Insulated piercing contact with wire retention feature

Abstract

An electrical contact includes a base portion extending from a first end of the contact to a second end of the contact, a first set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the first set of outer walls disposed on a first side. The electrical contact also includes a second set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the second set of outer walls disposed on a second side opposite the first set of outer walls and the first side. The electrical contact further includes a piercing member disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member extending upwardly in a direction substantially parallel to at least one of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member configured to pierce an insulated wire.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 401,902, filed on August 29, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of electrical connectors, and more particularly to a connector for making an electrical connection with a wiring harness. Background Art

[0004] Various connectors are used to make electrical connections between wires and any kind of electronic or electrical component. These connectors can be sockets, plugs, and shrouded headers with a variety of sizes, pitches, and plating options. Often, making connections to insulated wires can be challenging due to difficulty in piercing or cutting the wiring harness insulation, or due to complex connector structures. Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a fast, efficient, and reliable method of making electrical connections to insulated wiring harnesses. Summary of the invention

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electrical contact. The electrical contact includes a base portion extending from a first end of the contact to a second end of the contact. The electrical contact also includes a first set of outer walls extending upward from the base portion, wherein the first set of outer walls is disposed on a first side. The contact also includes a second set of outer walls extending upward from the base portion, wherein the second set of outer walls is disposed on a second side opposite to the first set of outer walls and the first side. The electrical contact further includes a piercing member disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member extends upward in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, and wherein the piercing member is configured to pierce an insulated wire.

[0006] In various embodiments, the electrical contact also includes a side wall disposed between the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls, wherein the piercing member is formed in the side wall. In some embodiments, the side wall has a shape complementary to the shape of the insulating wire. In other embodiments, each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls includes two walls, wherein the first wall in each of at least one first outer wall and at least one second outer wall is disposed at the first end, and the second wall in each of at least one first outer wall and at least one second outer wall is disposed at the second end. In some further embodiments, the first group of outer walls, the second group of outer walls and at least one side wall form a channel. In various embodiments, at least one piercing member is a blade. In some embodiments, each wall in each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls includes a protrusion disposed at the upper end of the terminal. In some embodiments, each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls is formed integrally with the base portion.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to an electrical contact assembly. The electrical contact assembly includes an electrical contact. The electrical contact includes a first set of outer walls extending upward from a base portion, wherein the first set of outer walls is disposed on a first side. The electrical contact also includes a second set of outer walls extending upward from the base portion, wherein the second set of outer walls is disposed on a second side opposite to the first set of outer walls and the first side, and wherein a channel is formed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls; the electrical contact also includes a piercing member disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member extends in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls. The electrical contact further includes a plurality of solder tails extending downward from the base portion. The electrical contact assembly further includes a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the PCB is configured to accommodate the electrical contact, and wherein the plurality of solder tails are configured to be accommodated in corresponding connection ports within the PCB.

[0008] In various embodiments, the plurality of solder tails include two pairs of solder tails, wherein a first pair of the two pairs of solder tails is disposed at a first end of the electrical contact, and a second pair of the two pairs of solder tails is disposed at a second end of the electrical contact. In some embodiments, the electrical contact further includes a support base extending from a base portion, wherein the support base is disposed between each of the first pair and the second pair of the two pairs of solder tails. In other embodiments, the base portion is configured to abut the PCB. In yet other embodiments, the electrical contact further includes a side wall disposed between a first set of outer walls and a second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member is formed within the side wall. In various embodiments, each of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls includes two walls, wherein a first wall in each of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls is disposed at a first end of the electrical contact, and a second wall in each of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls is disposed at a second end of the electrical contact.

[0009] Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for forming an electrical connection with an insulated wire. The method includes forming a portion of sheet metal into a shape corresponding to an electrical contact and soldering the electrical contact to a PCB. The electrical contact includes a first set of outer walls extending upward from a base portion, wherein the first set of outer walls is disposed on a first side. The electrical contact also includes a second set of outer walls extending upward from the base portion, wherein the second set of outer walls is disposed on a second side opposite to the first set of outer walls and the first side, and wherein a channel is formed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls. The electrical contact also includes a piercing member disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member extends in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls.

[0010] In various embodiments, the method further includes cutting a portion of the sheet metal. In some embodiments, the electrical contact further includes a pair of solder tails extending downwardly from the base portion. In other embodiments, the method further includes inserting the pair of solder tails into corresponding connection ports disposed within the PCB. In various embodiments, the method further includes forming the portion of the sheet metal to have a shape corresponding to the electrical contact including bending the sheet metal. In yet another embodiment, the method further includes providing an insulated wire, aligning the insulated wire with the channel, and piercing the insulated wire with at least one piercing member by pressing the insulated wire into the channel.

[0011] This summary is illustrative only and should not be considered limiting. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] The present disclosure will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and in which:

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a piercing contact according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a contact assembly according to an exemplary embodiment, the contact assembly including a Figure 1 of piercing contacts.

[0015] Figure 3 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 A perspective view of a wiring harness with a contact assembly in an unengaged position.

[0016] Figure 4 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 The contact assembly is in the unengaged position Figure 3 Side view of the wiring harness.

[0017] Figure 5 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 The contact assembly is in the unengaged position Figure 3 End view of the wiring harness.

[0018] Figure 6 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 The contact assembly is in the engaged position Figure 3 A perspective view of the wiring harness.

[0019] Figure 7 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 2 The contact assembly is in the engaged position Figure 3 Side view of the wiring harness.

[0020] Figure 8 According to an exemplary embodiment, Figure 7 A cross-sectional view taken along line XX of FIG. Figure 2 The contact assembly is in the engaged position Figure 3 of wiring harness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Before turning to the drawings showing certain exemplary embodiments in detail, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the details or methods set forth in the specification or shown in the drawings. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for descriptive purposes only and should not be considered as limiting.

[0022] Typical connectors for making electrical connections to wiring harnesses can be cumbersome or ineffective due to challenges in penetrating or stripping insulation, or because the contacts themselves may require multiple parts. For example, some connector types require a secondary housing to position the wiring harness so the primary part makes the electrical connection to the harness.

[0023] The present disclosure relates to an insulation piercing contact configured to retain a wiring harness within the contact to facilitate a secure electrical connection between the contact and the wiring harness. By facilitating an electrical connection with a wire and retaining the wire, the contact described herein reduces the number of components required to achieve a secure connection with the insulated wiring harness. Furthermore, by reducing the number of components, the number of necessary assembly steps required to achieve an electrical connection with the insulated wiring harness is necessarily reduced.

[0024] refer to Figure 1 , shows a contact 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. The contact 100 can be configured to be connected to a printed circuit board (PCB) or to other components configured to facilitate electrical connection. As shown, the contact 100 includes a first set of outer walls 112 disposed on a first side 101 of the contact 100 and a second set of outer walls 113 disposed on a second side 102 of the contact 100. In various embodiments, the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 are arranged in an opposing arrangement such that the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 are in a mirror image configuration. Figure 1As shown in , the first set of outer walls 112 may include a first wall 105 and a second wall 106, and the second set of outer walls 113 may include a third wall 110 and a fourth wall 111. As shown, the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 are configured such that the second wall 106 and the fourth wall 111 are disposed at or near the first end 103 of the contact 100, and such that the first wall 105 and the third wall 110 are disposed at or near the second end 104 of the contact 110. In various embodiments, each of the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 may include two walls, such as Figure 1 . In some embodiments, the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 may each include any number of walls (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.) that may be similar to or equivalent to walls 105, 106, 110, 111. In various embodiments, the first wall 105 and the second wall 106 may be formed as a single wall extending between the first end 103 and the second end 104 of the contact 100. Additionally or alternatively, the third wall 110 and the fourth wall 111 may be formed as a single wall extending between the first end 103 and the second end 104 of the contact.

[0025] The first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 are arranged in an opposing configuration or a mirrored configuration such that they form a channel 107. The channel 107 can be defined at each of the first end 103 and the second end 104 by a side wall 117 connected between the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113. The channel 107 can have a shape that is substantially complementary to the shape of the wire harness. For example, as shown, the channel 107 can have a cylindrical shape to accommodate a cylindrical wire. In other embodiments, the shape of the channel 107 can be rectangular or oval to accommodate a rectangular or oval shaped wire. Figure 1 As shown in , in an embodiment in which each of the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 includes two walls and in which the second wall 106 and the fourth wall 111 are disposed at the first end 103 and the first wall 105 and the third wall 110 are disposed at the second end 104, the second wall 106 and the fourth wall 111 are connected at the first end 103 by the first side wall 117, and the first wall 105 and the third wall 110 are connected at the second end 104 by the second side wall 117. The first and second side walls 117 may have a shape complementary to the shape of the harness. For example, as shown in the figure, the first and second side walls 117 may have an arcuate shape so that the shape of the channel 107 is generally cylindrical.

[0026] Each side wall 117 includes at least one piercing member 115 that extends upward from the side wall 117 and is configured to pierce a harness placed on the contact 100. In various embodiments, the at least one piercing member 115 may extend upward from the side wall 117 in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall of the first set of outer walls 112 or the second set of outer walls 113. In various embodiments, the at least one piercing member 115 is a blade. In other embodiments, the at least one piercing member 115 is a needle. In yet other embodiments, the at least one piercing member 115 is configured to have a substantially rectangular cross-section within a first portion and to have a sharp, substantially triangular second portion forming a tip. Figure 1 As shown in , the contact 100 may include two piercing members 115 , wherein the first piercing member 115 is disposed within the side wall 117 at the first end 103 , and the second piercing member 115 is disposed within the side wall 117 at the second end 104 .

[0027] like Figure 1 As shown in , one or more walls within the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 (i.e., one or more of the first wall 105, the second wall 106, the third wall 110, and the fourth wall 111) may include one or more protrusions 120 disposed at or near the upper end of the terminal of each wall. For example, Figure 1 As shown in , each of the first wall 105, the second wall 106, the third wall 110, and the fourth wall 111 includes a ridge 120 disposed near the upper end of the terminal of each wall, so that the width of the channel 107 between the upper ends of the terminals of each wall is less than the width of the channel 107 closer to the base of each wall. In various embodiments, one or more protrusions 120 may be ridges, knobs, bumps, or any other similar features. In some embodiments, each of the first wall 105, the second wall 106, the third wall 110, and the fourth wall 111 may be configured so that the width of each wall increases near the upper end of the terminal of each outer wall, so that each wall forms a protrusion 120.

[0028] like Figure 1 As shown in , the first wall 105 and the second wall 106 and the third wall 110 and the fourth wall 111 can be separated by a base portion 125 of the contact member 110. The base portion 125 can be substantially horizontal, so that the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 extend upward from the base portion 125 in a substantially vertical direction. In various embodiments, the base portion 125 is integrally formed with each of the first set of walls 112 and the second set of walls 113 at each of the first end 103 and the second end 104 via a joint 127 (i.e., and therefore integrally formed with each of the first wall 105, the second wall 106, the third wall 110, and the fourth wall 111). As shown in Figure 1As shown in , each of the first end 103 and the second end 104 may also include a pair of solder tails 130 extending downward from the base portion 125 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base portion. Each of the solder tails 130 is configured to be inserted and soldered into a corresponding area (e.g., an opening, a port, etc.) within the PCB. In various embodiments, each pair of solder tails 130 extends in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113. In various embodiments, each pair of solder tails 130 is separated by a support base 132, which is configured to support at least one piercing member 115 against a termination force acting on at least one piercing member 115 during piercing of a harness placed on the contact 100. In various embodiments, the contact 100 (and therefore the at least one piercing member 115) is made of a material having a large bending radius to prevent breakage during formation of the contact 100. Thus, the support base 132 disposed below the at least one piercing member 115 is configured to resist torque and prevent the at least one piercing member 115 from deflecting outwardly. In embodiments where the contact 100 may be formed of a material having a relatively low bending radius or in applications where there is little or no bending moment, the contact 100 may be formed without the support base 132. The support base 132 may be configured to abut a portion of the PCB coupled to the contact 100. In other embodiments, the support base 132 may be received within a recess or opening disposed within a PCB coupled to the contact 100. In still other embodiments, the support base 132 is substantially rectangular in shape and extends downwardly from the base portion 125 in a direction substantially parallel to the solder tail and perpendicular to the base portion 125. In some embodiments, the contact 100 may be formed to include only the end 103, with the second wall 106 and the fourth wall 111 (or alternatively, only the first wall 105 and the third wall 110), a single side wall 117, a single piercing member 115 disposed within the side wall 115, a single pair of solder tails 130, and a support base 132. The single-ended contact 100 may still include a ridge 120 to hold a wire disposed thereon.

[0029] Figure 2 A perspective view of a contact 100 coupled to a PCB 140 to form a contact assembly 150 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown, the contact 100 can be arranged on the PCB 140 so that the base portion 125 rests on a contact area within the PCB 140. Each of the solder tails 130 disposed at each of the ends 103, 104 of the contact 100 is received within a connection port 135. As shown, the support base 132 can abut an area 137 disposed between the connection ports 135.

[0030] To facilitate electrical connection, the contact assembly 140 is configured to receive the wire 200, such as Figures 3 to 5 As shown in . The wire 200 may include a wire harness 210 that is insulated by a housing 205 and an insulating layer 215. In various embodiments, the housing 205 is an insulating layer. In various embodiments, the wire 200 may be configured to have a single insulating layer. For example, the wire may have only a housing 205 or only an insulating layer 215. In other embodiments, the wire 200 may have any number of insulating layers (e.g., 3, 5, 7, etc.). In various embodiments, the number of insulating layers of the wire 200 may be based on the application or use environment of the wire 200 (e.g., a harsh environment). In order to form an electrical connection between the contact assembly 140 (and therefore the contact 100), the wire 200 may be positioned above the contact 100 so that the bottom surface of the housing 205 of the wire 200 is aligned with the channel 107, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown in , before engaging with the contact 100, the wire 200 can be moved downward onto the contact 100 so that the bottom surface of the housing 205 is positioned above the at least one piercing member 115. In various embodiments, such as Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the wire 200 can be positioned over two piercing members 115 so that the wire 200 can be pierced in two locations.

[0031] To complete the electrical connection between the contact assembly 140 and the wire 200, the wire 200 may be pressed downwardly into the channel 107, as shown in FIG. Figures 6 to 8 As shown in the figure, the wire 200 is pressed into the channel 107 so that at least one piercing member 115 (which may include two piercing members 115) pierces the housing 205, extends through the insulating layer 215 and engages with the wiring harness 210 to form an electrical connection between the contact 100 and the wire 200. The position of the wire 200 is maintained via the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113. The electrical connection between the wire 200 and the contact 100 is maintained via the protrusion 120, which can form an interference fit with the wire 200 to prevent the wire from shifting upward away from the at least one piercing member 115. For example, as Figures 6 to 8 , the wire 200 is positioned so that the first wall 105 and the second wall 106 are located on a first side of the wire 200 and so that the third wall 110 and the fourth wall 111 are located on an opposite second side of the wire 200. Thus, the wire 200 is retained on the contact 100 via the protrusion 120 of each of the first wall 105, the second wall 106, the third wall 110, and the fourth wall 111. In this manner, the contact 100 can reduce the number of necessary parts for facilitating electrical connection and retention of the wire 200. In addition, the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 can provide stability to the wire 200 by minimizing the risk of the wire 200 twisting, sliding, or otherwise moving relative to the contact 110.

[0032] In various embodiments, the contact 100 may be manufactured as a single part. In various embodiments, the contact 100 may be manufactured at a manufacturing facility having one or more components configured to receive, process, cut (or stamp) and roll sheet metal. In some embodiments, one or more components may include at least one controller. The controller may be configured to include a processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium (e.g., a memory device) having computer-readable instructions stored thereon, which causes at least one controller to perform one or more operations when executed by the processor. In various embodiments, at least one controller is a computing device (e.g., a microcomputer, a microcontroller, or a microprocessor). In other embodiments, at least one controller is configured as part of a data cloud computing system that is configured to receive commands from a user control device and / or a remote computing device. In some embodiments, the sheet metal may be cut or stamped (i.e., by one or more components) to have a shape corresponding to the contact 100. Then, the cut or stamped sheet metal may be bent, rolled, or otherwise formed (by one or more components) to have a structure corresponding to the contact 100. For example, a portion of the sheet metal (i.e., a portion that has been cut or stamped) may be bent so that the first set of outer walls 112 and the second set of outer walls 113 extend upwardly away from the base portion 125 and so that the solder tails 130 extend downwardly away from the base portion 125. Once the contact 100 is formed, the contact 100 may be placed onto the PCB 140 so that the solder tails 130 are received within the connection ports 135 and so that the support base 132 abuts the region 137 between the connection ports 135. The solder tails 130 may then be soldered to the PCB 140 to form the contact assembly 150.

[0033] Once the contact assembly 150 is formed, the wire 200 can be positioned over the contact 100 so that the wire is aligned with the channel 107 and disposed over the at least one piercing member 115. The wire 200 can then be pressed onto the at least one piercing member 115 so that the at least one piercing member 115 pierces the housing 205, the insulator 215, and extends into the wiring harness 210 to form an electrical connection with the wiring harness. The resulting electrical connection between the contact 100 (and the contact assembly 140) is maintained via the protrusion 120, which prevents the wire 200 from separating from the at least one piercing member 115 and preventing the wire 200 from moving out of the channel 107. In some embodiments, when the wire 200 is engaged with the contact 100 (i.e., when the at least one piercing member 115 has pierced the wire 200 so that it contacts the wiring harness 210), the bottom surface of the housing 205 of the wire 200 abuts or contacts the at least one side wall 117.

[0034] Although the above reference Figures 1 to 8Embodiments are described, but various modifications and inclusions to these embodiments are contemplated and considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0035] As used herein with respect to numerical ranges, the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms generally mean + / - 10% of the disclosed value, unless otherwise indicated. As used herein with respect to structural features (e.g., to describe shape, size, orientation, direction, relative position, etc.), the terms "approximately," "about," "substantially," and similar terms are intended to encompass minor variations in structure that may result from, for example, manufacturing or assembly processes, and are intended to have a broad meaning consistent with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter of the present disclosure relates. Accordingly, these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequential modifications or alterations to the subject matter described and claimed are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure as described in the appended claims.

[0036] It should be noted that the term "exemplary" and variations thereof as used herein to describe various embodiments are intended to indicate that such embodiments are possible examples, representations, or illustrations of possible embodiments (and such terms are not intended to imply that such embodiments are necessarily particular or best examples).

[0037] As used herein, the term "coupled" and its variants mean that two components are directly or indirectly engaged with each other. Such engagement may be fixed (e.g., permanent or fixed) or removable (e.g., removable or releasable). Such engagement may be achieved by: two components are directly coupled to each other, two components are coupled to each other using a separate intermediate component and any additional intermediate components that are coupled to each other, or two components are coupled to each other using an intermediate component that is integrally formed as a single entity with one of the two components. If "coupled" or its variants are modified by additional terms (e.g., directly coupled), the generic definition of "coupled" provided above is modified by the ordinary language meaning of the additional terms (e.g., "directly coupled" means that two components are engaged without any separate intermediate component), thereby producing a definition that is modified by the generic definition of "coupled" provided above. This coupling can be mechanical, electrical or fluid.

[0038] References to the positioning of elements (e.g., "top," "bottom," "above," "below") herein are only used to describe the orientation of the various elements in the drawings. It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may be different according to other exemplary embodiments, and such variations are intended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

[0039] The hardware and data processing components for implementing the various processes, operations, illustrative logic, logic blocks, modules and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or executed with a general purpose single-chip or multi-chip processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, multiple microprocessors, one or more microprocessors combined with a DSP core, or any other such configuration. In some embodiments, specific processes and methods may be performed by a circuit system specifically for a given function. A memory (e.g., a memory, a memory unit, a storage device) may include one or more devices (e.g., RAM, ROM, flash memory, hard disk storage device) for storing data and / or computer code to complete or facilitate the various processes, layers and modules described in this disclosure. The memory may be or include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, and may include database components, object code components, script components, or any other type of information structure for supporting the various activities and information structures described in the present disclosure. According to an exemplary embodiment, the memory is communicatively connected to the processor via a processing circuit and includes computer code for executing (e.g., by the processing circuit or the processor) one or more processes described herein.

[0040] The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems, and program products on any machine-readable medium for completing various operations. Embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing computer processors, or implemented by special-purpose computer processors for appropriate systems, merged for this or another purpose, or implemented by hard-wired systems. Embodiments within the scope of the present disclosure include program products, which include machine-readable media for carrying or storing machine-executable instructions or data structures. Such machine-readable media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of example, such machine-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices, or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store desired program codes in the form of machine-executable instructions or data structures and can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer or other machine with a processor. The above combination is also included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable instructions include, for example, instructions and data that cause a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or a special-purpose processing machine to perform a certain function or group of functions.

[0041] Although the drawings and the description may illustrate a particular order of method steps, the order of such steps may be different from that depicted and described, unless otherwise specified above. In addition, unless otherwise specified above, two or more steps may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously.

[0042] It should be noted that any element disclosed in one embodiment may be incorporated into or used with any other embodiment disclosed herein. Although only one example of an element from one embodiment that may be incorporated or utilized in another embodiment has been described above, it should be understood that other elements of the various embodiments may be incorporated into or used with any of the other embodiments disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An electrical contact, comprising: a base portion extending from a first end of the contact to a second end of the contact; a first set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the first set of outer walls being disposed on a first side; a second set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the second set of outer walls being disposed on a second side opposite the first set of outer walls and the first side; as well as A piercing member is disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member extending upward in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member being configured to pierce the insulated wire.

2. The electrical contact of claim 1, further comprising a side wall disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member is formed within the side wall.

3. The electrical contact of claim 2, wherein the side wall has a shape complementary to a shape of the insulating wire.

4. An electrical contact according to claim 2, wherein each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls includes two walls, wherein the first wall of each of at least one first outer wall and at least one second outer wall is arranged at the first end, and the second wall of each of the at least one first outer wall and at least one second outer wall is arranged at the second end.

5. The electrical contact of claim 4, wherein the first set of outer walls, the second set of outer walls and at least one side wall form a channel.

6. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein at least one piercing member is a blade.

7. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein each wall within each of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls includes a protrusion disposed at an upper end of the terminal.

8. The electrical contact of claim 1, wherein each of the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls are integrally formed with the base portion.

9. An electrical contact assembly, comprising: An electrical contact, comprising: Base part; a first set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the first set of outer walls being disposed on a first side; a second set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the second set of outer walls being disposed on a second side opposite the first set of outer walls and the first side; wherein a channel is formed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls; a piercing member disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member extending in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls; and a plurality of solder tails extending downwardly from the base portion; and a printed circuit board (PCB), the PCB being configured to house the electrical contacts; The plurality of solder tails are configured to be received in corresponding connection ports in the PCB.

10. The electrical contact assembly of claim 9, wherein the plurality of solder tails comprises two pairs of solder tails, and wherein a first pair of the two pairs of solder tails are disposed at a first end of the electrical contact, and a second pair of the two pairs of solder tails are disposed at a second end of the electrical contact.

11. The electrical contact assembly of claim 10, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a support base extending from the base portion, the support base disposed between each of the first and second pairs of the two pairs of solder tails.

12. The electrical contact assembly of claim 11, wherein the base portion is configured to abut the PCB.

13. The electrical contact assembly of claim 9, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a side wall disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, wherein the piercing member is formed within the side wall.

14. An electrical contact assembly according to claim 9, wherein each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls includes two walls, wherein the first wall in each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls is arranged at the first end of the electrical contact, and the second wall in each of the first group of outer walls and the second group of outer walls is arranged at the second end of the electrical contact.

15. A method of forming an electrical connection with an insulated wire, the method comprising: forming a portion of the sheet metal to have a shape corresponding to the electrical contact; as well as Soldering the electrical contacts to the PCB; The electrical contacts include: Base part; a first set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the first set of outer walls being disposed on a first side; a second set of outer walls extending upwardly from the base portion, the second set of outer walls being disposed on a second side opposite the first set of outer walls and the first side; wherein a channel is formed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls; and A piercing member is disposed between the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls, the piercing member extending in a direction substantially parallel to at least one wall within the first set of outer walls and the second set of outer walls.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising cutting portions of the sheet metal.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical contact further comprises a pair of solder tails extending downwardly from the base portion.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising inserting the pair of solder tails into corresponding connection ports disposed within the PCB.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the portion of the sheet metal to have a shape corresponding to the electrical contact comprises bending the sheet metal.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising: providing the insulated wire; aligning the insulated wire with the channel; as well as The insulated wire is pierced with the at least one piercing member by pressing the insulated wire into the passage.

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