AU763181B2

AU763181B2 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: AU763181B2
Application number: AU40151/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Bryce Lindsay Nicholls
Original assignee: Krone GmbH
Current assignee: Tyco Electronics Service GmbH
Priority date: 1998-07-24
Filing date: 1999-07-16
Publication date: 2003-07-17
Anticipated expiration: 2019-07-16
Also published as: AU4015199A

Description

'-q Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: Krone Ak.iergesese haft- Actual Inventor(s): Bryce Lindsay Nicholls Address for Service: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

Invention Title: Electrical connector .4 Details of Associated Provisional Application(s): No(s): PP4849/98 filed 24 July 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: -1- Q:\OPER\KAT\PP4849.197- 16/7/99 P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU- 16/7/199 -1A- ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR This invention relates to an electrical connector. The invention also relates to a leadframe for forming an electrical connector element, and a method of forming blanks for forming electrical contact elements.

According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector having: electrical contact parts to which electrical connections to conductive wires are in use made; and 10 a socket for receiving a mating plug such that elongate electrical contact portions of the connector electrically connect to connection parts of the plug; the elongate electrical contact portions being formed on respective separate electrical "contact elements of the connector, which contact elements each have formed thereon said contact parts; the elongate contact portions being arranged, over substantial parts of the lengths thereof, in generally parallel disposition substantially in a common plane, and the contact parts extending substantially normally away from said plane, at one side of the plane, to free ends of the contact parts arranged in rows extending generally parallel to the direction of extent of the elongate contact portions; the first and second contact parts of each contact element being generally planar and disposed in angular disposition with respect to each other.

The invention also provides a leadframe in the form of a strip defining substantially stamped out but interconnected contact blanks for forming respective electrical connector elements, first and second lengthwise extending rows of the contact blanks having side by side adjacent first portions, positioned at respective first and second edge portions of the strip adjacent respective first and second lengthwise edges of the strip, the first portions each defining respective first and second bifurcated contact parts which are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the strip, the first and second contact parts of each said first portion joining at a base part of the P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU 16/7/99 -2respective first portion, the base parts of the first portions being joined to elongate portions of the respective contact blanks, and the elongate portions of the contact blanks extending away from the respective first portions transversely of the strip at an angle to the edges of the strip, and such that the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at one said side edge portion are parallel to and interposed between the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at the other said side edge portion.

.ooooi The invention also provides a method of forming blanks for forming respective electrical contact elements, from a strip, including: S"forming side by side adjacent first portions of the blanks, positioned at respective first and second edge portions of the strip adjacent respective first and second lengthwise edges of the strip, the first portions each defining respective first and second bifurcated contact parts which are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the strip, the first and second contact parts of each said first portion joining at a base part of the respective first portion; •forming elongate portions of the respective contact blanks, which are joined to the base parts of the first portions; the elongate portions of the contact blanks extending away from the respective first portions transversely of the strip at an angle to the edges of the strip, and such that the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at one said side edge portion are parallel to and interposed between the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at the other said side edge portion.

The invention is further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figures 1 to 4 are various perspective views of an electrical connector constructed in accordance with the invention, having removable covers affixed thereto; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of Figure 1; P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU 16/7/99 -3- Figures 6 to 9 are various perspective views of the connector of Figures 1 to 4, but with the covers removed; and Figure 10 is a diagram of a leadframe for forming contact blanks used in forming contact elements of the electrical connector of Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 6 to 9.

The electrical connector 10 shown in Figures 1 to 9 has an insulative connector body 12 with a first body portion 14 and a second body portion 16. Body portion 14 is formed from upper and lower parts, 18 and 20. The upper part 18 has upstanding posts 22 arranged ooo i 10 in two rows 24, 26 (Figure 5) and between which posts in each row are arranged bifurcated contact parts 28 which form insulation displacement connectors for making electrical S"connections to electrical conductors of insulated wires. Thus, the contact parts 28 have slots 30, and connections to the wires are made by positioning end portions of the insulated wires into troughs between adjacent ones of the posts 22, such that the wire end portions extend transversely to the directions of extent of the rows 24, 26 of posts, and then pressing the wires downwardly so that these enter the slots 30. During this downward pressing, the portions of contact parts 28 defining the edges of the slots 30 pierce the wire insulation and resiliently engage the inner conductors.

The body portion 16 is removably mountable to the body portion 14 by snap-fit fasteners having parts 66, 68 integrally formed on each of these. The parts 18, 20 of the body portion 14 likewise snap-fit together by means of interengaging snap-fit parts 70, 72, particularly so as to define an internal cavity in which are received four electrical contact elements 32.

Contact parts 28 are formed in pairs, there being two of these defined by each of contact element 32. Particularly, as shown in Figure 5, the contact parts 28 of each such pair are formed on a single contact portion 38 of the respective contact element 32. Each such portion 38 includes, in addition to the two parts 28, a lower part 34 which interconnects those two contact parts 28.

P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU 16/7/99 -4- The portions 38 of each contact element 32 are connected, via intermediate portions 36 thereof, to side-by-side and generally parallel elongate portions 40 of the contact elements.

Substantial parts of the elongate portions 40 extend generally in a common plane, that plane also containing the intermediate portions 36. Elongate portions 40 however have upwardly arched contact parts 42 disposed towards free ends thereof.

The body portion 16 has a socket 44 which is outwardly open and which is capable of receiving an electrical plug, particularly of the kind known as type RJ45. Plugs of this kind have, usually, eight electrical contacts on a face which, when the plug is assembled into the 10 socket 44, is adjacent a wall surface portion 46 of the socket 44. The wall surface portion 46 has slots 48 and the upwardly arched contact parts 42 of the contact elements 32 extend within these in a fashion enabling them to electrically connect to four of the contacts of an RJ45 plug when inserted in the socket 44.

Except for free end portions of the contact elements 32, including the parts 42 thereof, and exposed parts of the contact elements positioned between posts 22, the remainders of these elements are accommodated within the internal cavity defined by the body portion 14.

Thus, as viewed in Figure 5, the contact portions 38 extend downwardly from the upper part 18 of the body portion 14, within the troughs between the posts 22, and into the cavity defined within the body portion 14. Thence, the intermediate portions 36 extend from the contact portions 38 transversely of the connector body (ie transversely of rows 24, 26) inwardly to join with respective ones of the elongate portions 40 of the contact elements 32. The elongate portions 40 thence extend forwardly in generally parallel disposition to project through a forward wall of the body portion 14 and thence into the body portion 16, so that parts 42 of the contact elements are accommodated within the slots 48 as mentioned earlier.

The contact parts 28 extend generally normally to the plane containing the major parts of the elongate portions 40 of contact elements 32, and are generally planar. The contact parts 28 of each contact element 32 are however arranged in the V-shaped configuration illustrated, such that the planes of these are arranged at an angle of approximately 90' to each other, and also at approximately 45 to the lengthwise direction of extents of the rows 24, 26.

P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU- 16/7/99 That is to say, within the troughs between the posts 22, the median planes of the contact parts 28 are inclined at 450 with respect to the lengthwise directions of extent of the rows 24, 26, when the contact parts 28 are viewed from above in the view shown in Figure 5. Further, apices of the V-shaped configurations of the contact parts 28 of the two contact portions 38 closest to body portion 16 face outwardly whereas the apices of the V-shaped configurations of the contact parts 28 of the two contact portions 38 which are furtherest from body portion 16 face inwards. By this, in each adjacent row 24, 26, ones of the contact parts 28 on the two contact portions 38 in the row are parallel and the contact parts 28 at the opposite ends of the row are also parallel, but disposed at 900 to the other contact parts of that row.

Two cover members 50 are provided which snap-fit, by means of interengaging snapfit components (not shown), onto the upper part 18 of body portion 14, so as in use to cover 0000 the upper ends of the posts 22 and the upper part 18 of the connector body portion 14. These cover members are fitted to the connector 10 by downward pressing as viewed in Figure 5 and are provided with internal pressing portions (not shown). Under the action of so connecting the cover members 50 to the body portion 14, these pressing portions are each capable of engaging wires positioned at the upper ends of two of the contact parts 28 in each row 24, 26, so as to press these wires downwardly into the slots 30 of the contact parts 28, during the action of affixing the cover members 50 to the connector 10. By this means, no separate tool 20 is needed to facilitate entry of the wires into the contact parts 28.

By the above arrangement each contact element can be connected to two wires by engaging those wires with the respective contact parts 28 of the contact element. The Vshaped configuration of the contact portions 38 enables a simple and compact arrangement for the connector The body portion 16 is arranged at one end of the body portion 14. The other end of the body portion 14 is provided with a loop-like retaining element 52 which is capable of accommodating wires to be connected, or already connected, to the connector 10, to retain these on the connector 10, or which may alternatively be used as a means for tying wires to the body.

P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU 16/7/99 -6- The particular form of the contact elements as described lends itself to formation of these by forming the leadframe 54 as shown in Figure 10. This leadframe 54 is in the form of a strip of electrically conductive material from which contact blanks 56a, 56b are stamped.

These blanks are subsequently deformed, by bending, to form the contact elements 32.

Leadframe 54 has two lengthwise extending side edges 58, 60 and the stamping of the blanks 56a, 56b is effected in the following way: a) the portions 38 of the blanks 56a, 56b are arranged in lengthwise extending rows, those of blanks 56a being at side edge 58 and those of blanks 56b being at side edge such that portions 38 of blanks 56a occupy an edge portion 62 of the leadframe, adjacent side edge 38, and portions 38 of blanks 56b occupy an edge portion 64 of the leadframe, adjacent side edge b) the parts 34 of the portions 38 connect to intermediate parts 36 of the blanks and thence to the elongate portions 32; 15 c) the elongate portions 40 of contact blanks 56a, (those having portions 38 thereof at edge 58) extend towards edge 60 at an angle of 45'. Likewise, the elongate portions 40 of the contact blanks 56b (those disposed with portions 38 adjacent edge Sextend towards edge 58 at 45' and parallel to the elongate portions 40 of the blanks 56a; d) the elongate portions 40 of the contact blanks 56a are interleaved with the elongate portions 40 of the contact blanks 56b, and spaced from those.

It will be observed that the blanks 56a adjacent the edge 58 differ slightly from those adjacent the edge 60 in that the elongate portions 40 of the blanks 56a are somewhat longer.

When blanks 56b are bent to form contact elements 32, they form the two contact elements 32 which are at the end of body portion 14 remote from body portion 16, whereas the contact elements 32 formed from blanks 56a form the remaining two contact elements 32.

The described arrangement is particularly convenient in that the contact elements 32 are formed in a way which limits wastage in the strip material from which the contacts are formed.

P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU 16/7/99 -7- The described arrangement has been advanced merely by way of explanation any many modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention which includes every novel feature and combination of novel features herein disclosed.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", and variations such as "comprises" and "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers or steps.

**e

U

Claims

1. An electrical connector having: electrical contact parts to which electrical connections to conductive wires are in use made; and a socket for receiving a mating plug such that elongate electrical contact portions of the connector electrically connect to connection parts of the plug; the elongate electrical contact portions being formed on respective separate electrical contact elements of the connector, which contact elements each have formed thereon 10 respective first and second ones of said contact parts; the elongate contact portions being arranged, over substantial parts of the lengths thereof, in generally parallel disposition substantially in a common plane, and the contact parts extending substantially normally away from said plane, at one side of the plane, to free ends of the contact parts arranged in rows extending generally parallel to the direction of o* 15 extent of the elongate contact portions; the first and second contact parts of each contact element being generally planar and disposed in angular disposition with respect to each other.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second contact parts of each contact element are arranged in a V-shaped configuration, viewed in the direction of extent of these away from said plane.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 2 having four contact elements with the first and second contact parts of two of these disposed in a first said row and the first and second contact parts of the other two contact elements disposed in a second said row, said rows being substantially parallel to the directions of extent of said elongate contact portions.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein adjacent connector parts on the two contact element in each row are substantially parallel and angularly disposed with respect to the directions of extent of the rows. P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU- 16/7/99 -9- An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the contact parts are bifurcated whereby the contact parts define respective insulation displacement connector parts.

6. An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the elongate contact portions define spring contacts for connection to the connection parts of the plug.

7. An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the socket is configured to a shape for accepting an RJ 45 plug.

8. An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claims, having a cover member affixable to the connector for covering the outer ends of the contact parts and surrounding ••parts of an insulative body of the connector which receives the contact elements, said cover member being affixable to the body by movement thereof towards said plane in a direction substantially corresponding to the direction of extent of the first and second contact parts, and having engagement means which, when the cover member is so moved, is effective to displace wires when positioned at the outer ends of the first and second contact parts into outwardly open slots in the contact parts so that insulation on the wires is displaced and the conductors of the wires are electrically engaged, and held, by the contact parts.

9. An electrical connector as claimed in any preceding claim, having a retaining element for facilitating holding to the connector of wires to be connected to the contact parts. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 9, wherein the retaining element is in the form of a loop.

11. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first and second contact parts are exposed for receiving said wires at a first insulative body portion of the connector, and the socket is formed on a second insulative body portion of the electrical connector, the second body portion being disposed at one end of the first body portion and the other end of the first body portion having a retaining element for facilitating holding to P:\OPER\KAT\KRONE4.AU- 16/7/99 the connector of wires to be connected to the contact parts.

12. An electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the retaining element is in the form of a loop on said first body portion.

13. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the contact elements are formed from a leadframe in the form of a strip defining substantially stamped out but interconnected contact blanks for forming respective electrical connector elements; first and second lengthwise extending rows of the contact blanks having side by side 10 adjacent first portions, positioned at respective first and edge portions of the strip adjacent respective first and second lengthwise edges of the strip; the first portions each defining respective first and second bifurcated contact parts which are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the strip; the first and second contact parts of each said first portion joining at a base part of the S" 15 respective first portion; the base parts of the first portions being joined to elongate portions of the respective contact blanks; the elongate portions of the contact blanks extending away from the respective first portions transversely of the strip at an angle to the edges of the strip, and such that the 20 elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at one said side edge portion are parallel to and interposed between the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at the other said side edge portion; the contact blanks being deformed, to form the contact elements, so that the first portions thereof extend substantially normally to the respective elongate portions with the first and second contact parts thereof angularly disposed with respect to each other.

14. A leadframe in the form of a strip defining substantially stamped out but interconnected contact blanks for forming respective electrical connector elements; first and second lengthwise extending rows of the contact blanks having side by side adjacent first portions, positioned at respective first and second edge portions of the strip adjacent respective first and second lengthwise edges of the strip; P:\OPER\KATKRONE4.AU- 16/7/99 -11- the first portions each defining respective first and second bifurcated contact parts which are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the strip; the first and second contact parts of each said first portion joining at a base part of the respective first portion; the base parts of the first portions being joined to elongate portions of the respective contact blanks; and the elongate portions of the contact blanks extending away from the respective first portions transversely of the strip at an angle to the edges of the strip, and such that the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at one said side edge 10 portion are parallel to and interposed between the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at the other said side edge portion.

15. A leadframe as claimed in claim 12, wherein the elongate portions are joined to the first portions by intermediate portions of the respective blanks. a.°

16. A leadframe as claimed in claim 15, wherein the intermediate portions extend transversely of the directions of extent of the respective elongate portions.

17. A leadframe as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein said angle is substantially 450.

18. A method of forming blanks for forming electrical contact elements, including forming a leadframe as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 17, and deforming so produced contact blanks to form the contact elements.

19. A method of forming electrical contact elements including forming contact blanks from a leadframe as claimed in any one of claims 14 to 17, and deforming the contact blanks thereof so that the first portions thereof extend substantially normally to the respective elongate portions with the first and second contact parts thereof angularly disposed with respect to each other. P:\OPER\KAnKRONF4.AU 16/7/99 12- A method of forming blanks for forming respective electrical contact elements, from a strip, including: forming side by side adjacent first portions of the blanks, positioned at respective first and second edge portions of the strip adjacent respective first and second lengthwise edges of the strip, the first portions each defining respective first and second bifurcated contact parts which are spaced apart in the lengthwise direction of the strip, the first and second contact parts of each said first portion joining at a base part of the respective first portion; forming elongate portions of the respective contact blanks, which are joined to the base parts of the first portions; i 10 the elongate portions of the contact blanks extending away from the respective first portions transversely of the strip at an angle to the edges of the strip, and such that the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at one said side edge •portion are parallel to and interposed between the elongate portions of the contact blanks having the first portions thereof at the other said side edge portion.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20, wherein the elongate portions are joined to the first portions by intermediate portions of the respective blanks.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the intermediate portions extend 20 transversely of the directions of extent of the respective elongate portions. oooao P:\OP6R\KAT\KR0NE4.AU 16/7/99 13

23. A method as claimed in any one of claims 20 to 22, wherein said angle is substantially

450. DATED this 16th day of July, 1999 KRONE AK-TfEN6E~jLL~bgcJIAFTF- By its Patent Attorneys Davies Collison Cave *0*6