Electrical connector terminal

Abstract

 An electrical connector terminal comprises a connection member (10) having a connection section (11) to be crimped to core wires (C1), a mating member (20) having a mating section (22) to be mated with the contact element of a mating connector, and a linking section (30) for integrating the connection and mating members (10, 20). The mating member (20) is made from a springy material while the connection member (10) is made from a material which is softer than the above material for the mating member (20) and easy to make plastic deformation for crimping connection.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to terminals for electronics connectors.

[0002] A variety of types of terminals having at an end a connection section to which a core wire of a cable is crimped for connection and at the other end a contact section plugged with the contact element of a mating connector are well known.

[0003] As Fig. 6 shows, a housing 51 is provided with a terminal aperture 52 and a threaded hole 54 in the upper wall for a fixing screw 53. A terminal 55 is made by bending a springy metal and has a fixing section 56 provided in the terminal aperture 52 and fixed therein by the fixing screw 53 and a mating section 57 with a contact portion 57A. The fixing section 56 extends from the lop edge of The mating section 57 while the mating section 57 is made up of a pair of side walls having a reduced throat portion, forming a contact portion 57A.

[0004] In use, a predetermined length of sheath is removed from an end portion of a cable C to expose core wires C1, which are inserted into the aperture 52 below the fixing section 56 and pressed between the fixing section 56 and the bottom of the aperture 52 by tightening the fixing screw 53. Then, the contact element A of a mating connector is inserted into the contact portion 57A of the terminal 55, thereby electrically connecting the cable C to the mating connector.

[0005] In Fig. 7, the core wires C1 of a cable C are crimped to a crimping member 60 which is made from a metal sheet which is relatively thick and sufficiently soft to readily undergo plastic deformation. The crimping member 60 has at an end a cylindrical connection section 61 (as shown by phantom line) and a fixing section 62 which is crashed to form a solid rod with a diameter smaller than that of the connection section 61. The housing 51, the fixing screw 53, and the terminal 55 are identical with those of Fig. 6.

[0006] In use, the core wires C1 of a cable C are put into the cylindrical connection section 61, which is then crimped to connect the connection section 61 and the core wires C1. Then, the fixing section 62 of the crimping member 60 is connected to the fixing section 56 of the terminal 55 by tightening the fixing screw 53 in the same manner as in Fig. 6.

[0007] In Fig. 8, a terminal 70 is made from an identical material in an indentical manner with those of Fig. 6. A mating section 72 is similar to the mating section 57 of Fig. 6. Consequently, the mating section 71 is made by bending a relatively thin springy metal into a cylindrical form.

[0008] In use, the core wires C1 of a cable C are put into the connection section 71, which is then deformed with a special tool to connect the core wires C1. The terminal 70 is then put into the aperture of a housing for connection with the contact element A of a mating connector.

[0009] However, where the core wires are held by the fixing screw as shown in Fig. 6, the holding power decreases with the passage of time, resulting in the unstable electrical connections. Especially, when the core wires C1 are a large number of thin wires, this problem grows worse.

[0010] The terminal of Fig. 7 solves the above problem with the terminal of Fig. 6; however, it requires not only a fixing operation with the fixing screw but also a crimping operation for the crimping member.

[0011] The terminal of Fig. 8 solves the above problem with the terminal of Fig. 7; however, it presents a new problem. It is made from a material for leaf springs for providing high performance of the mating section so that it is difficult to make plastic deformation of the connection section. Consequently, it is necessary to use a special crimping tool which is stronger than a simple and cheap crimping tool which is commercially available for the crimping operation such as in Fig. 7. This special crimping tool is so expensive that it puts a heavy financial burden on terminal users.

[0012] Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector terminal which keeps stable electric connections and is inexpensive and easy to make electric connections.

[0013] The above object of the invention is achieved by the invention as claimed in claim 1.

[0014] Embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector terminal according to an embodiment of the invention;

Figs. 2(A) and (B) are sectional views taken along lines A-A and B-B, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a connection member prior to integration with a mating member of the terminal;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the connection and mating members prior to the integration;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an electrical connector terminal according to another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a conventional terminal;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of another conventional terminal; and

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of still another conventional terminal.

[0015] An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to Figs. 1-3.

[0016] In Fig. 1, an electrical connector terminal 1 has a connection member 10, a plugging member 20, and a linking member 30 for integrating them as a unit. Also, see Fig. 2(B). A predetermined length of sheath is removed from an end portion of a cable C to expose core wires C1.

[0017] The connection member 10 is made from a metal sheet which is softer and easier to apply plastic work than the metal sheet of plugging member 20. As shown in Fig. 3, the connection member 10 has a cylindrical Connection section 11 and a bar-like work section 12, both of which are made by plasticaliy bonding a sheet. Also, see Fig. 2(A). The connection section 11 is made by bending a sheet into a cylindrical form, with opposite edges abutted, which has an inside diameter sufficiently large to receive the core wires C1. The work section 12 is made by crashing the sheet so as to form a solid bar and has an outside diameter smaller than that of the connection section 11. The boundary between the solid work section 12 and the hollow connection section 11 works as a stopper to position the core wires C1 within the connection section 11. It is noted that the solid work section 12 may have some hollow spaces after crashing. The thickness of the soft sheet for the connection member 10 should be sufficiently large to withstand connection operation after plastic work.

[0018] The plugging member 20 is made by forming a relatively thin spring sheet So as to provide a pair of bent side walls or work section 21 and a rectangular tube or plugging section 22. See also Fig. 4. The work section 21 has a U-shaped section in which the work section 12 of the connection member 10 is placed. As shown in Fig. 4, these work sections 12 and 21 are crashed by a tool T to form a linking member 30. See Fig. 2(B). the tool T has a pair of semi-circular grooves in the lower face so that the respective work sections 12 and 21 of the connection and plugging members 10 and 20 are crashed to form the linking member with the top face having a pair of semi-circular surfaces. However, the top surface of the linking member may take other shapes.

[0019] AS shown in Figs. 1 and 4, the mating section 22 of the mating member 20 has at an end a rectangular opening for receiving a male contact element (not shown) of a mating connector and a spring tongue 23 on the upper face. The spring tongue 23 makes spring contact with the contact element of a mating connector upon plugging and presses down the contact element within the mating section 22.

[0020] The electrical connector is used as follows.

(1) The exposed core wires C1 of a cable C are put into the connection section 11 of the connection member 10.

(2) The connection section 11 is then crashed with a commercially available tool for connection with the core wires C1. Since the connection section 11 is made from a soft material, crashing is made readily by a commercially available tool having a semi-circular groove and a lightload crimping machine.

(3) The terminal 1 is then put into a corresponding aperture of a housing (not shown) and held therein to complete an electrical connector. Simultaneously, the mating member 20 engages an engaging projection of the housing to prevent separation of the terminal 1.

(4) When a mating connector is plugged into the electrical connector, the contact element of the mating connector is put into the mating member 20 making spring contact with the spring tongue 23 so that it Is pressed against the mating section 22, making electric connections.

[0021] According to the invention, the connection member is made from a material which is easy to work plastically while the mating member is made from a spring material, and both the members are integrated by a linking member as a unit.

[0022] In Fig. 5, respective work sections 15 of the connection and mating members 10 and 20 are made into the form of a plate and welded to each other. In order to increase the strength, the plates may be formed into other shapes except for flat plates before welding.

[0023] Since a terminal is made by integrating a connection member which is easy to work and a mating member which is strong and springy, the user is able to crimp it with a commercially available, cheap crimping tool, reducing the manufacturing costs. The mating member is able to make spring contact with thee contact element of a mating connector in the same way as the conventional manner.

Claims

1. An electrical connector terminal comprising:

a connection member having a connection section to be connected by crimping to a core wire of a cable;

a mating member made from a springy material and having a mating section to be mated with a contact element of a mating connector;

linking means for integrating said connection and mating members as a unit; and
said connection member being made from a material which is softer than said springy material and easy to make plastic deformation.

2. An electrical connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein said connection section has a hollow cylindrical section which is able to receive said core wire therein and deformable by crimping after insertion of said core wire.

3. An electrical connector terminal according to claim 2, wherein said hollow cylindrical section has a circular cross section.

4. An electrical connector terminal according to claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein said connection member is made by plastic deformation of said material.

5. An electrical connector terminal according to claim 1, wherein said Linking means is made by one of crimping and welded operations.

6. An electrical Connector terminal according to claim 5, wherein said linking means comprises a solid or hollow bar-like tubular section of said connection member and a crimping section of said mating member which is crimped over said bar-like tubular section.

7. An electrical connector terminal according to claim 5, wherein said linking means comprises respective plate-like sections of said connection and mating members which are welded to each other.

Drawing