized to be inserted through the open contact insertion end of one of the contact cavities and removably positioned within the contact cavity, each contact having a first end portion located at the open wire receiving end of the contact cavity and an opposite second end portion located at the open contact insertion end of the contact cavity in which the contact is positioned, the first end portion configured to displace the insulation and make electrical contact with the wire of one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors and the second end portion having an outward facing side with a protrusion projecting away from the outward side;
and
a plurality of resilient arms, each arm positioned adjacent to the open contact insertion end of one of the contact cavities, each arm having a hinge portion attached to the body, a free end portion and a mid-portion therebetween, the mid-portion of the arm having a receiving aperture sized and positioned to receive and capture therein the protrusion of the contact in the contact cavity at which the arm is positioned when the contact is within the contact cavity, the hinge portion of the arm having sufficient resiliency to allow the mid-portion of the arm to be resiliently moved away from the outward side of the second end portion of the contact in the contact cavity at which the arm is positioned as the contact is inserted into the contact cavity from the open contact insertion end thereof in response to engagement of the free end portion with the protrusion of the contact and resiliently moved toward the outward side of the second end portion of the contact when the receiving aperture is in registration with the protrusion of the contact to position the protrusion in the receiving aperture of the arm.

1 more element

An electrical connector of the type for electrically interconnecting a first set of insulated wire conductors with a second set of conductors, the connector comprising:

a body having a plurality of contact cavities therein, each contact cavity having an open wire receiving end and an opposite open contact insertion end;
a plurality of insulation penetrating contacts, each contact sized to be inserted through the open contact insertion end of one of the contact cavities and removably positioned within the contact cavity, each contact having a first end portion located at the open wire receiving end of the contact cavity and an opposite second end portion located at the open contact insertion end of the contact cavity in which the contact is positioned, the first end portion being configured to displace the insulation and make electrical contact with the wire of one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors and the second end portion having a protrusion projecting outward;
and
a plurality of arms, each arm positioned adjacent to the open contact insertion end of one of the contact cavities, each arm having an attachment portion attached to the body, a free end portion and a mid-portion therebetween, the mid-portion of the arm having a receiving aperture sized and positioned to receive and capture therein the protrusion of the contact in the contact cavity at which the arm is positioned, the mid-portion of the arm being resiliently movable away from the second end portion of the contact in the contact cavity at which the arm is positioned as the contact is inserted into the contact cavity from the open contact insertion end thereof in response to engagement of the free end portion with the protrusion of the contact and being resiliently movable toward the second end portion of the contact when the receiving aperture is in registration with the protrusion of the contact to position the protrusion in the receiving aperture of the arm.

1 more element

An electrical connector of the type for electrically interconnecting a first set of insulated wire conductors with a second set of conductors, the connector comprising:

a dielectric body having a plurality of contact cavities therein, each contact cavity having an open first end for receiving one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors and an opposite second end;
a plurality of insulation penetrating beam contacts, each contact sized to be snuggly received within one of the contact cavities, each contact having a first end portion located at the first cavity end and an opposite second end portion located at the second cavity end of the contact cavity in which the contact is positioned, the first end portion configured to displace the insulation and make electrical contact with the wire of one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors;
and
a plurality of spring arms to releasably retain the contacts in the contact cavities, each spring arm being positioned adjacent to the second cavity end of one of the contact cavities, each spring arm having a resilient hinge portion attached to the body and a free end portion, one of the second end portion of the contact and the free end portion of the spring arm having a protrusion and the other having a receiving aperture sized and positioned to receive and capture therein the protrusion when the contact is in the contact cavity at which the spring arm is positioned with the receiving aperture in registration with the protrusion.

1 more element

An electrical connector of the type for electrically interconnecting a first set of insulated wire conductors with a second set of conductors, the connector comprising:

a body having a plurality of contact cavities therein, each contact cavity having an open first end for receiving one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors and an opposite second end;
a plurality of insulation penetrating beam contacts, each contact sized to be received within one of the contact cavities, each contact having a first end portion located at the first cavity end and an opposite second end portion located at the second cavity end of the contact cavity in which the contact is positioned, the first end portion configured to displace the insulation and make electrical contact with the wire of one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors;
and
a plurality of resilient spring arms, each spring arm positioned adjacent to one of the contact cavities, each spring arm having a first portion attached to the body and a resiliently movable second portion, one of the second end portion of the contact and the second portion of the spring arm having a protrusion and the other having a receiving aperture receiving therein the protrusion when the contact is in the contact cavity at which the spring arm is positioned with the receiving aperture in registration with the protrusion.

1 more element

An electrical connector of the type for electrically interconnecting a first set of insulated wire conductors with a second set of conductors, the connector comprising:

a body having a plurality of contact cavities therein, each contact cavity having an open first end for receiving one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors and an opposite second end;
a plurality of insulation penetrating beam contacts, each contact sized to be received within one of the contact cavities, each contact having a first end portion located at the first cavity end and an opposite second end portion located at the second cavity end of the contact cavity in which the contact is positioned, the first end portion configured to displace the insulation and make electrical contact with the wire of one of the insulated wire conductors of the first set of conductors;
and
a plurality of resilient spring arms, each spring arm positioned adjacent to one of the contact cavities, each spring arm having a first portion attached to the body and a resiliently movable second portion, the spring arms each being configured to allow the second portion thereof to move independent of the second portion of adjacent ones of the spring arms and without interference with the simultaneous movement of the second portion of adjacent ones of the spring arms, one of the second end portion of the contact and the second portion of the spring arm having a protrusion and the other having a receiving aperture receiving therein the protrusion when the contact is in the contact cavity at which the spring arm is positioned with the receiving aperture in registration with the protrusion.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.