IP Library Granted Patent US 12,463,367
Granted Patent B2
US 12,463,367 · App. 18/024,621 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Contact element for printed circuit board plug connector

Inventors: Jana Büttemeyer (Rahden, DE); Gert Havermann (Wallenhorst, DE); Marc Genau (Lübbecke, DE); Dieter Rose (Rahden, DE)
Assignee: HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG
H01R13/28H01R12/57
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,463,367
App. No.
18/024,621
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An electric contact element for use in a printed circuit board plug connector is formed with at least two opposing narrow faces and at least two opposing wide faces. At least one narrow face is designed to be used as a contact surface in order to be brought into an electrically conductive connection with a counter contact element. At least the contact surface of the contact element and of the counter contact element are designed to have identical structures, and the wide face has at least one rigid region and a flexible region.

Claims (29)

1 . An electrical contact element ( 1 ) for use in a printed circuit board plug connector, comprising:

a stepped body having

two opposing narrow sides ( 2 , 2 ′), including

a front narrow side ( 2 ), and

a rear narrow side ( 2 ′);

two opposing broad sides,

the stepped body extending from a soldering region ( 8 ) at a bottom of the electrical contact element ( 1 ) to a contact tip ( 3 );

a contact region ( 5 ) disposed above the soldering region ( 8 );

a contact surface ( 21 ) formed on the front narrow side ( 2 ) along the contact region ( 5 ); and

a flexible region ( 4 ) disposed above the contact region ( 5 ), the flexible region ( 4 ) including

a contact crest ( 22 ) arranged on the contact tip ( 3 ),

wherein the flexible region ( 4 ) is set back from the contact region ( 5 ) and connected thereto by a step,

wherein the contact region ( 5 ) is cuboidal and extends generally parallel to a longitudinal axis of the electrical contact element ( 1 ), and

wherein the flexible region ( 4 ) is cuboidal between the step and the contact tip ( 3 ) and extends along a flexible region axis at a forward slanted angle from the step to the contact tip ( 3 ), relative to the longitudinal axis of the electrical contact element ( 1 ).

2 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the front narrow side ( 2 ) is machined at least along part of the contact surface ( 21 ) using a mechanical, surface-treating process.

3 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the front narrow side ( 2 ) is machined by a forming process at least along part of the contact surface ( 21 ).

4 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the front narrow side ( 2 ) is machined by pressure polishing at least along part of the contact surface ( 21 ).

5 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the front narrow side ( 2 ) is machined at least along part of the contact surface ( 21 ) by a machining process.

6 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein the contact tip ( 3 ) has a curvature.

7 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 ,

wherein at least part of the contact tip ( 3 ) is machined using a mechanical, surface-treating process.

8 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a concavity ( 6 ) formed between the latching hook ( 7 ) and the contact surface ( 21 ).

9 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the contact surface ( 21 ) has a width of less than or equal to 0.25 mm and is pressure polished.

10 . The electrical contact element ( 1 ) as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a latching hook ( 7 ) extending from the front narrow side ( 2 ) between the soldering region ( 8 ) and the contact region ( 5 ).

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 3, 2023
From: BÜTTEMEYER, JANA; HAVERMANN, GERT; GENAU, MARC; ROSE, DIETER
To: HARTING ELECTRIC STIFTUNG & CO. KG
Reel/Frame 062874/0801 →
Priority Claims (2)
DE 10 2020 125 437.7 · Sep 29, 2020 · national
DE 10 2020 134 330.2 · Dec 21, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240030641A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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