CA1141833A - Electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire ends - Google Patents
Electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire endsInfo
- Publication number
- CA1141833A CA1141833A CA000378726A CA378726A CA1141833A CA 1141833 A CA1141833 A CA 1141833A CA 000378726 A CA000378726 A CA 000378726A CA 378726 A CA378726 A CA 378726A CA 1141833 A CA1141833 A CA 1141833A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- connector according
- wire end
- contact element
- wire
- conductor
- 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.)
- Expired
Links
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
- 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
- H01R4/24—Connections using contact members penetrating or cutting insulation or cable strands
- H01R4/2404—Connections using contact members penetrating or cutting insulation or cable strands the contact members having teeth, prongs, pins or needles penetrating the insulation
- H01R4/2412—Connections using contact members penetrating or cutting insulation or cable strands the contact members having teeth, prongs, pins or needles penetrating the insulation actuated by insulated cams or wedges
Abstract
ABSTRACT
An electrical connector having a sharp contact element that is resilient transverse to its main axis in which when an insulated wire end is inserted into the connector essentially coaxially with the contact element the contact element pierces the wire and is flexed transversely to produce a resilient contact with the conductor.
An electrical connector having a sharp contact element that is resilient transverse to its main axis in which when an insulated wire end is inserted into the connector essentially coaxially with the contact element the contact element pierces the wire and is flexed transversely to produce a resilient contact with the conductor.
Description
114~833 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR FOR NON-PRESTRIPPED INSULATED WIRE ENDS
Background of the Invention The invention relates to an electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire ends, the connector including a housing, at least one guide means for the insertion of a cable end being provided in said housing, and at least one sharp contact element adapted to pierce into the insulated wire end and to thereby be brought into contact with the conductor, said contact element being resilient transverse of the direction of insertion.
In a known device of that ~ind disclosed in German Auslegeschrift 21 32 870, the contact element is formed by a pair of contact pins which are arranged in a plane extending transverse of the guide means and of the wire end to be connected. To make the con-nection, the wire end must be inserted into the guide means, and thereafter, the contact element must be moved transversely of the direction of insertion.
In doing so, the contact pins cut through the insula-tion of t~e cable end and come into contact w;th the conductor. In order to ensure sufficient contact force over extended periods of time, the contact pins are partly resiliently deformable and are supported by a centering device against the spreading forces oc-curring upon the piercing. Despite that measure, the permanent safety and the electrical load rating of the contacts made in that manner are insufficient for many applications; this is particularly true for electrical installations in dwelling houses, in which relati~ely high current loads may occur, and a trouble-free and maintenance-free operation must be ensured over many years. Moreover, the aforedescribed connectors require a relatively large space corresponding at least to the ,, ~
1~4~833
Background of the Invention The invention relates to an electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire ends, the connector including a housing, at least one guide means for the insertion of a cable end being provided in said housing, and at least one sharp contact element adapted to pierce into the insulated wire end and to thereby be brought into contact with the conductor, said contact element being resilient transverse of the direction of insertion.
In a known device of that ~ind disclosed in German Auslegeschrift 21 32 870, the contact element is formed by a pair of contact pins which are arranged in a plane extending transverse of the guide means and of the wire end to be connected. To make the con-nection, the wire end must be inserted into the guide means, and thereafter, the contact element must be moved transversely of the direction of insertion.
In doing so, the contact pins cut through the insula-tion of t~e cable end and come into contact w;th the conductor. In order to ensure sufficient contact force over extended periods of time, the contact pins are partly resiliently deformable and are supported by a centering device against the spreading forces oc-curring upon the piercing. Despite that measure, the permanent safety and the electrical load rating of the contacts made in that manner are insufficient for many applications; this is particularly true for electrical installations in dwelling houses, in which relati~ely high current loads may occur, and a trouble-free and maintenance-free operation must be ensured over many years. Moreover, the aforedescribed connectors require a relatively large space corresponding at least to the ,, ~
1~4~833
- 2 -insertion and piercing movements of the cable end and the contact element. In order to ensure the proper relative position and movement of cable end and contact element upon making the connection, the known connector requires a relatively expensive construction; this also makes an economic mass production difficult or practially impossible.
The prior art also includes devices in which non-prestripped wire ends having stranded conductors can be inserted into cylindrical guides of a conductor hous-ing at the bottom of which a contact element in the formof a pointed pin is arranged coaxially so that upon the insertion of the wire end, the pin will be axially piercing into the stranded conductor, as disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,353,732 and 4,091,233. In those devices, however, no resilient contact force is exerted between the contact and the conductor as is necessary to meet the requirements with respect to contact safety, durability and current rating as are typical for power current distribution systems, parti-cularly for house installation and household appliances.The same is also true for the device of German Offenle-gungsschrift 23 10 022 in ~hich the end of a stranded conductor insulated wire is shifted onto a pointed con-tact pin. In doing so, a contact force acting transverse-ly of the shifting direction is obtained only from theexpansion of the insulation. This is insufficient to obtain a high load contact which is safe over long periods of time, because most plastic materials have a tendency for cold flow.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a connector for insulated wire in which the contact element is ~.4~
designed and arranged stationarily in the housing such that it pierces essentially axially into the wire end upon the insertion of the latter, and in doing so, is flexed transversely to produce a contact force.
Due to the stationary arrangement of the con-tact element in the housing, the connector according to the invention does not require any provisions for movably guiding the contact element also the space requirement therefor is obviated. For making the contact, only a single movement, the insertion of the cable end, is necessary. Thereby, structure and handling are simplified. The contact force is determined by the resilient properties of the contact element, which are exactly predeterminable within wide limits, and there-fore can be easily held above a desired minimum valueover long periods of time. The magnitude of the con-tact force obtained is not limited by the dia~eter of the conductor; thus, with one and the same contact element, sufficiently large contact surfaces for high current loads can be readily obtained.
The connector according to the invention, due to its inherent structural simplicity and small dimensions, can be readily employed within electrical appliances, in plugs, wall sockets, connection boxes and similar structural parts. Because of its small space require-ments, the connector is part~cularly suited for making connections to multi-core cables, flat cables, coaxial cables, and the like.
The finished connection can be again dis-connected, and the connector can be re-used. Particular-ly the embodiments for stranded conductors are suitable for a range of different conductor cross-sections.
The manufacture of the conductor can be easily auto-mated. The structure of the conductor is well suited ~4~833 for modular embodiments, a plurality of which can be conveniently associated together to form groups of almost any size.
Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be subsequently described in more detail by means of embodiments in connection with the drawings, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of the basic structureand the mode of operation of a connector according to the invention, in the manner of an axial section, Figure 2 is an illustration corresponding to Figure l, however, for a connector with a solid con-ductor wire end inserted, Figure 3 is an illustration, corresponding toFigure 1, of a second embodiment.
Figure 4 is an illustration corresponding to Figure 3, but with a stranded conductor wire end inserted, Figure S is a sheet metal stamping for manufacturing a contact element for a third embodiment of a connector accordîng to t~e invention, Fîgure 6 is a contact element produced from the sheet metal stamping according to Figure 5 by bending, Fîgure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the third em~odiment with some of the constîtuents partly broken away, and 3Q Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective il-lustration of another embodiment of a contact element.
Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows an electrical connector l having a housing 3, a cylindrical guide 5 for the insertion of ~14~833 a non-prestripped wire end 7, and a resilient sharp contact element 9 which is secured in the housing 3 and projects in the direction of the axis 11 of the guide 5 into the guide 5. The non-prestripped wire end 7 has a solid conductor 13 having a circular cross-section, and insulation 15 surrounding the conductor 13. The insulation is, for example, polyethylene or a similar material. The resilient sharp contact element 9 is arranged stationarily in the housing 3 such that upon the insertion of the wireend 7 into the guide 5, it pierces axially into the wire end 7 between conductor 13 and insulation lS. The contact element 9 has two pointed legs 17 and 19 which extend in the axial direction of the guide 5 and have knife-like, sharp interior edges 21 and 23. The legs 17 and 19 are pointed at their free ends, and at their ot~er ends, they merge integrally into a web portion 25 ~hich in the simplest case may be formed by a flat or cylindrical piece of sheet metal which is secured in the housing 3 in a press fit.
In order to facilitate the insertion of the wire end 7, the guide 5 has a conical enlargement 27 at its free end. Thedimensions of the contact element 9 and particularly of its legs 17 and 19 are matched with the radial dimensions of the conductor 13 and the insula-tion 15 of the cable to be inserted so that upon pushing-in of the cable, the points 29 and 31 of the legs pierce axially into the wire end ~etween conductor 13 and insula-tion 15, and the legs 17 and 19 are radially spread against the spring force exerted by them.
Figure 2 illustrates the condition after the piercing of the conductor end 7. In Figure 2, the point-ed ends 29 and 31 of the legs 17 and 19 are illustrated in a slightly perspective ~ie~ i-n order to illustrate an em-bodiment which is advantageous with respect to the contact surface obtained; that embodiment is characterized in that thelegs have essentially a V-shaped cross-section which is open towards the axis 11 of the guide 5. It may be seen from Figure 2 that in the inserted condition, the sharp edges 21 and 23 (which each are present twice in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, because of the V-shaped cross section of the legsl have come into contact with the conductor 13 over a relatively great axial length. Since the legs 17 and 19, are resilient, a resilient contact force is obtained by the slight spreading of the legs, which force will take care of maintaining a safe contact over long periods of time. As may be further seen from Figure 2, the portions of the insulation which ha~e been displaced by the legs 17 and 19 may produce an additional radial contacting pressure if they consist of a correspondingly resilient material, which is the case with many plastic insula-tion materials.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate another embodi~ent in views which basically correspond to Figures 1 and 2.
Parts which are present in a corresponding manner in Figures 1 and 2, are designed by the same reference numerals used in Figures 1 and 2, with the prefix n3".
The embodiments according to Figures 3 and 4 are designed for a wire end 307 having a stranded con-ductor 313. In such case, the piercing of the contact element 309 need not be restricted to the areas ~etween the conductor 313 and the insulation 315. The resilient contact element 309 has a plurality of pointed legs 317, 319, 333, 335 which extend essentially in the axial direction of the guide 305 and are dimensioned and ar-ranged in correspondence with the dimensions of the wire end 307 so that they pierce axially into the conductor 313 when the wire end 307 is pushed into the guide 305.
`` ~41~33 Figure 4 shows that in inserting the wire end 307, t~ legs will be radially spread due to their pointed shape and the space which they require. Since the contact element 309 is designed resiliently, the legs exert radial contact forces onto the parts of the conductor 313 engaged by them, and this over a relati~ely large axial length. A relatively large contact surface is obtained which, com~ined with the spring contact force of the legs, results in an electrical connection lQ which may carry high electrical loads and will operate trouble-free over long periods of time. As may be further seen from Figure 4, in t~is embodiment the insulation 315 may also contribute in the exertion of a contact pressure directed radially inwards, if the insulation consists of a correspondingly resilient material. The same is also true for the guide 305.
As may be further seen from Pigures 3 and 4 the pointed legs 317, 319, 333, 335 merge integrally into a web portion 325. In this embodiment, as well as in the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2, the resilient contact element may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate that e~en resilient contact elements of more complicated shape may be manufactured from sheet metal by ~ending. The entire contact manufacturing process will then require only stamping and bending steps and thus will be particularly suited for mass production.
The sheet metal stamping illustrated in Figure 5 consists of spring bron~e or a similar suitable electrically conducti~e material ha~ing permanently elastic properties and a spring constant which is suf-ficient for obtaining the desired contact pressures.
1~4~
Figure 6 shows the finished contact element 609 which has been made from the sheet metal stamping of Figure 5. This contact element has pointed legs which point in two opposite directions; the legs 617, 619 pointing in one direction, and the legs 637, 639 in the opposite direction. It will ~e understood that one-piece sheet metal stampings and resilient contact elements made therefrom by ~ending may be also designed with legs pointing in one direction only. Also, more complicated resilient contact elements may be made in a similar man-ner from one-piece sheet metal stampings. For example, contact elements whîch haYe a plurality of side-by-side-arranged groups of sharpened and/or pointed legs, of which each group is designed to pierce into a wire end.
Figure 7 illustrates in a diagrammatic perspec-tive partial view with portions partly broken away, an embodiment of a connecting connector, in which the con-tact element 609 illustrated in Figure 6 is employed.
In order to avoid repetitions, parts which also appear 2Q in a corresponding manner in Figures 1 and 2 are designated with the same reference numerals as there, however, with the prefix n 7 n .
The connector illustrated in Figure 7 has at least one pair of mutually aligned guides 705, 741, each for the insertion of one wire end 707 and 743, respectively, from opposite directions. The guides are each formed by the bottom 745 of the housing 703, and bordering walls 747, 749 and 751, 753, respectively.
The connector 701 illustrated in Figure 7 has selectively operable retaining devices for securing the inserted cable ends. A retaining device 755, 759 is associated with each of the guides 705 and 741, respectively~
Each retaining device has a pivotable wire clamp 761 or 763, respectively, which is designed to simultaneously exert an inwards shifting force on the wire end 707 ~4~33 g or 743, respectively. To that end, each wire clamp is pivotable about a pivot axis 767, 769, respectively, extending transversely of the direction of insertion.
Each wire clamp has a toothed clamping portion 771, 773, respectively, and a gripping portion 775 and 777, re-spectively. The gripping portions 775, 77~ project through housing openings of which only the ~ousing open-ing 779 associated with the gripping portions 7~5 is illustrated in Figure 7. The wire clamps have insertion openings 781 and 783, respecti~ely, in their gripping portions, into which a tool, particularly a screwdri~er, can be inserted in order to obtain a larger moment of force for pi~oting the wire clamps.
In Figure 7, the wire clamp 761 is illustrated in the clamped position, and the wire clamp 763 in the released position. Each of the wire clamps is held in the clamping position by arresting means, which, in the illustrated em~odiment, comprise oblique or hemi-spherical projections 785, 787 that cooperate with depressions or recesses (not illustrated) in the associated side walls of the housing 703. As will ~e readily understood, an inserted wire can be securely clamped by a clamping portion ~y pivoting the wire clamp downwards. In Figure 7, that condition is indicated with the inserted wire 707. As may be readily seen, an inwards shifting force is exerted on the wire end upon the clamping thereof, and this occurs at a point close to the free end, which can no longer be gripped manually. ~n this manner, an extraordinarily large inwards shifting force can ~e exerted without deform-ing the wire end. Then, a correspondingly large contact force is obtained.
As will be readily recognized, a plurality of connectors of the kind illustrated in Figure 7 may ~e arranged side-by-side in a common housing, and, if desired, additionally separated from each other by separating walls.
~41833 Figure 8 illustrates, in a diagrammatic per-spective view, a contact element 809 which, as the contact element 609 of Figures 6 and 7, can be made from a one-piece sheet metal stamping by bending. This contact is, however, also suitable for solid conductor wires. As the contact element according to Figures 1 and 2, it comprises resilient sharp legs which are arranged so as to pierce between the conductor and insulation of the wire end (not illustrated in Figure 8). In this case, three legs 817, 818, 819 are provîded depending integrally from a wab portion 825 which is ~ent to form a ring. Preferably, the ring is closed in an overlap area 826, with the overlapping parts of the web portion 825 being interconnected, by welding or hard solder-ing, to rigidify the contact element 809. The legs each ha~e an approximately V-shaped cross-section and are pointed out~ards at their free ends to facilitate the piercing between insulation and conductor. In the embodiment illustrated, the V cross-sections extend into the web portion; the thus-caused bending lines 889, 891 further increase the stiffness of the contact element 809. Of course, contact elements of the kind illustrated in Figure 8 also may be designed to pierce into two opposite directions, for instance as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.
The prior art also includes devices in which non-prestripped wire ends having stranded conductors can be inserted into cylindrical guides of a conductor hous-ing at the bottom of which a contact element in the formof a pointed pin is arranged coaxially so that upon the insertion of the wire end, the pin will be axially piercing into the stranded conductor, as disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 2,353,732 and 4,091,233. In those devices, however, no resilient contact force is exerted between the contact and the conductor as is necessary to meet the requirements with respect to contact safety, durability and current rating as are typical for power current distribution systems, parti-cularly for house installation and household appliances.The same is also true for the device of German Offenle-gungsschrift 23 10 022 in ~hich the end of a stranded conductor insulated wire is shifted onto a pointed con-tact pin. In doing so, a contact force acting transverse-ly of the shifting direction is obtained only from theexpansion of the insulation. This is insufficient to obtain a high load contact which is safe over long periods of time, because most plastic materials have a tendency for cold flow.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a connector for insulated wire in which the contact element is ~.4~
designed and arranged stationarily in the housing such that it pierces essentially axially into the wire end upon the insertion of the latter, and in doing so, is flexed transversely to produce a contact force.
Due to the stationary arrangement of the con-tact element in the housing, the connector according to the invention does not require any provisions for movably guiding the contact element also the space requirement therefor is obviated. For making the contact, only a single movement, the insertion of the cable end, is necessary. Thereby, structure and handling are simplified. The contact force is determined by the resilient properties of the contact element, which are exactly predeterminable within wide limits, and there-fore can be easily held above a desired minimum valueover long periods of time. The magnitude of the con-tact force obtained is not limited by the dia~eter of the conductor; thus, with one and the same contact element, sufficiently large contact surfaces for high current loads can be readily obtained.
The connector according to the invention, due to its inherent structural simplicity and small dimensions, can be readily employed within electrical appliances, in plugs, wall sockets, connection boxes and similar structural parts. Because of its small space require-ments, the connector is part~cularly suited for making connections to multi-core cables, flat cables, coaxial cables, and the like.
The finished connection can be again dis-connected, and the connector can be re-used. Particular-ly the embodiments for stranded conductors are suitable for a range of different conductor cross-sections.
The manufacture of the conductor can be easily auto-mated. The structure of the conductor is well suited ~4~833 for modular embodiments, a plurality of which can be conveniently associated together to form groups of almost any size.
Brief Description of the Drawings The invention will be subsequently described in more detail by means of embodiments in connection with the drawings, in which Figure l is a diagrammatic illustration of the basic structureand the mode of operation of a connector according to the invention, in the manner of an axial section, Figure 2 is an illustration corresponding to Figure l, however, for a connector with a solid con-ductor wire end inserted, Figure 3 is an illustration, corresponding toFigure 1, of a second embodiment.
Figure 4 is an illustration corresponding to Figure 3, but with a stranded conductor wire end inserted, Figure S is a sheet metal stamping for manufacturing a contact element for a third embodiment of a connector accordîng to t~e invention, Fîgure 6 is a contact element produced from the sheet metal stamping according to Figure 5 by bending, Fîgure 7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the third em~odiment with some of the constîtuents partly broken away, and 3Q Figure 8 is a diagrammatic perspective il-lustration of another embodiment of a contact element.
Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows an electrical connector l having a housing 3, a cylindrical guide 5 for the insertion of ~14~833 a non-prestripped wire end 7, and a resilient sharp contact element 9 which is secured in the housing 3 and projects in the direction of the axis 11 of the guide 5 into the guide 5. The non-prestripped wire end 7 has a solid conductor 13 having a circular cross-section, and insulation 15 surrounding the conductor 13. The insulation is, for example, polyethylene or a similar material. The resilient sharp contact element 9 is arranged stationarily in the housing 3 such that upon the insertion of the wireend 7 into the guide 5, it pierces axially into the wire end 7 between conductor 13 and insulation lS. The contact element 9 has two pointed legs 17 and 19 which extend in the axial direction of the guide 5 and have knife-like, sharp interior edges 21 and 23. The legs 17 and 19 are pointed at their free ends, and at their ot~er ends, they merge integrally into a web portion 25 ~hich in the simplest case may be formed by a flat or cylindrical piece of sheet metal which is secured in the housing 3 in a press fit.
In order to facilitate the insertion of the wire end 7, the guide 5 has a conical enlargement 27 at its free end. Thedimensions of the contact element 9 and particularly of its legs 17 and 19 are matched with the radial dimensions of the conductor 13 and the insula-tion 15 of the cable to be inserted so that upon pushing-in of the cable, the points 29 and 31 of the legs pierce axially into the wire end ~etween conductor 13 and insula-tion 15, and the legs 17 and 19 are radially spread against the spring force exerted by them.
Figure 2 illustrates the condition after the piercing of the conductor end 7. In Figure 2, the point-ed ends 29 and 31 of the legs 17 and 19 are illustrated in a slightly perspective ~ie~ i-n order to illustrate an em-bodiment which is advantageous with respect to the contact surface obtained; that embodiment is characterized in that thelegs have essentially a V-shaped cross-section which is open towards the axis 11 of the guide 5. It may be seen from Figure 2 that in the inserted condition, the sharp edges 21 and 23 (which each are present twice in the embodiment illustrated in Figure 2, because of the V-shaped cross section of the legsl have come into contact with the conductor 13 over a relatively great axial length. Since the legs 17 and 19, are resilient, a resilient contact force is obtained by the slight spreading of the legs, which force will take care of maintaining a safe contact over long periods of time. As may be further seen from Figure 2, the portions of the insulation which ha~e been displaced by the legs 17 and 19 may produce an additional radial contacting pressure if they consist of a correspondingly resilient material, which is the case with many plastic insula-tion materials.
Figures 3 and 4 illustrate another embodi~ent in views which basically correspond to Figures 1 and 2.
Parts which are present in a corresponding manner in Figures 1 and 2, are designed by the same reference numerals used in Figures 1 and 2, with the prefix n3".
The embodiments according to Figures 3 and 4 are designed for a wire end 307 having a stranded con-ductor 313. In such case, the piercing of the contact element 309 need not be restricted to the areas ~etween the conductor 313 and the insulation 315. The resilient contact element 309 has a plurality of pointed legs 317, 319, 333, 335 which extend essentially in the axial direction of the guide 305 and are dimensioned and ar-ranged in correspondence with the dimensions of the wire end 307 so that they pierce axially into the conductor 313 when the wire end 307 is pushed into the guide 305.
`` ~41~33 Figure 4 shows that in inserting the wire end 307, t~ legs will be radially spread due to their pointed shape and the space which they require. Since the contact element 309 is designed resiliently, the legs exert radial contact forces onto the parts of the conductor 313 engaged by them, and this over a relati~ely large axial length. A relatively large contact surface is obtained which, com~ined with the spring contact force of the legs, results in an electrical connection lQ which may carry high electrical loads and will operate trouble-free over long periods of time. As may be further seen from Figure 4, in t~is embodiment the insulation 315 may also contribute in the exertion of a contact pressure directed radially inwards, if the insulation consists of a correspondingly resilient material. The same is also true for the guide 305.
As may be further seen from Pigures 3 and 4 the pointed legs 317, 319, 333, 335 merge integrally into a web portion 325. In this embodiment, as well as in the embodiment according to Figures 1 and 2, the resilient contact element may be formed from a single piece of sheet metal.
Figures 5 and 6 illustrate that e~en resilient contact elements of more complicated shape may be manufactured from sheet metal by ~ending. The entire contact manufacturing process will then require only stamping and bending steps and thus will be particularly suited for mass production.
The sheet metal stamping illustrated in Figure 5 consists of spring bron~e or a similar suitable electrically conducti~e material ha~ing permanently elastic properties and a spring constant which is suf-ficient for obtaining the desired contact pressures.
1~4~
Figure 6 shows the finished contact element 609 which has been made from the sheet metal stamping of Figure 5. This contact element has pointed legs which point in two opposite directions; the legs 617, 619 pointing in one direction, and the legs 637, 639 in the opposite direction. It will ~e understood that one-piece sheet metal stampings and resilient contact elements made therefrom by ~ending may be also designed with legs pointing in one direction only. Also, more complicated resilient contact elements may be made in a similar man-ner from one-piece sheet metal stampings. For example, contact elements whîch haYe a plurality of side-by-side-arranged groups of sharpened and/or pointed legs, of which each group is designed to pierce into a wire end.
Figure 7 illustrates in a diagrammatic perspec-tive partial view with portions partly broken away, an embodiment of a connecting connector, in which the con-tact element 609 illustrated in Figure 6 is employed.
In order to avoid repetitions, parts which also appear 2Q in a corresponding manner in Figures 1 and 2 are designated with the same reference numerals as there, however, with the prefix n 7 n .
The connector illustrated in Figure 7 has at least one pair of mutually aligned guides 705, 741, each for the insertion of one wire end 707 and 743, respectively, from opposite directions. The guides are each formed by the bottom 745 of the housing 703, and bordering walls 747, 749 and 751, 753, respectively.
The connector 701 illustrated in Figure 7 has selectively operable retaining devices for securing the inserted cable ends. A retaining device 755, 759 is associated with each of the guides 705 and 741, respectively~
Each retaining device has a pivotable wire clamp 761 or 763, respectively, which is designed to simultaneously exert an inwards shifting force on the wire end 707 ~4~33 g or 743, respectively. To that end, each wire clamp is pivotable about a pivot axis 767, 769, respectively, extending transversely of the direction of insertion.
Each wire clamp has a toothed clamping portion 771, 773, respectively, and a gripping portion 775 and 777, re-spectively. The gripping portions 775, 77~ project through housing openings of which only the ~ousing open-ing 779 associated with the gripping portions 7~5 is illustrated in Figure 7. The wire clamps have insertion openings 781 and 783, respecti~ely, in their gripping portions, into which a tool, particularly a screwdri~er, can be inserted in order to obtain a larger moment of force for pi~oting the wire clamps.
In Figure 7, the wire clamp 761 is illustrated in the clamped position, and the wire clamp 763 in the released position. Each of the wire clamps is held in the clamping position by arresting means, which, in the illustrated em~odiment, comprise oblique or hemi-spherical projections 785, 787 that cooperate with depressions or recesses (not illustrated) in the associated side walls of the housing 703. As will ~e readily understood, an inserted wire can be securely clamped by a clamping portion ~y pivoting the wire clamp downwards. In Figure 7, that condition is indicated with the inserted wire 707. As may be readily seen, an inwards shifting force is exerted on the wire end upon the clamping thereof, and this occurs at a point close to the free end, which can no longer be gripped manually. ~n this manner, an extraordinarily large inwards shifting force can ~e exerted without deform-ing the wire end. Then, a correspondingly large contact force is obtained.
As will be readily recognized, a plurality of connectors of the kind illustrated in Figure 7 may ~e arranged side-by-side in a common housing, and, if desired, additionally separated from each other by separating walls.
~41833 Figure 8 illustrates, in a diagrammatic per-spective view, a contact element 809 which, as the contact element 609 of Figures 6 and 7, can be made from a one-piece sheet metal stamping by bending. This contact is, however, also suitable for solid conductor wires. As the contact element according to Figures 1 and 2, it comprises resilient sharp legs which are arranged so as to pierce between the conductor and insulation of the wire end (not illustrated in Figure 8). In this case, three legs 817, 818, 819 are provîded depending integrally from a wab portion 825 which is ~ent to form a ring. Preferably, the ring is closed in an overlap area 826, with the overlapping parts of the web portion 825 being interconnected, by welding or hard solder-ing, to rigidify the contact element 809. The legs each ha~e an approximately V-shaped cross-section and are pointed out~ards at their free ends to facilitate the piercing between insulation and conductor. In the embodiment illustrated, the V cross-sections extend into the web portion; the thus-caused bending lines 889, 891 further increase the stiffness of the contact element 809. Of course, contact elements of the kind illustrated in Figure 8 also may be designed to pierce into two opposite directions, for instance as illustrated in Figures 6 and 7.
Claims (13)
1. An electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire ends, comprising:
a housing having at least one wire guide means for inserting a wire end into said housing, and at least one sharp contact element stationarily positioned in said housing so that it pierces essentially axially into a wire end upon insertion thereof, said con-tact element being resilient transverse of the direction of wire insertion and being so formed and positioned to be flexed transversely by the conductor of an inserted wire to produce a contact force.
a housing having at least one wire guide means for inserting a wire end into said housing, and at least one sharp contact element stationarily positioned in said housing so that it pierces essentially axially into a wire end upon insertion thereof, said con-tact element being resilient transverse of the direction of wire insertion and being so formed and positioned to be flexed transversely by the conductor of an inserted wire to produce a contact force.
2. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the resilient sharp contact element comprises at least two pointed legs extending essentially in the axial direction of the guide for piercing axially between conductor and insulation of the wire end.
3. A connector according to claim 1, wherein the legs comprise knife-like sharp interior edges.
4. A connector according to claim 3 wherein the legs essentially have a V-shaped cross-section which is open towards the axis of the guide.
5. A connector according to claim 1, for cables having stranded conductors, wherein the resilient contact element comprises a plurality of pointed legs extending essentially in the axial direction of the guide for piercing axially into the conductor.
6. A connector according to claim 1, 2 or 5 wherein the resilient contact element is a one-piece sheet metal part.
7. A connector according to claim 1 wherein said housing has at least one pair of mutually aligned guides for inserting a wire end each from opposite directions, and in that the resilient contact element is stationarily arranged centrally and is designed to pierce axially into both wire ends.
8. A connector according to claim 1 wherein a selectively operable retaining device is provided for clamping the inserted wire end fast.
9. A connector according to claim 8, wherein the retaining device comprises a gripping portion projecting through the housing opening and adapted to be actuated from the outside.
10. A connector according to claim 8, wherein the retaining device is de-signed for exerting an inward shifting force on the wire end.
11. A connector according to claim 7 wherein a selectively operable retaining device is provided for clamping the inserted wire end fast.
12. A connector according to claim 11 wherein the retaining device comprises a gripping portion projecting through the housing opening and adapted to be actuated from the outside.
13. A connector according to claim 11 wherein the retaining device is designed for exerting an inward shifting force on the wire end.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEP3020990.6 | 1980-06-03 | ||
| DE3020990A DE3020990C2 (en) | 1980-06-03 | 1980-06-03 | Electrical connection or connecting terminal for non-stripped wire ends |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1141833A true CA1141833A (en) | 1983-02-22 |
Family
ID=6103840
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000378726A Expired CA1141833A (en) | 1980-06-03 | 1981-06-01 | Electrical connector for non-prestripped insulated wire ends |
Country Status (5)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0041387A1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS57172667A (en) |
| BR (1) | BR8103442A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1141833A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE3020990C2 (en) |
Families Citing this family (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AU3027899A (en) * | 1998-02-21 | 1999-09-06 | Wolfgang Beppler | Connecting element for a coaxial cable |
| DE19913007C2 (en) * | 1999-03-23 | 2002-09-12 | Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co | Connection or connection device and method for contacting a cable |
| DE20307089U1 (en) * | 2003-05-08 | 2004-09-16 | Weidmüller Interface Gmbh & Co. | Connector for axial contacting conductor end, with its insulation and jacket, i.e. conductor with single- or multi-wire core in insulation and locking levers on support element |
| DE10323615A1 (en) * | 2003-05-26 | 2004-12-23 | Hirschmann Electronics Gmbh & Co. Kg | Contact element and complementary line chamber for a plug or socket using insulation displacement technology |
| CN100367566C (en) * | 2004-07-29 | 2008-02-06 | 威德米勒界面有限公司及两合公司 | Connector |
| DE202009018437U1 (en) * | 2009-11-10 | 2011-12-14 | Phoenix Contact Gmbh & Co. Kg | plug assembly |
| CN113533027B (en) * | 2021-08-12 | 2022-11-08 | 重庆久坤电子有限公司 | FFC flat cable tension tester |
Family Cites Families (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US2353732A (en) * | 1942-06-30 | 1944-07-18 | Bell Telephone Labor Inc | Wire connector |
| US2453615A (en) * | 1946-08-10 | 1948-11-09 | Thomas & Betts Corp | Tinsel wire connector |
| DE897439C (en) * | 1951-08-24 | 1953-11-19 | Siemens Ag | Arrangement to save stripping when connecting insulated conductors |
| US3064227A (en) * | 1957-09-17 | 1962-11-13 | Sams Martin | Electrical terminal |
| US3064228A (en) * | 1960-07-27 | 1962-11-13 | United Carr Fastener Corp | Cable connector |
| US3328747A (en) * | 1965-07-20 | 1967-06-27 | Do Ray Lamp Company Inc | Electrical connector |
| US3423718A (en) * | 1967-01-13 | 1969-01-21 | Amp Inc | Terminal with nail lance and support member therefor |
| FR2097278A5 (en) * | 1970-07-01 | 1972-03-03 | Bauer Jean Marie | |
| IT979462B (en) * | 1972-03-03 | 1974-09-30 | Espenso L | TERMINAL FOR ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS |
| US4091233A (en) * | 1976-08-23 | 1978-05-23 | Berman Alfred J | Electrical connector and method of connecting an electrical cable to same |
-
1980
- 1980-06-03 DE DE3020990A patent/DE3020990C2/en not_active Expired
-
1981
- 1981-06-01 BR BR8103442A patent/BR8103442A/en unknown
- 1981-06-01 EP EP81302410A patent/EP0041387A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1981-06-01 CA CA000378726A patent/CA1141833A/en not_active Expired
- 1981-06-01 JP JP56084239A patent/JPS57172667A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JPS57172667A (en) | 1982-10-23 |
| EP0041387A1 (en) | 1981-12-09 |
| BR8103442A (en) | 1982-02-24 |
| DE3020990A1 (en) | 1981-12-10 |
| DE3020990C2 (en) | 1983-02-03 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| MKEX | Expiry |