GB2136219A - Mounting terminals in an electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

A connector includes a first moulded electrically insulating body part 24 having extending therethrough a plurality of parallel passages 33 each of which is arranged to receive an end region of a respective electrical terminal (not shown) such that the remainder of the terminal projects from one end of the respective passage, and second and optional third moulded, electrically insulating body parts 25, 26 detachably engageable with said first body part, said first, second and third body parts when inter-engaged defining extensions of said passages 33 for receiving said remainder of said terminals, the walls of said passages having surfaces preventing passage of said terminals, in use, through said passages in a direction away from said second body part, and said second body part having surfaces which in use can coact with said terminals to prevent withdrawal of the terminals from said passages in a direction towards said second body part. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connector This invention relates to electrical connectors of the kind wherein a plurality of terminals are carried in a common body for mating engagement with an array of corresponding terminals carried by a further component, and is particularly but not exclusively concerned with connectors for making electrical connection between a plurality of electrical leads and conductive tracks of a printed circuit board.

In connectors of the kind mentioned above it is desirable in many applications to position the terminals parallel and as close together as possible to minimise the cross-sectional area of the connector. A known connector arrangement includes a plurality of terminals secured in respective parallel passages in a moulded synthetic resin body. In order to support the terminals in such a manner that physical contact between adjacent terminals is impossible, even if the terminals rock in their passages as a result of movement of the leads to which the terminals are connected, it is usual for the length of each passage to exceed the length of the respective terminal so that the whole of each terminal is received within its respective passage. Thus the mating portion and the lead connecting portion of each terminal is separated from its neighbours by the respective passage walls.Since the common body is moulded then each passage forming core of the mould tool must have a draw angle taper to enable withdrawal of the core after moulding. It is evident therefore that each passage will taper in cross-sectional area from a minimum at one end to maximum at the other end.

The minimum cross-sectional area of each passage will be determined by the size of the terminal to be housed therein and the maximum cross-sectional area will thus be determined by, in combination, the minimum cross-sectional area, the passage length, and draw angle of the passage. In turn, the overall cross-sectional area of the body will be determined by the minimum acceptable passage wall thickness, the number and arrangement of passages, and the maximum cross-sectional area of the passages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a connector wherein the cross-sectional area can be reduced beyond that possible in the aforementioned usual connector, given an equivalent number and arrangement of terminals, while at the same time affording secure and positive fixing of the terminals in the body.

A connector according to the invention includes a first, moulded electrically insulating body part having extending therethrough a plurality of parallel passages each of which is arranged to receive an end region of a respective electrical terminal such that the remainder of the terminal projects from one end of the respective passage, and a second moulded, electrically insulating body part detachably engageable with said first body part, said first and second body parts when interengaged defining extensions of said passages for receiving said remainder of said terminals, the walls of said passages having surfaces preventing passage of said terminals, in use, through said passages in a direction away from said second body part, and said second body part having surfaces which in use can coact with said terminals to prevent withdrawal of the terminals from said passages in a direction towards said second body part.

Preferably said first and second body parts are provided with a sliding interengagement at right angles to the passages of the first body part.

Conveniently the first or second body part is provided with a plurality of recesses which, when the first and second body parts are interengaged are bridged by corresponding areas of the other body part to define in the outer wall of the combined body, apertures through which leads connected to the terminals can extend.

Preferably each of said passages in the first body part has a surface which in use coacts with a retaining lance of its respective terminal to resist withdrawal of the terminal from its passage.

Preferably said passages of said first body part are arranged in a first row and the first body part has further similar passages arranged in a second row parallel to the first row, said second body part being associated with said first row and a third body part similar to said second body part being similarly associated with said second row of passages.

Desirably the connector forms one part of a two part connector assembly, the connector being arranged to mate with a corresponding connector forming the other part of the two part connector assembly.

A connector assembly including an electrical connector in accordance with one example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the female connector of the connector assembly: Figure 2 is a perspective, exploded view of part of the male connector of the connector assembly; Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the female connector; Figure 4 is a view in the direction of arrow A in Figure 3; Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 4 with the terminal omitted; Figure 7 is a side elevational view of part of the male connector of the assembly; Figure 8 is a sectional view of the connector shown in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a sectional view on the line 9-9 of Figure 8;; Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 7 but illustrating further parts of the male connector assembled; Figure 11 is a sectional view on the line 11-11 of Figure 10; Figure 12 is a sectional view on the line 12--12 of Figure 11; Figure 13 is a view in the direction of arrow B in Figure 10; Figure 14 is a side elevational view in section, and to an enlarged scale, of one of the electrical terminals of the male connector; and Figure 1 5 is a plan view of the terminal shown in Figure 14.

Referring to the drawings, the electrical connector assembly includes a female connector 11 (Figure 1) and a male connector 12 (Figure 2) engageable with the female connector 11. Figure 2 does not illustrate the whole of the male connector, and shows an exploded view of only certain of the parts thereof.

The female connector 11 (Figures 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6) comprises a generally strip-like moulded synthetic resin member 13 of rectangular form.

Upstanding from one face of the member 13, and integral therewith, is a hollow tubular element 14 which is of rectangular cross-section.

Within the confines of the element 14 the member 1 3 is formed with a plurality of through passages 15, the passages 1 5 being arranged in two parallel rows aligned with the length of the member 13. Extending through each of the passages 1 5 and anchored therein in any convenient manner, is a respective terminal pin 16, the terminal pins extending upwardly from the member 13 within the confines of the element 14.

The pins 1 6 protrude from the lower face of the member 13, that is to say from the face of the member 13 remote from the element 14, and are bent to lie at right angles, that is to say parallel to the plane of the member 13. The bent portions of the pins 1 6 are intended for connection to a printed circuit board, and the pins may be shaped in this region so as to facilitate the making of a soldered connection to respective conductive tracks of the printed circuit board.

As is best seen in Figure 4 the passages 15, and thus the pins 16 are so arranged that the pins 1 6 of one row are staggered in the direction of the length of the row with respect to the pins 1 6 of the other row.

Adjacent one end the member 13 is formed with an integral upstanding anchor lug 17, the lug 1 7 extending parallel to the element 14. The anchor lug 1 7 is formed with a shaped aperture 1 8. At its opposite end the member 1 3 is formed with an integral, upstanding, resilient flexible limb 19, the limb 19 extending parallel to the lug 18, but being of greater length. The limb 19 is also formed with an aperture 21. Between the limb 19 and the element 14, and also between the element 14 and the lug 17, the member 13 is formed with through bores 22 and the member 1 3 is thickened, to define fixing bosses for the reception of mounting screws or bolts.Alternative moulding lugs 23 are provided as integral projections on the lower face of the member 13, the lugs 23 affording a mounting arrangement at right angles to the bores 22.

The male connector 12 of the assembly (Figure 2 and Figures 7 to 13) comprises three main parts all of which are illustrated in Figure 2. The three parts comprise a first body moulding 24, and second and third moulded body parts referred to hereinafter as terminal security parts 25, 26. The parts 24, 25, 26 are electrically insulating, the parts 25, 26 being of similar form, and being engageable with the body moulding 24. The body moulding 24 comprises a generally plate-like part 27 having an integral rectangular block 28 protruding from the lower face thereof. The block 28 is dimensioned to fit within the element 14 of the female connector 11.Integral with the plate iike part 27 and upstanding from the face thereof remote from the block 28 is a wall 29 which extends generally along the longitudinal centre line of the part 27. At the opposite ends of the wall 29, spaced therefrom and extending transversely with respect thereto are upstanding end walls 31,32 integral with the part 27. The upper free edge of each of the end walls 31, 32 is formed with a recess defining a pair of spaced parallel, mutually presented abutment surfaces 31a,31b;32a, 32,b.

Extending through the part 27 and the block 28 at one side of the wall 29 is a first row of passages 33, and a similar, second row of passages 34 extends downwardly through the part 27 and the block 28 on the opposite side of the wall 29. The two rows of passages 33, 34 are arranged to correspond with, and receive, the terminals 16 when the male and female connectors of the assembly are interengaged by introducing the block 28 into the element 14.

Figures 2, 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the male connector without its electrical terminals.

However, housed within each of the passages 33, 34 is a socket terminal 30 of the kind illustrated in Figures 14 and 15, and arranged to receive and make electrical connection to the blade or pin terminals 1 6 of the female connector 11 of the assembly. The terminals 30 are of known form and thus a detailed description of them is not important. However it will be recognised that each terminal 30 includes a blade or pin receiving region 37 which receives, grips, and makes electrical connection to a mated blade or pin terminal 16, and a lead connection region 38 which, prior to engagement of the terminal 30 in its respective passage 33, 34, is crimped around an electrical lead to make electrical connection thereto. Intermediate its ends each terminal 30 is formed with a resilient retaining lance 39 which co-operates with an undercut shoulder 40 in the wall of its respective passage 33, 34 to retain the terminal 30 in its respective passage. Thus the terminals 30 extend downwardly into the passages 33,34 from the upper face of the parts 27 (as seen in Figure 2) and the lead connecting portions and the respective conductive leads 30a of the terminals 30 extend upwardly from the body moulding 24.

It can be seen that each of the end walls 31, 32 is formed on its face presented to the central wall 29 with a transversely extending rib 31c, 32c.

Each of the terminal security parts 25, 26 is in the form of a synthetic resin moulding engageable with the body moulding 27 in a direction transverse to the length of the plate-like part 27.

The part 25 fits onto the moulding 24 to one side of the wall 29 and coacts with the terminals 30 received in the passages 34. Similarly the part 26 is received at the opposite side of the wall 29 and coacts with the terminals 30 received in the passages 33. Each of the parts 25, 26 has respective grooves 25c, 26c which coact with the ribs 31 C, 32c when the parts 25, 26 are introduced between the end walls 31,32. The coaction of the ribs 3 1 C, 32c in the grooves 25c, 26c resists disengagement of the parts 25, 26 from the moulding 24 in a direction at right angles to the piane of the part 27.In order to resist withdrawal of the parts 25,26 along the length of the ribs 31 C, 32c the parts 25, 26 are formed with barbed latches 25d, 26d which, as the parts 25, 26 are slid into engagement with the moulding 24, deflect the walls 31, 32 outwardly, and then latch behind the abutment surfaces 31 a, 31 b; 32a, 32b as the walls 31,32 restore to their original positions upon the parts 25, 26 reaching their fully engaged position on the moulding 24.

It can be seen that the upper surfaces of the parts 25, 26 are divided by slots into a plurality of fingers 35,36, the fingers 35 of the part 25 extending towards the part 26 and the fingers 36 of the part 26 similarly extending towards the part 25. The free ends of the fingers 35, 36 are of concave form, and the fingers 36 are so arranged in relation to the fingers 35 that when the parts 25, 26 are fully engaged with the moulding 24 then the fingers 35 and 36 interdigitate, the fingers 36 passing between the fingers 35, and the fingers 35 similarly passing between the fingers 36. In the fully engaged position of the parts 25, 26 the concave ends of the fingers define with the concave ends of the slots in which the fingers are received, apertures through which the leads from the terminals 30 extend (see Figure 12).

Each moulded part 25, 26 includes a plurality of internal partition walls 50 which extend downwardly from the fingers 35, 36 and in use define compartments, or extensions of the passages 33, 34 within which the leads and lead connecting portions of the respective terminals 30 extend. Furthermore, parallel with its digitated top surface each part 25, 26 includes a slotted lower surface 25a, 26a the parts of which, between the slots, co-operate at their innermost ends with respective terminals 30 physically to retain the terminals 30 in their respective passages 33, 34 against axial withdrawal. The arrangement is such that provided that each terminal 30 is properly located within its respective passage 33, 34 then the parts 25, 26 can be fully engaged with the body moulding 24.However, in the event that a terminal 30 of one of the two rows is not fully inserted into its respective passage then when an attempt is made to fully engage the respective parts 25 or 26 with the moulding 24 the free end of the relevant part of the lower surface 25a, 26a will abut the terminal 30 which is not fully inserted, and this abutment will prevent full engagement of the relevant part 25 or 26 with the body moulding. This failure to fully engage the part 25 or 26 will signify to the operator that a terminal is not fully engaged in its respective passage. It can be seen that each terminal 30 has a recess 30b (Figure 14) in which the free end of the appropriate wall section 25a or 26a will fit when the terminal 30 is fully engaged in its respective passage 33 or 34.Thus in addition to resisting displacement of the terminals 30 from their passages, and thus assisting the lances 39 in retaining the terminals 30 in position, the parts of the lower wall 25a, 26a of the parts 25, 26 provide an indicator during assembly of the male connector 12 that the terminals 30 are properly located within their passages 33, 34.

Integral with the body moulding 24 and protruding therefrom at one end is a finger 38 which can be inserted through the aperture 1 8 of the lug 1 7 of the female connector 11. Also integral with the body moulding 24 and extending from the end thereof opposite the finger 38 is a resilient arm 39 in the form of a strip curved into a U-shape. When the finger 38 is introduced through the aperture 18 of the lug 1 7 the male connector 12 of the assembly can be pivoted about the interconnection of the finger 38 and the lug 1 7 to introduce the block 28 downwardly into the element 1 4. This downward pivoting motion of the male connector 12 relative to the female connector 11 introduces the blade or pin terminals 1 6 into the socket terminals 30.Towards the end of this motion the arm 39 passes between the limb 1 9 and the element 14 of the female connector 11, and a projection 41 having a ramp surface on one face coacts with the limb 1 9 to flex both the limb 19 and the arm 39. When the male and female connectors of the assembly are fully interengaged the projection 41 aligns with and, by virtue of the resilience of the parts, enters the aperture 21 of the limb 1 9. The coaction of the projection 41 and the wall of the aperture 21 resists disengagement of the male connector from the female connector. In order to effect separation of the connectors it is necessary to flex the arm 39 away from the limb 1 9 to withdraw the projection 41 from the aperture 21. Thereafter the male and female connectors can be pivoted apart about the interengagement of the finger 38 and the lug 1 7.

Figures 10,11 and 12 illustrate the male connector 12 of the assembly in conjunction with a waterresistant rubber boot 42. The boot 42 has a large opening at one end, and a smaller opening at its opposite end. The leads from the terminals 30 are tightly bunched in the smaller aperture 43 of the boot 42 and are tightly gripped so that the rubber boot is sealed at its smaller opening by the leads passing therethrough. At its wider opening the boot 42 is shaped to form a collar 44 which embraces, and tightly grips the periphery of the plate-like part 27 of the body moulding 24. Thus the lead exit end of the male connector is sealed against ingress of moisture by the boot 42.

Figure 1 illustrates that the body moulding 24 has a rectangular section channel 45 extending completely around the block 28, and a rubber sealing gasket 46 in the form of a rectangular annulus is received in the channel 45, and, when the block 28 is received within the element 14 the element 14 abuts the gasket 46 to effect a seal.

The combined action of the gasket 46 and boot 42 is thus to prevent ingress of dirt and moisture into the assembly. To complete the sealing of the assembly a sealing gasket can be interposed between the lowerface of the female connector 11 and the structure upon which the connector 11 is supported.

It will be evident that since the passages 33, 34 of the moulding 24 of the male connector do not need to be long enough to accommodate the whole length of their respective terminal then the spacing of the centre lines of the passages can be reduced beyond the minimum possible in an arrangement where the passages accommodate the whole length of their respective terminal (by virtue of the combined effect on spacing of passage length and draw angle). However terminal security is ensured by the action of the lances 39 of the terminals and by the surfaces 25a, 26a of the parts 25,26 and separation of and isolation of the terminals is ensured without increasing the interterminal spacing by the use of the partition walls 50 of the parts 25,26 and the wall 29 of the moulding 24.

It will be recognised that the sealing arrangements may not be required for certain environments in which the assembly may be used.

Moreover it will also be recognised that moulding shapes other than those shown could be utilized.

As a simple example of changes of this type the shaping of the arm 39 can be altered, and the interengagement of the finger 38 and lug 17 can be altered. For example a pair of parallel fingers could be provided, the pair of parallel fingers being received in respective apertures in a part equivalent to the lug 1 7. Moreover, although the assembly is primarily intended for use in a printed circuit application, by suitable modification of the terminals 1 6 of the female connector, the assembly can be utilized in other applications.

Claims (7)

1. I. An electrical connector comprising a first, moulded electrically insulating body part having extending therethrough a plurality of parallel passages each of which is arranged to receive an end region of a respective electrical terminal such that the remainder of the terminal projects from one end of the respective passage, and a second moulded, electrically insulating body part detachably engageable with said first body part, said first and second body parts when interengaged defining extensions of said passages for receiving said remainder of said terminals, the walls of said passages having surfaces preventing passage of said terminals, in use, through said passages in a direction away from said second body part, and said second body part having surfaces which in use can coact with said terminals to prevent withdrawal of the terminals from said passages in a direction towards said second body part.
2. 2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first and second body parts are provided with a sliding interengagement at right angles to the passages of the first body part.
3. 3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the first or second body part is provided with a plurality of recesses which, when the first and second body parts are interengaged are bridged by corresponding areas of the other body part to define in the outer wall of the combined body, apertures through which leads connected to the terminals can extend.
4. 4. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of said passages in the first body part has a surface which in use coacts with a retaining lance of its respective terminal to resist withdrawal of the terminal from its passage.
5. 5. A connector as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said passages of said first body part are arranged in a first row and the first body part has further similar passages arranged in a second row parallel to the first row, said second body part being associated with said first row and a third body part similar to said second body part being similarly associated with said second row of passages.
6. 6. An electrical connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
7. 7. A two part electrical connector assembly one part of which comprises a connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims and the other part of which comprises a corresponding mating connector.