Texas Instruments Corporation

Thomas W Galligan

John Lincoln Grant

Stephen D DelPrete

Austin S O'Malley

Emanuel D Torti

A low insertion force connector has conductors blanked and formed from metal strip materials and disposed in openings in an insulating connector body. A receptacle portion of each conductor has a bridge formed to extend around the perimeter of a square and disposed inside a body opening and has integral leaf springs extending from the bridge at the respective sides of the square toward a terminal entry end of the opening so that two pairs of the springs are disposed in facing relation around a common axis for receiving a terminal therebetween. The contact surfaces of one pair of springs is relatively closer to the entry end of the body opening than the contact surfaces of the other pair of springs so that a terminal being inserted moves the pairs of springs separately in establishing said spring forces, thereby requiring lesser terminal insertion forces. An integral gauge strip on each conductor is connected to one pair of the springs and extends to define the perimeter of a gauge opening for limiting the cross-section of a terminal which can be inserted between the leaf springs through the gauge aperture. Opposite ends of the gauge strips are preferably interconnected by dove-tail means for positively fixing the perimeter of the gauge aperture.

Low insertion force connector

A low insertion force connector has metal conductors disposed in respective openings in an insulating connector body. Each conductor has a bridge portion extending in a square inside its respective body opening and has integral leaf springs extending from respective sides of the square toward a terminal entry end of the body opening. Two pairs of the springs are disposed so that the springs in each pair face each other around a common axis for receiving a terminal therebetween. Each leaf spring has an obliquely disposed surface to intercept and be moved by a terminal as the terminal is inserted and a contact surface for engaging the terminal said surfaces of one pair of springs being relatively closer to the entry end of the body opening than said surfaces of the other pair of springs, thereby requiring lesser terminal insertion forces. An integral gauge strip on each conductor is connected to one pair of the springs at the terminal entry end of the body opening and extends to define the perimeter of a gauge opening or aperture on the conductor for limiting the cross-section of a terminal which can be inserted between the leaf springs through the gauge aperture. Opposite ends of the gauge strip are preferably interconnected by dove-tail means for positively fixing the perimeter of the gauge aperture. Preferably, the other pair of springs extend in cantilever relation from the conductor so that the distal ends thereof are inside the body opening.

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Norton, MA, United States of America

Thomas W Galligan