GB2179804A

GB2179804A - Connector for joining incompatibly wired cables

Info

Publication number: GB2179804A
Application number: GB8614448A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Tony Hudson
Original assignee: Allied Corp
Current assignee: Allied Corp
Priority date: 1985-08-30
Filing date: 1986-06-13
Publication date: 1987-03-11
Also published as: EP0213735A3; EP0213735A2; GB8614448D0; GB8521593D0

Abstract

A multi-core flat ribbon cable connector has a main body (21) with two sets (22, 23) of connector pins projecting on one side for making I.D.C. connections (25, 26) with conductors of respective cable parts (1a, 1b Fig. 1 not shown) and projecting on the other side for receiving free wiring (24) whereby rearrangements of connections between terminal blocks attached to remoted ends of respective cables can be readily effected. Cables are laid on a base (27) and the main body (21) is urged onto the base thereby making I.D.C. connection and severing the ends of the cables by cutters (31). Lugs (42,43) locate the base (27) and body (21) for connection to the cables in a jig. Free wiring within the body (21) is guided between protrusions (38). <IMAGE>

Description

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GB2179804A 1

SPECIFICATION

Electrical connecting apparatus

5 This invention relates to electrical connecting apparatus and relates especially to multi-core cable connectors.

Multi-core flat ribbon cable connectors are well known for effecting interfacing between 10 electrical equipment especially between computers and peripheral equipment or between individual printed circuit boards in such equipment. Such connectors conveniently comprise flat plastic covered ribbon cable lengths the 15 ends of which are fitted with connector terminals in the form of multi-pin plugs or sockets. Typically, such cables have forty of even sixty conductors and they are easily assembled as standard connectos in large numbers. One 20 shortcoming relating to the use of such prefabricated connectors is that for certain applications the pins of one connector terminal are required to be connected to other than the geometrically corresponding pins of the plug 25 or socket at the other end and the present invention seeks to provide means whereby this requirement may be achieved.

According to the present invention there is provided a multi-core cable connector com-30 prising a multi-core cable the ends of which are joined with a predetermined arrangements of connections to respective terminal blocks or the like, the invention being characterised by said cable being in two parts joined via a 35 connecting device provided with two sets of connecting elements for conductors of the respective parts and to receive wiring between them to provide a required arrangement of connections between the terminal blocks or 40 the like.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will be further described by way of example with reference to the accom-45 panying drawing of which:

Figure 1 illustrates in diagrammatical form a multi-core flat ribbon cable connector in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 illustrates on an enlarged scale a 50 connecting device employed in Fig. 1 and Figure 3 illustrates a connecting pin on a further enlarged scale.

Referring to Fig. 1, the flat cable connector comprises a multi-core flat plastic covered rib-55 bon 1 extending between terminal blocks or the like 3 and 4 where they are connected with predetermined connection arrangements, the flat ribbon being separated into two parts 1(a) and 1(b) at an intermediate point and 60 joined by a connecting device 2. The device 2 will be described in greater detail with reference to Fig. 2 but it will be understood that it provides means whereby any pin of the terminal block 3 may be connected through free 65 wiring to any other pin of the terminal block 4

thereby enabling a standard flat ribbon connector to be readily adopted for non-standard connection arrangements.

Referring to Fig. 2, the connecting device 2 70 of Fig. 1 comprises a main plastics multi-contact connecting block member 21 which carries two sets of pairs of staggered rows of connecting pins 22 and 23. Assuming that the flat ribbon cable connector is provided with 75 forty conductors each of the four rows of connecting pins includes twenty pins. A typical such pin is shown in Fig. 3 wherein it is seen that the upper end 24 is a normal rap-around or solder-pin type, whereas the lower 80 end 25 is a flat insulation displacement connection (I.D.C.) type with a slot 26. The block 21 thus has the solder pins projecting upwards and the I.D.C. portions projecting downwards whereby they are locatable in re-85 spective pairs of slots 45 or 46 of a lower plastic moulded block 27. In order to positively locate the flat ribbon cable between the block 27 and the main terminal block 21 during the I.D.C. process the surface of the block 90 27 between the respective slots 45 or 46 is provided with cable locating ridges such as 28 or 29. In order to separate one end of a flat ribbon cable from the other end during the I.D.C. operation, the block 21 has moulded 95 into it a cutting element 30 of inverted 'U' section extending across the full width thereof and providing two downwardly projecting cutting edges 31. To either side of the cutting edges 31 downward part-cylindrical projec-100 tions 3? and 33 are provided. Again, the lower block 27 has respective recesses 34, 35 and 36 for accepting the cutting element 31 and projections 32 and 33.

The upper surface 37 of the main block 21 105 is provided with upwardly extending portions such as 38 against which a snap-on cover 39 is able to engage when the whole is assembled. The spaces provided between the portions 38 accommodate free wiring (not 110 shown) between the terminals 22 and 23 in accordance with the required connection arrangements. The two outermost of portions 38 are chamfered to afford easy assembly of the sufficiently springy plastics cofer 39 which 115 has inwardly projecting flanges 40 for snapping into engagement with rebates 41 extending along corresponding lower edges of the I.D.C. block 27.

In operation, a standard multi-core flat rib-120 bon connector with its terminal blocks or the like 3 and 4 already assembled to it in any known manner, such as by soldering or I.D.C., is laid across the lower block 27. Following this, the terminal block 21 is precisely posi-125 tioned over the block 27, as by a suitable jig locating the lugs 42 and 43. Sufficient compressive force is then applied to cause the sharp edges 31 to cut through the cable leaving a narrow strip which is subsequently read-130 ily withdrawn with pliers or the like. The com-

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GB2179804A 2

pressive force is such as to effect I.D.C. connection between the respective sets of pins 22 and 23 and the conductors of the separate cable parts thus produced. Free wiring is then 5 effected between the pins 22 and 23 in accordance with the connection arrangement required for the particular special application of the connector and the cover 39 is snapped into position thereby holding the assembly to-10 gether and producing a connectors as shown in Fig. 1.

Claims

1. A multi-core cable connector comprising 15 a multi-core cable the ends of which are joined with a predetermined arrangements of connections to respective terminal blocks or the like, the invention being characterised by said cable being in two parts joined via a 20 connecting device provided with two sets of connecting elements for conductors of the respective parts and to receive wiring between them to provide a required arrangement of connections between the terminal blocks or 25 the like.

2. A multi-core cable connector as claimed in claim 1, said connecting device comprises a main member carrying two sets of connecting elements projecting on one side thereof to re-

30 ceive conductors of the cable parts and projecting on the other side thereof to receive said wiring.

3. A multi-core cable connector as claimed in claim 2 including means for securing a

35 cable into two parts upon assembly thereto.

4. A multi-core cable connector as claimed in claim 2 said connecting elements being of the insulation displacement type for connecting to the respective parts upon assembly.

40

5. A multi-core cable connector as claimed in claim 3 or 4 including a cutter and a further member shaped to co-operate with the cutter and separate said parts when said main member and said shaped member are brought to-45 gether.

6. A multi-core cable connector as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 including a snap-on caover member for holding the connecting device together.

50

7. A multi-core cable connector substantially as described herewith reference to Fig. 1 or Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by Burgess 8t Son (Abingdon} Ltd, Dd 8817356, 1987,

Published at The Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings,

London, WC2A 1AY, from which copies may be obtained.