FR2703192A1 - Assembly of a plug connector and a coaxial cable plug. - Google Patents

Abstract

An assembly (10) of a plug connector (22) and a mating socket (12, 14, 16) for coaxial cable, low profile. The socket has a dielectric housing (12) in which are housed a grounding contact clamp (14) and a signal contact pin (16). A metallic shell (24) contains a dielectric insert (26) which encloses a metallic contact (30). The latter comprises two arms (74) intended to couple with the contact pin (16). Field of application: connectors for coaxial cables.

Description

The invention relates to an assembly of a connector

  a low-profile cable socket for surface mounting on a substrate such as

printed circuit board.

  U.S. Patent No. 5,061,206 discloses a connector for a coaxial cable. The connector has a tubular, L-shaped, outer conductive shell having a body portion having a coupling opening and an arm portion. extending laterally from the body portion and having a connection opening An L-shaped dielectric mass is placed inside the shell and has an L-shaped groove An L-shaped center terminal is received in the L-shaped groove and includes an annular connection portion having a slot for a connection with a conductor

central of a coaxial cable.

  U.S. Patent No. 5,021,011 discloses a similar connector which comprises a stop ring so that the body portion, when the connector mates with a complementary socket, expands, causing a throat annular surrounding the body portion to abut against the stop ring The inner face of the stop ring, as described, is formed so as to be polygonal so that when the complementary connector is plugged in / withdrawn by force being rotated in one direction and the other, it allows the outer shell to expand to become substantially circular, thus ensuring the protection of the connector and increasing the service life. The present invention aims to provide a connector assembly and a socket, less complex, of

  low profile and whose parts can easily be accom-

  Plees. The invention consists of an assembly of a plug connector and a coaxial cable plug, wherein the plug connector comprises a metal shielding shell having means for connection to the shield of a coaxial cable, and a dielectric insert to be received in the shielding shell and containing a metal contact having means for connection to the center conductor of the coaxial cable and means for mating with a signal contact of the socket, the assembly having as features that the receptacle comprises a dielectric housing having sidewalls extending from a base, the base having means for mounting the housing to the surface of a substrate, a grounding contact element received in the base and a signal contact pin, exposed in the housing, the metal contact having arms for mating with the contact pin, the and the hull with openings allowing the arms to mate

  with the contact pin when the plug connector is coupled with the plug, the ground contact member engaging the shield shell. The assembly, in the preferred form of embodiment,

  tion, comprises a dielectric housing defined by a plurality of walls rising from a base, means for surface mounting of the base on a substrate, a grounding contact clip received in the base and a contact pin. signal signal uncovered inside the housing A metal shell cut and formed, to be coupled by snapping with the pin, is intended to receive a dielectric insert in which is mounted a metal contact cut and formed The contact comprises two arms intended to make an electrical interconnection with the contact pin, and the shell and the insert

  dielectric have aligned openings to

  put the coupling of the metal contact with the contact pin Finally, the coaxial cable is subject to the metal contact via the shell and the element

dielectric report.

  The invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by way of non-limiting example and in which: FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the main parts of a plug and socket connector assembly, for cable, at right angles, according to one embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the assembly of the plug connector and plug, without the cable, prior to coupling; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the plug connector and the plug, coupled, without the cable; Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a cable contact forming part of the assembly; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a grounding contact clip of the assembly; Fig. 6 is a side view of the ground contact clip of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a bottom perspective view of a dielectric housing for receiving the ground contact clip; Figures 8 and 9 are front and rear perspective views, respectively, of a metal shell shielding the assembly; Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a dielectric insert for receiving the cable contact of Fig. 4; Figure 11 is an axial sectional view of the plug connector aligned with a coaxial cable prior to assembly on the plug; and FIG. 12 is an axial sectional view of the connector assembly of the plug connector and the jack mounted on

the cable.

  The main parts of a low-profile, easily-coupled, low-profile, coaxial, coaxial cable plug and socket assembly for surface mounting on a planar element, such as a printed circuit board, are The assembly 10 comprises a socket housing 12, a metal grounding contact clip 14 cut and formed, intended to be loaded through the bottom of the housing 12, a pin 16 signal contact, cut and formed from a metal blank and molded into the base 18 of the housing 12, a removable cover 20 and a plug connector portion 22 The purpose of the cover 20 is to allow automated sampling and placement of the socket housing 12, for example by means of a vacuum line, and its removal at the time when the housing 12 is coupled with the connector portion 22 The connector portion 22 is constituteda cut and shaped, or stamped, metal shield shell 24 of a dielectric insert 26 having a central contact receiving cavity 28, and a cut and formed metal contact 30 for loading into said cavity As explained below with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12, the shell 24 comprises a cylindrical crimping ferrule on a cable intended to surround the reduced section 32 of the shell 24 and to trap the metallic braid of grounding. 'a

  cable loaded into the reduced hull portion 24.

  The housing 12 of the socket (which is best illustrated in Figures 2, 3 and 7) is made of a dielectric material, for example injection molded in synthetic resin The housing 12 consists of the base 18, two side walls 36, an end wall 38 and a front wall 40 having a cutout 42 for receiving the shell 24 when the housing 12 is coupled with

  the connector portion 22 The base 18 defines two openings

  44, adjacent to the respective side walls 36 for receiving the grounding contact clip 14 Inside the cutout 42, the base 18 is provided with a tongue-receiving recess 46 for a mounting tab. to the ground, described below, the earthing contact clamp 14. Each side wall 36 is further provided with an inner recess 48 which, as will be apparent from the

  Description below, allows bending of the grounding contact clamp 14 during its engagement with the metal shell 24 of the assembled connector portion 22.

  In addition, two alignment ribs 52 projecting from the respective lateral walls 36 are provided near the inner surface of the end wall 38. The ribs 52 cooperate to define slots 54 for receiving, as explained hereinafter. below, two wings projecting laterally on the metal shell 24 Finally, a tab 56 for fixing (Figure 7), which is an effective means for hot stapling or ultrasonically weld the housing 12 to a grounding contact, made protruding

the base 18.

  A particularity of the housing 12 of the socket is the presence of the signal contact pin 16, which has just been molded in the housing 12, as illustrated in the section of FIG. 12 The contact pin 16, which is cut and formed in a metal blank, as mentioned above, has an upright pin 57, of substantially circular cross section, to be exposed inside the housing 12 (see FIG. 2), and a tongue

  58 underneath the housing 12 for engagement with

  electrical system with an appropriate circuit or tracks on

the plane element.

  The earthing contact clamp 14, shown in section in FIG. 5, is made of an electrically conductive spring metal and is cut and formed in a metal blank. The contact clamp 14 comprises a base 66 of which there are two arms 60 whose end portions 62 are bent over 1800 and terminate in two inwardly facing tongues 64 The base 66 of the grounding contact clamp 14 has an opening Central 68 which, when the base 66 is connected to the housing 12, exceeds the tongue 56 of fixation In addition, another tongue 70 of grounding projecting towards the front of the base 66 of

  the clip may be provided, the tongue to be dimensioned

  sioned to fit in the recess 46 of the base 18 of the housing 12 It will be observed that the arms 60 were formed of

  in such a way as to have opposed concave recesses 71, turned inwards, in order to facilitate the housing of the metal shell 24 in the clamp 14 when the shell is coupled with the clamp 14.

  FIG. 1 illustrates the metal contact 30 in a preloading position, while FIG. 4 shows the contact on an enlarged scale and rotated 180 to show its particularities of realization. The contact 30 consists of a cut and formed metal element. and comprises, rising from a base 76, two cable engaging spring arms 72 and two contact pin engaging arms 74 for electrically engaging and

  receive the column 57 of circular cross section.

  A lug 78 facing upwards and cut into the base 76 acts as a cable stop when a cable C is attached thereto. The spring arms 72 may furthermore be provided with

  bosses 80, made, for example, by forming

  Pre-embossed, to better grip the cable insulation C

  when placed between the arms 72 Finally, the extremes

  82 and 84 of the contact 30 are provided with flanges 86 and 88, respectively, at "T", to suitably align the contact 30 within the dielectric insert 26. The dielectric insert 26, which views in perspective from above and from below are illustrated in Figures 1 and 10, consists of a body globally

  cylindrical dimensioned to be received in the metal shell

  The insert 26 includes an elevated portion

  along a section of its underside

  The parts of this part are such as to fit into a complementary cut-out of the shell, as explained below. The raised portion 90 is provided with an opening 92 which communicates with the central cavity 28, as

  it is best seen in the sectional view of Figure 11.

  As indicated previously, the upper wall 94 of the cavity 28 has two grooves 96 ending in a lateral slot 98 at mid-point inside the insert 26. It appears that when the contact 30 is loaded into the insert 26 , the "T" flanges 86, 88 are internally lodged and move along the respective grooves 96 until the front flange 86 moves into slot 98, thereby signaling a position of

full load.

  The last main piece of the assembly 10 is the metal shell 24 cut and formed, or stamped The shell 24, as shown in Figures 1, 8 and 9, comprises an elongated body 100, generally circular, traversed by an axial cavity 102, and a portion 32 of reduced diameter The end 104 of coupling or loading insert of the shell 24 has two wings or flanges 106 extending laterally and a foldable flap 108 The bottom, away from the foldable flap 108, has a cutout 110 to slidably receive the raised portion 90 of the insert 26 when the latter is loaded into the shell 24 Moreover, since the insert 26, when loaded, is totally inside the hull 24, the flap can be rotated

  collapsible 108 to close the end 104.

  Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the relationship between the cable C and the various parts of the plug and socket assembly. After the contact 30 has been aligned and loaded into the insert 26, this loaded insert is pushed to the interior of the shell 24 o the raised portion 90 of the insert 26 is housed inside the cutout 110 of the shell 24 The foldable flap 108 is then brought by pivoting in its closed position Then an extreme stretch stripped of the cable C, from which the insulator was removed to expose the grounding braid 112 and the bare conductor of which a small cable contact has been crimped, is inserted into the axial opening 114 of the portion 32 of reduced diameter of the shell 24 between the spring arms 72 of the contact 30 to its stop 78 of cable To finish the connector portion 22, a metal ferrule 114 (Figure 12) is positioned on the cable C until at the end 117 of the portion 32 of reduced diameter of the shell 24 As shown in Figure 12, the bare braid 112 of the cable is trapped between the portion 32 of reduced diameter and the shell 114 In this position, the shell 114 is crimped around the cable C to secure the latter to the assembled connector portion 22 To facilitate the engagement of the ferrule 114 with the reduced diameter portion 32, this portion 32 may be

  provided with one or more annular grooves 116.

  Fig. 12 shows the plug and socket assembly in the assembled state. For mounting of the connector portion 22 on the socket housing 12, the protective cover 20 of the housing 12 is removed and discarded. 60 of the grounding contact clamp 14 are thus ready to receive the assembled metal shell 24 The shell 24 is pushed between the arms 30 so that they bend laterally inside the recesses

  48 of the sidewalls 36 as they come back elastically

  while the shell is lodged between the concave recesses 71 of the arms 60 simultaneously, the arms of

  contact 74 of the contact 30 electrically engage the

  net 57 which protrudes into the opening 92 of the insert 26 into the cavity 28 of the insert member 26 Therefore, an easy coupling, similar to a detent, is easily achieved between the connector portion 22 and the taken by the assembled housing 12. It goes without saying that many modifications can be made to the assembly described and shown

  without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

  An assembly (10) of a plug connector (22) and a coaxial cable plug (12, 14, 16) wherein the plug connector (22) has a shielding metal shell (24) having means (32) for connection to the shield (112) of a coaxial cable (C), and a dielectric insert (26) for receipt in the shielding shell (24) and containing a metal contact (30). ) having means (72) for connection to the center conductor of the coaxial cable (C) and means (74) for coupling with a signal contact of the socket (12, 14, 16); characterized in that the socket comprises a dielectric housing (12) having sidewalls (36, 38,) rising from a base (18), the base (18) having means for mounting the housing (12) on the surface of a substrate, a ground contact element (14) received in the base (18) and a signal contact pin (16) being exposed in the housing (12), the contact metal (30) having arms (74) for mating with the spindle (16)   the insert (26) and the shell (24) are   two aligned apertures (92, 110) allowing the arms (74) to mate with the contact pin (16) when the plug connector (22) is coupled with the plug (12, 14, 16), the engaging ground engaging member (14) the shielding shell (24).   Assembly according to claim 1, characterized   characterized in that the ground contact element is a clamp (14) having spring arms (60) for   engage by snapping the shell (24).   Assembly according to one of claims 1 and   2, characterized in that the grounding contact element (14) has a plurality of tabs (64, 70) for engaging grounding circuit tracks on the substrate. he   4 Assembly according to any one of the   1, 2 and 3, characterized in that the contact pin (16) has a base (58) molded into the base (18) of the housing (12).   Assembly according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the metal contact (30) comprises two spring arms (72) for   engage around the center conductor of the coaxial cable (C).   6 Assembly according to any one of the   preceding claims, characterized in that the metal shell (24) has an open end (104) for   receiving the dielectric insert (26) and a collapsible flap (108) for closing said open end (104).   Assembly according to claim 6, characterized   characterized in that the metal shell (24) has two wings (106) aligned laterally, close to the open end (104) of the shell (24) to engage in slots   complementary (54) of the dielectric housing (26).   Assembly according to one of claims 6 and   7, characterized in that the end of the metal shell (24) remote from its open end (104) comprises a concentric portion (32) of reduced diameter formed to have at least one outer annular groove (116) for the engagement of a ferrule (114) to be crimped   around said portion (32) of reduced diameter.   Assembly according to claim 8, characterized   characterized in that a metallic braid (112) for grounding the coaxial cable (C) is trapped between the part   (32) of reduced diameter and the ferrule (114).   Assembly according to any one of   preceding claims, characterized in that the housing   dielectric (12) comprises a cover (20) to be removed before the plug connector is coupled with the taken (12, 14, 16).