Contact member, contact member assembly, contact member kit and housing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a contact member (1) for an IDC terminal, a contact member assembly (89), a kit of the contact member (1) and a housing (139) comprising the contact member (1). The contact member (1) solves these problems by comprising a housing wall (3) at least partially surrounding a receptacle volume (5) for receiving the cable (67), an IDC member and a cutting blade (27) for cutting a cable (67), wherein the housing wall at least partially surrounds a receptacle volume (5) for receiving the cable (67), wherein the receptacle volume (5) has an opening (9) framed by the housing wall (3), an IDC member formed in a first wall portion (23) of the housing wall (3) having an IDC blade (15) for penetrating an insulation (69) of the cable (67) and a contact edge (17) for making electrical contact with a core (71) of the cable (67), wherein the cutting blade (27) is formed in a second wall portion (25) of the housing wall (3), wherein both the IDC blade (15) and the cutting blade (27) face the opening (9).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a contact member for an IDC terminal, a contact member assembly, a contact member kit and a housing including the contact member. Background Art

[0002] Contact members and insulation displacement contacts (IDC) are known in the art. However, prior art solutions require the use of special tools and trained personnel to install them. Another disadvantage of prior art solutions is that the necessary strength and mechanical resistance of the contact member conflict with the requirement to miniaturize the contact member. Summary of the invention

[0003] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a contact member, a contact member assembly, a kit of contact members and a housing including a contact member, which can be easily installed without requiring excessive training of the personnel who install them and without requiring special tools. Another object of the present invention is to provide a contact member that can make reliable electrical connections even when miniaturized and has mechanical robustness and durability.

[0004] For the contact structure mentioned at the beginning, the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems because the contact structure includes a shell wall at least partially surrounding a receptacle volume for accommodating a wire or cable, wherein the receptacle volume has an opening, which is at least partially framed by the shell wall; an IDC structure, which is formed in a first wall portion of the shell wall, and the IDC structure has at least one IDC blade for penetrating the insulation of the wire or cable and at least one contact edge for electrically contacting the core of the wire or cable; and a cutting blade for cutting the wire or cable, wherein the cutting blade is formed in a second wall portion of the shell wall positioned opposite the first wall portion, wherein both the at least one IDC blade and the cutting blade face the opening.

[0005] For the housing mentioned at the beginning, the above problems are solved by the present invention because the housing comprises at least two housing parts that can move relative to each other, wherein the housing comprises a cable or wire receptacle for receiving a cable or wire; and a contact receptacle for a contact member according to the present invention, wherein the housing comprises at least one open state and a closed state, in which the cable or wire can be inserted into the cable or wire receptacle, and in the closed state, at least part of the cable or wire receptacle overlaps with the contact member.

[0006] The invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the contact structure assembly mentioned at the outset, since it comprises a contact structure according to the invention and a mating contact element, wherein the mating contact element is electrically connected to the contact element.

[0007] In the following, specific embodiments of the contact member of the present invention and the housing of the present invention will be described. Those embodiments are advantageous in themselves, wherein the individual technical features in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined with each other, or can even be omitted if the technical effects obtained by the omitted technical features are irrelevant to the specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0008] The enclosure wall may also be referred to as a surrounding wall or enclosure wall and may be understood as a three-dimensional structure having a thickness less than the other two dimensions of the enclosure wall. The enclosure wall may be particularly curved so as to surround the receptacle volume. The enclosure wall may preferably be a part of a metal sheet that may be curved to surround the receptacle volume. In practice, the receptacle volume is formed / defined by the curved structure of the enclosure wall by bending, i.e. forming the enclosure wall so that the curved enclosure wall at least partially surrounds the hollow space. The receptacle volume may be a predetermined shape and / or size such that the curved enclosure wall depends on the predetermined shape and / or size of the receptacle volume.

[0009] The receptacle volume may preferably comprise the shape of a cuboid, wherein four sides of the cuboid located adjacent to each other may be surrounded by or provided with enclosure walls, and wherein the curved enclosure walls may define a bending plane. The axis about which the enclosure walls are bent may be oriented perpendicular to the bending plane.

[0010] The opening formed by the enclosure wall may be parallel to the bending plane.

[0011] In a purely exemplary orientation of the contact member of the invention, the enclosure wall may be oriented vertically, wherein the opening may be oriented horizontally.

[0012] The IDC member may include a single IDC blade and at least partially opposed counter-pressing members that allow penetration of the insulation of the conductor or cable so as to allow at least one contact edge to electrically contact the core of the conductor exposed by the at least one IDC blade penetrating the insulation and subsequently displacing the insulation. In another more preferred embodiment, two IDC blades and two contact edges may be provided.

[0013] Opposite the first wall portion forming the IDC member, the second wall portion comprises a cutting blade. Both the IDC member and the cutting blade are accessible via the opening of the contact member, i.e. in particular the IDC blade and the cutting blade face the opening. The opening may further define an insertion direction along which the cable or wire may be inserted into the receptacle volume. The insertion direction points from the opening towards the receptacle volume.

[0014] The contact member of the invention has the advantage that, when inserting a wire or cable into the contact member, the wire or cable (hereinafter referred to only as wire, wherein wire and cable are thus included) is electrically contacted by the contact edge of the IDC member after the insulation of the wire has been penetrated by at least one IDC blade. At the same time, when the wire is inserted, the cutting blade cuts the entire wire (i.e., the core and insulation of the strand / wire, for example), so that the protruding end of the wire is cut and removed. Thus, the wire can be electrically contacted and cut to the required length in one assembly step.

[0015] Furthermore, by cutting the conductor with the cutting blade, the cut surface of the conductor moves along the inner side of the enclosure wall, which inner side faces the receptacle volume, thereby additionally contacting the contact member at said inner side. In addition to the electrical contact provided by the contact edges of the IDC member, preferably two contact edges contacting the core of the conductor, an additional contact head is provided. This increases the reliability of the electrical connection and reduces the electrical resistance. The electrical connection of the contact member is thus improved.

[0016] In another advantageous embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, a bottom is provided, which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the enclosure wall and is arranged opposite to the opening. Thus, the bottom can be arranged on a side of the contact member from which the IDC member and the cutting blade are inaccessible. The bottom can at least partially close the receptacle volume. The bottom can thus prevent access to the receptacle volume from this side of the contact member or completely close the receptacle volume.

[0017] The bottom has the advantage of improving the mechanical stability of the contact member of the invention.

[0018] The bottom may be oriented parallel to the opening of the receptacle volume.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, the bottom can be integrally connected to at least one wall portion. The bottom can more preferably be integrally connected to a second wall portion comprising a cutting blade. This has the advantage that a force applied from the wire to the contact member can be applied directly to the bottom, which force is greater at the cutting blade during cutting of the entire wire than during insulation penetration of the wire. Thus, the bottom can support the enclosure wall and increase the mechanical stability of the entire contact member. The bent portion can connect the bottom to at least one wall portion. The bent portion can be part of a metal plate.

[0020] This further allows the miniaturization of the contact member, which may for example have a footprint of 2 mm×2 mm and also a height of approximately 2 mm. The contact member of the invention is scalable, i.e. different sizes and different shapes are also conceivable. The preferred shape is a cuboid, wherein also contact members of equal length in the shape of cubes are conceivable.

[0021] If the bottom is integrally connected to more than one wall portion, the mechanical stability can be further improved.However, since the contact member of the present invention may preferably be an integrally stamped and bent metal sheet, the bottom is most preferably integrally connected to one wall portion.

[0022] Preferably, the bottom is formed by bending an extension of the second wall portion towards the receptacle volume and towards the first wall portion. By doing so, a strong curved portion can be provided between the second wall portion and the bottom. The curved portion can extend beyond the outside of the enclosure wall if seen in the direction from the receptacle volume to the outside of the contact member.

[0023] In another advantageous embodiment of the contact member, the IDC member comprises a groove extending from at least one IDC blade towards the bottom, wherein the groove can separate two ends of the enclosure wall folded around the receptacle volume. In other words, the bending of the surrounding wall or enclosure wall at three parts is sufficient to first form the receptacle volume and then form the groove of the IDC member. Thus, the receptacle volume can only be accessed from outside the enclosure wall through the groove or via the opening.

[0024] The groove may be formed by at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge. The groove may be formed between the counter-pressing member and both the IDC blade and the contact edge. Preferably, in another embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, the groove is formed between two IDC blades and two contact edges. The groove may therefore be formed between the surface of at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge facing in a direction parallel to the end of the enclosure wall.

[0025] The groove may be oriented parallel to the enclosure wall, in particular along the above defined insertion direction from the opening towards the bottom. The ends of the enclosure wall may preferably be opposite to each other, but may also be at least partially opposite to each other. Both ends may comprise an IDC blade and a contact edge, wherein the IDC blade portion and the contact edge portion may be defined in the first wall portion. The IDC blade and the contact edge may be arranged such that they show mirror symmetry.

[0026] The slot may extend from an IDC blade portion to a contact edge portion and may include an IDC blade and a contact edge, including at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge, respectively. Portions of the slot, preferably including at least one contact edge, may include a rounded surface facing the slot to prevent cutting of the core or strands when inserting them into the slot. Thus, during insertion of the conductor, movement of the core or strands of the conductor along the at least one contact edge does not damage the core or strands of the conductor.

[0027] In the end of the enclosure wall, the wall thickness may be reduced in order to prevent squeezing of the insulation of the conductor in the longitudinal direction of the conductor. In any case, a certain displacement of the insulation of the conductor over a distance corresponding to the thickness of the contact edge may occur, wherein the distance of the displacement is smaller than the thickness of the enclosure wall. Such a thinning may correspond to the shape, i.e. the radius of the conductor in contact with the contact member.

[0028] The contact member of the present invention can be further improved in that at least a portion of the slot can extend parallel to the bottom. By such an orientation of a portion of the slot, the force applied from the wire received in the contact member can be redirected in a direction parallel to the bottom. Therefore, a torsional movement of the contact member can be avoided.

[0029] In another embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, the groove includes a curved groove portion between a portion of the groove perpendicular to the bottom portion and a portion of the groove parallel to the bottom portion. The curved groove portion can support the conversion of a force applied to at least one end portion of the enclosure wall perpendicular to the bottom into a force oriented parallel to the bottom.

[0030] Thus, the end of the enclosure wall comprising at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge can be moved away from each other parallel to the bottom when receiving the conductor. This movement of the end can be elastic and reversible, so that once the core or strand of the conductor is received in the slot, preferably between two contact edges, the contact edge can more preferably include rounded edges to prevent cutting the strand or core of the conductor, so that no force is applied to the core of the conductor in a direction away from the bottom. Therefore, once the received conductor is received in the slot, it will not be pushed out of the slot. Therefore, a strong electrical connection is established between the conductor and the contact member.

[0031] In another embodiment of the contact member of the invention, the two ends are linearly deflectable away from each other in a direction parallel to the bottom. Linear deflection is understood to be a movement without tilting along a linear trajectory. In other words, if the ends are deflected away from each other, for example when a cable or wire is received between them, the increase in the slot width is constant throughout the slot. Therefore, if in an embodiment of the contact member of the invention, two opposite contact edges parallel to each other are provided, the deflection of the two ends away from each other maintains the parallel orientation of the contact edges. If in a different embodiment the contact edges are oriented at an angle to each other, the angle is also maintained during such a deflection. In the prior art solution, the IDC contact leg may comprise at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge, between which the cable or wire is received and contacted. These legs are deflected away from each other with a tilting or shearing movement, wherein, depending on the length of the contact leg, the increase in the size of the IDC contact is greater at one end of the contact leg compared to the position of the contact leg in which the cable or wire is received. Therefore, the necessary working space of the prior art solution is greater than the actual required increase of the contact member due to receiving the cable or wire. Furthermore, this increase in size is not constant along the IDC member. On the contrary, this embodiment of the contact member of the present invention provides a uniform and constant increase in the necessary space occupied by the contact member in a direction substantially parallel to the slot. Compared to the solutions of the prior art, the contact member of the present invention therefore requires less installation space.

[0032] Preferably, the curved groove portion may comprise an arcuate portion which may bend away from the portion of the groove which is perpendicular to the bottom portion. The groove width between the two ends of the enclosure wall may be constant in the arcuate portion and / or correspond to the groove width of the portion of the groove oriented perpendicular to the bottom portion and / or correspond to the groove width of the portion of the groove oriented parallel to the bottom. The groove width may vary, i.e. be different in different portions of the groove. The groove width may, for example, be reduced in the arcuate portion to a groove width which is substantially zero in the portion of the groove oriented parallel to the bottom.

[0033] In another advantageous embodiment of the contact member according to the invention, at the curved slot portion, a protrusion of one end of the enclosure wall can be received in a complementary formed recess of the other end of the enclosure wall, the protrusion and recess thus forming a form fit which prevents a relative movement of the two end portions forming the slot relative to each other in a direction perpendicular to the opening. Thus, by means of said form fit, shearing movements of the ends of the enclosure wall can be reduced or even completely avoided. Thus, the mechanical stability of the contact member according to the invention is increased.

[0034] In another advantageous embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, the slot can lead into a conical funnel formed by at least one IDC blade in the first wall portion. Such a funnel facilitates the insertion of the wire to be electrically contacted due to its orientation relative to the slot. The wire to be contacted is preferably centered relative to the center of the portion of the slot oriented perpendicular to the bottom. Therefore, when a wire with a circular cross-section is preferably applied, the core or strands of the wire are also centered. If the wire is pressed into the receptacle volume, the insulation of the wire will be penetrated by at least one IDC blade, and the core or strands of the wire will move into the portion of the slot extending perpendicular to the bottom. Preferably, the sharp edge of the IDC blade merges into the rounded edge of the contact edge to prevent cutting the core or strands of the wire. In the transition area between the IDC blade and the contact edge, a funnel structure can be provided, which also includes a rounded edge, which can facilitate the repositioning of the core or strands of the wire so that the core or strands are centered relative to the portion of the slot extending perpendicular to the bottom without being damaged.

[0035] By means of another advantageous embodiment of the contact member according to the invention, the mechanical stability of the contact member according to the invention can be increased, wherein a support member can be arranged between the first wall portion and the bottom, wherein if a force is applied to the first wall portion in a direction toward the bottom, the bottom provides a stop for the first wall portion via the support member.

[0036] Therefore, the support member is located between the first wall portion and the bottom, thereby preventing any movement of the first wall portion towards the bottom. Therefore, the bottom supports or maintains the first wall portion via the support member.

[0037] The support member may facilitate linear movement of the ends away from each other. Shear or tilting movement may be prevented by an abutment or support portion for the end, wherein both the abutment or support portion or tip abuts the support member and both are positioned at a distance from each other. The support member that may be provided at the first end portion may thus abut the second end portion at least at two locations at a distance from each other, wherein vice versa the second end portion abuts the support member. Thus, by at least two support points, shear movement of either of the ends may be reduced or even prevented. Further, the enclosure bend may provide a further increase in the stiffness of the contact member against shear movement of the end.

[0038] In a relaxed state, i.e. in the absence of any force acting on the contact member, the support member may be positioned near the bottom without being in abutment therewith. In a different embodiment, the support member may be in abutment against the bottom already in a relaxed state. As soon as a force acting on the contact member in a direction towards the bottom is applied, this force is transferred via at least the first wall portion to the support member, which thereby abuts against the bottom. A force is thus also applied on the bottom.

[0039] The above-described embodiments of the contact member of the present invention can be further improved if the support member is formed by at least one end of the surrounding wall. Therefore, the support member can be considered as a protrusion of at least one end of the surrounding wall. In another embodiment, the two ends of the surrounding wall may include a support member located between the first wall portion and / or the second wall portion and the bottom. The support member can be integrally connected to at least one end of the surrounding wall and can extend away from the at least one end toward the bottom. As seen in the direction from the opening toward the bottom, the support member formed by the first end of the enclosure wall can overlap with the second end of the enclosure wall, so that regardless of the question of which end of the surrounding wall the force is applied toward the bottom, the support member acts as a stopper for the first wall portion.

[0040] It should be noted that the curved slot portion and the support member are independent of specific means for establishing electrical connections, in particular independent of the IDC member and the enclosure wall.The embodiment of the curved slot portion and the support member requires only a slot formed by two end portions.

[0041] As described above, the contact member preferably has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, wherein the contact member may include a first rim, which at least partially surrounds the opening, wherein the rim may include the edge of a cutting blade and may be interrupted by any of the grooves or funnels of the IDC blade portion. The rim may provide a constant thickness corresponding to the wall thickness of the enclosure wall. The thickness may be reduced in the second wall portion, in which the rim is reduced to the thickness of the edge of the cutting blade. The thickness may also be reduced in the first wall portion at the first and / or second end of the enclosure wall. The ends with reduced thickness have been described above and are applied to prevent excessive squeezing of the insulation of the conductor in the direction extending along the conductor.

[0042] It is also to be noted that minor deviations from an exact cuboid shape, for example in the form of beveling or tapering of the edges, are intended to still be encompassed by the term cuboid shape.

[0043] In one embodiment of the contact member of the present invention, the edge of the cutting blade is preferably implemented on the outside of the enclosure wall facing away from the receptacle volume. Therefore, an inclined blade surface is provided from the edge of the cutting blade, which is inclined from the opening toward the bottom relative to the insertion direction, and the inclined blade surface connects the edge of the cutting blade located on the outside of the enclosure wall with the inside of the enclosure wall. The advantage of such an embodiment is that the cutting surface of the wire slides along the inclined blade surface, and during the insertion of the wire into the contact member, the cutting surface of the wire is displaced from the outside of the second wall portion to the inside of the second wall portion. In other words, the cutting surface is displaced in a distance corresponding to the thickness of the enclosure wall in the direction from the second wall portion toward the first wall portion. This displacement can increase the contact force of the cutting surface of the wire against the inside of the housing wall. Such an increase in the contact force improves the electrical connection between the core or strand of the wire and the contact member.

[0044] Even if the pressing member preventing the wire from being removed from the receptacle volume is removed, it can also improve the stability of the wire once it is received in the receptacle volume of the contact member. As described above, the contact member of the present invention does not exert any force on the wire in a direction away from the bottom, i.e. in a direction out of the receptacle volume. The wire is thus received in the receptacle volume in a clamping manner, wherein two different directions of clamping force can be identified: firstly, a clamping force is applied from the two contact edges of the groove in a direction perpendicular to the core or strand of the wire, and a clamping force is applied on the insulation of the wire between the end of the enclosure wall and the inner side of the enclosure wall at the second wall portion. Thus, the wire remains in the contact member even without additional pressure.

[0045] In different embodiments, the edge of the cutting blade can also be located at the inner side of the enclosure wall, or anywhere between the inner and outer sides of the enclosure wall, i.e. implemented symmetrically, i.e. the inclined surface faces the outer side of the contact member, respectively facing the receptacle volume.

[0046] The cutting blade is preferably integrally formed in the second wall portion of the enclosure wall. In other embodiments, a separate blade may be inserted into the contact member. The cutting blade may be treated, ie hardened or provided with a coating that facilitates cutting through a wire or cable.

[0047] The contact member of the present invention can be further improved in that the bottom is extended to form a functional part, which is configured to be plugged into a mating plug-in receptacle and / or is configured to be electrically connected to a mating contact part of a mating contact member. The functional part may extend beyond the cuboid. Therefore, the functional part allows electrical contacting of the contact member in a predetermined manner. This embodiment allows precise alignment of the contact member, which is advantageous in the case of small contact members. The functional part is independent of the specific embodiment of the contact member, i.e. the IDC member, the cutting blade and the enclosure wall.

[0048] The contact member of the present invention can be further improved in that the functional part is integrally connected to the bottom. The functional part can be connected to the bottom at a side of the bottom opposite to a side of the bottom connected to the enclosure wall.

[0049] Thus, such an embodiment of the contact member comprising the base and the functional part can be produced in an easy, time-saving and cost-effective manner by punching and bending sheet metal parts.

[0050] In another advantageous embodiment of the contact member of the invention, the functional part can protrude from the footprint of the contact member. As mentioned above, the preferred shape of the contact member of the invention is cuboid or even cubic. The functional part can thus extend beyond the cuboid form of the contact member.

[0051] In other words, if a volume of a subassembly of the contact member is defined, the subassembly comprising the enclosure wall and the bottom, the functional part extends beyond said volume of the subassembly.

[0052] In a further advantageous embodiment of the contact member assembly of the invention, the contact member is a contact member comprising a functional part, wherein the mating contact element is electrically connected to the functional part of the contact element.

[0053] The contact member assembly can be further improved in that the functional part comprises a pin which is plugged into a mating plug-in receptacle of a mating contact element. Here, different forms of pins are conceivable. The cross section of the pin can be square, rectangular, circular, or can include any polygonal or elliptical shape. The pin can include a resilient portion, can be implemented as an action pin, a multi-spring pin, a contact spring press-in pin, and can in particular include a pin end which is narrower than the body of the pin. Such a tip of the pin facilitates the insertion of the pin into the mating plug-in receptacle.

[0054] The above-described embodiments of the assembly can be summarized as a set of variations of through-hole technology (THT). The above-described embodiments of the contact member assembly can provide electrical connection by forming a press fit between the pin and the mating plug receptacle and / or by elastically contacting the interior of the mating plug receptacle with a resiliently biased spring-type pin and / or by additional welding or soldering of the pin in the mating plug receptacle.

[0055] In an alternative embodiment of the contact member assembly of the present invention, the functional part may include a plate portion, which may be at least one of a plate portion that is soldered to and welded to and pressed onto the mating contact portion of the mating contact element. In such an embodiment of the contact member assembly of the present invention, the functional part may be understood as a flap or latch that is suitable for being welded or brazed to the mating contact portion, or pressed onto the mating contact portion. In order to establish the soldering or welding connection, different methods known in the art may be applied, for example, arc welding, resistance welding, laser welding, ultrasonic welding, friction welding, etc.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment of the contact member assembly, the functional part may include a spring element, which may be elastically pressed against the mating contact portion of the mating contact element. If the functional part includes a spring element, the electrical connection between the mating contact element and the contact member is established by the elastic force applied by the spring element to the mating contact portion. Such an embodiment has the advantage that the electrical connection can be repeatedly established and disconnected. Preferably, the quality of the electrical connection is maintained in each connection-disconnection cycle. The spring element may preferably be formed by bending an extension of the bottom toward the bottom, so that the spring element may be oriented substantially parallel to the bottom, thereby forming an elastic gap between the spring member and the bottom.

[0057] Furthermore, the invention solves the above-mentioned problem with respect to the set of contact components mentioned at the outset, since the contact components with functional parts according to the invention have functional parts with different structures and are otherwise identical.

[0058] Otherwise identical contact members are to be understood as being identical in form, shape and size with respect to at least the enclosure wall, the receptacle volume, the opening, the IDC member having at least one IDC blade and at least one contact edge formed in the first wall portion of the enclosure wall and a cutting blade formed in the second wall portion. If a bottom is provided, all contact members in the kit of contact members have the same bottom. Apart from the functional parts, the above also applies to the above technical features of the different embodiments of the contact member of the invention.

[0059] A set of contact members is understood to be at least two contact members, wherein all contact members of the set of contact members comprise a functional part. Preferably, a plurality of contact members are included in the set. All contact members or at least a subgroup of contact members have functional parts of different structures. Such a set has the advantage that different application cases of the desired predetermined contact members can be handled, wherein different modes of connecting the predetermined contact members, such as a pin connection in the first case and a welded connection in the second case, can also be solved by such a set.

[0060] The above-described embodiment of the contact member according to the invention can be received in the contact receptacle of the housing of the invention. The electrical contact between the conductor and the contact member is realized or established by the IDC member, wherein in a simple embodiment of the housing, a further electrical connection between the contact member and the mating contact element can be established by mechanical and electrical contact between the contact member and the mating contact element. In particular, the mating contact element can be implemented as a spring member, which is pressed against the electrical contact, preferably against the bottom.

[0061] The contact member of the invention with the functional part can also be received in one housing part in a fixed manner, for example by plugging a pin of the functional part into a mating plug-in receptacle provided in at least one of the two housing parts. Thus, the plate part included in the functional part can be soldered or welded to the corresponding mating contact part provided in at least one of the two housing parts.

[0062] In one embodiment of the housing of the present invention, the cable or wire receptacle and the mating contact element may be arranged in one of the at least two housing parts, wherein the contact member may be arranged in the second of the at least two housing parts. In this embodiment, the mating contact element may provide a contact spring that may abut against the edge of the enclosure wall, wherein the bottom of the contact member is fixed to the second housing part.

[0063] In different embodiments of the housing of the present invention, the contact member can be attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) by a pin connector in a mating plug receptacle of a mating contact element (arranged on the PCB), or by a plate portion soldered or welded to a corresponding mating contact portion of the mating contact element. In this embodiment, the cable or wire receptacle and the mating contact element can be arranged in different housing parts. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] In the following, the present invention will be further described by means of specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments are shown, which do not limit the scope of protection provided by the claims. Different embodiments may include different technical features that can be arbitrarily combined with each other. In the accompanying drawings, the same technical features and technical features with the same technical function are represented by the same reference numerals. Repetitive description of various aspects of the drawings will be avoided, wherein the differences between the technical features of the drawings will be emphasized.

[0065] The accompanying drawings show:

[0066] Figure 1-3 The contact member of the invention is shown in three different views;

[0067] Figure 4-6 is a contact member assembly of the present invention in an assembled state, in a connected state and in a cut-away side view;

[0068] Figure 7-12 are different embodiments of the contact member of the present invention including the functional part;

[0069] Fig.13 is another embodiment of the contact member assembly of the present invention;

[0070] Fig.14 yes Fig.13 The contact member of the present invention of the contact member assembly;

[0071] Fig.15 is another embodiment of the contact member assembly of the present invention;

[0072] Fig.16 yes Fig.15 The contact member of the present invention of the contact member assembly;

[0073] Figure 17-18 is a portion of the housing of the present invention in an open and closed state;

[0074] Fig.19 is another embodiment of the housing of the present invention;

[0075] Fig. 20 is another embodiment of the housing of the present invention; and

[0076] Fig.21 and 22 The contact member of the present invention is shown in two different viewing angles in a contact state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0077] exist Figure 1-3 In different perspectives ( Figure 1 and Figure 3 ) and top view ( Figure 3 ) shows a contact member 1 of the invention. The contact member 1 comprises a housing wall 3 which partially surrounds a receptacle volume 5. In other words, the housing wall 3, which comprises four housing bends 7 in the embodiment shown, forms or defines the receptacle volume 5.

[0078] The contact member 1 is configured to be applied in an IDC terminal, which will be referred to as Figure 17-21 Give a description.

[0079] The receptacle volume 5 comprises an opening 9 which is at least partially framed by the enclosure wall 3. In other words, the opening 9 can be referred to as a (virtual) limiting surface of the receptacle volume 5. The opening 9 is formed by Figure 1 The shadow 11 in FIG. 1 indicates that the shadow 11 does not represent a real surface but a virtual plane. The portion of the opening 9 not framed by the enclosure wall 3 is indicated by a dotted line.

[0080] The contact member 1 further comprises an IDC member 13, which comprises two IDC blades 15 and two contact edges 17. In a different embodiment (not shown), at least one IDC blade 15 and at least one contact edge 17 are comprised.

[0081] In the embodiment shown in the figures, two IDC blades 15 and two contact edges 17 are opposite each other and arranged symmetrically with respect to a slot 19. The slot 19 extends from the IDC blades 15 towards a bottom 22, wherein the slot 19 separates two ends 21 of the enclosure wall 3 folded around the receptacle volume 5.

[0082] An IDC member 13 including at least one IDC blade 15 and at least one contact edge 17 is formed in a first wall portion 23 of the enclosure wall 3. The first wall portion 23 is formed in Figure 3 In the embodiment shown, the contact member 1 , more precisely the enclosure wall 3 , provides four wall sections 20 .

[0083] Opposite the first wall portion 23 with respect to the receptacle volume 5, a second wall portion 25 is provided in the enclosure wall 3. The second wall portion 25 is also referred to in Figure 3 .

[0084] In the second wall portion 25, a cutting blade 27 is formed, which comprises a cutting edge 29 and a blade surface 31. As can be seen in the figure, the cutting edge 29 is arranged or implemented at the outer surface 33 of the enclosure wall 3. Figure 6 Best seen in.

[0085] exist Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , an alternative embodiment 1a of the contact member 1 is shown, which is Figure 1-3 The contact member 1 is identical to that of the alternative embodiment 1a, except that the alternative embodiment 1a does not comprise the bottom 22.

[0086] It is therefore explicitly emphasized that at an alternative embodiment 1 a of the contact member 1 of the invention, the technical features which will be shown in the subsequent figures and for which the bottom 22 is not required can also be provided.

[0087] The bottom 22, if present in an embodiment, is oriented substantially perpendicular to the enclosure wall 3 and substantially parallel to the opening 9, wherein the bottom 22 and the opening 9 are located on opposite sides of the receptacle volume 5 and are therefore opposed to each other.

[0088] The bottom portion 22 is preferably connected in an integral manner to the second wall portion 25 via a bent portion 35. The contact member 1 shown in the figures is formed from a metal sheet 37 which is stamped and bent into a sheet metal part 39.

[0089] The contact member 1 of the present invention has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape 41, wherein in the present disclosure, slight deviations from a right angle of the rectangular parallelepiped shape 41 are also referred to as rectangular parallelepiped. Figure 3 The smaller tapered shape 43 shown is a cuboid shape 41 .

[0090] The groove 19 comprises a portion 45 which is oriented perpendicularly to the bottom 22 or respectively perpendicularly to the opening 9. The portion 45 may be referred to as a vertical portion 45. The groove 19 also comprises a curved portion which, to avoid any ambiguity with the curved portion 35 connecting the second wall portion 25 and the bottom 22, will be referred to as a curved groove portion and is indicated by reference numeral 47.

[0091] The slot 19 also comprises a portion 49 oriented parallel to the bottom portion 22, or respectively parallel to the opening 9, and referred to as the parallel portion 49. The curved slot portion 47 of the slot 19 comprises an arcuate portion 51 that curves away from the vertical portion 45 of the slot 19. The arcuate portion 51 is located between the vertical portion 45 and the parallel portion 49 and connects the two.

[0092] In the arcuate portion 51, one end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 comprises a protrusion 53 which is received in a complementarily formed recess 55 of the opposite end 21. Thus, in the arcuate portion 51, the protrusion 53 and the recess 55 engage with a form fit 57. This form fit 57 prevents a relative movement 59 of either of the two ends 21 relative to each other along a direction 61, preferably perpendicular to an insertion direction 63 of the opening 9. The relative movement 59 is indicated by an arrow with two arrows.

[0093] Opposite the arcuate portion 51, the slot 19 opens into a tapered funnel 65 formed by two IDC blades 15 in the first wall portion 23. The tapered funnel 65 facilitates the positioning of the cable or wire 67 (see Figure 4 and Figure 5 The conical funnel 65 is configured to penetrate the insulation 69 of the conductor 67 (hereinafter the term conductor relates to the conductor and the cable) by means of the IDC blade 15, wherein the conical funnel 65 can position the conductor 67 relative to the conductor 67 such that the core 71 of the conductor 67 is aligned with the groove 19 if viewed along the insertion direction 63. By such an alignment, damage to the core 71 of the conductor 67 by the IDC blade 15 can be prevented.

[0094] The contact edge 17 of the slot 19 may also include a rounded edge 73 facing the slot 19 , which also prevents damage to the core 71 of the wire 67 .

[0095] The contact member 1 further comprises a support member 75 arranged between the first wall portion 23 and the bottom 22. In an alternative embodiment 1a, the support member 75 is arranged further in the insertion direction 63 than the first wall portion 23. If a force F is exerted on the first wall portion 23 in the direction 61 from the opening 9 towards the support member or respectively towards the bottom 22, the bottom 22 provides a stop 77 for the first wall portion 23 by means of the support member 75.

[0096] Furthermore, regardless of whether the force F is applied to one end 21 or the other end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 , in any case, the force F is transmitted to the bottom 22 via the support member 75 .

[0097] Even in the alternative embodiment 1 a , such a force F is transmitted via the support member 75 , wherein, in contrast to the embodiment comprising the bottom 22 , a further force receiving member (not shown) is applied and acts as a stop 77 .

[0098] The support member 35 is formed by one end 21 of the enclosure wall 3, wherein the respective end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 extends into the insertion direction 63 and into the lateral direction 79. The support member 75 is thus oriented substantially parallel to the opening 9 and / or the bottom 22. The support member 75 is located near the end 21 which does not form the support member 75, so that the support member 75 is at least partially located between the end 21 and the bottom 22. If viewed in the insertion direction 63, part of the support member 75 therefore extends behind the end 21 which does not form the support member 75.

[0099] like Figure 3 As can be seen in FIG, in the relaxed state 81, the contact member 1 has a conical shape 43. When the core 71 of the conductor 67 is pressed into the slot 19, the rounded edge 73 contacts the core 71, wherein the core 71 elastically deflects the end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 in the outward direction 83. As a result, a contact force 85 is applied to the core 71 of the conductor 67 from the end 21. The force is applied to the core 71 symmetrically from both sides. As a result, the core 71 of the conductor 67 is contacted, wherein no component of the force is directed out of the slot 19. In other words, once the core 71 of the conductor 69 is received in the slot 19, it is held therein in a fixed manner and is not pushed out of the slot 19. This situation is Figure 3 It is indicated by circle 87 in FIG.

[0100] In an embodiment of the contact member 1 of the present invention, the tapered shape 43 can be predetermined so that when the core 71 (not shown) of the wire 67 of a predetermined diameter is received, the deflection of the end 21 in the outward direction 83 can result in a rectangular structure (not shown), that is, the taper can indicate that the core 71 of the wire 67 is pre-formed into a rectangle after it is properly installed.

[0101] exist Figure 4-6 In FIG. 8 , a contact member assembly 89 of the present invention is shown. It comprises a contact member 1 of the present invention and a mating contact element 91, which is only Figure 4-6 The contact member 1 is electrically connected to a mating contact element 91 . In the embodiment shown, the electrical connection is made via a contact pad 93 .

[0102] exist Figure 4 , the insulation of the wire 67 is shown. The wire 67 is compressed in the insertion direction 63 by the force F. In doing so, the IDC blade 15 penetrates the insulation 69 of the wire 67, and the cutting blade 27 will cut the entire wire 67. The contact state 95 is Figure 5 Here, the insulation 69 is cut and displaced in the displacement portion 97 so that the contact edge 17 ( Figure 5 Not shown, see Figure 4 ) contacts the core 71 exposed by cutting and displacing the insulation 69 in the displacement portion 97. The conductor 67 is cut at the cutting blade 27 and the remaining part of the conductor 99 can be removed. When the conductor 67 is moved into the receptacle volume 5, a cut occurs on the outer surface 33 of the outer side 33 of the contact member 1, wherein the cutting surface 101 slides along the blade surface 31 and is displaced toward the first wall portion 23 via the wall thickness 103. Thus, the core 71 of the conductor 67 forms a third contact point 105 and an inner surface 107 of the enclosure wall 3. The first and second contacts are not shown, but they are formed by two contact edges 17 that are in contact with the core 71 of the conductor 67.

[0103] also, Figure 6 It is shown that the force F applied to the contact member 1 by inserting the wire 67 is transmitted to the base 22 in the straight portion 109 of the base 22 and not to the curved portion 35 , which would result in an unstable positioning of the contact member 3 on the contact pad 93 .

[0104] exist Figure 4-6 In the embodiment shown, the contact member 1 is directly connected to the mating contact element 91 via the base 22. Figure 7-16 Different means for contacting the mating contact element 91 are described.

[0105] First, consider Figure 7-12 In these figures, contact members 1 of the present invention are shown, each of which comprises a functional portion 111. In the embodiment shown, the base 22 is extended to form the functional portion 111, wherein the functional portion 111 is configured to be plugged into a mating plug receptacle 113 and / or a mating contact portion 115 for electrical connection to a mating contact member 117. Figure 8 The mating receptacle 113 is shown exemplarily, and the mating contact portions 115 of the mating contact members 117 are each shown in FIG. Fig.13and Fig.15 The aforementioned mating contact element 91 and the contact pad 93 may also be considered as the mating contact member 117 and the mating contact portion 115, respectively. Figure 13-16 In the embodiment shown in , an electrical connection is established between the functional part 111 and the mating contact member 117. Figure 7-12 In various embodiments, the functional portion 111 includes a pin 119 that is plugged into a mating plug receptacle 113. Figures 7 to 12 In the figure, the following types of pins 119 are shown: solid pin 121; square pin 123, which is a special variant of solid pin 121; flexible EON (end of needle) pin 125; action pin 127; multi-spring pin 129 and contact spring pin 131. It should be noted that the functional part 111 can be provided independently of the embodiment of the contact member 1, i.e. also at an IDC contact member which does not form part of the present invention.

[0106] The functional part 111 is preferably integrally connected to the base 22 and protrudes from the footprint 133 of the contact member 1. The footprint 133 is exemplarily formed by Fig.14 The shaded 11 is shown in FIG. 1 and can be applied accordingly to Figure 7-16 Other embodiments of the contact member 1 are shown in FIG.

[0107] exist Fig.13 and 14 In the embodiment, the functional part 111 comprises a plate part 135 which can be soldered or welded to the mating contact part 115 or can simply be pressed against said mating contact part 115. In the first two solutions, a fixed and permanent electrical connection is achieved, wherein in the third solution the (pressed) electrical connection is releasable.

[0108] exist Fig.15 and Fig.16 In the embodiment of the present invention, the functional portion 111 includes a spring element 137, but can be elastically pressed against the mating contact portion 115 of the mating contact element 117. It is to be noted that the mating contact element 91 can also be referred to as a mating contact member 117.

[0109] exist Fig.17 and 18 , a portion of a housing 139 of the present invention is shown, wherein the housing 139 includes two housing parts 141, which are exemplarily distinguished by referring to them as an upper housing part 141a and a lower housing part 141b. The two housing parts 141 can move relative to each other. The upper housing part 141a can move in a downward direction 143, while the lower housing part 141b can move in an upward direction 145.

[0110] The housing 139 includes a cable or wire receptacle 147 into which a wire (not shown) can be inserted. The housing 139 also includes a contact receptacle 149 in which the contact member 1 is received. Fig.17 and 18 In the embodiment of the housing 139 shown, the contact member 1 is Figure 1-3 The contact member 1 is shown. The contact member 1 is preferably fixed in a contact receptacle 149 of the upper housing part 141a. It can be reversibly removed and inserted into the contact receptacle 149.

[0111] The cable or wire receptacle 147 corresponds to a tubular hollow structure, respectively a tubular receptacle, but may have a different cross-section in different embodiments of the housing 139, in particular if cables or wires of different cross-sections are applied.

[0112] The lower housing portion 141 b also includes a mating contact member 117 , which may be a printed circuit board (PCB) 151 , which includes a mating contact portion 115 including a mating contact spring 153 .

[0113] Between the mating contact springs 153, a support 155 is provided which, at least at a portion viewed along the extension of the cable or wire receptacle 147, is aligned with the cable or wire receptacle 147. In other words, if a wire is received in the cable or wire receptacle 147, it abuts against an inner wall 157 of the cable or wire receptacle 147 and the support 155. The support 155 ensures that force applied to a wire (not shown) can be evenly distributed during contact of the core of said wire with the contact member 1.

[0114] The contact member 1 is mounted to the upper housing portion 141a so that the IDC member 13 and the cutting blade 27 (the cutting blade 27 is not visible due to the selected viewing angle) face the lower housing portion 141b.

[0115] If the housing portions 141 are moved toward each other, the wires (not shown) supported by the inner wall 157 of the cable or wire receptacle 147 and by the support portion 155 are also pressed against the cutting blade 27 and into the IDC member 13. Figure 4-6 As shown, the wires are electrically contacted.

[0116] exist Fig.17 In the open position 159 shown, a cable or wire may be inserted into the cable or wire receptacle 147 .

[0117] exist Fig.181. In the closed state 161, at least a portion of the cable or wire receptacle 147 overlaps the contact member 1. In addition, in the closed state 161, the mating contact spring 153 abuts the contact member 1, thereby establishing an electrical connection with the contact member 1. Therefore, if a cable is received in the cable or wire receptacle 147, the cable can be electrically connected to the PCB 151 via the contact member 1 and the mating contact spring 153.

[0118] exist Fig.19 and Fig. 22 , other embodiments of the housing 139 of the present invention are shown, both of which are in an open state 159.

[0119] In both figures, a cable or wire receptacle 147 is provided in the upper housing portion 141a, and a mating contact member 117 is provided at or represents the lower housing portion 141b.

[0120] exist Fig.19 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 , the contact members 1 (four are received) are adapted to abut against the mating contact members 117. Thereby, a mechanical contact is established, and also an electrical contact between the contact members 1 and the mating contact members 117 is established.

[0121] exist Fig. 20 In the embodiment shown, the contact member 1 is attached to the mating contact member 117 via its base 22. The mechanical connection may be a metallurgical connection, for example by welding or soldering.

[0122] exist Fig.19 and 20 In both, a cable (not shown) is inserted into the cable or wire receptacle 147 from the right side, wherein the remainder of the wire (not shown) can be removed from the housing 139 on the left side.

[0123] exist Fig.21 and 22 In two different perspectives, the front view ( Fig.21 ) and top view ( Fig. 22 ), showing the contact member 1 of the present invention. Both figures show the contact member 1 in the contact state 95, i.e., the cable or wire 67 is received in the slot 19 formed by two opposing IDC blades 15 and two opposing contact edges 17. Note that in different embodiments of the contact member of the present invention (not shown), only one IDC blade 15 and one contact edge 17 may be provided. In this case, the counter-pressing member (not shown) is opposite to one IDC blade 15 and one contact edge 17.

[0124] exist Fig.21 and 226, the cable or conductor 67 does not include insulation 69. When a force F is applied to the cable or conductor 67 so that the cable or conductor 67 is pressed into the slot 19 along the insertion direction 63, the end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 is deflected along a deflection direction 163 which points away from the slot 19 and is substantially parallel to the bottom 22. The deflection direction 163 is in particular the same for each of the respective ends 21. In other words, the IDC blade 15 of one end 21 moves or deflects along the same deflection direction 163 as the contact edge 17 of the same end 21.

[0125] exist Fig.21 In the embodiment shown, the contact edges 17 are parallel to each other (in different embodiments, they may be oriented at an angle to each other), wherein the deflected slot width 165 (which may approximately correspond to the wire diameter 167 ) is constant at least along the contact edges 17 .

[0126] In an embodiment (not shown) in which the contact edges 17 are oriented at an angle to each other, the angle between the contact edges 17 is maintained. Thus, the deflected mounting space 169 of the contact member 1 of the present invention can be constant along the insertion direction 63. Fig.21 In another circle 170 of the prior art, the state of the contact member is schematically shown, in which the contact edges 17 are deflected away from each other due to the cable or wire 67 received between them. At the location of the wire 67, a minimum deflection width 171 can be measured, which is different from the maximum deflection width 173 at the end 175 of the contact edge 17. If compared with the prior art solution, the required installation space of the contact member 1 of the invention is therefore smaller by the difference between the maximum deflection width 173 and the minimum deflection width 171.

[0127] Fig.21 and 22 The support member 75 is shown to provide a support portion 177 in which one end 21 (at Fig.21 The end portion 21 shown on the left side of the figure) and the other end portion 21 ( Fig.21 The support members of the end 21 shown on the right in the figure are adjacent at least two support points 179 located at a certain distance from each other. Two support points 179 are shown by way of example. Preferably, the support portion 177 can be an area or a line. Due to the at least two support points 179, if the wire or cable 67 is received in the groove, the torsional force 181 acting on each end 21 of the enclosure wall 3 can therefore be applied to the support member 75 and converted into a deflection of the end 21 in the deflection direction, thereby suppressing the torsional movement.

[0128] Reference numerals list

[0129] 1 Contact components

[0130] 1a Alternative Embodiment

[0131] 3 Shell wall

[0132] 5 Seat capacity

[0133] 7. Shell bending part

[0134] 9 Opening

[0135] 11 Shadow

[0136] 13 IDC Components

[0137] 15 IDC Blade

[0138] 17 Touching the Edge

[0139] 19 slots

[0140] 21 end

[0141] 22 Bottom

[0142] 23 First wall section

[0143] 25 Second wall section

[0144] 27 Cutting blade

[0145] 29 Cutting edge

[0146] 31 Blade surface

[0147] 33 External surface

[0148] 35 Bend

[0149] 37 Metal Plate

[0150] 39 Sheet metal parts

[0151] 41 Cuboid shape

[0152] 43 Conical shape

[0153] 45 vertical section

[0154] 47 bending groove part

[0155] 49 Parallel Section

[0156] 51 Arc section

[0157] 53 protrusion

[0158] 55 recess

[0159] 57 Form Fit

[0160] 59 Relative movement

[0161] 61 Direction

[0162] 63 Insertion direction

[0163] 65 Conical Funnel

[0164] 67 Cable or wire

[0165] 69 Insulation

[0166] 71 Core

[0167] 73 Rounded edges

[0168] 75 Supporting member

[0169] 77 Stopper

[0170] 79 Lateral direction

[0171] 81 Relaxed state

[0172] 83 Outward direction

[0173] 85 Contact force

[0174] 87 Circle

[0175] 89 Contact component assembly

[0176] 91 Mating contact components

[0177] 93 Contact pads

[0178] 95 Contact Status

[0179] 97 Displacement

[0180] 99 Remaining part of the wire

[0181] 101 Cutting Surface

[0182] 103 Wall thickness

[0183] 105 Third contact point

[0184] 107 Inner surface

[0185] 109 Straight

[0186] 111 Functional Section

[0187] 113 Mating socket

[0188] 115 Mating contact part

[0189] 117 Mating contact components

[0190] 119 Pins

[0191] 121 Solid Pin

[0192] 123 Action Pin

[0193] 125 Flexible EON pin

[0194] 127 Action Pin

[0195] 129 Multi-spring pin

[0196] 131 Contact spring pin

[0197] 133 Coverage Area

[0198] 135 Plate Section

[0199] 137 Spring element

[0200] 139 Shell

[0201] 141 Housing

[0202] 141a Upper housing part

[0203] 141b Lower housing part

[0204] 143 Downward direction

[0205] 145 Upward direction

[0206] 147 Cable or wire receptacle

[0207] 149 Contact receptacle

[0208] 151 Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

[0209] 153 Matching contact spring

[0210] 155 Support

[0211] 157 Inner wall

[0212] 159 Open Status

[0213] 161 Closed state

[0214] 163 Deflection direction

[0215] 165 Deflected slot width

[0216] 167 Wire diameter

[0217] 169 Deflected installation space

[0218] 170 Another Circle

[0219] 171 Minimum deflection width

[0220] 173 Maximum deflection width

[0221] 175 End of contact edge

[0222] 177 Support

[0223] 179 Support Point

[0224] 181 Torsion

[0225] d Distance

[0226] F-Force

Claims

1. A contact member (1) for an IDC terminal, comprising: - an enclosure wall at least partially surrounding a receptacle volume (5) for receiving a conductor or cable (67), wherein the receptacle volume (5) has an opening (9) at least partially framed by the enclosure wall (3); - an IDC member (13) formed in a first wall portion (23) of the enclosure wall (3), the IDC member having at least one IDC blade (15) for penetrating the insulation (69) of a wire or cable (67) and at least one contact edge (17) for electrically contacting a core (71) of said wire or cable (67); - a cutting blade (27) for cutting a wire or cable (67), wherein the cutting blade (27) is formed in a second wall portion (25) of the enclosure wall (3) located opposite the first wall portion (23), wherein both the at least one IDC blade (15) and the cutting blade (27) face the opening (9); - a bottom portion (22) disposed opposite to the opening (9); The IDC member (13) comprises a groove (19) extending from the at least one IDC blade (15) towards the bottom (22), wherein the groove (19) separates two ends (21) of the enclosure wall (3) folded around the receptacle volume (5), wherein the groove (19) comprises a vertical portion (45) perpendicular to the bottom (22), a parallel portion (49) parallel to the bottom (22), and a curved groove portion (47) between the vertical portion (45) and the parallel portion (49), wherein the parallel portion (49) is located between the two ends (21) of the enclosure wall (3).

2. The contact member (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The bottom (22) is oriented substantially perpendicularly to the enclosure wall (3).

3. The contact member (1) according to claim 2, wherein: The bottom (22) is integrally connected to at least one wall portion (20).

4. The contact member (1) according to claim 3, wherein: The two end portions (21) are linearly deflectable away from each other in a direction parallel to the base (22).

5. The contact member (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The curved slot portion (47) includes an arcuate portion (51) that curves away from a vertical portion (45) of the slot (19) that is perpendicular to the bottom (22).

6. The contact member (1) according to claim 1, wherein: At the curved groove portion (47), a protrusion (53) of one end (21) of the enclosure wall (3) is received in a complementarily formed recess (55) of the other end (21) of the enclosure wall (3), the protrusion (53) and the recess (55) thereby engaging in a form-fitting manner, preventing relative movement (59) of the two ends (21) forming the groove (19) relative to each other in a direction (61) perpendicular to the opening (9).

7. The contact member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: A support member (75) is arranged between the first wall portion (23) and the bottom (22), wherein, via the support member (75), the bottom (22) provides a stop (77) for the first wall portion (23) if a force (F) is applied to the first wall portion (23) in a direction (61) towards the bottom (22).

8. The contact member (1) according to claim 7, wherein: The support member (75) is formed by at least one end (21) of the enclosure wall (3).

9. The contact member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The bottom portion (22) extends to form a functional portion (111) configured to be plugged into a mating plug receptacle (113) and / or configured to be electrically connected to a mating contact portion (115) of a mating contact member (117).

10. The contact member (1) according to claim 9, wherein: The functional portion (111) protrudes from a footprint (133) of the contact member (1).

11. A contact member assembly (89), comprising a contact member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10 and a mating contact element (91), wherein: The mating contact element (91) is electrically connected to the contact member (1).

12. The contact member assembly (89) according to claim 11, wherein: The contact member (1) is a contact member according to claim 9 or 10, and wherein the mating contact element (91) is electrically connected to a functional part (111) of the contact element.

13. The contact member assembly (89) according to claim 12, wherein: The functional part (111) includes one of the following: - a pin (119) which is plugged into a mating plug-in receptacle of a mating contact element (91); or - a plate portion (135) which is soldered and welded to and pressed against the mating contact portion (115) of the mating contact element (91); or - A spring element (137) which elastically presses against the mating contact portion (115) of the mating contact element (91).

14. A kit comprising a contact member according to claim 9 or 10, having functional parts (111) of different structure and being identical in other respects.

15. A housing (139) comprising at least two housing parts (141) movable relative to each other, wherein: The housing (139) comprises: - a cable or wire receptacle (147) for receiving a cable or wire (67); and - a contact receptacle (149) for receiving a contact member (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The housing (139) comprises at least an open state (159) and a closed state (161). In the open state, the cable or wire (67) can be inserted into the cable or wire receptacle (147); in the closed state (161), at least part of the cable or wire receptacle (147) overlaps with the contact member (1).

Images