Power connectors and contacts
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to electrical connectors, and, in particular, to power connectors and to improved contact structures and methods related thereto.
1. A method for making a power contact, comprising:
providing an inner body;
providing an outer body;
removing a corner portion of the outer body;
wrapping the outer body around the inner body such that the step of wrapping the outer body around the inner body forms a c-shaped complaint contact portion connected to a tubular main body that houses the inner body, wherein said c-shaped compliant contact portion is adapted to be inserted into a circuit board hole.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said method is performed during a stamping process.
3. The method of claim 1 , further including maintaining the outer body around the inner body using a mechanical connection.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said mechanical connection is a dove tail engagement connection.
5. The method of claim 1 , where said inner body is made with metal.
6. The method of claim 1 , where said outer body is made with metal.
7. The method of claim 1 , where said outer body is made with an alloy including brass and/or copper.
8. A method for making a power contact (i) that houses an inner body and (ii) a c-shaped penultimate line complaint contact connected to the tubular main body, comprising:
obtaining an electrically conductive sheet of material; and
feeding the sheet into a progressive die, wherein the progressive die is configured to: (a) form a generally rectangular outer body from the sheet, wherein the outer body remains connected to the sheet by a small portion of the sheet; (b) cut away a corner portion of the rectangular outer body; (c) dispose an inner body on a major face of the outer body; and (d) tightly wrap the outer body around the inner body to form the power contact having (i) a tubular main body that houses the inner body and (ii) a c-shaped contact connected to the tubular main body and adapted to be inserted into a circuit board hole.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the progressive die is further configured to separate the power contact from the sheet after forming the power contact.
10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the progressive die is further configured to form dove tail tabs and dove tail cutouts in the rectangular body.
11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the inner body is designed to absorb heat from the tubular main body.