GB2276778A

GB2276778A - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: GB2276778A
Application number: GB9405624A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Gerhard Baeuerle; Claus Dullin
Original assignee: Amphenol Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Current assignee: Amphenol Tuchel Electronics GmbH
Priority date: 1993-03-30
Filing date: 1994-03-22
Publication date: 1994-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 2014-03-22
Also published as: FR2703521B1; GB9405624D0; DE4310369C2; GB2276778B; DE4310369A1; FR2703521A1

Description

2276778 ADAPTER The invention relates to an adapter f or a pin-and- socket

connector. The connector, which receives the adapter in a suitable casing, is used e.g. for electrically connecting an "air bag" of the kind frequently used in modern cars.

Very little room is available for the air bag or the connecting parts, particularly when the air bag is installed in the steering wheel. It is therefore also important to save space in the construction of the electric connecting elements. In this connection it has been proposed to use a flat strip- conductor cable which can be wound in a spiral, takes up relatively little space and can also follow movements of the steering wheel.

However, even this pin-and-socket connector, known in practice, takes up relatively considerable room. In addition, a number of soldered joints are necessary for connection to the energy source or to the unit for exploding the air bag. Other soldered joints are necessary e.g. for incorporating a "VHF inductor", i.e. an HF screening inductor, in the pin- and-socket connector as a screen against interfering electromagnetic rays.

The object of the invention therefore, is to disclose a possible method of designing a pin-and-socket connector in a simple, reliable, space-saving manner, even when the connector has to be equipped with an electric or electronic component such as a VHF inductor. The main aim is to avoid soldered joints, which are expensive and take time to make.

To this end, the basic idea of the invention is to provide an adapter which contains all strip conductors and electric connection elements, thus avoiding the need for external welded or adhesive points.

The invention is based on the discovery that this can be achieved in a surprisingly simple manner if all the connecting parts and the required plug contacts are made from a metal sheet which has previously been formed into a lattice.

In the case of the connecting elements, this is done preferably by the formation of crimped contacts. These can easily be constructed by bending suitable sheet-metal portions.

Alternatively the plug contacts can be made in situ from the lattice, e.g. by first bending over suitable projecting end portions of the lattice, corresponding to the crimped connections, before the thus-bent contact portion is bent through the desired angle to form the associated strip conductors in the connecting region.

This series of steps converts a substantially twodimensional lattice into a three-dimensional adapter with all associated connecting elements and plug contacts.

The specific shape of the lattice depends of course on the particular application. In an application of the previously-mentioned kind (a pin-and-socket connector for an air bag), the lattice can e.g. comprise two strip conductors formed with widened ends from which the crimped connections are made after bending. In addition, lateral arms can project from these strip conductors and likewise have wide portions for forming the connection ends (as before after suitable bending) for the electric component.

Starting from the two strip conductors, fork-like arms (i.e. having a U-shape in plan view) can be formed at the projecting ends opposite the connection ends, and can be bent along the base member so as to be parallel to one another and spaced apart, before they are bent into the desired plug position relative to the respective strip 1 r_ conductor in the connection regions.

The connecting portions of the lattice between the strip conductors are then cut, preferably after final assembly in a suitable connector easing.

In its most general embodiment, the adapter for a pinand-socket connector according to the invention has the following features:

at least two strip conductors, each strip conductor having a connection end for receiving a corresponding conductor; at least two plug contacts for connecting to the connection ends and bent relative to these ends; and at least one electric component for incorporation between the connection ends and the plug contacts; the adapter being a lattice cut or punched from a flat metal sheet; the connection ends of which being made by bending lateral projections of corresponding lattice arms to form crimped connections; elements for connecting the electric component being formed by lattice arms made by bending lateral projections to form crimped connections; and the plug contacts being formed by additional lattice arms which are given a U cross-section by bending lateral wide parts o f the lattice arms and are bent relative to the regions for connection to the corresponding strip conductor; wherein connecting portions of the lattice being cut between the strip conductors.

The main advantages of the pin-and-socket connector ready-fitted with an adapter according to the invention, as compared with the initiallymentioned pin-and-socket connectors, are as follows.

There is no need for any soldered connections, e.g. between the connection ends and the associated conductors (cables). Also there are no soldered joints for connecting the electric components. The term "crimping" includes other mechanical securing means such as sheath and clamped connections. The plug contacts, like the other connecting elements, are made directly from the lattice.

The lattice can be made by a simple punching operation and given practically any desired shape (depending on the application). It does not matter if the individual strip conductors, arms and plug socket connections are connected to one another, because these connections can easily be cut after the lattice has been shaped and finally assembled.

Advantageously also, as regards shaping and fitting with components, a number, of lattices connected by the material are secured to a base strip, so that a number of lattices on the strip can simultaneously be conveyed to an adjusting machine. As before, the connecting regions can easily be cut after final assembly.

The connecting regions can either be punched out, or set breaking places can be formed at the corresponding places when the lattice is punched, so that a simple mechanical load is sufficient to divide the individual lattice portions at the desired places.

Other features of the invention are disclosed by the features in the subclaims and the other application documents.

- 5 The invention will now be explained in detail with reference to an embodiment. In the highly diagrammatic drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a pre-punched lattice with an electroplated surface; Figure 2 is a plan view of the lattice after first preassembly; Figure 3 is a plan view of the lattice after fitting with an HF inductor; Figure 4 is a side view of the adapter in the state in Fig. 3; and Figure 5 is a plan View of the finally-assembled adapter after bridges between the strip conductors have been cut.

In order to f orm an adapter, a lattice 10 is f irst punched out of a metal sheet. Figure 1 shows a shape chosen by way of example.

The lattice 10 substantially comprises two conductor portions 12, 14 with connection ends 12a, 14a connected by webs 16 to a strip 18.

The connection ends 12a, 14a have lateral projections x, y, projections x being substantially rectangular and projections y being trapezoidal.

Other arms 20, 22 extend from the strip conductors 12, 14 and their projecting ends are wider than the connecting webs 24 to the strip conductors 12, 14.

Opposite the connection ends 12a, 14a, the strip conductors 12, 14 have respective forked prolongations 28, 30. As Fig. 1 shows, the prolongations 28, 30 in plan view have an approxijmately U cross-section with two projecting arms 28a, 30a and a connecting member 28b, 30b respectively.

The connection ends 12a, 14a are for connecting the adapter to corresponding stranded wires of a cable (not shown here). To this end, the lateral projections x, y are bent like a crimped closure, so that the stranded wires can subsequently be inserted and secured by pinching (crimping).

The arms 20, 22 and the prolongations 28 and 30 (round the connecting members 28b, 30b) are bent similarly. In plan view, the members 28a, 30a then lie superposed in pairs, whereas the side portions of the arms 20, 22 or the lateral projections x, y extend approximately parallel to one another (out of the plane of the drawing) as shown in Figure 2.

In the next assembly step, the prolongations 28, 30 are bent downwards (by about 90") around the connection regions towards the strip conductors 12, 14, and the connecting arms 32a, 32b of an HF inductor 32 are secured by crimping to the arms 20, 22 (Figures 3 and 4).

In the last step of the operation, stranded wire cables 34a, 34b are secured to the connection ends 12a, 14a. In addition, the webs 16 and the connecting regions V1, V2 between the strip conductors are cut, resulting in a shape as shown in Figure 5.

Accordingly, the strip conductor 14 extends from the stranded wire cables 34a to the arm 20, which is crimped to one end of the HF inductor 32, the other end of which extends to the arm 22, which continues via a part of the strip conductor 12 to the prolongation 28 (plug contact).

An electric connection extends from the additional prolongation 30 (second plug contact) to the connection end 12a and consequently to the stranded wire cables 34b, I.

1 t via a portion of the strip conductor 14 and neighbouring portion of the strip conductor 12.

a The resulting adapter, pre-assembled with an electric component, can be manufactured in an automatic assembly unit and then ready-fitted in an associated casing. The described construction of the adapter is space-saving and therefore available for use e.g. in a pin-and- socket connector for connecting an air bag or belt- tightener, where space is limited as is known.

The connecting webs between the strip conductors stabilise the lattice during pre-assembly but can then easily be cut to obtain the desired electric paths. The connecting webs are preferably cut after assembly in a suitable resilient member.

8 -

Claims

1. An adapter for a pin-and-socket connector comprising:

at least two strip conductors, each strip conductor having a connection end for receiving a corresponding conductor; at least two plug contacts for connecting to the connection ends and bent relative to these ends; and at least one electric component for incorporation between the connection ends and the plug contacts; the adapter being a lattice cut or punched from a flat metal sheet; the connection ends of which being made by bending lateral projections of corresponding lattice arms to form crimped connections; elements for connecting the electric component being formed by lattice arms made by bending lateral projections to form crimped connections; and the plug contacts being formed by additional lattice arms which are given a U cross-section by bending lateral wide parts of the lattice arms and are bent relative to the regions for connection to the corresponding strip conductor; wherein connecting portions of the lattice are cut between the strip conductors.

2. An adapter according to claim 1, in which the connection ends are separated by cutting from a common connecting strip of the lattice.

3. An adapter according to claim 1 or 2, in which a first end of the electric component is crimped to a connecting element of a lattice arm, which itself is directly connected to the connection end of a first strip conductor, the second end of the electric component is electrically connected via an additional connecting element to a plug contact, and an additional plug contact has a direct electrical connection to a connection end of an additional strip conductor.

4. An adapter according to any of claims I to 3, in which the electric component is an HF inductor.

5. An adapter according to any of claims 1 to 4, in which the plug contacts extend at an angle of 90 to the strip conductors.

6. An adapter according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which the surface of the lattice is electroplated.

7. An adapter according to any of claims 1 to 6, in which the connecting portions of the lattice have set breaking points.

8. An adapter, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.