Electrical terminal
AssigneeIllinois Tool Works Inc.
InventorsKenneth G. Irish, James A. Turek, Kevin Russelburg
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical terminal configured to electrically mate with a conductive blade may include a base integrally formed with lateral walls, at least one spring member, and at least one contact rib. The spring member extends from at least one of the lateral walls, and is configured to contact a first surface of the conductive blade. The contact rib extends from an upper surface of the base, and is configured to contact a second surface of the conductive blade. The spring member may include an extension beam angled toward the base, with a tip of the extension beam being canted away from the base, so as not to snag the conductive blade.
Claims19
An electrical terminal configured to electrically mate with a conductive blade, comprising:
- a base integrally formed with front lateral walls and rear lateral walls, said front and rear lateral walls separated by a gap;
- front spring members extending from said front lateral walls, and rear spring members extending from said real lateral walls, said front and rear spring members configured to contact a first surface of the conductive blade, and said front and rear spring members being bifurcated so as to be adapted to independently exert an associated compressive force onto the first surface of the conductive blade;
- and
- at least one contact rib extending from an upper surface of said base, said at least one contact rib configured to contact a second surface of the conductive blade.
An electrical terminal configured to electrically mate with a conductive blade, comprising:
- a base integrity formed with lateral walls;
- and
- a plurality of spring members extending from at least one of said lateral walls, each of said plurality of spring members configured to contact an upper surface of the conductive blade, each of said plurality of spring members comprising an extension beam having a contact portion angled toward said base, said extension beam further having a distal tip extending from said contact portion and canted away from said base so that said distal tip is oriented away from the conductive blade, such that said contact portion is configured to engage the conductive blade and said distal tip if configured to not engage the conductive blade.
An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
- a blade housing having a plurality of conductive blades extending therefrom;
- a terminal housing comprising a plurality of terminal chambers, each of said terminal chambers having a terminal securing member;
- and
- a plurality of electrical terminals, each of said plurality of electrical terminals comprising a base integrally formed with lateral walls extending upwardly from an upper surface thereof, and a deflectable housing securing member extending downwardly from a lower surface of said base, wherein each of said plurality of electrical terminals are securely retained within a separate one of said plurality of terminal chambers through said housing securing member snapably securing to said terminal securing member, wherein each of said plurality of electrical terminals comprises a plurality of spring members extending from at least one of said lateral walls, each of said plurality of spring members configured to contact an upper surface of one of said plurality of conductive blades, each of said plurality of spring members comprising an extension beam angled toward said base, said extension beam having a tip canted away from said base.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.