Self-gapping electrical-terminal

1. An electrical-terminal, comprising:

a wire-attachment-end configured to receive a wire-cable; and

a connection-end opposite the wire-attachment-end, said connection-end having a top-wall, a bottom-wall, a left side-wall, and a right side-wall forming generally a rectilinear-shape and defining a cavity configured to receive a corresponding electrical-terminal inserted along a mating-axis;

said connection-end including an upper contact and a lower contact-frame disposed within the cavity;

said lower contact-frame attached to a bottom leading-edge of the bottom-wall extending along the mating-axis and overlaying the bottom-wall;

said lower contact-frame terminating at a tip;

said lower contact-frame defining an inner-contact disposed within a perimeter of the lower contact-frame;

said inner-contact having a free-end, a first side, a second side, and an attached-end;

said inner-contact extending from the attached-end along the mating-axis and terminating at the tip of the lower contact-frame;

said attached-end attached to the bottom leading-edge of the bottom-wall; wherein

said free-end, first side, and second side are spaced and separated from the perimeter of the lower contact-frame; wherein

the upper contact has an upper contact-frame disposed within the cavity and attached to a top leading-edge of the top-wall extending along the mating-axis and overlaying the top-wall.

2. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein when the corresponding electrical-terminal is inserted into the gap the upper contact-frame and the lower contact-frame exert an engagement-force of less than 10 Newtons on the corresponding electrical-terminal.

3. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 2 , wherein when the corresponding electrical-terminal is inserted into the gap the upper contact-frame and the lower contact-frame exert the engagement-force of less than 5 Newtons on the corresponding electrical-terminal.

4. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the free-end of the inner-contact is supported by the tip of the lower contact-frame.

5. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the lower contact-frame has a dual spring-rate, wherein a flexure of the lower contact-frame defines a first-spring-rate and the flexure of the perimeter of the lower contact-frame defines a second spring-rate.

6. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the left side-wall and the right side-wall define embossments extending into the cavity, said embossments defining a horizontal-plane formed by the lower-edges of the pair of opposed-windows.

7. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 6 , wherein the embossments have a displacement of the left side-wall and the right side-wall in a range of 0.25 mm to 0.30 mm.

8. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a width of the pair of opposed-windows is in a range of 1.0 mm to 2.0 mm, and wherein a height of the pair of opposed-windows is in a range of 0.6 mm to 1.0 mm.

9. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a tab-width of the pair of opposed-tabs is in a range of 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm.

10. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a lower lead-angle of the lower contact-frame is in a range of 15-degrees to 30-degrees.

11. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the gap has a spacing in a range of 0.55 mm and 0.6 mm.

12. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a contact-force-to-engagement-force ratio is less than about 2:1.

13. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the tip of the lower contact-frame is reversed 180-degrees such that the tip is disposed between the lower contact-frame and the bottom-wall.

14. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein the lower contact-frame includes a pair of opposed-tabs extending from a left-side and a right-side.

15. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 14 wherein the pair of opposed-tabs extend into a pair of opposed-windows defined by the left side-wall and the right side-wall.

16. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 15 wherein the pair of opposed-windows define lower-edges, wherein the pair of opposed-tabs engage the lower-edges when the corresponding electrical-terminal is inserted into the gap, thereby inhibiting a deflection of the lower contact-frame.

17. An electrical-terminal, comprising:

a wire-attachment-end configured to receive a wire-cable; and

a connection-end opposite the wire-attachment-end, said connection-end having a top-wall, a bottom-wall, a left side-wall, and a right side-wall forming generally a rectilinear-shape and defining a cavity configured to receive a corresponding electrical-terminal inserted along a mating-axis;

said connection-end including an upper contact and a lower contact-frame disposed within the cavity;

said lower contact-frame attached to a bottom leading-edge of the bottom-wall extending along the mating-axis and overlaying the bottom-wall;

said lower contact-frame terminating at a tip;

said lower contact-frame defining an inner-contact disposed within a perimeter of the lower contact-frame;

said inner-contact extending from the bottom leading-edge along the mating-axis and terminating at the tip of the lower contact-frame; wherein

said inner-contact has a first side and a second side, said first side and second side spaced and separated from the perimeter of the lower contact-frame; wherein

the upper contact has an upper contact-frame disposed within the cavity and attached to a top leading-edge of the top-wall extending along the mating-axis and overlaying the top-wall.

18. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 , wherein when the corresponding electrical-terminal is inserted into the gap the upper contact-frame and the lower contact-frame exert an engagement-force of less than 15 Newtons on the corresponding electrical-terminal.

19. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the lower contact-frame has a dual spring-rate, wherein a flexure of the lower contact-frame defines a first-spring-rate and the flexure of the perimeter of the lower contact-frame defines a second spring-rate.

20. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 , wherein the left side-wall and the right side-wall define embossments extending into the cavity, said embossments defining a horizontal-plane formed by the lower-edges of the pair of opposed-windows.

21. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 , wherein an engagement-force to friction-force ratio is less than about 2:1.

22. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 13 wherein a portion of the reversed tip of the lower contact-frame is in direct contact with a bottom surface of the lower contact-frame.

23. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 wherein the tip of the lower contact-frame is reversed 180-degrees such that the tip is disposed between the lower contact-frame and the bottom-wall.

24. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 23 wherein a portion of the reversed tip of the lower contact-frame is in direct contact with a bottom surface of the lower contact-frame.

25. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 17 wherein the lower contact-frame includes a pair of opposed-tabs extending from a left-side and a right-side.

26. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 25 wherein the pair of opposed-tabs extend into a pair of opposed-windows defined by the left side-wall and the right side-wall.

27. The electrical-terminal in accordance with claim 26 wherein the pair of opposed-windows define lower-edges, wherein the pair of opposed-tabs engage the lower-edges when the corresponding electrical-terminal is inserted into the gap, thereby inhibiting a deflection of the lower contact-frame.