EP0133189B1

EP0133189B1 - Modular connector

Info

Publication number: EP0133189B1
Application number: EP19830112602
Authority: EP
Inventors: J. Preston Ammon; Jerry A. Kendall; John D. Martens
Original assignee: Elfab Corp
Current assignee: Elfab Corp
Priority date: 1983-08-05
Filing date: 1983-12-15
Publication date: 1988-12-14
Also published as: DE3378715D1; EP0133189A2; EP0133189A3; JPS6044982A

Description

Background of the Invention

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to connectors and more particularly to a modular connector that can be customized as to length by cutting an insulator body thereof to the desired length and then assembling the insulator body with other parts to complete the modular connector.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

In general, prior art connectors have been assembled by molding connectors into a body of insulating material which forms a structural member to support the contacts and hold them rigidly within the insulating body. Other connectors may have the connectors press fitted into the insulating material body or press fitted into a printed circuit board with the insulating material body fitted over the contacts and the body secured to the printed circuit board with screws or rivets. Still other connectors may utilize a combination of the above features. Regardless of how the connector is structured or assembled, the length of the body of the connector and the number of contacts in the body is a fixed number for each specific application. If an equipment manufacturer utilizes a large number of connectors of various lengths (a different number of contacts), then a large variety of connectors must be stocked.
Connectors representative of the prior art are described in US-A-3 671 917, US-A-4 035 047 and US-A-4 094 573.
The inability to modify the number of contact terminals requires the circuit board manufacturer to stock a large number of connectors to ensure that a connector of the correct length and number of contact terminals is on hand and available when needed. In US-A-4 220 393, the contacts are pressed into place by the insulator but it is required that the contact has a press fit collar thereon. Also the insulator is not adaptable as to size.
DE-A-2 310 081 is directed to a contact spring strip which is adaptable to be formed having a required number of contact chambers by removing strip parts which are not required, i.e. formed to any desired length. The contact spring strip consists of a length of insulation having a mounting element integrally formed with the contact spring strip at one end thereof.
FR-A-2 358 077 is directed to an electrical connector which may be shortened to provide fewer contact cavities wherein mounting feet may be inserted into the base or rear of a connector block.
CH-A-416 785 is directed to a housing for a two- part connecting device. Each part of the housing is composed of identical elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem of the invention is to readily and inexpensively provide customized electrical connectors, that is, electrical connectors which may be made to any predetermined desired length.
This problem is solved by a modular connector which includes an insulator body, a plurality of contact terminals and two end caps, the insulator body having a plurality of identical compartments, transverse walls separating adjacent identical compartments, opposed end walls and a narrow end opening extending between the opposed end walls through the traverse walls and opposed end walls, and wherein each identical compartment has frictionally contained therein one pair of contact terminals in opposed relation to one another. The invention is characterized in that the modular connector can be adapted to a desired length by cutting the insulator body along a face of one transverse wall to form an end wall, and wherein the end walls of the insulator body of the desired length have wider end openings formed therein continuous with the narrow end openings, the narrow end opening and the wider end opening of each end wall defining an opening for the frictional attachment of the end caps, each end cap including a ridge key detachably frictionally engaging the narrow end opening, a key detachably frictionally engaging the wider end opening and a vertical plate detachably slidably received in the compartment adjacent the end wall.
The invention is a modular socket or connector made up of standard parts that can be assembled to make connectors of different lengths. The modular connector includes an insulator body that can be cut at intervals to a desired length. Repeating sections in the insulator body accept contact terminals that extend through the insulator body and are held in place by a bottom plate in conjunction with the insulator body. End caps are placed on each end to close the ends of the insulator body, and in some configurations, secure the modular connector to a printed circuit board with screws or rivets.
The insulator body is versatile in that it can be used with more than one type of contact terminal and can be used with or without a bottom plate depending upon whether it is to be used as an assembled connector or whether the insulator body is to be used as the connector housing and as a tool to press the contact terminals into a circuit board.
In order to make a modular connector of a desired size, the insulator body is cut at a specific location at one of the repeating sections. The cut end is then milled with a simple end mill tool to provide an opening that mates with the end cap. The connector parts are then snapped together and remain in place by frictional forces. The same insulator body and end caps can be used in either configuration, a press fit connector or a card edge connector with solder or wire wrap terminals.

THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 is an exploded view of the modular connector illustrating the individual parts of the modular connector;
Figures 2a, 2b and 2c illustrate three different end caps for the modular connector;
Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d illustrate the bottom plate of the modular connector;
Figures 4a, 4b, 4c illustrate the insulator body of the modular connector;
Figures 5a, 5b, 5c illustrate the end of the insulator body before and after the end of the insulator body has been cut and milled;
Figures 6a and 6b illustrate a section of the insulator body showing the contact terminals;
Figures 7a and 7b illustrate the contact terminals in the bottom plate;
Figures 8a and 8b illustrate a single contact terminal;
Figure 9 illustrates a tool for cutting the insulator body to a desired length and for preparing the cut end to accept an end cap;
Figure 10 illustrates the contact terminal to be used with a press fit connector;
Figures 11 a and 11b illustrate a section of the insulator body showing the placement of the contact terminals;
Figure 12a is a sectional end view of the insulator body as in Figure 11 a without the contact terminals; and
Figure 12b is a bottom view of the insulator body without contact terminals.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Figure 1 illustrates the different parts of the modular connector 10. The insulator body 12 is generally rectangular and has a plurality of identical compartments 13 extending from one end to the other. Each end wall 16 has an opening 17 therein to receive an end cap 30. The opening 17 is wide at one end and narrow at the other end. The narrow end opening 17a and the wider end opening 17b match similarly shaped portions of the end caps 30. Each compartment 13 in the insulator body 12 is separated from the other by transverse walls 14.
The end cap 30 slides into the end of the insulator body 12. The vertical plate 31 on end cap 30 slides into the end compartment 13 between end wall 16 and the adjacent transverse wall 14. The narrow end opening 17a is closed by ridge key 32 of end cap 30 and the wider end opening 17b is closed by key 33. After the end cap is properly placed in the end of the insulator body 12, the body end is closed, providing a mounting means for the modular connector 10 via hole 34 in the end cap 30. With an end cap 30 on each end of the insulator body 12 the modular connector may be secured to a printed circuit board with screws or rivets.
A bottom plate 19 is positioned in the lower part of the insulator body 12. The bottom plate has a number of raised ridges 20 and 21 extending the length of the bottom plate 19. The ridges 20, 21 are spaced so that they fit into the individual compartments 13 in the insulator body 12. The space 23 between ridges 20, 21 provide spaces to receive the transverse walls 14 between the compartments 13 in the insulator body 12.
Contact terminals 25 are placed in the openings 22 between ridges 21 and 20 and are held in place as hereinafter explained.
Different end caps may be used with the connector. Three variations are illustrated in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c. Figure 2a illustrates an end cap 40 to be used with a cable connector which is not to be connected to a printed circuit board or a press fit connector. There is no provision on the end cap 40 of Figure 2a for securing the modular connector 10 to a surface. The vertical plate 41 is positioned into the end of the insulator body 12 between transverse wall 14 and end wall 16. The ridge key 42 matches the narrow end opening 17a and the end cap 40 encloses and provides an end closure of the insulator body 12. The end cap 40 in Figure 2a would be used, for example, with the press fit connector described below.
The end caps 30 in Figure 2b and 2c are essentially the same except that the mounting means of the end cap 30 is positioned higher with respect to the vertical plate 31 in one embodiment than it is in the other.
While only one pair of contact terminals 25 is illustrated in Figure 1 there will be a contact terminal in each of the openings 22 along the length of the bottom plate 19.
After all the contact terminals 25 are in place, and the end caps 30 have been properly placed on each end of the insulator body 12, the insulator body 12 will be placed over the bottom plate 19, with the contact terminals 25 extending up through the insulator body 12, one pair of opposing contact terminals 25 in each compartment 13.
The modular connector 10 is completed by snapping the bottom plate 19 into the bottom of the insulator body 12. The modular connector 10 is held together by frictional mating surfaces, hereinafter explained in detail.
Figures 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d illustrate different views of the bottom plate 19. In Figure 3a a bottom view of the bottom plate 19 shows the cross support members 24 and the holes 60 through which the contact terminals 25 (not shown) extend.
The side view of Figure 3b, illustrates the ridges 20 and the spaces 23 which separate the ridges 20 and 21. The end view of Figure 3d gives a clearer illustration of the ridges 20 and 21 separated by the openings 22. Each of the outer shoulders of ridges 20 has a rounded shoulder 20a and an enlarged shoulder 20b. The rounded shoulder 20a permits easy insertion of the bottom plate 19 into the bottom of insulator body 12, and the enlarged shoulder 20b frictionally engages the inside wall of the compartment 13 to hold the bottom plate 19 in position.
Figure 3c is a top view of the bottom plate 19. Of particular note in this view are the holes 60 through which the contact terminals 25 extend. The holes 60 are centered in the openings 22 between the ridges 20 and 21.
Cut line 65 illustrates, in Figures 3a - 3c, where the bottom plate 19 is to be cut when a modular connector of a predetermined size, less than the original length of the insulator body 12 and bottom plate 19, is desired.
The top, side and bottom views of the insulator body 12 are illustrated in Figures 4a, 4b and 4c. The side view is shown in partial section and a cut line 70 extends through each of the views to show where the insulator body 12 would be cut in relation to the compartments 13 and transverse walls 14 to make a modular connector 10 of a desired length.
The side view, Figure 4b, illustrates the transverse walls 14 of the insulator body 12, the faces of which are designated by numeral 18. The cut line 70 is made along the face 18 of one of the transverse walls 14. After the cut, the end of the insulator body 12 will be as illustrated in Figure 5a. The end wall 16 was originally a face 18 of a transverse wall 14.
The top view of the insulator body 12, Figure 4c, shows the transverse wall 14 extending across the insulator body 12. The bottom view, Figure 4a, of the insulator body 12 further shows protrusions 74 extending out from the surfaces 18 of the transverse walls 14. The protrusions 74 frictionally contact with the contact terminal 25 when the modular connector is assembled as hereinafter explained.
Figures 5b and 5c show the end of the insulator body 12 after the end wall 16 has been milled to form the wider end opening 17b, so that an end cap 30 or 40, such as those illustrated in Figures 2a, 2b and 2c, may be mounted onto the end of the insulator body 12.
In Figures 6a and 6b is illustrated part of an assembled modular connector 10 showing the contact terminals 25 as they are positioned in the compartments 13 within the insulator body 12.
Figures 7a and 7b illustrate the contact terminals 25 positioned in the bottom plate 19, and Figures 8a and 8b illustrate a typical contact terminal 25.
The contact terminal 25 has an intermediate portion 81 having shoulders 81a that are used to hold and stabilize the contact terminal 25 when the modular connector has been assembled. As shown in Figure 7b, the shoulders 81a extend past the ridges 21 into the space 23 between the ridges 21. When the modular connector is assembled as illustrated in Figure 6b, the protrusions 74 on the transverse walls 14 engage the contact terminals 25 at shoulders 81 a and prevent movement of the contact terminals in a direction along the length of the modular connector. The contact terminals 25 are stabilized in the direction across the modular connector by the ridges 20 and 21. As illustrated in Figure 7a, the contact terminal 25 is positioned in the opening 22 between the ridges 20 and 21 to prevent movement of the contact terminal in a direction transverse to the length of the modular connector.
The contact terminals 25 are also secured in the bottom plate 19 by the lower portion 82 of the contact terminal. The lower portion 82 of the contact terminal 25 is slightly larger than the hole 60 in the bottom plate 19 so that when the contact terminal 25 is pulled down into the hole 60, the lower portion 82 frictionally engages the sides of the holes 60 and is held firmly within the hole 60.
The contact terminals 25 are additionally stabilized and firmly held in the insulator body 12 by virtue of the fact that the top portion 80 of the contact terminal 25 is curved and presses against the side wall 71 of the compartment 13 of the insulator body 12 in which it resides. The general positioning of the contact terminal 25 is illustrated in Figures 6a and 7a.
Figure 10 illustrates a contact terminal 125 to be used when the insulator body 12 is used for a press fit connector. The contact terminal 125 is similar to the terminal 25 illustrated in Figure 8b. The contact terminal 125 has a similar top portion 180 and intermediate portion 181; however the intermediate portion 181 has a partially punched out region 183 that is used in the press fit mounting of the contact terminal 125.
The contact terminal 125 also has a compliant lower portion 182. Lower portion 182 is that part of the contact terminal 125 that is press fitted into a circuit board.
Figures 11 a and 11b illustrate the contact terminal 125 positioned in the insulator body 12. The end of punched out region 183 abuts the shoulder 185. It is the pressing of shoulder 185 against punched out region 183 and protrusions 74 pressing against shoulders 181a of the contact terminal 125 that presses the contact terminals 125 into a circuit board on which the modular connector is to be mounted.
Figures 12a and 12b are respectively an end view of the insulator body 12 and a bottom view of the insulator body 12 without contact terminals. These views illustrate the shoulders 185 and protrusions 74 which are used to press fit the contact terminals into a printed circuit board.
In another embodiment of the invention a solder tail contact terminal is used. The solder tail contact terminal (not illustrated) is similar to the contact terminal 125 illustrated in Figure 10. The solder tail contact terminal would not have the compliant lower portion 182 of the contact terminal 125 illustrated in Figure 10, but is straight from the intermediate portion 181 to the end of the contact terminal. The insulator body for the solder tail connector is the same as for the above described connector. The end cap 30 illustrated in Figure 2c is used.
A bottom plate 19 need not be used. The end cap 30 holds the insulator body 12 above the surface of the printed circuit board on which the modular connector 10 is to be mounted so that it will not interfere with solder flow during the flow solder procedures used to bond the solder tail contact terminal to the printed circuit board. In the event, for some reason, a bottom plate is used with the solder tail connector, then the cross support members 24 on the bottom plate 19 hold the modular connector above the printed circuit board to allow for solder flow.
From the above description of the invention it may be seen that a modular connector can use the same insulator body and end caps to make up a press fit connector or a connector to be mounted on a printed circuit board using solder, screw or rivet means to mount the comnector. The only variation between the two type conectors is that a different contact terminal is used and that a bottom plate is not used with the press fit connector since the circuit board on which it is mounted acts as the bottom plate.
Each of the above described modular connectors may be repaired in the event a contact terminal is damaged. The insulator body only frictionally engages the contact terminals so it may be lifted off the contact terminal, the damaged contact terminal replaced, and the insulator body placed over the contact terminals and pressed into engagement with the contact terminal.
With the versatility of the modular connector of the present invention, modular connectors of different lengths and mounting methods can be made up of a few standard parts eliminating the need for a large variety of different connectors.
A tool for cutting a modular connector to the desired length and for milling the cut end to receive an end cap is illustrated in Figure 9. An insulator body 92 is placed on the carrier 93 and indexed to the corrected position by stop 108. Carrier 93 has a sliding member 94 that slides in groove 96. As the carrier 93 is moved toward blade 98, the insulator body 92 is cut to the desired length. Carrier 93 is moved past blade 98 so that the cut end 110 of the insulator body 92 is milled to form the opening 17 as illustrated in Figure 5c by a mill 99. The opening is milled to the correct depth by setting stop 106 which may be adjusted by set screw 107.
Both the blade 98 and the mill 99 may be turned by the same motor (not shown). The motor drives the blade 98 and mandrel 100. Mandrel 100 is powered by belt 101. A protective cover 105 covers both the blade 98, the mandrel 100 and the mill 99.

Claims

1. A modular connector (10) including an insulator body (12) a plurality of contact terminals (25) and two end caps (30), the insulator body having a plurality of identical compartments (13), transverse walls separating adjacent identical compartments, opposed end walls (16) and a narrow end opening (17a) extending between the opposed end walls through the traverse walls and opposed end walls, and wherein each identical compartment has frictionally contained therein one pair of contact terminals (25) in opposed relation to one another, characterized in that the modular connector (10) can be adapted to a desired length by cutting the insulator body (12) along a face (18) of one transverse wall (14) to form an end wall (16), and wherein the end walls (16) of the insulator body (12) of the desired length have wider end openings (17b) formed therein continuous with the narrow end openings (17a), the narrow end opening (17a) and the wider end opening (17b) of each end wall (16) defining an opening (17) for the frictional attachment of the end caps (30, 40), each end cap (30, 40) including a ridge key (32, 42) detachably frictionally engaging the narrow end opening (17a), a key (33, 43) detachably frictionally engaging the wider end opening (17b) and a vertical plate (31,41) detachably slidably received in the compartment (13) adjacent the end wall (16).

2. The modular connector according to claim 1 characterized in that a bottom plate (19) of the desired length is snap fitted into the bottom of the insulator body (12), the bottom plate (19) having a plurality of ridges (20, 21) and spaces (23) extending along the desired length thereof, each space (23) separating adjacent ridges (20, 21), and wherein the ridges (20, 21) frictionally engage the compartments (13) and the spaces (23) receive the transverse walls (14).

3. The modular connector according to claim 2 characterized in that the bottom plate (19) has openings (22) separating each ridge (21) from adjacent ridges (20) and holes (60) centered in the openings (22) through which the plurality of contact terminals (25) extend.

4. The modular connector according to claim 2 or characterized in that the bottom plate (19) has cross support members (24) extending from the bottom side thereof.

5. The modular connector according to claim 1 characterized in that each compartment (13) is formed in part by two transverse walls (14), each transverse wall (14) having protrusions (74) extending outfrom surfaces (18) thereofto engage the contact terminals (25, 125), each contact terminal (25, 125) having an intermediate portion (81, 181) including shoulders (81a, 181a) which engage the protrusions (74).

6. The modular connector according to claim 1 characterized in that each compartment (13) is formed in part by two transverse walls (14), each transverse wall (14) having two protrusions (74) extending out from and a shoulder (185) formed in each surface (18) thereof to engage the contact terminal (125), each contact terminal (125) having a compliant lower portion (182) and an intermediate portion (181) including shoulders (181a) which engage the two protrusions (74) and a punched out region (183) which engages the shoulder (185) wherein the modular connector (10) can press fit the compliant lower portions (182) of the plurality of contact terminals (125) into a circuit board on which the modular connector (10) is to be mounted.

7. The modular connector according to claim 1 characterized in that the plurality of contact terminals (125) are solder tail contact terminals (125) having a lower portion (182) extending straight from the intermediate portion (181) and wherein the two end caps (30) position the insulator body (12) above the surface of the printed circuit board on which the modular connector (10) is mounted so thatflow solder procedures can be used to bond the soldertail contact terminals (125) to the printed circuit board.