The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 16, 1991
Filed:
Sep. 20, 1989
Dhirendra C Roy, Canton, MI (US);
United Technologies Automotive, Inc., Dearborn, MI (US);
Abstract
A subminiature terminal (10; FIGS. 5 and 6A & 6B) for mechanically holding and electrically interconnecting a wedge-base bulb (1; FIGS. 1 & 2) into a circuit in, for example, an automotive application, in which the electrical and mechanical retention forces balance out, in a preferred manner (FIGS. 4 & 4A), preventing undesired rotation (tilting) of the bulb held between opposed terminal pairs seated in a connector system (not illustrated). The terminal includes conductor and insulation grips (11), a body or base (12) (the structural part), a mechanical retention spring (13), and an electrical contact spring (14). The mechanical retention spring is a leaf spring clamped at the rear and dimensioned to hold the bulb at its detent; while the electrical contact spring is a torsion spring on the opposite side approximately a one half winding (14A) formed between two lever arms, one lever arm (14B) clamped at the front of the terminal, while the other one (14C) is essentially free to deflect, as required by the wedge-base (3) of the bulb (1) to ensure electrical contact independent of filament wire deformation or its history. The free arm is smooth along its length and in particular in its contact surfaces with its respective filament wire.