Itt Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.

Phoenix Contact Gmbh + Co. Kg

Wolfgang Haller

Hans Kieninger

Michael Grimm

Martin Gollhofer

A socket contact (,) for receiving a pin contact (,) of small diameter, especially a contact pin of a PCMCIA plug. The socket contact is formed of sheet metal and has a substantially flat base (,), a spacing part (,) extending upward from the front end of the base, and a top contact part (,) extending rearward from the top of the spacing part. The spacing part has a circular hole (,) for passing the pin contact until the pin contact is pressed upward by a tongue (,) formed in the base and is pressed downward by the top contact part. To prevent bending of the spacing part when the tongue and top contact part apply a large clamping force to the pin, the spacing part is formed with support regions (,) where sheet metal at opposite sides of the spacing part are bent to extend rearwardly.

Socket contact element

An electrical connector assembly (10) includes first and second connectors (11, 12) that each has inner and outer contacts, which provides a visual and tactile indication when the two connectors have not been fully mated. The first outer contact is in the form of a helical spring (16) of electrically conductive material which is contacted by the outer second contact (41) and compressed as mating continues until a detent (74) on one connector engages a groove shoulder (116) on the other connector. If connector mating stops before the detent engages the groove shoulder, the spring will push apart the two connectors to clearly indicate that full mating has not been achieved. A front end of the spring is bent to form a prong (31) that engages the first inner contact front end (102) prior to mating but which is deflected out of contact during mating, with the opposite end of the spring forming a rear terminal (29) of the first connector.

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Schwaikheim, Germany

Wolfgang Haller