EP0233536A1 - Elektrische Verbindungsvorrichtung zur Verwendung mit Flachkabeln - Google Patents

Elektrische Verbindungsvorrichtung zur Verwendung mit Flachkabeln Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0233536A1
EP0233536A1 EP87101425A EP87101425A EP0233536A1 EP 0233536 A1 EP0233536 A1 EP 0233536A1 EP 87101425 A EP87101425 A EP 87101425A EP 87101425 A EP87101425 A EP 87101425A EP 0233536 A1 EP0233536 A1 EP 0233536A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cable
idc
cables
base member
conductors
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.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP87101425A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Richard William Sheppard
Michael Joseph Breen
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.)
Allied Corp
Original Assignee
Allied Corp
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
Application filed by Allied Corp filed Critical Allied Corp
Publication of EP0233536A1 publication Critical patent/EP0233536A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current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

Definitions

  • This invention relates to connection devices for use with flat power distribution cables of the type designed for undercarpet use.
  • One such cable is described in British patent application No. 8523359 of September 20, 1985 and has a wide flat earth strip under which are arranged, side-by-side. narrower live and neutral conductors.
  • the live and neutral conductors are provided with an electrically-insulating sleeve and the cable as a whole is also provided with suitable insulation in the form of a flat insulative envelope sealed only along its side edges.
  • the earth strip serves both as the earth conductor and as an electromagnetic screen for the live and neutral conductors. It is only lightly bonded to the live and neutral conductor package so that it can easily be separated from them.
  • connection device for use with a cable of this kind is described in British patent application No. 8424281 of September 26, 1984.
  • the device has a base over which the cable can be laid, an upper member which is positioned over the cable and secured to the base and an insulative separating plate for location between the upper and base members, which, in use, is passed between the earth conductor and live and neutral conductors respectively, of the cable.
  • the base and upper members are provided with insulation displacing contacts (IDC) by means of which connections to the cable conductors are made, the separating plate preventing the IDC means passing right through either the live or neutral conductors into the earth strip.
  • IDC insulation displacing contacts
  • connection device especially for two cable runs extending perpendicularly to one another. It would also be desirable to provide a connection device which can mount a conventional socket or junction box, or in the absence of such box, a device which has a low profile.
  • connection device for connecting flat cables at an angle to one another comprising a base member having a cable-receiving surface over which the cables to be joined are to be laid, an upper member for location over the cable-receiving surface of the base member, securing means for securing the upper and base members together and insulation displacement contact (IDC) means in the base member for connecting corresponding conductors of the cables to one another.
  • IDC insulation displacement contact
  • connection device for flat cables comprising a base member having a cable-receiving surface over which a cable is to be laid, an upper member for location over the cable-receiving surface of the base member and securing means for securing the upper and base members together, one of the upper and base members being provided with IDC means including a projecting tine for contacting a conductor of the cable and the other having a recess for receiving the tine; the recess co-operating with the tine, in use, to cause the cable conductor to deform around the tine.
  • connection device of Figures 1 to 4 is intended to serve a dual purpose; it connects two cable runs extending perpendicularly to one another and mounts a conventional socket or junction box.
  • the connection device comprises a base member 10, an upper member 12 and a separating plate 14.
  • the base member 10 is generally rectangular and is provided with two broad shallow grooves 16 extending perpendicularly to one another across its upper surface for receiving two perpendicular lengths of flat cable 18 (only one of which is shown in Figure 2).
  • the periphery of the base member 10 may be slotted to receive the ends of stainless steel strips which are often placed over flat cables of the kind described to protect them from mechanical damage.
  • IDC insulation-displacing contact
  • Each IDC means 22 is generally triangular in shape, having the form of a right-angled isosceles triangle, and is provided at two of its vertices with rings of upwardly extending pointed teeth or tines 24. At its third vertex the IDC means 22 has a screw terminal post 26 of a conventional kind.
  • the IDC means 22 are positioned diagonally opposite each other on the base member 10 so that when the cables 18 are laid over them one ring of teeth 24 of each IDC member lies beneath the central region in which the cable runs intersect each other and the other ring of teeth 24 lies within one of the cable-receiving grooves 16 but outside the central intersection area.
  • the positions of the IDC means 22 are shown most clearly in Figure 3 of the drawings.
  • Each terminal post 26 locates in a notch 28 formed at one of the intersections of the cable-receiving grooves 16.
  • the upper member 12 of the connection device is in the nature of a box-like cover which can be secured over the base member 10 and cables 18 by means of, for example, clamping screws (not shown).
  • the upper member 12 may incorporate or may include means for mounting a junction box or power outlet socket 30 and may be provided with apertures 32 to house telephone or data outlet sockets which are themselves connected to undercarpet networks.
  • the live and neutral conductors 34 and 36 of one cable 18 are moved away from the earth or ground conductor ,38 so that the other cable 18 may be inserted between them.
  • an insulative separating plate 14 is inserted between the live and neutral conductors 34 and 36 and earth conductor 38, respectively, of the second cable 18 in the region which, in the assembled junction, will lie in the central intersection region of the base member 10.
  • the second cable 18 is then inserted through the first until the separating plate 14 lies in the intersection of the two cables 18. Both cables 18 are positioned so that the live and neutral conductors 34 and 36 lie beneath the separating plate 14 to ensure that the polarities are correct, with the earth conductors 38 adjacent one another above the separating plate 14.
  • the cable junction is then positioned on the base member 10 so that the cables lie in the cable-receiving grooves 16.
  • the upper member 12 is located over the base member 10 and cable junction and then clamped down onto the base member 10.
  • the IDC means 22 are prevented from passing through the live and neutral conductors 34 and 36 and contacting the earth conductors 38 by the intervention of the insulative separating plate 14 which is of dimensions such that it overlies both rings of teeth 24 of each IDC means 22 but can be located in the cable-receiving grooves 16.
  • the underside of the upper member 12 may be provided with suitable IDC means (now shown) by means of which the earth conductors 38 of the two cables 18 are connected together. Again, the presence of the separating plate 14 will prevent the IDC means passing through the earth conductors to contact the live or neutral conductors.
  • a connecting device of the kind shown in Figures 1 to 4 can be used to connect two perpendicularly-extending runs of flat undercarpet cable at right-angle bends and T-junctions as well as at cross-overs, simply by cutting the cable off short at the connection device as desired. It may also be used to connect two parallel lengths of cable whose ends are butted together provided the join line passes between the two IDC portions of each IDC means.
  • connection device shown in Figures 5 to 7 can be used.
  • the device again, comprises a base member 1 10 provided with perpendicular cable-receiving grooves 116 and IDC means 122 over which the cables 180 are laid.
  • the IDC means 122 are each formed of sheet metal cut and shaped to form two rings of four upwardly-projecting tines 124.
  • Each of the IDC means 122 is located in an recess 120 formed in the base member 110 and they are similarly positioned to the I DC means in the device of Figures 1 to 4. No terminal posts are, however, provided as no connections to sockets or junction boxes are to be made.
  • the base member 110 is generally square and midway along each of its edges it is provided with a raised rectangular platform 140 having formed in it four shallow curved-cross-section depressions or recesses 142. The function of the recesses 142 will be made apparent below.
  • the corners of the base member 110 may also be provided with slots 144 for receiving the ends of the stainless-steel strips 146 which are commonly used to protect undercarpet cables from mechanical damage.
  • the upper member 112 is in the form of a shallow cover plate which locates over the base member 110 and the cable-junction and which may be secured to the base member by means of, for example, clamping screws (not shown).
  • a cross-shaped boss 150 which is of dimensions such that it will locate in the cable-receiving grooves 116 when the upper and base members 110 and 112 are secured together.
  • the end surface of the boss 150 is provided with depressions or recesses 152 similar to the recesses 142 formed on the base member 110.
  • an earth or ground ring 160 in the form of a conductive plate which is shaped to fit the end surface of the boss 150 on the underside of the upper member 112.
  • the plate is cut away to form a central opening 166 to expose the recesses 152 and is provided with four sets of downwardly-projecting tines 164 which, when the connection device is assembled, are received in the recesses 142 of the base member 110.
  • the earth ring 160 is fixed to the underside of the boss 150.
  • each cable 180 in turn is laid over the base member 110 as shown in Figure 6 and stripped of its earth conductor 138 in the region in which the cables 180 intersect.
  • the upper member 112, bearing the earth ring 160 is then secured to the base member 110, clamping the cables 180 between the two.
  • the tines 124 of the IDC means 122 on the base member 110 pierce the cable insulation to contact the live and neutral conductors 134 and 136 of the two cables 180 and connect them together.
  • the tines 124 and recesses 152 on the underside of the upper member 112 cooperate to cause the copper sheet of which the live and neutral conductors 134 and 136 are formed to deform around the tines 124 rather than being ruptured by them.
  • the deformation of the conductors 134 and 136 around the tines 124 leads to better electrical contact with the IDC means 122. Because the earth conductor 138 has been cut away to expose the recesses 152. there is no possibility of inadvertently connecting the live or neutral conductor 134 or 136 to the earth conductor 138 by means of the IDC tines 124.
  • the tines 164 of the earth ring 160 pierce the cable insulation to contact the earth conductors 138 of the two cables 180 to connect them together.
  • the tines 164 and recesses 142 formed in the base member 110 cooperate in a similar manner to that described above to ensure that the earth conductors 138 are deformed around the tines 164 , rather than pierced by them, to ensure good electrical contact. Because the tines 164 and recesses 142 are positioned centrally of the cables 180 they engage the portion of each earth conductor 138 which overlies the insulated gap between the live and neutral conductors 134 and 136. The tines 142 are also positioned outside the area over which the cables 180 intersect. There is, therefore, no risk of inadvertently connecting live, neutral and earth conductors by means of the earth ring tines 164.
  • connection device may again be used to form cross-overs, T-junctions and right-angle bends. It may also be used to connect together two separate lengths of cable whose ends are butted together. In this latter case, however, care must again be taken to ensure that the join line between the ends of the two cables passes between the two rings of tines 142 on each of the two IDC means 122.
  • connection device shown in Figures 5 to 7 is easy to use, correct connection being effected once the earth conductors have been removed simply by clamping the cables between the base and upper members of the device.
  • the use of the IDC means is in part responsible for the simplicity of the device and, furthermore, enables it to be made extremely slim in profile: the assembled junction may be as little as 5 mm in thickness.
  • the cooperation of the IDC tines with the recesses also ensures that a good electrical contact is made.

Landscapes

  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)
  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
EP87101425A 1986-02-21 1987-02-03 Elektrische Verbindungsvorrichtung zur Verwendung mit Flachkabeln Withdrawn EP0233536A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8604399A GB2187049A (en) 1986-02-21 1986-02-21 Insulation displacement connector for joining flat cables
GB8604399 1986-02-21

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0233536A1 true EP0233536A1 (de) 1987-08-26

Family

ID=10593482

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP87101425A Withdrawn EP0233536A1 (de) 1986-02-21 1987-02-03 Elektrische Verbindungsvorrichtung zur Verwendung mit Flachkabeln

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0233536A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2187049A (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0288162A2 (de) * 1987-03-26 1988-10-26 THOMAS & BETTS CORPORATION Apparat zum Abzweigen oder Anschliessen von Unterteppichkabeln
WO1994024725A1 (de) * 1993-04-14 1994-10-27 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Modul zum anschluss von aktoren und/oder sensoren

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6036528A (en) * 1998-01-23 2000-03-14 The Whitaker Corporation Hollow contact for solder connection

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1356387A (fr) * 1963-02-13 1964-03-27 Conducteur électrique perfectionné et appareillage s'y rapportant
US4429940A (en) * 1981-11-27 1984-02-07 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tap connector
US4543716A (en) * 1983-09-23 1985-10-01 The Wiremold Company Method and apparatus for electrical connection of flat cables
GB2161998A (en) * 1984-06-01 1986-01-22 Hubbell Inc Harvey Flat-cable connection system
GB2165101A (en) * 1984-09-26 1986-04-03 Allied Corp Electrical connection devices for use with flat cable

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
NL266293A (de) * 1960-06-23
ZA774638B (en) * 1976-09-07 1978-06-28 Amp Inc Electrical connector
US4201436A (en) * 1978-09-14 1980-05-06 Sealectro Corporation Miniature matrix assembly
SE427514B (sv) * 1979-05-25 1983-04-11 Thomas & Betts Corp Forfarande och anordning for anslutning av en forsta bandkabel med inbordes isolerade ledare till en andra bandkabel med inbordes isolerade ledare
US4480889A (en) * 1982-01-07 1984-11-06 Thomas & Betts Corporation Adapter and method for tapping or splicing flat multiconductor cable
CA1214836A (en) * 1982-07-23 1986-12-02 Joseph L. Lockard Electrical interconnection system

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1356387A (fr) * 1963-02-13 1964-03-27 Conducteur électrique perfectionné et appareillage s'y rapportant
US4429940A (en) * 1981-11-27 1984-02-07 Minnesota Mining And Manufacturing Company Tap connector
US4543716A (en) * 1983-09-23 1985-10-01 The Wiremold Company Method and apparatus for electrical connection of flat cables
GB2161998A (en) * 1984-06-01 1986-01-22 Hubbell Inc Harvey Flat-cable connection system
GB2165101A (en) * 1984-09-26 1986-04-03 Allied Corp Electrical connection devices for use with flat cable

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0288162A2 (de) * 1987-03-26 1988-10-26 THOMAS & BETTS CORPORATION Apparat zum Abzweigen oder Anschliessen von Unterteppichkabeln
EP0288162A3 (de) * 1987-03-26 1990-03-14 THOMAS & BETTS CORPORATION Apparat zum Abzweigen oder Anschliessen von Unterteppichkabeln
WO1994024725A1 (de) * 1993-04-14 1994-10-27 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Modul zum anschluss von aktoren und/oder sensoren
US5722852A (en) * 1993-04-14 1998-03-03 Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Module for the connection of actuator and/or sensors

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB8604399D0 (en) 1986-03-26
GB2187049A (en) 1987-08-26

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Inventor name: SHEPPARD, RICHARD WILLIAM

Inventor name: BREEN, MICHAEL JOSEPH