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
  • H01R13/00—Details of coupling devices of the kinds covered by groups H01R12/70 or H01R24/00 - H01R33/00
  • H01R13/46—Bases; Cases
  • H01R13/516—Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing, hoods
• • 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
  • H01R12/78—Coupling devices for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures connecting to other flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables 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
  • 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
  • H01R12/771—Details
  • H01R12/775—Ground or shield arrangements
• • 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
  • H01R13/62—Means for facilitating engagement or disengagement of coupling parts or for holding them in engagement
  • H01R13/627—Snap or like fastening
• • 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
  • H01R13/64—Means for preventing incorrect coupling
• • 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

Definitions

• the present invention relates generally to an electrical cable assembly including a shroud which surrounds the connection end of the cable connector. More particularly, the present invention relates to a shroud for removable attachment to an electrical connector.
• a pair of mating electrical connectors are formed.
• One electrical connector typically includes male insertion pins, while the other connector includes mating female sockets.
• the pins of one connector may be inserted into the sockets of the mating connector.
• connection is typically made by directly inserting the male pins into the female sockets. A certain degree of manual dexterity is needed to assure that each of the pins is aligned with each of the sockets prior to insertion, in order to minimize possible damage to the pins upon insertion. This operation is further made difficult where one or the other of the connectors is not readily accessible or is in such a tight location as to make insertion difficult. This is the case where the connectors are used to connect components on printed circuit boards or similar locations where interconnection space is not typically abundant.
• the present invention provides a shroud for an electrical connector having an interconnection surface including a housing having an elongate bore therethrough.
• the housing includes means for engaging the electrical connector and locking the connector in the shroud.
• the interconnection surface of the electrical connector is disposed interiorly of the bore.
• the housing further includes an interconnection channel partially coextensive with the central bore of the housing for guiding and removably receiving another electrical connector for mating electrical connection with the first.
• the invention includes an electrical connection assembly for terminating a multiconductor electrical cable.
• the assembly includes a housing for accommodating one end of the cable.
• Plural electrical contacts are supported in the housing for electrical engagement with the conductors of the cable. Portions of the contacts define either a male or female electrical connection surface.
• a shroud member having a central bore therethrough is removably attachable to the connection housing for surrounding the interconnection surface of the housing. The central bore of the shroud member is adapted for receipt of another connector housing thereby serving as a guide and mating member for the two connector housings.
• Cable 10 includes a plurality of elongate flat copper conductors 12 sandwiched by upper and lower layers 14 and 16 of insulative plastic.
• insulative layers 14 and 16 may be formed of Mylar or any similar plastic.
• One end of cable 10 is terminated in an electrical connector 20 shown additionally in Figures 2 and 4.
• Connector 20 includes an insulative plastic housing 22 which is generally rectangular in shape. Housing 22 supports, transversely thereacross a plurality of electrical contacts 24.
• Connector 20 is constructed to have a one-to-one correspondence between the number of electrical contacts 24 and the number of conductors 12 in cable 10. Each conductor 12 is electrically connected to one of the electrical contacts 24 of connector 20.
• electrical contacts 24 can be either of the male insertion pin type or the female socket type.
• the male insertion pin type contact includes an outwardly extending male pin 26 which is designed for insertable interconnection into the female socket (not shown) of the female connector of Figure 3.
• Connector housing 22 includes a plurality of transversely aligned apertures 28 which serve to captively retain a portion of the electrical contacts to secure the contacts in housing 22.
• connector housing 22 defines an electrical interconnection surface 29 which provides for mating interconnection.
• male pins 26 extend outwardly from interconnection surface 29.
• interconnection surface 29 includes plural apertures 29a which permit interconnection access to the female sockets (not shown).
• connection of the male and female connectors of Figures 1 and 3 is shown.
• Each of the interconnection surfaces 29 are in abutting engagement thereby providing mating connection of the connector housings 22. Connection in this manner provides electrical interconnection between each of the cables 10. It can be seen that in order to facilitate proper connection of the male connector housing to the female connector housing it is necessary that the pins 24 of one connector 20 be inserted into the apertures 29a of the other connector 20. While typically this may be easily achieved by manually aligning the pins 24 with the apertures 29a there may be instances where access to one or other of the connectors 20 is not readily available.
• Shroud 30 is a generally rectangular plastic member having a central bore 32 extending therethrough.
• Shroud 30 has a transverse dimension which is approximately equivalent to the transverse dimension of connector housing 22 to receive the connector housing therein as will be described in further detail hereinbelow.
• Shroud 30 includes a plurality of facing inwardly directed projections 34 extending transversely along the lower portion thereof. Projections 34 serve to lock connector 20 in shroud 30 by snapping into openings 28 of connector 20. As the shroud 30 is formed of a somewhat resilient plastic these projections 34 will deform to snap into openings 28 upon insertion of connector 20 through the bottom of shroud 30.
• a male and female connector are shown respectively positioned in shroud 30.
• shroud 30 includes on one side thereof a centrally located channel 40 which opens toward the upper end of shroud 30.
• This channel is dimensioned to accommodate a protruding key 42 shown in Figures 3 and 4 which extends from connector housing 2 .
• This protruding key 42 provides for polarized receipt of connector 20 in shroud 30.
• Shroud 30 also includes a pair of mounting ears 44 which oppositely extend from the lower end of shroud 30. Mounting ears 44 include a central aperture 45 therethrough which permit the shroud 30 to be secured to a printed circuit board (not shown) or similar surface.
• the connector which is to be secured to the shroud 30 is male connector such as that shown in Figure 1.
• a female connector such as that shown in Figure 3 will be matingly connected thereto.
• female connector 20 could also be the shrouded connector for connection with male connector.
• Male connector 20 is inserted into shroud 30 from the lower end thereof.
• projections 34 of shroud 30 engage openings 28 of connector 20 to lock connector 20 into shroud 30.
• Bore 32 thereby forms a protective passageway for the insertion of female connector 20 shown in Figure 2 therein.
• the protruding key 42 with channel slot 40 of shroud 30. This assures that the connection will be properly polarized.
• shroud of the present invention serves to facilitate the interconnection of one connector to the other mating connector. Further, where access to the connectors may be hindered, blind insertion of one connector with the other connector is facilitated by the use of shroud 30.

Landscapes

• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
• Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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ID=25446178

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

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Citations (3)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 1987
  • 1987-09-30 AU AU79247/87A patent/AU584523B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1987-10-19 EP EP87309201A patent/EP0265201A3/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1987-10-20 JP JP62262931A patent/JPS63264882A/ja active Pending

Patent Citations (3)

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