HIGH CURRENT, LOW VOLTAGE DROP, SEPARABLE CONNECTOR

摘要

A low voltage drop, high current electrical connector which can be releasably mated with associated contacts is disclosed. The connector makes use of elongate contact arms cantilevered in a housing. Each contact arm is made up of at least two superposed beams one of which has relatively high electrical conductivity but relatively poor mechanical spring characteristics. The other has relatively low electrical conductivity but relatively good mechanical spring characteristics. In this way the mechanical and electrical characteristics such as contact force and conductivity may be controlled, balanced and optimized. As one possibility there could be a single spring steel beam backing a stack of sheets of high conductivity copper. As another possibility, there could be sheets of high conductivity copper alternating in a stack with sheets of copper spring which is about half as conductive as pure copper. Instead of a cantilevered spring a coil spring located at the contact surface could be used.