EP0018160B1 - Electrical connector for terminating flat, multi-conductor electrical cable - Google Patents

Electrical connector for terminating flat, multi-conductor electrical cable Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0018160B1
EP0018160B1 EP80301128A EP80301128A EP0018160B1 EP 0018160 B1 EP0018160 B1 EP 0018160B1 EP 80301128 A EP80301128 A EP 80301128A EP 80301128 A EP80301128 A EP 80301128A EP 0018160 B1 EP0018160 B1 EP 0018160B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
body member
conductor
connector
cover
cable
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
Application number
EP80301128A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0018160A1 (en
Inventor
John Henry Huber
Walter Clifton Shatto, Jr.
Walter Martin Young
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.)
TE Connectivity Corp
Original Assignee
AMP Inc
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
Priority claimed from US06/097,072 external-priority patent/US4269466A/en
Application filed by AMP Inc filed Critical AMP Inc
Publication of EP0018160A1 publication Critical patent/EP0018160A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0018160B1 publication Critical patent/EP0018160B1/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
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50—Fixed connections
    • H01R12/59—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
    • H01R12/65—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures characterised by the terminal
    • H01R12/67—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures characterised by the terminal insulation penetrating terminals
    • H01R12/675—Fixed connections for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures characterised by the terminal insulation penetrating terminals with contacts having at least a slotted plate for penetration of cable insulation, e.g. insulation displacement contacts for round conductor flat cables
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/712—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures co-operating with the surface of the printed circuit or with a coupling device exclusively provided on the surface of the printed circuit
    • H01R12/716—Coupling device provided on the PCB
    • H01R12/718—Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/77—Coupling devices for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
    • H01R12/79—Coupling devices for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
    • 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
    • H01R13/502—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces
    • H01R13/506—Bases; Cases composed of different pieces assembled by snap action of the parts
    • 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
    • H01R13/58—Means for relieving strain on wire connection, e.g. cord grip, for avoiding loosening of connections between wires and terminals within a coupling device terminating a cable
    • 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
    • H01R4/02—Soldered or welded connections
    • 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
    • H01R4/2416—Connections using contact members penetrating or cutting insulation or cable strands the contact members having insulation-cutting edges, e.g. of tuning fork type

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an electrical connector for terminating a flat multi-conductor electrical cable.
  • a connector comprising a body member of electrically insulating material carrying on each of two opposite surfaces a row of electrical terminals each having a mating portion adjacent one edge of the body member and a conductor-connection portion adapted to establish an electrical connection to a conductor of a flat multi-conductor cable, surfaces of the body member being formed with grooves to receive the conductors of the cable and direct the conductors to the conductor-connection portions of the terminals.
  • the connector includes a cover member.
  • This known connector suffers from the disadvantage that since the grooves are in two distinct groups on opposite sides of a projecting plate member of the connector body, and since the conductors in a flat multi-conductor cable are generally in a spaced parallel co-planar array, it is necessary to prepare an end of a cable to be connected to the connector by baring end portions of the conductors of the cable and then separating the conductors into two arrays in parallel planes for receipt on the grooves in the two sides of the plate member of the connector body, respectively. Such preparation of the cable end is a time consuming and costly operation.
  • This known connector suffers from the disadvantage that the body is formed from a plurality of separate parts which must be separately manufactured, and must be assembled on a cable end, both these operations being time consuming and costly.
  • US-A-4094566 there is described a connector similar to those of the general type discussed above save that there are no conductor-receiving grooves in the body member such grooves being provided insteand in two cover members adapted to be positioned over the body member surfaces carrying the terminals respectively.
  • the grooves are provided in the inner surfaces of the cover members such that the conductors of a cable can be separated into two groups and located in the grooves in the two cover members, the cover members then being applied to the body member to establish connections between the conductors and the terminals carried by the body member.
  • the connector includes a bus member mounted on the body member and having slotted plate portions arranged in rows on opposite surfaces of the body member.
  • the connector of this invention has the advantage that the only single piece body member serves both to carry the terminals, and also to locate the conductors of a cable in the conductor-receiving grooves as required, without any separation of the conductors into two groups prior to application of the connector being necessary. Further, only the body member is a relatively complex structure, it being possible for the cover members to have smooth surfaces and thus be easy to manufacture.
  • the connector comprises a body member 1 moulded from electrically insulating plastics material and carrying on each of its two opposite major surfaces, a row of electrical terminals 2 each stamped and formed from sheet metal, and having, as shown in Figure 7, a socket portion 3 adjacent one edge of the body member surface, and a conductor-connection portion 4 in the form of a slotted plate adapted to establish an electrical connection to a conductor of a cable by movement of the conductor transversely of its axis into the slot in the plate, in known manner.
  • the body member 1 also carries a bus member 5 stamped and formed from sheet metal and extending across both the major surfaces of the body member 1, the bus member 5 providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions 6 in two rows parallel to the two rows of slotted plate conductor-connection portions 4 of the two rows of terminals 2 respectively.
  • the connector also comprises two cover members 7 and 8 each moulded from electrically insulating material and adapted to be latched in position over a respective major surface of the body member 1.
  • both the major surfaces of the body member 1 are formed with grooves 9 to receive the conductors of a cable, and with transverse slots 10 to receive the slotted plate portions 4 and 6 of the terminals 2 and bus member 5, respectively.
  • each groove 9 opens to an edge of the body member 1 by way of a funnel entry mouth 11 defined by three converging walls, namely two side walls 12 and a base wall 13.
  • the base walls 13 are arranged with some on each side of the central longitudinal plane of the body member 1 such that conductors inserted into the mouths 11 will be guided to one or the other surface of the body member 1.
  • Adjacent the position where it opens into the mouth 11 each groove 9 is formed at each edge with an upstanding ridge 14 which is used to secure a conductor in the groove 9 as will be explained below.
  • each terminal 2 is received in a cavity 15 in the body member 1, with an intermediate portion 16 of the terminal 2 joining the receptacle portion 3 and the slotted plate portion 4 being received in a slot 17 joining the cavity 15 to the slot 10 which receives the slotted plate portion 4.
  • the terminal intermediate portion 16 is formed with a recess 18 which receives a projection 19 in the slot 17 to locate the terminal 2 correctly.
  • each longitudinal edge of the cavity 15 is formed with an upstanding ridge 20 which after insertion of a terminal 2 is turned over the cavity 15, as shown in Figure 4, in order to retain the terminal 2 in the cavity 15.
  • the free end wall 21 of the cavity 15 is formed with an aperture 22 by way of which a male terminal post 400 ( Figure 1) can be inserted into the receptacle portion 3 of a terminal 2 in the cavity 15.
  • the cable 100 is then advanced axially towards the mouths 11 of the grooves 9 in the body member 1, with the open sides of the mouths 11 closed by wiping members 200 of a tool not shown in detail.
  • the mouths 11 guide the conductors 101 to overlie the two major surfaces of the body member 1, as shown in Figure 8.
  • the wiping members 200 are then moved over the surfaces of the body member 1 (downwards as seen in the drawings) to the position shown in Figure 9, during which movement they urge the conductors 101 into respective grooves 9 in the body member 1. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the wiping members 200 also deform the ridges 14 to overlie the conductors 101 after insertion into the grooves 9 whereby the conductors 101 are retained in the grooves 9.
  • a further tool 300 ( Figure 9) is then used to urge the conductors 101 into the slotted plate portions 4 and 6 of the terminals 2 and bus member 5 as appropriate, this in known manner.
  • cover members 7 and 8 are then applied to the body member 1, as shown in Figure 10, and are secured to the body member 1 by pegs 23 (see Figure 2) on both cover members 7 and 8 which engage in holes 24 in the body member 1, pegs 25 on the cover member 8, which extend through holes 26 in the body member 1 and engage in holes 27 in the cover member 7, and pegs 28 on the cover member 7, which engage in holes 29 ( Figure 10) in the cover member 8.
  • the cover members 7 and 8 are formed, at the cable exit end of the connector, with longitudinally offset transverse bars 29 and 30 respectively, whereby the cable 100 is formed into a sinuous path, shown in Figure 10, to provide strain relief against axial forces on the cable 100, for the connections between the conductors 101 and the terminals 2 and bus member 5.
  • the assembled connector is then as shown in Figure 1, and can be mated with an appropriate array of male terminal posts 400 carried by a substrate 401 to provide required connections between the conductors 101 of the cable 100 and the posts 400.
  • the cover members 7 and 8 are formed at the mating end (lower end in the drawings) of the connector with a row of projecting teeth 30 arranged and adapted to engage in the male-contact-receiving apertures 22, as shown in Figures 15 and 16, to secure the cover members 7 and 8 to the body member 1 at that end.
  • each cover member 7 or 8 is formed at one side with a latch arm 31 having at its free end an inwardly directed projection 32 arranged and adapted to engage in a recess 33 in the other cover member 8 or 7 thereby to latch the cover members 7 and 8 together and thus to the body member 1, as shown in Figure 16.
  • Each cover member 7 or 8 also carries on its inner surface a row of stop members 34 which after latching of the cover members 7 and 8 to the body member 1, are located behind the receptacle portions 3 of the terminals 2, and serve to prevent over insertion of a male contact (400 in Figure 13) into the receptacle, thus preventing damage to the connection between the terminal 2 and a conductor 101.
  • each cover member 7 or 8 is formed at one side with a tapered V-shaped projection 35, and at the other side with a correspondingly shaped recess 36 arranged and adapted to receive the projection 35 of the other cover member 8 or 7, with the cable 100 located between the projections 35 and recesses 36.
  • the cable 100 is distorted in two directions, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, and very effective stain relief is provided for the connections between the conductors 101 and the terminals 2 and bus member 5.
  • the ridges 35 and recesses 36 in the cover members 7 and 8 are simply block-shaped with sloping ends instead of having the shapes shown in Figures 13 to 16.

Landscapes

  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
EP80301128A 1979-04-11 1980-04-09 Electrical connector for terminating flat, multi-conductor electrical cable Expired EP0018160B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US2895279A 1979-04-11 1979-04-11
US28952 1979-04-11
US06/097,072 US4269466A (en) 1979-11-23 1979-11-23 Connector and strain relief for flat transmission cable
US97072 1979-11-23

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0018160A1 EP0018160A1 (en) 1980-10-29
EP0018160B1 true EP0018160B1 (en) 1989-09-20

Family

ID=26704292

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP80301128A Expired EP0018160B1 (en) 1979-04-11 1980-04-09 Electrical connector for terminating flat, multi-conductor electrical cable

Country Status (9)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0018160B1 (es)
AR (1) AR220832A1 (es)
AU (1) AU530795B2 (es)
BR (1) BR8002201A (es)
CA (1) CA1140645A (es)
DE (1) DE3072166D1 (es)
ES (1) ES256782Y (es)
MX (1) MX147591A (es)
YU (1) YU97880A (es)

Families Citing this family (12)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0089223A1 (en) * 1982-03-17 1983-09-21 Thomas & Betts Corporation Electrical assembly and method for arranging a plurality of electrical conductors in a pattern
JPS5942785A (ja) * 1982-08-31 1984-03-09 日本圧着端子製造株式会社 電気コネクタ
US4552426A (en) * 1983-09-15 1985-11-12 Westinghouse Electric Corp. Multiple connector hood for interconnections to printed circuit boards
EP0147080B1 (en) * 1983-12-27 1990-01-31 Amp Incorporated Ribbon coax cable connector
US4693539A (en) * 1983-12-27 1987-09-15 Amp Incorporated Ribbon coax cable connector
EP0211496B1 (en) * 1985-07-12 1993-01-13 The Whitaker Corporation Double row electrical connector
GB2205202A (en) * 1987-05-29 1988-11-30 Allied Corp Improved electrical connection devices for use with flat cable
US4781615A (en) * 1987-08-31 1988-11-01 Amp Incorporated Cable terminating cover retention system
FR2690568B1 (fr) * 1992-04-23 1996-03-08 Ctm Module de raccordement a canaux passe-fils.
US5409396A (en) * 1994-02-22 1995-04-25 Molex Incorporated Strain relief means in an electrical connector assembly for ribbon cable
JP2942979B2 (ja) * 1994-11-21 1999-08-30 モレックス インコーポレーテッド 電気コネクタ
JP3265424B2 (ja) 1999-03-29 2002-03-11 日本航空電子工業株式会社 ケーブルコネクタ及びその結線方法

Family Cites Families (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1361157A (fr) * 1962-06-28 1964-05-15 Burndy Corp Connecteur pour câbles
US3550066A (en) * 1968-09-19 1970-12-22 Amp Inc Connector for multiple conductor cable
US3634806A (en) * 1969-10-31 1972-01-11 Thomas & Betts Corp Matched impedance connector
US3873172A (en) * 1971-12-17 1975-03-25 Amp Inc Flat multi-conductor cable holder
US3731251A (en) * 1972-04-13 1973-05-01 Thomas & Betts Corp Means for terminating flat cable
US3989336A (en) * 1975-04-28 1976-11-02 Molex Incorporated Flexible circuit connector assembly
US4139727A (en) * 1975-05-22 1979-02-13 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Device for attaching flat strip cables to a printed circuit board
CA1065031A (en) * 1976-08-12 1979-10-23 Amp Incorporated Slot-type electrically conductive terminal
US4076365A (en) * 1976-11-22 1978-02-28 Amp Incorporated Electrical connector having conductor spreading means
US4094566A (en) * 1977-02-18 1978-06-13 Amp Incorporated Connector having wire locating means

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ES256782U (es) 1981-12-16
EP0018160A1 (en) 1980-10-29
AU5690880A (en) 1980-10-16
AR220832A1 (es) 1980-11-28
BR8002201A (pt) 1980-11-25
ES256782Y (es) 1982-06-01
MX147591A (es) 1982-12-15
AU530795B2 (en) 1983-07-28
DE3072166D1 (en) 1989-10-26
YU97880A (en) 1982-08-31
CA1140645A (en) 1983-02-01

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