Socket having multiple contact points
Electrical cable connector and method therefor employ a plurality of sockets, each socket having elongate contact members extending distally along a length of the socket, each contact member resiliently biased toward a central vertical axis of the socket. The contact members include first contact members and second contact members that have different fundamental frequencies from one another. The first contact members have a first lead engagement portion located at a first length along the socket, and the second contact members have a second lead engagement portion located at a second length along the socket. When a lead is inserted into the socket, the first and second contact members engage the connector lead at different times during the lead insertion process. This has the effect of lowering the peak insertion force required to insert the connector lead into the socket.
1 . A socket for an electrical cable connector, the socket comprising:
a neck portion defining an opening therein for receiving a connector lead via a lead insertion process;
at least one first contact member elongating distally from the neck portion along a length of the socket and resiliently biased toward a central vertical axis of the socket;
at least one second contact member elongating distally from the neck portion along the length of the socket and resiliently biased toward the central vertical axis of the socket, the at least one second contact member having a different length compared to the at least one first contact member; wherein
the neck portion is configured to receive the connector lead therein via the lead insertion process, and the at least one first contact member and the at least one second contact member engage the connector lead at different times during the lead insertion process,
the at least one second contact member has a longer length compared to the at least one first contact member, and
the at least one first contact member engages the connector lead before the at least one second contact member engages the connector lead.
2 . The socket of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first contact member and the at least one second contact member have different fundamental frequencies from one another.
3 . The socket of claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional contact member, each additional contact member elongating distally from the neck portion along the length of the socket and resiliently biased toward the central vertical axis of the socket.
4 . The socket of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first contact member is a finger contact member, the finger contact member having a lead engagement portion thereon located at a first length along the socket.
5 . The socket of claim 4 , wherein the at least one second contact member is a support contact member, the support contact member having a lead engagement portion thereon located at a second length along the socket.
6 . The socket of claim 5 , wherein the first length along the socket is different from the second length along the socket.
7 . The socket of claim 1 , further comprising a base portion extending from the at least one second contact member.
8 . The socket of claim 7 , further comprising a J-style surface mount termination extending from the base portion.
9 . A connector for an electrical cable, the connector comprising:
a connector base;
a hood extending from the connector base;
a connector female portion disposed within the hood, the connector female portion having a plurality of socket passageways therein; and
a plurality of sockets arranged respectively within the plurality of socket passageways, each one of the plurality of sockets configured to receive a connector lead at a first end therein via a lead insertion process, wherein
each of the plurality of sockets includes a plurality of contact members arranged around a central vertical axis of the socket that extends from the first end to a second end,
a first length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which a first contact member of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis is different than a second length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which a second contact member of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis,
the first contact member is shorter than the second contact member, and
the first length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which the first contact member is closest to the central vertical axis is shorter than the second length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which the other of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis.
10 . The connector of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of sockets comprises a pair of finger contact members among the plurality of contact members, each finger contact member among the pair of finger contact members having a lead engagement portion thereon located at the first length along the central vertical axis of the socket.
11 . The connector of claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of sockets further comprises a pair of support contact members among the plurality of contact members, each support contact member among the pair of support contact members having a lead engagement portion thereon located at the second length along the central vertical axis of the socket.
12 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein, for each of the plurality of sockets, the first length for the pair of finger contact members of the socket is different from the second length for the pair of support contact members of the socket.
13 . The connector of claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of sockets further comprises a neck portion at the first end and a base portion at the second end, wherein the pair of support contact members extend between the neck portion and the base portion.
14 . The connector of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of sockets further comprises a J-style surface mount termination extending from the base portion.
15 . The connector of claim 11 , wherein the pair of finger contact members and the pair of support contact members have different fundamental frequencies from one another.
16 . A method of assembling a connector for an electrical cable, the method comprising:
providing a connector base having a hood extending from the connector base;
disposing a connector female portion within the hood, the connector female portion having a plurality of socket passageways therein; and
arranging a plurality of sockets respectively within the plurality of socket passageways, each one of the plurality of sockets configured to receive a connector lead at a first end therein via a lead insertion process, wherein
each of the plurality of sockets includes a plurality of contact members arranged around a central vertical axis of the socket that extends from the first end to a second end,
a first length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which a first contact member of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis is different than a second length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which a second contact member of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis,
the first contact member is shorter than the second contact member, and
the first length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which the first contact member is closest to the central vertical axis is shorter than the second length along the central vertical axis from the first end at which the other of the plurality of contact members is closest to the central vertical axis.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein arranging the plurality of sockets includes each of the plurality of sockets comprising a pair of finger contact members among the plurality of contact members, each finger contact member among the pair of finger contact members having a lead engagement portion thereon located at the first length along the central vertical axis of the socket.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein arranging the plurality of sockets includes each of the plurality of sockets comprising a pair of support contact members among the plurality of contact members, each support contact member among the pair of support contact members having a lead engagement portion thereon located at the second length along the central vertical axis of the socket.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the first length for the pair of finger contact members of the socket is different from the second length for the pair of support contact members of the socket.
20 . The method of claim 18 , wherein each of the plurality of sockets further comprises a neck portion at the first end and a base portion at the second end and the pair of support contact members extend between the neck portion and the base portion.