IP Library Granted Patent US 9,673,542
Granted Patent B1
US 9,673,542 · App. 15/166,520 · Granted Jun 6, 2017

Poke-in electrical connector having a contact with a base extending through an opening in a bottom of a housing

Inventors: Donald Francis Decker (Harrisburg, PA); Matthew Edward Mostoller (Hummelstown, PA); Jeffrey William Shaffer (Shermans Dale, PA)
Assignee: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
H01R4/4827H01R4/4818H01R12/515H01R12/57
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,673,542
App. No.
15/166,520
Granted
Jun 6, 2017
Kind
B1
Abstract

A poke-in electrical connector includes a housing having a cavity and a poke-in wire channel open to the cavity. The wire channel receives an electrical wire during a poke-in termination. The housing has a bottom with an opening. A poke-in electrical contact is received in the cavity and held by the housing. The poke-in electrical contact includes a base and an arm extending from the base. The base extends through the opening at the bottom for surface mounting to a circuit board. The base has a generally planar solder pad exposed at the bottom for soldering to the circuit board. The arm has a poke-in beam engaging the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel. The arm is movable to a clearance position to release the poke-in beam from the electrical wire to allow the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel.

Claims (26)

1. A poke-in electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and a poke-in wire channel open to the cavity, the wire channel being configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the housing having a bottom with an opening; and

a poke-in electrical contact received in the cavity and held by the housing, the poke-in electrical contact comprising a base and an arm extending from the base, the base extending through the opening at the bottom for surface mounting to a circuit board, the base having a generally planar solder pad exposed at the bottom for soldering to the circuit board, the arm having a poke-in beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel, the arm being movable to a clearance position to release the poke-in beam from the electrical wire to allow the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel.

2. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the solder pad extends generally parallel to the bottom for surface mounting to the circuit board.

3. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the solder pad encompasses substantially an entire width and an entire depth of the cavity at the bottom.

4. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the poke in wire channel is open at a top of the housing to receive the electrical wire in a loading direction generally perpendicular to the bottom.

5. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a front, a rear, and opposite first and second sides between the front and the rear, the solder pad extending a majority of the depth from the front to the rear and a majority of the width from the first side to the second side.

6. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the arm includes a release tab configured to be engaged by a release tool to move the arm to the clearance position.

7. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the poke in electrical contact further comprises a second arm extending from the base, the second arm having a wire interface configured to electrically engage the electrical wire when received in the poke in wire channel.

8. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the solder pad comprises an opening having a plurality of edges, the opening configured to receive solder paste at the edges.

9. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the poke in electrical contact includes a corner at the intersection of the base and the arm, the arm being pivoted to the clearance position about the corner.

10. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the arm includes a brace proximate to the base, the brace engaging the housing, the brace defining a pivot point for the arm.

11. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 1 , wherein the arm engages the housing to isolate stress in the arm from the base as the arm moves to the clearance position.

12. A poke-in electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and a poke-in wire channel open to the cavity, the wire channel being configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the housing having a release channel open to the cavity configured to receive a release tool, the housing having a bottom with an opening; and

a poke-in electrical contact received in the cavity and held by the housing, the poke-in electrical contact comprising a base and an arm extending from the base, the base extending through the opening at the bottom for surface mounting to a circuit board, the base having a generally planar solder pad exposed at the bottom for soldering to the circuit board, the arm having a poke-in beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel, the arm having a release tab exposed to the release channel to interact with the release tool, the arm being movable to a clearance position by the release tool interacting with the release tab to release the poke-in beam from the electrical wire to allow the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel.

13. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the solder pad extends generally parallel to the bottom for surface mounting to the circuit board.

14. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the housing includes a front, a rear, and opposite first and second sides between the front and the rear, the solder pad extending a majority of the depth from the front to the rear and a majority of the width from the first side to the second side.

15. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the poke in electrical contact further comprises a second arm extending from the base, the second arm having a wire interface configured to electrically engage the electrical wire when received in the poke in wire channel.

16. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the solder pad comprises an opening having a plurality of edges, the opening configured to receive solder paste at the edges.

17. A poke-in electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a cavity and a poke-in wire channel open to the cavity, the wire channel being configured to receive an electrical wire during a poke-in termination, the housing having a bottom with an opening; and

a poke-in electrical contact received in the cavity and held by the housing, the poke-in electrical contact comprising a base, a first arm extending from a first end of the base and a second arm extending from a second end of the base, the base extending through the opening at the bottom for surface mounting to a circuit board, the base having a generally planar solder pad exposed at the bottom for soldering to the circuit board, the first arm having a poke-in beam configured to engage the electrical wire when poked-in to the corresponding wire channel, the first arm being movable to a clearance position to release the poke-in beam from the electrical wire to allow the electrical wire to be removed from the wire channel, the second arm having a retention barb engaging the housing to secure the poke-in electrical contact to the housing, the second arm having a wire interface configured to electrically engage the electrical wire when received in the poke-in wire channel.

18. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the solder pad extends generally parallel to the bottom for surface mounting to the circuit board.

19. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the housing includes a front, a rear, and opposite first and second sides between the front and the rear, the solder pad extending a majority of the depth from the front to the rear and a majority of the width from the first side to the second side.

20. The poke-in electrical connector of claim 12 , wherein the solder pad comprises an opening having a plurality of edges, the opening configured to receive solder paste at the edges.

Assignments (5)
MERGER Recorded Apr 28, 2022
From: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SOLUTIONS GMBH
Reel/Frame 060885/0482 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Jun 7, 2021
From: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
Reel/Frame 056514/0015 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 7, 2021
From: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
To: TE CONNECTIVITY SERVICES GMBH
Reel/Frame 056514/0048 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 12, 2017
From: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: TE CONNECTIVITY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 041350/0085 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 31, 2016
From: DECKER, DONALD FRANCIS; MOSTOLLER, MATTHEW EDWARD; SHAFFER, JEFFREY WILLIAM
To: TYCO ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038746/0634 →