EP0159115B1

EP0159115B1 - Electrical connector for flat cable or wire bundles

Info

Publication number: EP0159115B1
Application number: EP85301232A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Carlo Bertini; Aldo Bruni
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1984-03-19
Filing date: 1985-02-25
Publication date: 1988-06-01
Also published as: ES541355A0; JPH0746620B2; EP0159115A1; BR8501157A; JPS60212981A; ES8702744A1; DE3563155D1

Description

The invention relates to an electrical connector including a housing adapted to accomodate elongate conductors grouped either as a flat cable or in bundles.
In the interests of economy, it is desirable that a requirement to house either a flat cable or a bundle of elongate conductors should be met in a single housing structure while avoiding a need to manufacture or store an inventory of different parts. At the same time, the connector housing should be adapted for application to either the flat cable if the wire bundle with only minimal strain relief as necessary in the particular environment of intended use.
U.S. Patent Specification 4,108,527 discloses an electrical connector for receiving, alternatively, conductors in groups of different sizes comprising an insulating housing including two shells, each having a mating face and a conductor receiving face, first and second conductor locating members, each having first and second conductor locating faces of different shapes, the first conductor locating face each being formed with a conductor engaging rib and the second conductor locating faces each being formed with a conductor receiving opening, the conductor locating members being receivable between the housing shells when the shells are assembled together, in either of two positions according to the size of the conductor group, with the first faces adjacent in a first cable locating condition of the connector or with the second faces adjacent with the openings together defining a bundle receiving aperature in a bundle receiving condition of the connector, in both positions the first and second conductor locating faces extending transversely of, and in locating engagement with, alternative groups of conductors extending through the conductor receiving face into the housing and terminated by terminals at the mating face.
However, a disadvantage of the prior connector is that the conductor locating members are each of different size, requiring an increased inventory of parts, while the conductor engaging ribs are at corresponding locations on each locating member engaging opposite sides of the conductors at precisely aligned locations. In view of the rib aligment, it is not possible to provide a nonliner path for the clamped flat cable, which would provide effective strain relief even when the provision to adjust the normal clamping force (e.g. by clamping screws) is not made in the interests of a connector housing design that permits rapid assembly in the field.
A connector according to the invention is for receiving conductors grouped either as flat cable or a bundle, and the second conductor locating member is identical to the first, the cable engaging rib extending along only a first edge thereof such that,- in the first position, the conductor locating members are locatable in the housing with the first edges remote from each other so that the ribs are offset from each other, spaced longitudinally of a flat cable located between the conductor locating members to clamp the flat cable in non-rectiliner condition.
The longitudinal stagger of the ribs in the assembly enables the provision of a nonlinear path for the flat cable even though the conductor locating members are identical. Any tension causing straightening of the cable will tend, initially, to increase the engaging force between the cable and the locating members thereby increasing any strain relief. The ribs may also be hooked to improve such strain relief.
Preferably, a step is formed along a second edge of the second face spaced, longitudinally of the cable, from the rib, and a pair receiving either a step or a rib in the flat cable clamping or bundle receiving condition, respectively.
The housing may comprise guides which locate the members for limited sliding movement toward and away from the flat cable whereby the flat cable is easily located between the members prior to final attachment of the housing shells together. This facilitates assembly of the connector housing shells together about the cable. The structure is particularly suitable for use in an environment subject to vibration.
In a particular example, the guides comprise posts received in sockets formed in the locating members.
An example of an electrical connector according to the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of the connector with conductor locating members aligned for locating engagement with a flat cable;
FIGURE 2 is a similar view but with the conductor locating members aligned for engagement with a bundle of conductors;
FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view of the connector in the flat cable locating condition;
FIGURE 4 is a similar view of Figure 3 but with the connector in the bundle locating condition; and
FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary rear view of the connector in the bundle locating condition.

The connector comprises a pair of identical half-shells 12,12' molded of plastics material and adapted to be secured together to provide a housing enclosing a terminal block 13 at a mating face and elongate conductors 15 or 16 (Figure 2) terminated by terminal block and extending through a conductor receiving face 17 of the housing with a pair of identical conductor locating members 18,18' between the mating and conductor receiving faces in a locating engagement with the conductors.
More specifically, each half-shell 12 comprises a base wall 20, side walls 21 and 21' upstanding from opposite edges of the base wall and rear wall 22 joining the side walls at the wire receving face 17. Two pairs of fastening eyes 23 and 23' upstand from the base of its junction with the respective side walls, the eyes of one pair 23 being longitudinally staggered from the eyes 23' of the other pair and joined by a strengthening rib 24whichextend in parallel relation across the base wall adjacent the rear wall and a pair of locating posts 26 and 26' upstand in spaced apart relation from the base wall between the channels 25 and 25'. The rear wall is formed with spaced-apart knock-outs 27 and 27' removable to provide bundle receiving aperatures when the housing shells are assembled together.
The base wall is formed at the mating face with a series of polarising teeth 28 which can be selectively broken away to polarise the connector.
The conductor locating member 18 comprises first and second, opposite, flat cable and conductor bundle locating faces 31, 32. The first face is formed with a rib 33 along a first edge having a canted edge to define a hook. The second face is formed with a pair of spaced bundle receiving openings 34,34" and a step 35 extending between the openings along a second edge of the second face spaced longitudinally (in the direction of the cable) from the rib 33. A pair of through sockets 36, 36' extend in spaced relation through the members.
In assembling the connector to the flat cable 15, the terminal block is located in a half-shell adjacent the mating face 14 and the cable extending over a first face of cable locating member located in the half-shell by the posts 26,26' being freely received in the sockets 36, 36'. The other half-shell is then assembled to the firstwith the other cable locating member similarly mounted on the posts, and the half-shells assembled together, eye pairs 23 of one shell interdigitating with eye pairs 23' of the other half-shell to that jackscrews 38, 38' can be threaded in locking engagement through both pairs on each side of the housing and secured by circlips as shown in Figure 3. The steps 35,35' are received in respective channels and the post 26, 26' received in respective sockets.
In this condition, the flat cable is clamped between the conductor locating members and, when in slack condition, the longitudinal offset of the hooked ribs and steps causes the cable to be non-linear. On imposing tension on the cable tending to straighten the cable e.g., as a result of the vibration, initially, the cable is forced further against the hooked ribs increasing the clamping action.
In assembling the connector to wire bundles, as shown in Figures 2, 4 and 5, the knock-outs 27,27' are removed and the second faces of the conductor locating members arranged vertically adjacent about the bundles 16 which are clamped in boots and received in the cable receiving openings. In this condition, the hooked ribs engage the rearward edge of recess 25.
It will be apparentthatthe connector can rapidly be applied to either flat cable or wire bundles and that the essential parts are identical.
The connector is particularly adapted to mate with an upstanding printed circuit board post header formed with an elongated keyway for receiving a polarising key in a preselected longitudinal position corresponding with the location of a removed tooth.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for receiving, alternatively, conductors in groups of different sizes, comprising an insulating housing including two shells (12,12') each having a mating face (14) and a conductor receiving face (17), first and second conductor locating members (18 and 18' respectively) each having first and second conductor faces (31, 32), of differing shapes, the first conductor locationg faces (31) each being formed with a conductor engaging rib (33) and the second conductor locating faces (32) each being formed with a conductor receiving opening (34 or 34'), the conductor locating members (18 or 18') being receivable between the housing shells (12,12') when the shells (12, 12') are assembled together, in either of two orientations according to the size of the conductor group, with the first faces (31) adjacent in a first cable locating condition of the connector or with the second faces (32) adjacent with the openings (34, 34') together defining a bundle receiving aperture in a bundle receiving condition of the conductor, in both positions the first and second conductor locating faces (31 and 32) extending transversely of, and in locating engagement with, alternative groups of conductors extending through the conductor receiving face (17) into the housing (12, 12') and terminated by terminals at the mating face (14), characterised in that the conductor is for receiving conductors groups either as flat cable or a bundle, and the second conductor locating member (18') is identical to the first (18), the cable engaging rib (33) extending along only a first edge thereof such that, in the first position, the conductor locating members (18, 18') are locatable in the housing (12, 12') with the first edges remote from each other so that the ribs (33) are offset from each other spaced longitudinally of a flat cable located between the conductor locating members (18,18') to clamp the first cable in non-rectlinear condition.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1, characterised in that a step (35) is formed along a second edge of the second face (32) spaced, longitudinally of the cable, from the rib, and a pair of channels (25, 25') extend across each half shell, a channel (25 or 25') of each pair (25,25') receiving either a step (35 or 35') or a rib (33, 33') in the flat cable clamping or bundle receiving condition, respectively.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the ribs (33) are canted to provide hooks and extend in opposite senses in the flat cable clamping condition.

4. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the housing shells (12, 12') comprise guiding posts (26, 26') received as a sliding fit in sockets (36, 36') formed in the members (18, 18').

5. An electrical connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the half shells (12,12') include fastening eyes (23, 23') located at respective opposite peripheries of the half shells (12, 12') arranged to be brought into alignment with each other for receipt of fastening rods (38, 38') extending between mating and conductor receiving faces (14 and 17, respectivey) generally parallel to the conductors to fasten the half shells (12, 12') assembled on the conductors.