GB2057784A - Improvements in electrical connectors - Google Patents

Improvements in electrical connectors Download PDF

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Publication number
GB2057784A
GB2057784A GB8004027A GB8004027A GB2057784A GB 2057784 A GB2057784 A GB 2057784A GB 8004027 A GB8004027 A GB 8004027A GB 8004027 A GB8004027 A GB 8004027A GB 2057784 A GB2057784 A GB 2057784A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
contact
wire
additional sleeve
sleeve
electrical connector
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Granted
Application number
GB8004027A
Other versions
GB2057784B (en
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Bunker Ramo Corp
Original Assignee
Bunker Ramo Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Bunker Ramo Corp filed Critical Bunker Ramo Corp
Priority to GB8004027A priority Critical patent/GB2057784B/en
Publication of GB2057784A publication Critical patent/GB2057784A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2057784B publication Critical patent/GB2057784B/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/40—Securing contact members in or to a base or case; Insulating of contact members
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H01R13/52—Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases
    • H01R13/5205—Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H01R13/52—Dustproof, splashproof, drip-proof, waterproof, or flameproof cases
    • H01R13/5205—Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet
    • H01R13/5208—Sealing means between cable and housing, e.g. grommet having at least two cable receiving openings
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
    • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R2101/00—One pole
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R4/00—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation
    • H01R4/10—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation effected solely by twisting, wrapping, bending, crimping, or other permanent deformation
    • H01R4/18—Electrically-conductive connections between two or more conductive members in direct contact, i.e. touching one another; Means for effecting or maintaining such contact; Electrically-conductive connections having two or more spaced connecting locations for conductors and using contact members penetrating insulation effected solely by twisting, wrapping, bending, crimping, or other permanent deformation by crimping

Abstract

In electrical connectors, of the medium-density rear-release type in which the terminal ends of the wires 10 are crimped to their respective contacts 14, each wire 10 10 is supported and sealed in an associated grommet of the connector by means of a sleeve 30 of stiff insulating material which surrounds the wire and a bung 38, which may be integral with the sleeve (as shown) or bonded thereto (Fig. 3, not shown), which supports and seals the wire 10 in the sleeve 30. In the embodiment shown, the sleeve 30 has a portion 40 of reduced thickness to allow crimping of the wire 10 to the contact 14 after fitment of the sleeve 30 to the contact 14. The contact 14 may be provided with an inspection aperture extending into a crimping recess 39 of the contact, the location of the wire 10 in the recess 39 being visible through the inspection aperture and the portion of reduced thickness 40 which is translucent or provided with apertures. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in electrical connectors The present invention relates to electrical connectors and is concerned particularly but not exclusively with electrical connectors of the medium density rear-release type in which the terminal ends of the wires may be crimped to their respective electrical contacts.
Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, this shows a typical known assembly in which a wire 10 is provided with an insulating sleeve 11. The terminal end 1 2 of the wire is crimped at 1 3 in an electrical contact 14. For sealing the wire 10 with its sleeve 11 into a connector a sealing grommet 1 5 is provided.
The need sometimes arises to use a connector with its grommet assembly designed for wires of diameters of 1 mm or more with lightweight wires of a diameter of 0.5 mm or less whilst maintaining the necessary seal and support in the grommet. This has been achieved as shown in Fig. 2 in which an additional sleeve 1 6 is located around the wire 10 with its covering 11 so as to fill the gap between the covering of the wire and the grommet 1 5. However, this method has not proved to be entirely satisfactory in practice.
According to the present invention there is provided an electrical connector having connector contacts for the termination of wires thereon and, to support and seal each wire in an associated grommet, an additional sleeve of stiff insulating material surrounds the wire and is attached at its inner end to the body of the contact, the outer end of the additional sleeve projecting into the grommet, a sealing member being located around the wire at the outer end of the additional sleeve to ensure a seal and support of the wire in the grommet through the sealing member and the outer end of the additional sleeve.
Preferably the internal cross-sectional area of the additional sleeve is increased for a portion of the length of the additional sleeve adjacent to its outer end in order to provide a recess in which the sealing member in the form of a bung is accommodated.
Advantageously the additional sleeve has an outwardly directed flange at its inner end and a spring latch is provided within the body of the connector; the flange and the latch being so arranged as to engage each other and lock the additional sleeve to the body of the connector.
In a preferred arrangement the connector contact and the additional sleeve are of circular cross-section and the additional sleeve has an inwardly directed flange at its inner end and the contact has a circumferential groove in which the last said flange is located and attaches the additional sleeve to the connector contact.
In a modified embodiment of the invention the additional sleeve has a crimping region whereby a wire may be crimped to a connector contact when the additional sleeve is attached to the body of the contact.
Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to Figs. 3 to 8 of the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 3 shows part of an electrical connector which is a first embodiment of the invention, partly in cross-section, Figures 4 and 5 show modifications of parts of the electrical connector shown in Fig. 3, Figure 6 shows a latch of Fig. 5 separated from the electrical connector, Figure 7 shows part of an electrical connector which is a second embodiment of the invention, and Figure 8 shows a modification of part of the electrical connector shown in Fig. 7.
Referring to Fig. 3, a wire 10 has its terminal end 1 2 crimped at 1 3 to an associated contact 14. An additional sleeve 1 7 of stiff plastics material is attached at its inner end (the righthand end in the drawing) to the body of the contact 14. The sleeve 1 7 surrounds the crimped connection and extends rearwardly into the grommet 1 5 as shown.
The internal diameter of the sleeve 1 7 is increased close to its outer end by a step 27, thus forming a recess that extends to the outer end of the sleeve 1 7. The wire 10 with its covering 11 is of smaller diameter than the internal diameter of the sleeve 1 7 and a bung 1 8 of soft plastics material surrounding the wire is accommodated in the recess in the outer end of the sleeve 1 7 and bonded there by means of a bonding compound. The wire is thus sealed to and supported by the grommet through the bung 1 8 and the outer end of the sleeve 1 7 as shown.
To assemble the arrangement shown in Fig.
3 the bung 1 8 is initially bonded into the recess in the sleeve 1 7. The wire 10 is then fed through the bung 1 8 and the terminal 1 2 of the wire 10 is crimped to the associated contact 1 4. The sleeve is then slid forwardly until it snaps into engagement with the contact 1 4. For this purpose the inner end 1 9 of the sleeve 1 7 has an inwardly directed flange of hooked profile as shown. The body of the contact 1 4 has a complementary circumferential groove 20 into which the flange 1 9 can snap when it is pushed into position.The assembly of the connector-contact 14, the wire 10, the sleeve 1 7 and the bung 1 8 is then inserted into the grommet 1 5 which is accommodated within the body of the connector.
Referring now to Fig. 4 this shows an alternative arrangement for the inner end of the sleeve 1 7 in which the sleeve 1 7 extends forwardly to the abutment face 21 of the contact 1 4.
Referring now to Fig. 5 this shows another alternative arrangement for the inner end of the sleeve 1 7 in which the sleeve 1 7 has an outwardly directed flange 22 at its inner end.
A spring latch 23 is fitted to the body of the connector (not shown) and the latch is so arranged as to engage the flange 22 and lock the additional sleeve 1 7 to the body of the connector.
Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6 the latch 23 has the form of a hollow cylinder made from brass and has four axial slots 24 equallyspaced around its surface. Each axial slot 24 extends from a point close to the front end of the cylinder to a point close to the rear end. A circumferential slot 25 extends between the front ends of an adjacent pair of axial slots 24 and a similar circumferential slot 25 extends between the front ends of the other pair of axia[ slots 24. Two tongues 26, each bounded by two adjacent axial slots 24 and a circumferential slot 25, each bend inwardly in order to engage the flange 22 and lock the sleeve 1 7 into the body of the connector.
The assembly of the connector-contact 14, the wire 10, the sleeve 1 7 and the bung 1 8 can be inserted into and withdrawn from the connector body by means of a conventional inserting and withdrawing tool. Such a tool passes between the sleeve 1 7 and the latch 23 and allows free movement of the contact 14 and its associated parts by disengaging the latch 23 from the flange 22.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this embodiment a supporting sleeve may be fitted to a connector-contact before a wire is crimped to the contact, and the assembly of wire, contact and sleeve then inserted into an electrical connector.
Referring to Fig. 7, this shows a wire 10 crimped at 1 3 to a connector-contact 14. An additional sleeve 30 is fitted to the rear of the contact 14 (the left-hand part in Fig. 7) by engagement of a terminal flange 32 of the sleeve 30 in an annular groove 34 formed in the contact 14. A ramped shoulder 36 of the contact 14 facilitates sliding of the sleeve 30 onto the contact 14 prior to engagement of the flange 32 in the groove 34.
The sleeve 30 is of a generally-cylindrical shape and has, at its rearward end, an integral sealing bung 38 which supports an insulating sleeve 11 of the wire 10 in a similar manner to the bung 1 8 shown in Fig. 3. A portion 40 of the sleeve 30, between the bung 38 and the flange 34 and adjacent to the point 1 3 of crimping of the wire 10 to the contact 14, is of reduced external diameter and is therefore translucent and capable of deformation.
To assemble the arrangement shown in Fig.
7 the sleeve 30 is first fitted to the contact 14 by sliding the sleeve 30 onto the contact 14 until engagement of the flange 32 in the groove 34 takes place. The wire 10 and its insulating sleeve 1 1 are then fed through the bung portion 38 of the sleeve 30 from the rear and into a recess 39 in the rear of the contact 14. Inspection through the translucent portion 40 of the additional sleeve 30 ensures that the wire 10 is correctly located.
The wire 10 may then be crimped, using a conventional crimping tool, to the contact 14, by applying pressure to the point 1 7 of the contact 14 through the flexible portion 40 of the additional sleeve 30.
Fig. 8 shows a modification to the second embodiment. In this modification, a number of apertures 42 are cut into the additional sleeve 30 adjacent to the point 1 3 of crimping. A conventional crimping tool may be inserted through the apertures 42 to crimp the wire 10 to the contact 14, and the positioning of the wire 10 may also be inspected therethrough.
In a further modification of the second embodiment (not shown) a crimp inspection hole is provided in the connector-contact 1 4 adjacent to the point 1 3. The wire 10 can thus be seen through the inspection hole and the translucent portion 40 of the sleeve 30 or the window 42 and precise positioning of the wire 10 in the recess 39 is ensured.
Twill be appreciated that in comparing Figs. 1 and 2 with the arrangements of Figs.
3, 4, 5, 7 and 8, the seal, support and locking provided can be achieved without change in the effective profile of the contact 14.

Claims (12)

1. An electrical connector having connector contacts for the termination of wires thereon and, to support and seal each wire in an associated grommet, an additional sleeve of stiff insulating material surrounds the wire and is attached at its inner end to the body of the contact, the outer end of the additional sleeve projecting into the grommet, a sealing member being located around the wire at the outer end of the additional sleeve to ensure a seal and support of the wire in the grommet through the sealing member and the outer end of the additional sleeve.
2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sealing member is a bung and the internal cross-sectional area of the additional sleeve is increased for a portion of the length of the additional sleeve adjacent to its outer end in order to provide a recess in which the bung is accommodated and sealed.
3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 in which the sealing member is a bung formed integrally with the additional sleeve.
4. An electrical connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the additional sleeve has a crimping region whereby a wire may be crimped to a connector-contact when the additional sleeve is attached to the body of the contact.
5. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein the crimping region comprises a portion of the wall of the additional sleeve which is of reduced thickness.
6. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein the crimping region comprises apertures in the walls of the additional sleeve.
7. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 5 wherein the crimping region is translucent.
8. An electrical connector as claimed in either of claims 6 and 7 wherein the connector-contact has a recess in which a wire is located for crimping, and an inspection aperture extending through the contact into the recess for inspection of the location of the wire therein.
9. An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the additional sleeve has an outwardly directed flange at its inner end and a spring latch is provided within a body of the connector; the flange and the latch being so arranged as to engage each other and lock the additional sleeve to the body of the connector.
10. An electrical connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the contact and the additional sleeve are of circular cross-section and the additional sleeve has an inwardly directed flange at its inner end and the contact has a circumferential groove in which the last said flange is located and attaches the additional sleeve to the connector-contact.
11. An electrical connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 3 or Fig. 3 modified in accordance with Fig. 4 or Fig. 5.
12. An electrical connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Fig. 7 or Fig. 7 modified in accordance with Fig. 8.
GB8004027A 1979-02-07 1980-02-06 Electrical connectors Expired GB2057784B (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8004027A GB2057784B (en) 1979-02-07 1980-02-06 Electrical connectors

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB7904266 1979-02-07
GB8004027A GB2057784B (en) 1979-02-07 1980-02-06 Electrical connectors

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB2057784A true GB2057784A (en) 1981-04-01
GB2057784B GB2057784B (en) 1983-09-01

Family

ID=26270480

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB8004027A Expired GB2057784B (en) 1979-02-07 1980-02-06 Electrical connectors

Country Status (1)

Country Link
GB (1) GB2057784B (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2240436A (en) * 1989-12-14 1991-07-31 Pratley Investments Shroud for a cable gland
US5168876A (en) * 1990-10-30 1992-12-08 American Home Products Corporation Connector device for use in monitoring fetal heart rate
FR2714770A1 (en) * 1994-01-05 1995-07-07 Deutsch Connecteurs Electr Electrical contact with axial shaft for insertion of cable for use in aeronautical applications
GB2298971A (en) * 1995-03-17 1996-09-18 Scottwarner Limited Electrical connector with a body and snap-on cap
EP1988604A3 (en) * 2007-05-01 2009-11-04 TRI-STAR TECHNOLOGIES (a California Partnership) Electrical contact assembly including a sleeve member

Cited By (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2240436A (en) * 1989-12-14 1991-07-31 Pratley Investments Shroud for a cable gland
GB2240436B (en) * 1989-12-14 1994-06-22 Pratley Investments Shroud for a cable gland
US5168876A (en) * 1990-10-30 1992-12-08 American Home Products Corporation Connector device for use in monitoring fetal heart rate
US5199432A (en) * 1990-10-30 1993-04-06 American Home Products Corporation Fetal electrode product for use in monitoring fetal heart rate
US5205288A (en) * 1990-10-30 1993-04-27 American Home Products Corporation Fetal electrode product with female socket connector and connector device with male plug connector each for use in monitoring fetal heart rate
US5373843A (en) * 1990-10-30 1994-12-20 Corometrics Medical Systems, Inc. Connector device for use in monitoring fetal heart rate
US5632274A (en) * 1990-10-30 1997-05-27 Corometrics Medical Systems Connection arrangement for monitoring fetal heart rate
FR2714770A1 (en) * 1994-01-05 1995-07-07 Deutsch Connecteurs Electr Electrical contact with axial shaft for insertion of cable for use in aeronautical applications
GB2298971A (en) * 1995-03-17 1996-09-18 Scottwarner Limited Electrical connector with a body and snap-on cap
GB2298971B (en) * 1995-03-17 1998-08-26 Scottwarner Limited Cable connectors
EP1988604A3 (en) * 2007-05-01 2009-11-04 TRI-STAR TECHNOLOGIES (a California Partnership) Electrical contact assembly including a sleeve member
US7695331B2 (en) 2007-05-01 2010-04-13 Tri-Star Technology Electrical contact assembly including a sleeve member

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2057784B (en) 1983-09-01

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
732 Registration of transactions, instruments or events in the register (sect. 32/1977)
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee