GB2210209A

GB2210209A - Terminating insulated conductors

Info

Publication number: GB2210209A
Application number: GB8721920A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Covell Collier; Keith Davies
Original assignee: BICC PLC
Current assignee: Balfour Beatty PLC
Priority date: 1987-09-17
Filing date: 1987-09-17
Publication date: 1989-06-01
Anticipated expiration: 2007-09-17
Also published as: GB8721920D0; GB2210209B

Abstract

An electrical contact for making an electrical connection with an insulated conductor, comprises an insulation-piercing portion including one or more tines (12) adapted to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor (17) and make an electrical connection with the electrical conductor therein; and a strain relief portion (13) distinct from the insulation-piercing portion, the strain relief portion being adapted to engage the insulated conductor which has been pierced by the tines of the insulation-piercing portion. <IMAGE>

Description

TERMINATING INSULATED CONDUCTORS This invention relates to electrical contacts for the termination of insulated conductors and to electrical connectors incorporating such contacts. The invention particularly relates to the solderless connection of contacts to insulated conductors. By the term insulated conductors there is herein meant to to include solid conductors and stranded conductors together with other types of conductors such as tinsel conductors, whenever insulated by a covering of insulating material.

Two conventional methods of solderless connection are insulation piercing and insulation displacement. Insulation piercing is where the insulation on an insulated conductor is pierced by a sharp contact, such that an electrical connection is formed between the contact and the conductor within the insulation covering. Insulation displacement is where the insulated conductor and contact are forced together, the contact usually being slotted, such that the insulation covering the conductor is displaced from the conductor to allow the contact to form an electrical connection with the conductor. This invention relates to the termination of insulated conductors by means of insulation piercing.

Conventional modular connectors such as pluggable telephone connectors employ an insulation piercing insulation piercing contact having two tines with a trough therebetween. An example of this type of contact is described in UK 1445270 in the name of Western Electric Company. In the connector of UK 1445270 portions of the housing of the connector are movable to engage the insulated conductors and provide strain relief preventing inadvertent removal thereof.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved connector employing the insulation piercing technique.

Accordingly there is provided an electrical contact for making an electrical connection with an insulated conductor, the contact comprising an insulating piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor and make an electrical connection with the electrical conductor therein; and a strain relief portion distinct from the insulation piercing portion, the strain relief portion being adapted to engage an insulated conductor which has been pierced by the one or more tines of the insulation piercing portion.

With the strain relief being provided by a portion of the contact, there is accordingly no necessity for strain relief to be provided by the housing of the connector. Conveniently the insulation piercing portion and the strain relief portion are each part of single integral contact.

Preferably the strain relief portion comprises a projection. The projection is preferably adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof. Alternatively or additionally the height of the projection is less than the height of the one or more tines. In a convenient arrangement the projection is adjacent the one or more tines and separated therefrom by a trough therebetween.

Conveniently the contact further includes a contact area adapted to engage and make an electrical connection with at least one other electrical contact. In this way the contact makes an electrical connection between the terminated insulated conductor and the other electrical contact, eg the contact of a socket or other female connector.

The invention further resides in an electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors, the connector incorporating one or more electrical contacts as hereinbefore described. In particular an electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors comprises an insulated housing, the housing having one or more conductor receiving cavities and at least one aperture through which one or more insulated conductors may be introduced into the one or more conductor receiving cavities, the housing further being provided with one or more contact receiving openings communicating between the one or more conductor receiving cavities and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including one or more electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the one or more contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of one of the one or more insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with an electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the covering thereof, the one or more electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in the one or more contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the one or more conductor receiving cavities, and a terminated posi ti on i n which the one or more ti nes protrude i nto the one or more conductor receiving cavities to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof.

The invention further resides in an electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors, the connector comprising an insulating housing, the housing having one or more conductor receiving cavities and at least one aperture through which one or more insulated conductors may be introduced into the one or more conductor receiving cavities, the housing further being provided with one or more contact receiving openings communicating between the one or more conductor receiving cavities and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including one or more electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the one or more contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of one of the one or more insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with an electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection, the height of the projection being less than the height of the one or more tines, the one or more electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in the one or more contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the one or more conductor receiving cavities, and a terminated position in which the one or more tines protrude into the one or more conductor receiving cavities to pierce the insulation covering of an insulated conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor.

The invention further resides in an electrical connector for terminating a plurality of insulated conductors, the connector comprising an insulated housing, the housing having a conductor receiving cavity and an aperture through which the plurality of insulated conductors may be introduced into the conductor receiving cavity, the housing further being provided with a plurality of contact receiving openings communicating between the conductor receiving cavity and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including a plurality of electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of one of the insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with the electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the covering thereof, the electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in a respective one of the contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the conductor receiving cavity, and a terminated position in which the one or more tines protrude into the conductor receiving cavity to pierce the insulating covering of an electrical conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a cross-sectional view of a connector according to the invention.

Referring to the figure, a connector shown generally at 1 comprises an insulated housing 2 of plastics material. The housing 2 defines an elongate chamber 3, one end face 4 of the housing 2 being provided with an aperture 5 through which the chamber 3 opens to the exterior of the connector. In similar fashion one side face 6 of the housing 2 is provided with a plurality of channels 7 which communicate between the chamber 3 and the exterior of the connector 1.

Each of the channels 7 has a contact element 8 received therein. Each contact element 8 is of a one piece integral construction and comprises a contact area 9, an insulation piercing portion 10, and a strain relief portion 11. The insulation piercing portion 10 comprises two sharp-edged tines 12 received in the channel 7 and extending towards the chamber 3.

The strain relief portion 11 comp-rises a round-nosed projection 13 adjacent the tines 12 and separated therefrom by a trough 14. The projection 13 also extends towards the chamber 3, but is of a height less than that of the tines 12. The contact 8 is also provided with barbs 15, 16 on each longitudinal end face thereof.

In use each contact 8 is partly inserted into one of the channels 7 with the barbs 15, 16 engaging the end faces thereof. A plurality of insulated conductors 17 are introduced through the aperture 5 and into the chamber 3. Then the contacts 8 are moved further into the channel 7 such that the tines 12 move into contact with the insulated conductors 17, piercing their insulating covering and making an electrical connection with the conductors therein. The strain relief projection 13 of each contact 8 engages an insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof. The insulating covering is deformed and is accommodated in the trough 14. Undesired longitudinal movement between the insulated conductors and the connector 1 is therefore inhibited, ensuring that the electrical connection formed by the tines 12 is not harmed by such movement.

Claims

1. An electrical contact for making an electrical connection with an insulated conductor, the contact comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of a insulated conductor and make an electrical connection with the electrical conductor therein; and a strain relief portion distinct from the insulation piercing portion, the strain relief portion being adapted to engage an insulated conductor which has been pierced by the one or more tines of the insulation piercing portion.

2. An electrical contact according to Claim 1 wherein the insulation piercing portion and the strain relief portion are each part of a single integral contact.

3. An electrical contact according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the strain relief portion comprises a projection.

4. An electrical contact according to Claim 3 wherein the projection is adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof.

5. An electrical contact according to Claim 3 or Claim 4 wherein the height of the projection is less than the height of the one or more tines.

6. An electrical contact according to any of Claims 3 to 5 wherein the projection is adjacent the one or more tines and separated therefrom by a trough therebetween.

7. An electrical contact according to any of Claims 1 to 7 and further including a contact area adapted to engage and make an electrical connection with at least one other electrical contact.

8. An electrical contact substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

9. An electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors, the connector incorporating one or more electrical contacts according to any of Claims 1 to 8.

10. An electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors, the connector comprising an insulated housing, the housing having one or more conductor receiving cavities and at least one aperture through which one or more insulated conductors may be introduced into the one or more conductor receiving cavities, the housing further being provided with one or more contact receiving openings communicating between the one or more conductor receiving cavities and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including one or more electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the one or more contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of one of the one or more insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with an electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the covering thereof, the one or more electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in the one or more contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the one or more conductor receiving cavities, and a terminated position in which the one or more tines protrude into the one or more conductor receiving cavities to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof.

11. An electrical connector for terminating one or more insulated conductors, the connector comprising an insulated housing, the housing having one or more conductor receiving cavities and at least one aperture through which one or more insulated conductors may be introduced into the one or more conductor receiving cavities, the housing further being provided with one or more contact receiving openings communicating between the one or more conductor receiving cavities and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including one or more electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the one or more contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulated covering of one of the one or more insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with an electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection, the height of the projection being less than the height of the one or more tines, the one or more electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in the one or more contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the one or more conductor receiving cavities, and a terminated position in which the one or more tines protrude into the one or more conductor receiving cavities to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor.

12. An electrical connector for terminating a plurality of conductors, the connector comprising an insulated housing, the housing having a conductor receiving cavity and an aperture through which the plurality of insulated conductors may be introduced into the conductor receiving cavity, the housing further being provided with a plurality of contact receiving openings communicating between the conductor receiving cavity and the exterior of the connector; the connector further including a plurality of electrical contacts each associated with a respective one of the contact receiving openings and each comprising an insulation piercing portion including one or more tines adapted to pierce the insulating covering of one of the insulated conductors and make an electrical connection with the electrical conductor therein, and a strain relief portion comprising a projection adapted to engage an insulated conductor without piercing the covering thereof, the electrical contacts each being movable between a partly inserted position in which they are partly inserted in a respective one of the contact receiving openings with the one or more tines being clear of the conductor receiving cavity, and a terminated position in which the one or more tines protrude into the conductor receiving cavity to pierce the insulating covering of an insulated conductor received therein with the projection engaging the insulated conductor without piercing the insulating covering thereof.

13. An electrical connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.