IE53591B1

IE53591B1 - An electrical interconnector

Info

Publication number: IE53591B1
Application number: IE2536/82A
Authority: IE
Original assignee: Deutsche Telephonwerk Kabel
Priority date: 1981-10-21
Filing date: 1982-10-20
Publication date: 1988-12-21
Also published as: NL8203009A; IE822536L; GB2108782A; BE894143A; LU84323A1; DK159227B; DK159227C; FR2514956A1; GB2108782B; DE3142182A1; DK464682A; FR2514956B1; IT8223816A0; GR78394B; DE3142182C2; IT1152736B

Abstract

An electrical interconnector assembly of a first type e.g. having female contacts which is cooperable with an electrical interconnector of a second type e.g. having male contacts, the assembly comprising an elongate frame (10) and electrical interconnector members (20) of the first type, the members being held within the frame (10) such as by cooperating formations and latches (12-15) and (21-24) so as to present an elongate arrangement of electrical interconnector elements of the first type, suitable to provide electrical connection with a printed circuit board provided at an edge thereof with electrical interconnector elements of the second type. The members (20) may be of different sizes and may have various means (25) for connection to conductors. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to an electrical interconnector which is suitable for receiving a printed circuit board assembly. A plurality of such electrical interconnectors may be arranged in a rack in, for example, telecommunications equipment.

A plug and socket interconnector system for a printed circuit board is known. In it, a male multi-point interconnector is preferably associated with a printed circuit board, and a female multi-point interoonnector with a rack.

The.printed circuit board is retained and guided in guide bars and its male multi-point interconnector is pushed into the female multi-point interconnector, which is secured to the rack, to establish electrical contact. The back of the female multi-point interconnector is provided with solder posts for the connection of one or several feed lines for each solder post, the posts being of a suitable length if several feed lines are to be connected. The solder posts are also used for receiving a further female multi-point interconnector as well as for connecting feed lines.

According to the present invention there is provided an electrical interconnector of a first type which is cooperable with an electrical interconnector of a second type, the first type of electrical interconnector comprising an elongate frame and electrical terminal point support members of the first type, the members being held by the frame so as to present an elongate arrangement of electrical terminal points of the first type, suitable to provide electrical interconnection with a printed circuit board provided at an edge thereof with electrical terminal points of the second type, the members being retained in the frame by mechanical interengagement between two inner longitudinal sides of the frame on the one hand, and cooperating surfaces on the members on the other hand, one of said two inner longitudinal sides being formed with contours of a first shape and the other such side being formed with contours of a second 53581 different shape.

Preferably, the first type may be female and the second type male.

In one embodiment the members are adapted for cooperation with electrical terminal points of the second type which are of a standard design.

This may be DIN 41 612 type C.

The members may be of different designs.

The frame may comprise apertures for use in securing the frame to a rack.

In an embodiment, said two inner longitudinal sides of the frame are formed with different contours having features with different spacings. The members may be latched into the frame, and to this end at least one of the two inner longitudinal sides of the frame may comprise apertures, and cooperating surfaces on the members carry flexible tongues supporting lugs which are adapted to engage in said apertures.

The frame may comprise guides for guiding into the interconnector a second type of electrical interconnector when on a printed circuit board.

In one variant, at least one of said members is designed for connection with a strip cable and is provided with cutting terminals for this purpose, also with a cover which is adapted to fit onto the member for the purpose of urging the connection between the cutting terminals and such strip cables.

In another variant, at least one of said members is designed for connection with individual wires and is providedwith terminals for this purpose, also with a hinged cover which is adapted to hinge over said terminals for the purpose of retaining the - 4 connection between the terminals and such individual wires. These terminals may be cutting terminals.

At least one of the members may comprise terminals which are designed for soldering or wrapping or crimping.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be put into effect reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows an electrical socket frame forming part of an interconnector according to the present invention; Fig. 2 shows a socket member having terminals for flat-strip cables; Fig. 3 shows a cover cap for the socket member according to Fig. 2; Fig. 4 shows a socket member having terminals for individual wire connections; and Fig. 5 shows a socket member having terminals for solder connections.

The same items carry the same reference numbers in all the figures.

The shown electrical interconnector socket system is provided preferably for plug inter-connectors according to the standard DIN 41 612 type C, an embodiment with relatively few component parts having been selected for a clearer representation. The socket system may be equally applicable to other types of plug connector systems.

The elongate frame 10, in conjunction with a number of socket members 20, 40, 50, provides a female multi-point inter-connector ,of aplug/socket interconnector system, whilst the male multi-point connector corresponds to the above-mentioned known type. The frame 10 comprises two apertures 11 for the purpose of securing the frame to a rack. The cooperable male multi-point connector may he provided at the edge of - 5 a printed circuit board for providing electrical connections for the board.

Two inner longitudinal sides of different contours are provided in the frame 10. These side contours are effected on one side by rectangular grooves 12 and on the opposite side by prismatic ridges 13. In order to provide an unambiguous assignment of the socket members to the frame 10 and to avoid intermediate positions, i.e. in order that the socket members 20, 40, 50 can only be mechanically interengaged in the frame 10 at predetermined points, one of the inner side contours has features with a common spacing, e.g. the prismatic ridges 13, whilst the other inner side contour has features (grooves 12) which are not evenly spaced. In this way, four socket members 20 or 40 (or a mixture thereof) for example, or eleven socket members 50 can be accommodated in one frame 10. The different inner side contours also represent a means of protection against twisting when the socket members are being plugged in.

The side walls of the frame 10 also comprise openings 14, 15 which serve to assist in mechanically interengaging the socket members 20, 40, 50 in place . by latching. For this purpose, the socket members , 40, 50 are fitted with flexible tongues 21, 22, 41,42,51, 52, whose ends carry lugs 23, 24, 43, 44, 53, 54. These lugs 23 etc. are matched to the shape of the openings 14, 15 in the frame 10, so that a latching action is produced when the socket member is inserted in the frame. The latch can be released at any time with a simple tool. Although tongues and lugs 22, 24; 42, 44; 52, 54 are not shown in detail, it is sufficient to explain that they are similar in action to those which are. shown in detail, i.e. 21, 23; 41, 43; and 51, 53.

The shown and described shaping of the frame and the socket members 20, 40, 50 provides an absorption of compressive and tensile forces when male multi-point inter-connectors of a printed circuit board - 6 are being inserted into or removed from the socket members 20, 40, 50 in the frame 10.

The frame 10 is also provided with guide plates 16, which project into the plug area of the aforementioned male multi-point inter connectors, and thus provide an exact guiding of a printed circuit board.

A number of designs of socket members, dependent on the distribution of the male multi-point inter-connectors, e.g. according to the above-stated standard type, may be used as socket members. Figs. 2, 4 and 5 show some advantageous designs.

A socket member 20 for flat-strip cables is shown in Fig. 2 which is fitted with cutting terminals 25. After the flat-strip cable has been placed on to the cutting terminals 25, a cover cap 30, Fig. 3, is pushed-on with a friction or snapfit, whereby the spring terminals of the socket member 20 are connected to the individual cable wires.

A socket member 40 for individual wire connection is shown in Fig. 4. This type of socket member 40 can be used for example for the connection of external telephone cable wires. It also comprises cutting terminals 45. Laterally hinged covers 46 are used as covering elements and clamped support for the individual wires, which covers permit insertion .of the member 40 into the frame 10 only when the covers ’ 46 are closed.

Finally, Fig. 5 shows a socket member 50 with solder connections 55 and a lesser number of springs as component parts. Wrap posts, cutting terminals, crimp connections etc. can be used equally well in place of the solder connections.

With the use of four plug-in socket members 20 for example, contact losses over the whole length of the frame are of course produced depending on available space. In the above example of the standardised male - 7 multi-point inter-connector, there are four rows of contacts, which are determined by the spacing division of one inner side contour of the frame 10. An advantage of this plug system consists, however, in producing a conductor connection with only one plug-in connection directly from one assembly outwards or to another assembly inside an arrangement, whereby additional contact resistances are avoided, and also in that the wiring is tested before assembly outside the arrangement, only the cable connections between two socket members needing to be examined for conductance.

In the prior art the wiring of a printed circuit board rack required technically and economically high expenditure. Furthermore, with an increasing signal velocity and with low signal currents in the milliampere region, short cable runs and systematic cable lay-outs which are resistent to interference, and a small number of plug connections, are desirable to keep low the losses from contact resistances and the expenditure for the plug material, which is preferably precious metal.

The described and illustrated embodiment provides a socket inter-connector system which requires a very small number of plug connections, makes manufacture more simple and reduces testing expenditure for rack wiring.

A testable rack cabling outside the rack is made possible and the number of plug/socket connections between assemblies and peripheral devices and amongst the assemblies of one rack may be reduced.

Claims

1. CLAIMS:1. An electrical interconnector of a first type which is cooperable with an electrical interconnector of a second type, the first type of electrical interconnector comprising an 5 elongate frame and electrical terminal point support members of the first type, the members being held by the frame so as to present an elongate arrangement of electrical terminal points of the first type, suitable to provide electrical interconnection with a printed circuit board provided at an 10 edge thereof with electrical terminal points of the second type, the members being retained in the frame by mechanical interengagement between two inner longitudinal sides of the frame on the one hand, and cooperating surfaces on the members on the other hand, one of said two inner longitudinal sides 15 being formed with contours of a first shape and the other such side being formed with contours of a second different shape.

2. An interconnector according to claim 1, wherein the first type is female and the second type is male. 20

3. An interconnector according to claim 2, wherein the members are designed for cooperation with electrical terminal points of the second type which are of the standard design DIN 41 612 type C.

4. , An interconnector according to any preceding claim, 25 wherein the members are of different designs.

5. , An interconnector according to any preceding claim, wherein the frame comprises apertures for use in securing the frame to a rack.

6. , An interconnector according to any preceding claim, 30 wherein said two inner longitudinal sides of the frame are formed with features with different spacings. - 9

7. An interconnector according to any preceding claim, wherein said mechanical interengagement includes latching between the members and the frame.

8. An interconnector according to claim 7, wherein said 5 two inner longitudinal sides of the frame comprises apertures, and cooperating surfaces on the members carry flexible tongues supporting lugs which are adapted to engage into said apertures.

9. An interconnector according to any preceding claim, 10. Wherein the frame comprises guides for guiding into the interconnector a second type of electrical interconnector when on a printed circuit board.

10. An interconnector according to any preceding claim, wherein at least one of said members is designed for connect15 ion with a strip cable and is provided with cutting terminals for this purpose, also with a cover which is adapted to fit onto the member for the purpose of urging the connection between the cutting terminals and such strip cable.

11. An interconnector according to any preceding claim, 2o wherein at least one of said members is designed for connection with individual wires and is provided with terminals for this purpose, also with a hinged cover which is adapted to hinge over said terminals for the purpose of retaining the connection between the terminals and such individual wires. 25

12. An interconnector according to claim 11, wherein said terminals are cutting terminals.

13. An interconnector according to any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one of said members comprises terminals which are designed for soldering or wrapping or 30 crimping. - 10

14. An electrical interconnector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.

15. An item of telecommunications equipment comprising a 5 rack for receiving printed circuit boards, the rack having secured thereto a plurality of interconnectors according to any preceding claim.