The Whitaker Corporation

Yoshiji Kinoshita

Noriaki Sai

Hiroshi Kitamura

An electrical contact 1 is disclosed which eliminates the possibility of harmful deformations in a bent section of a resilient contacting strip 5 which is bent back from the front portion of a base section 2 of a female contact, even if it experiences a direct impact from a foreign object. Cut-outs 8 are made in the left and fight side walls 3 rising from the sides of the base section 2 of the female contact 1. On the left and right sides of the resilient contacting strip 5, in the vicinity of the bent section 53, protrusions 9 are made which face the left and right side walls 3. The spacing between the cut-outs 8 and protrusions 9 is selected in such a way that they make possible the movement of the resilient contacting strip 5 within allowed limits, but prevent any movement of the protrusions 9 beyond the permitted distance and direction when a foreign object makes a direct impact to the bent section 53.

Female electrical contact with stop for resilient contact

The purpose of the present invention is to provide an electrical contact that can be manufactured efficiently from narrow metal strips and an electrical connector for LANs etc. which uses such a contact. Electrical connector 10 includes an insulation housing 20 with one pair of compartments 21 and 22. A pair of electrical contacts 31 and 32 have tab contact sections 33 which extend through the rear wall of housing 20 into compartments 21 and 22. The tab contact sections 33a-33b, and 33c-33d of contacts 31 and 32 respectively are separate and parallel with respect to each other. They are connected at coupling sections 35, 36 and each has a connection terminal 37 and 38. The outer sections of coupling sections 35 and 36 are twisted in the fabrication process so that the tab contact sections of both contacts 31 and 32 are reversed up or down with respect to each other so that the tab contact sections 33a-33d are disposed in the same plane in compartments 21, 22.

Electrical contact and electrical connector using such contact

The elastic contact members (18) are provided in curved shape with their front ends (18a) fixed to a main body (16) inside a space 14, and their rear ends (18b) being able to slide on the main body (16) toward the rear inside of the space (14). Additionally, projecting parts (26) which contact the rear ends (18b) prevent more than a specified amount of deformation of the elastic contact members (18). The projecting parts (26) are provided at a specified distance to the rear of the positions of the rear ends (18b) of the elastic contact members (18).

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yoshiji Kinoshita