GB2300525A

GB2300525A - Connector with ferrite toroid

Info

Publication number: GB2300525A
Application number: GB9505205A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Campbell; Marc Bueds; Mark Richardson
Original assignee: Framatome Connectors UK Ltd
Current assignee: FCI Connectors UK Ltd
Priority date: 1995-03-15
Filing date: 1995-03-15
Publication date: 1996-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 2015-03-15
Also published as: GB2300525B; GB9505205D0

Abstract

A connector has a body 1 having contacts mounted in passages 2 and, received on the body 1, a ferrite toroid 14. A circlip 16 and resilient O-ring 15 retain the toroid. The connector may be panel mounted by a flange 6 and nut 7. Locating studs 11 of the flange 6 may engage recesses 12 in a panel. The connector may be used with the residential transceiver units of a fixed radio access network.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS This invention concerns improvements in electrical connectors and more particularly relates to an improved power and signal supply connector for use with the residential transceiver units (RTU) of a fixed radio access (FRA) telecommunications system.

FRA telecommunications systems provide an alternative to the conventional cabling systems commonly employed for interconnecting telecommunications subscribers. As reported in Electronics Weekly, June 15 1994, telephone and cable television operators within the UK have recognized that radio provides a commercially attractive way of connecting subscribers in homes and offices, and there are plans afoot to use radio base-stations connected to the public switched telephone network to provide microwave radio links to subscribers within a certain range of the respective base-stations, namely anything from 5km in built-up areas to 15km in more open rural areas. For telecommunications purposes microwave radio links operating at 3.4GHz are proposed, and for cable television purposes the proposal is for microwave radio links operating at 40GHz.

The Burndy subsidiary of Framatome Connectors International supplies a Metalok Bantam range of circular plastics connectors having metal coupling parts. The range includes wall (panel) mounting and free hanging receptacles, the former provided with a mounting flange, and co-operating plug connectors.

The metal coupling parts have bayonet couplings. The present invention provides a similar, all plastics connector which incorporates a ferrite toroid for resonance damping and electromagnetic compatibility.

More particularly, the connector body is rearwardly extended and the ferrite toroid is mounted on the extended body part, so as to extend around and in close proximity to the connector terminals, with a resilient element providing a shock absorbing function to ensure that the relatively fragile ferrite toroid is not subject to shock induced damage.

The accompanying claims set forth the essentials of the present invention and subordinate features thereof, and in the following an exemplary embodiment of the invention will be described in detail with reference made to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 shows a part sectional, side elevation view of a connector receptacle embodying the present invention; Figure 2 is a rear-end view of the connector receptacle of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a front-end view of the connector receptacle of Figure 1; Figure 4 shows a printed circuit board (PCB) drilling pattern for enabling a PCB to be mounted directly to the terminal tails extending from the rear of the connector receptacle of Figure 1; and Figure 5 shows a recommended panel cut-out enabling the connector receptacle of Figure 1 to be panel mounted.

Referring to Figure 1, the connector receptacle shown therein has a glass-reinforced thermoplastics body part 1 having eight terminal-receiving passages 2 formed therein. The front end of the body part 1 is formed as a cylindrical plug-receiving shroud 3 having integrally moulded studs 4 on its external surface for co-operating with a bayonet fitting on the plug housing, and an elastomeric O-ring 5 is seated within the shroud 3 for providing sealing between the receptacle and a mated complementary plug.

A flange 6 is integrally formed on the receptacle body part 1 for enabling the connector receptacle to be panel mounted, and a mounting nut 7 is screwthreadedly mounted on the front end of the body part 1 for co-operation with the flange 6 in panel mounting of the connector receptacle. An elastomeric O-ring 8 is seated in a recess 9 formed in the base of the flange 6 for sealing the connector receptacle to its mounting panel, and three stand-offs 10 are provided on the front face of the flange 6 to prevent overcompression of the O-ring 8. Two of the stand-offs 10 have tapered locating studs 11 adapted to engage in recesses 12 drilled in the mounting panel (see Figure 5).

Rearwardly of the mounting flange 6, the body part 1 of the connector receptacle has an extended cylindrical portion 13 serving for the mounting of a ferrite ring (toroid) 14, the internal surface of the ferrite ring 14 and the external surface of the receptacle body part portion 13 being dimensioned so that the ring 14 fits closely over the body part 13.

To protect the ferrite ring 14, an elastomeric O-ring 15 is seated in a circumferential recess in the receptacle body part adjacent to the base of the flange 6, and a retaining circlip 16 is engaged in a second circumferential recess 17 adjacent to the rear end of the receptacle body part 1.

As will be appreciated by those possessed of appropriate skills and knowledge, when used in a fixed radio access telecommunications system operating at microwave frequencies the provision of the ferrite ring will effect damping of resonances in connecting cables and enhance the EMC performance of the system and make it more predictable. As will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the characteristics ofthe ferrite ring will be selected in dependence upon the particular application of the connector.

Having this described the present invention by reference to a particular embodiment, it is to be appreciated that the described embodiment is exemplary only and that modifications and variations are possible, and will occur to those skilled in the art from reading the foregoing, without departure from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. For example, whereas the described embodiment is a connector part adapted to be panel mounted, the invention could equally be applied to a free standing (hanging) connector. Furthermore, whereas the described embodiment is a connector receptacle adapted to be mated with a complementary plug part, the invention could equally be applied to a connector plug adapted to be mated with a complementary receptacle part. In either case, the ferrite ring retaining circlip described in the foregoing could possibly be replaced by an elastomeric O-ring arranged to bear against the rear surface of the ferrite ring and urge it forwardly of the connector body towards the rear surface of the flange; the forward elastomeric O-ring provided between the front surface of the ferrite ring and the flange could then possibly be omitted or might be replaced by a resilient washer, indeed in the described embodiment the O-ring 15 could be replaced by such a resilient washer.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An electrical connector comprising a moulded plastics body part having a plurality of terminalreceiving through passages and wherein a ferrite toroid is received on said body part.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ferrite toroid is resiliently received on said body part.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least one elastomeric member is received on said body part for providing a resilient mounting for the ferrite toroid.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein the ferrite toroid is located between first and second elastomeric members.

5. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3 wherein the ferrite toroid is located between a metal circlip and an elastomeric member.

6. An electrical connector as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said body part includes a first end portion for coupling with a complementary connector, and a second end portion for connection to a printed circuit board or other electrical structure.

7. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 6 wherein said ferrite toroid is mounted on said second end portion of the connector body part.

8. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 6 or 7 wherein the first end portion of the connector body part is provided with formations adapted for bayonet connection to complementary formations provided on said complementary connector.

9. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 6 or 7 or 8 wherein said body part includes a flange between said first and second end portions, said flange providing for panel mounting of the connector.

10. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 9 wherein an elastomeric seal is provided on said body part for co-operation with said flange and with a panel to which the connector is mounted.

11. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 10 wherein the flange is formed with a plurality of stand-offs on the side thereof which, in use of the connector, faces a mounting panel, said stand-offs ensuring that said elastomeric seal is not overcompressed.

12. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 9 or 10 or 11 including a jam nut screw-threadedly mounted on the connector body part for trapping a mounting panel against said flange.

13. An electrical connector substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.