JP2777671B2 - Flat cable interconnect device - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a flat cable interconnecting device and method, and more particularly, to a flat cable interconnecting device and method that enables a simple and reliable connection between cables.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,859,204 and 4,867,700 disclose a transfer that can be crimped to a flat power cable by penetrating the insulation covering the conductors of the cable and by shearing the conductor at multiple locations. A (transition) adapter is disclosed. This cable is, for example,
It is a type that is beginning to be used for consumer use to transmit 75 amps of power, about 2.5 cm wide and about 0.5 mm thick
Including flat conductors, thickness on each surface about 0.1mm ~ 0.2mm
Extrusion insulation coating is applied to make the total thickness on average about 0.85 mm. In one embodiment of the transfer adapter, sheet metal is stamped and formed. Also, in one embodiment, the cable includes a pair of opposing plate portions disposed along respective major surfaces of the cable and including opposing termination (connecting) regions extending across the cable. Each termination region includes a transverse array of alternating shear corrugations and relief recesses of the same width. The relief recess is defined by an arcuate protrusion extending from the side near the cable, and the corrugation extends outward from the side near the cable and toward the relief recess of the opposing plate portion. Each shear corrugation has a transverse ridge between the parallel side edges, the corrugated side edge associated with the corresponding relief recess side edge, and zero clearance. It constitutes a preferred pair of shear edges. When the plate section is pressed against the cable located in between, the ridge of the corrugated section begins to shear the cable by its axial side edges, cutting the insulation of the cable and cutting into the metal conductor , Cut. As the shear propagates a limited distance along the cable, the corrugations project outwardly from the strip of the sheared cable toward the opposing relief recess, forming a series of locking corrugations with the cable. At the same time, it exposes the newly sheared edge of the cable conductor and makes an electrical connection therewith.

Further, with regard to the transfer adapter of the above patent, the outer facing surface of the plate portion at the termination is each fitted with a low resistance copper insert. The insert has an adapter-facing surface that closely conforms to the molded outer surface of the termination area, and corrugations and openings are alternately disposed outside and along the corrugations and relief recesses of the adapter. ing. At termination, the corrugated joint enters the insert opening and the shear edges of the adjacent conductor strips and the adapter corrugations forming the shear strip are adjacent the sides of the copper insert opening. A two-step staking process is preferred. That is, in the first step, since the corrugated joint is divided in the axial direction,
Each arc of the plate is pressed inward against the adjacent shear conductor strip of the respective corrugated joint,
The ends pin the conductor strip against the opposing corrugations and define spring fingers that store energy in the joint. In a second step, a staking process deforms the insert between the shear strips and deforms the copper against the shear conductors and the corrugated sections to provide an airtight, heat and vibration resistant electrical connection with the conductors and transfer adapters of the cable. As the connection is made, the insert is electrically in series at multiple locations between the conductor and the adapter.

Contact portions are integrally included with the transfer adapter described above, for example, to allow mating with corresponding contact means of an electrical connector, bus bar, or power terminal, and, if necessary, a corresponding plurality of A plurality of contact portions to distribute power to the contact means. A housing or other dielectric cover can be placed around the termination if desired.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) In addition to the above, the following requests have been made. That is, forming a cable tap and a splice,
In particular, two-core flat power cables can be interconnected, such interconnections being relatively simple and providing long term, secure, heat and earthquake resistant reliable electrical connections. It is also desirable that such tap and splice interconnections be compact, have relatively few components, and be relatively easy to assemble.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a flat cable interconnecting apparatus and method which enable reliable electrical connection with a simple configuration that meets such demands.

Means for Solving the Problems To solve the above-mentioned problems, a flat cable interconnection device according to the present invention is a device for interconnecting flat cables each having at least one flat conductor, wherein the flat cable has at least one flat conductor. An upper and lower interconnect assembly coupled to each other at predetermined portions of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies, each of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies having a plurality of corrugated protrusions and corrugated recesses alternately arranged along a flat cable side surface thereof. Each of the corrugated protrusions of one of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies is opposed to each of the corrugated recesses of the other of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies; Each of the corrugated ridges of the connection assembly is connected to the flat cable between the upper and lower interconnect assemblies. Each of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies has an adapter member disposed on a flat cable side and a flat cable of the adapter member. And an insert member fixedly arranged along the side away from the insert member.

The present invention provides an electrical interconnection with another of a single, two-core (or single-core) flat power cable, mechanically couples the cable, and each of the cable conductor pairs ( Alternatively, splices or tap interconnects that electrically interconnect each of the single-core conductors) are formed between the cables. In the first method, cables are created by first stamping axial slots along the middle strip (ie, center) of each cable into the desired interconnect along the cable. The cables are then stacked in aligned slots and the interconnecting associated conductors are paired adjacent to one another. The two pairs of upper and lower corrugations are then vertically aligned with the respective associated pair of conductors, the upper structure is aligned with the associated lower structure, and the pairs are spaced from one another near the cable slot. .
Separate pairs of upper and lower corrugated structures are pressed into the cable section between them, shearing the strips of interconnecting conductors and pressing the strips alternately above and below the plane of the cable, and the electrical Expose the edges of the newly sheared conductor interconnected to the conductor. Alternatively, the corrugated structure pushes the strip of conductor, previously sheared with a tool, out of the plane of the cable.

Each corrugated crimp structure may include an adapter member and an insert member. The adapter member is placed directly against the insulated main cable surface and the associated insert member is secured along the adapter member's surface remote from the cable. Each adapter member includes an array of corrugations extending toward the cable surface and defining a shear member, alternating with arcs extending from the cable surface to define relief recesses during the interconnection process. When shearing,
It receives the corrugations of the adapter member facing it and the strip of conductor which is thereby pressed outwardly. Each insert member is a low resistance metal such as copper,
An adapter-facing surface secured to a surface remote from the cable of the associated adapter member, closely conforming to the surface remote from the cable, and having a corresponding corrugation; Between them is a relief opening in which the arcuate relief of the associated adapter member is located.

When the cables are interconnected, if the upper and lower structures of each pair are pressed together, the corrugations of the adapter will shear the cable (unless the cable is pre-sheared),
The sheared strip of conductor is pushed into the opposing relief recess of the opposing adapter and into the relief opening of the insert where the opposing arcuate relief is located. As a result, the side wall of the relief opening is located adjacent to the sheared conductor edge as well as the side edge of the corrugation of the opposing adapter member, defining an interlocking corrugated joint.
Preferably, the corrugated joint is split against the blade of the device extending through the relief opening of the insert. The outwardly facing surface of the insert is then staked in a corrugated position to deform the low resistance metal laterally outward and tightly against the adjacent sheared edge of the thin strip, To form an airtight, heat and shock resistant electrical connection as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,859,204. The splitting of the waveform and the staking of the insert may optionally be performed simultaneously. The completed interconnection of the pair of conductors by the paired structure at the interconnection location is then placed in housing means, such as a pair of housing covers secured to each other, to provide termination protection and all. Preferably, insulating structures are provided around the exposed conductive surfaces to prevent unwanted engagement of these surfaces with other objects. The housing extends between the pair of corrugated crimping structures and includes internal walls that extend through the longitudinal cable slots and ensure insulation between the exposed metal of the interconnect and the conductors of the cable. It is therefore preferable to ensure that the interconnects are isolated from one another.

In the second method, it is not necessary to pre-punch the cable. First, a ligature of a superstructure adapter member wherein two superstructures extend across an intermediate portion between the two separate insert members as substructures
gatures, i.e., joined together by spaced pairs of connections, which halves the number of independent parts and simplifies handling, alignment and assembly. After being pressed together against the cable pair at the interconnection point,
The processing of the device cuts slots through the cable and shears the ligature of both the upper and lower joined structures, thus separating the upper and lower structures with the attached cables into independent interconnect structures. Electrical isolation, after which the separation of the corrugations and the staking of the insert takes place as described above.

Each of the corrugated crimp structures of the present invention may include an integral means of locking the upper and associated lower structures of each pair together after the interconnection of the cables. The insert defines a pocket adjacent to and extending laterally from at least one of the relief openings, in which the metal of the adjacent corrugations of the adapter of the opposing corrugated crimp structure during the staking process. May be deformed, thus locking the structures together, giving the interconnect mechanical security. In another embodiment, the adapter has a tab that extends through an opposing recess of the opposing adapter, after which the tab is bent and locked behind the adapter of the opposing structure, thus providing a structure Are locked together around the cable. In yet another embodiment, the flanges of the upper and lower structures extend outside the side edges of the cable, converge, and a pair of adjacent flanges are placed through the holes in which the rivets are aligned, staking, and structured. The cables are clamped between to lock the structures together. Preferably, some of the conductors of other cables that are located between the structures but are not interconnected by the structure are not sheared by the structure, but are deflected out of the plane of the cable to relieve stress at the interconnect.

Since each structure has a shearing half and a non-shearing half, each adapter has a shearing half and a non-shearing half. The shear halves of both the upper and lower adapters of the pair extend toward the surface of the cable and include a transverse array of corrugations defining a shear member. The array defines relief recesses, alternating with arcs extending from the surface of the cable, and upon shearing during the interconnection process, the corrugations of the adapter member and the conductors thereby drawn out therein, which oppose it. Accept the strip. The non-shear halves of one of the lower and upper adapters include a single continuous corrugation having an amplification greater than the width of the unsheared conductor. While deflecting the transverse portion of this conductor out of the plane of the cable, the non-shear half of the other adapter includes a single arcuate relief recess within which a single corrugation of the opposing adapter and thereby The deflected non-shear conductor portion is received.

(Example) An example of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the interconnection of a second similar cable of a first flat power cable, which may be either single core or double core. The interconnections shown are for main 2
A tap connection 10 between a tap cable 14 having a structure similar to the core flat cable 12. The invention can also be used to join a pair of flat cables. The housing assembly can include dielectric upper and lower housing members 16, 18, which are secured to one another and provide at least insulation and physical protection at the interconnection points of the cable. The members 16, 18 are male and female, at diagonally opposite corners, and can be secured to each other by semi-cylindrical posts 20, which can be pressed into corresponding semi-cylindrical openings 22 of other housing members. Opening 22 includes engagement ribs projecting radially into the opening, the opening being plastically deformed to securely hold the post in the opening as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,781,615. The housing members 16, 18 are, for example, Valox DR sold by General Electric, Fairfield, Connecticut, USA
48 (VALOX DR 48) resin and Celanex 3112-2ED sold by Celanese Plastics and Specialties, Inc. in Catham, NJ, USA
(CELANEX 3112-2 ED) or other heat-resistant thermoplastic resin. (Alternatively, the housing members 16, 18 may be secured together by latches as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B.) FIG. 1A shows a typical cross-sectional view of a two-core flat power cable 12. One flat conductor 26, 28 is extruded around and has an insulating coating 30 defining an intermediate strip 32 between the conductors. The cables 14 have the same structure. Although this disclosure is illustrated and described with respect to a two-core cable, it is readily apparent that the same terminals and methods can be used for a single-core cable.

The first method of interconnection is shown in FIGS. 2-9B, and the second method is shown in FIGS. 10A-10C. FIG. 2 shows two interconnect structure assemblies 34, 36, each of which interconnects a respective one of the conductors of the main cable and the tap cable while sandwiching therebetween. Assembly 34 interconnects conductor 26 of main cable 12 with conductor 38 of tap cable 14. Assembly 36
Is the conductor 28, when pressed against the cable
40 are electrically interconnected. The cables 12, 14 are preconditioned for termination by punching vertically aligned elongated slots 42, 44 therethrough along the middle strip of the cable and removing at least a majority of the width of the middle strip. Is done. By the intermediate slots 42, 44,
An axially extending barrier 46 of the housing members 16, 18 extends through the housing members and, after termination, interconnect structure 34,
It becomes a dielectric material between 36 and makes it possible to ensure electrical insulation of the circuit after interconnection. Barrier 46 is used to assemble housing members 16, 18 around the interconnect
It is also possible to include the respective walls of the two members 16, 18 slightly offset from the center so as to allow them to pass each other. Slots 42,44 also allow a positioning tool of a termination device (not shown) to position and hold the cable during termination. The interconnection occurs on each side of a plurality of alternating upper and lower corrugated joints, with the upper corrugated joint 50 shown in the figure.

FIG. 3 shows a simplified cross-sectional view of the interconnect structure assembly 34, showing a plurality of upper corrugated joints 50 alternating with and mating with lower corrugated joints 52. The corrugated joints 50, 52 are U.S. Pat.
It is similar to the type disclosed in No. 204 and 4,867,700. Each of the corrugated joints 50 and 52 corresponds to 54 in FIG.
As shown by, it is preferred that the joint is divided in the axial direction by a staking process for strengthening the joint. Across the upper corrugated joints 50, 52 and between them is a bulk metal portion 56 of the structural assembly 34, which is staken as shown at 58 in FIG. It deforms tightly against the sheared edges of 26, 38 and forms an airtight joint with this edge. 54
The pre-splitting of the corrugated joints is powerful, but flexible, for staking bulk metal parts and helps to maintain interconnect tightness during field use, which typically involves high temperatures and vibrations The stored energy is also given to the joint. After interconnection, during field use, adapter members 62, 82 (FIG. 4) help restrain relatively flexible conductors 26, 38, thereby preventing stress relief. Stress relief is otherwise corrugated joint
It reduces the stored energy of 50 and 52.

Referring to FIGS. 3-6, the upper interconnect structure 60 is comprised of an upper transition adapter member 62 and an upper insert member 64, and the lower interconnect structure 80 is comprised of a lower transition adapter member 82 and a lower insert member 84. It is configured. The adapter members 62 and 82 are preferably, for example, nickel-plated and copper-plated, and have a thickness of about 0.6 mm and have been subjected to a color change-resistant treatment, and have been subjected to a semi-cured Aulin Copper alloy 197. (Olin Copp
er Alloy 197). The insert members 64 and 84 are preferably, for example, nickel-plated and silver-plated, and are provided with an extremely soft copper CDA110 (generally about 1.6 mm thick) which has been subjected to a color change-resistant treatment. Is also good. The adapter members 62, 82 are designed to be male and female, similar to the insert members 64, 84 and the housing members 16, 18, and therefore require only a small number of components to establish the tap or splice connector 10. Facilitates inventory and assembly. The interconnect areas of the upper and lower assemblies 34, 36 are matable when faced, and when applied to a cable, the corrugations are precisely offset and face the relief recess. This is preferred. Preferably, each insert member is fixed to its associated adapter member for easy handling as a unit. Such fixation is achieved by press fitting an arcuate adapter relief shape into the insert relief opening.
Alternatively, the insert may be lightly staking in advance, as disclosed in US Pat. No. 4,859,204.

The interconnect area of the upper adapter 62 includes a pair of downwardly projecting corrugations 66, each including a crest 68, having the same width as the width of the corrugations 66, and facing upward defining a relief recess 72. It alternates with the arcuate portion 70. The wave peaks 68 and the array of alternating relief recesses 72 are laterally oriented with respect to the cable. The interconnection area of the lower adapter member 82 is similar to the upper adapter 62, but is configured to cooperate with the upper adapter 62. Lower adapter 82
Is a pair of upwardly projecting corrugated portions 86 each including a wave peak 88
And has the same width as the corrugated portion 86 and alternates with a pair of downwardly directed arcs 90 defining a relief recess 92. Each corrugated portion 66, 86 is formed by a pair of parallel vertical side edges (shear edges) 100, 1 extending axially with respect to the cable.
Specified during 02. The edges 100, 102 cooperate during termination and constitute a shearing edge that shears the cable conductor during termination if the cable has not been previously sheared by a tool.

The upper insert member 64 includes a surface proximate the adapter, which surface is disposed against a surface of the upper adapter 62 remote from the cable and is shaped to closely conform to this latter surface. Upper insert 64 has opening 76
And a pair of corrugations 74 having vertical sidewalls 78
The corrugations 74 correspond to the corrugations 66 of the adapter 62 and the openings 76 receive the arcs 70 therein.
Similarly, lower insert member 84 includes a pair of corrugations 94 having vertical sidewalls 98 separated by one of a pair of openings 96, with openings 96 receiving arcuate portions 90 therein.
FIG. 4 shows a pair of cables 12 ', 14' to be joined, similar in construction to the cables 12, 14.

FIG. 6 shows the structure of the upper corrugated joint 50 and the lower corrugated joint 52 (phantom lines) after termination of the upper and lower interconnection structures to the main cable 12 and the tap cable 14. The side edges 100 and 102 of the corrugated portions 66 and 86 are the conductor 2
6, 38 are divided into strips 104, 106, and corrugations 66, 86 press the sheared conductor into opposing relief recesses 72, 92 in respective openings 76, 96. Namiyama
68, 88 are designed and dimensioned to the nominal thickness of the cable, so that the newly sheared edge 110 of the sheared conductor strip (FIG. 3) It passes through the vertical side edges of the corrugations and through substantially vertical regions on the sides of the corrugations of the opposing insert. This is shown in FIG. 6 by the overlapping area 112 of the waveform, and in FIG.
0 is best shown. In particular, U.S. Pat.
The splitting of the corrugated joints at 54 and 58 in FIG. 2 by the blades of a termination device (not shown) after shearing of the conductor strip and extrusion of the cable from the plane as taught in US Pat. After the staking of the insert corrugations, the conductor edge 110 with a secure hermetic connection sheared and a plurality of crossing the metal and termination areas forming the sidewalls 78, 98 of the insert openings 76, 96 and corrugations 74, 94 And between the metal forming the side edges 100, 102 of the adapter corrugations 66, 86 at the position
The conductors 26, 38 of the cable 14 are interconnected. Alternatively, the cable can be sheared with a tool at a location corresponding to the edge of the corrugations to define the conductor strip. These strips are then pushed out of the plane of the cable by the adapter corrugations against the previously sheared conductor edges and placed adjacent to the metal side edges of the adapter corrugations and the side walls of the insert corrugations.

The interconnect structure is adapted to provide a secure self-locking means after termination, thereby ensuring that the upper and lower assemblies are locked with respect to each other, thus allowing a portion of the cable between these assemblies. It is preferable to tighten them to secure these assemblies themselves. Therefore, the mechanical fixation achieved by the self-locking means protects the termination and its airtight interconnection against strain and vibration. 7 to 9B show several examples of such self-locking means. In FIGS. 7-8B, the insert is adapted to provide the metal of the opposing adapter corrugations that are deformed laterally with respect to the insert during the corrugation splitting procedure. 9A and 9B, the adapter is provided with a tab that extends through the recess of the opposing adapter and is bent with respect to the back side of the opposing adapter.

7 and 8A, an insert 200, similar to the insert 64 of FIG. 5, includes a pair of insert corrugations 202, 204 alternating with a pair of openings 206, 208.
The corrugations 202 are located adjacent the lateral edges 210 of the insert 200 and include narrow pockets 212 that extend along the vertical sidewalls 214 to approximately the surface of the crest.
8A is a pair of inserts 20 having adapters 224, 226 identical to adapters 62, 82 of FIG.
Upper and lower assemblies 218, 220 utilizing 0,222 are used. A chamfered corner 228 is shown in FIG. 7 to position the insert in the application tool with the corresponding face of the associated adapter to which it is secured,
Means for orienting are provided to ensure proper fine alignment of the upper and lower assemblies of each interconnect structure.

8B, corrugated joints 230, 232 adjacent to and spaced from the pocket of interconnect 216.
Each extend sufficiently deep into the relief inserts 206, 208 of the back insert relative to the crest 234 of the corrugated joint 230 and are disposed within the openings 206, and have side edges 236 adjacent to the corrugations of the respective back insert. 202 vertical sidewalls 214
It can be seen that it is adjacent to the inner pocket 212. In FIG. 8C, the corrugations 230, 232 are split at 238 from the surface receiving the blade of the arcuate relief 240 to the interior by staking a tool (not shown) as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,204. The entire corrugated joint is split, the conductor strip 242 is split, and the pocket adjacent wave peaks 234 are split and the split portions 244a are pressed laterally in the same manner as the split portions are pressed laterally. Make sure it is done. The portion of the crest 234 adjacent to the pocket 212 of the insert of the opposing assembly is transformed into the pocket 212 and completed after staking of the other insert as described in connection with FIG. A lock that holds the staked interconnect 216 is defined. If one of the upper and lower assemblies has a pocket near the outer cable edge and the other has a pocket near the cable slot, the interconnect 216 will run along both sides. Self-locked. It is desirable to stake the other inserts at 244 away from the pocket 212.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, another embodiment of the adapter members 300, 302 for locking the adapter to itself after termination is shown. The adapter members 300, 302 are actually identical in opposite, opposing orientations, thereby being of a gender type. Each has one common lateral side 306
And a pair of tab receiving recesses 308 along the other common lateral side 310, all of which are alternating with the arcuate members 318.
Are disposed at respective ends 312 that extend axially from an interconnect region 314 that defines a relief recess. In FIG. 9B, a tab portion 304 of each of the adapter members 300, 302 passes through the inner and outer cable edges and extends in association with the associated recess 308, and the interconnect 320 is locked. Thereafter, the tab portion 304 is firmly bent against the outer surface of the opposing portion 312 of the adapter member 302,300. The array of corrugations and the relief recesses are configured to mate with each other when the corrugations face the relief recesses and when the adapter member is opposed and aligned to attach a cable. .

A second method of making the tap or splice interconnect of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 10A-10C. In FIG. 10A, cables 402, 404 at interconnect point 400 are shown.
Does not require pre-punching, and the superstructure 40
6 and substructure 408 extend across the entire width of the cable. The upper structure 406 comprises a pair of upper inserts 41 secured to respective portions 414, 416 of a single upper adapter member 418.
0, 412 included. Similarly, a pair of lower inserts 420, 422
Are the respective portions 424, 42 of the single lower adapter member 428
Fixed to 6. As shown with respect to the lower adapter member 428, the portions 424, 426 first include ligatures 430, 432
Are separated by a pair. The upper adapter member 418 is similarly configured and has ligatures 434,436. In FIG. 10B, during the application of the cables 402, 404, the upper and lower structures remain untouched, simplifying handling, alignment and assembly. In FIG. 10C, the tool of the termination device (not shown) hits the middle strip of the cable between the upper inserts 410, 412 and the lower inserts 420, 422 while simultaneously ligatures 430, 43
2, 434, 436 may be sheared and the intermediate cable section 438 punched out to define an axially extending slot 440 through which the wall of the housing member may extend. Removal of the ligature physically and electrically separates and defines the laterally spaced interconnect structures 442, 444 joining the associated conductors of the cables 402, 404. Then
During the splitting of the corrugations and the staking of the insert, the termination is reliably completed as shown in FIG. 8C.

Another embodiment of a housing member 502, 504 assembled to surround the terminated interconnect point 500 is shown in FIG.
This is shown in FIGS. A and 11B. Cable engaging part 50
6, 508 abut the adjacent outwardly facing surfaces of the cables 12, 14 emanating from the end of the interconnection point 500. The cable engaging portions 506, 508 abut adjacent, outwardly facing surfaces of the cables 12, 14 emanating from the end of the interconnect point 500. The cable engaging portions 506, 508
A rigid resilient spring bias clamp that holds the cables 12, 14 firmly in between. The cable engagement platforms 510, 512 are deflectable in response to clamping into the transverse relief slots 514, 516 at the rear thereof and are resiliently deformable to the housing members 502, 504 by hinges 518, 520. It remains integrally connected. The housing members 502, 504 are secured to each other by a latching projection 522 of a latch arm 524 at an oblique corner of each housing that can be latched into a corresponding latch recess 526 of the other housing. In this way, the housing members 502, 5 of the tap connection 10 of the invention
04 compensates for the thickness of one cable or two cables, and compensates for the range of cable thickness of about 0.5mm ~ 0.9mm, and achieves the clamping of the cable, And gain the benefit of strain relief.

In FIG. 12, the interconnect 600 includes upper and lower housing covers 602, 604, and two interconnect structure assemblies 606, 608 are shown, each of which is a main cable and a tap cable. Interconnecting one of the conductors and sandwiching both cables therebetween, including the other of the conductors. Assembly 606
The conductor 26 of the main cable 12 is electrically interconnected with the conductor 38 of the tap cable 14, but the conductor 28 of the main cable 12 and the conductor 40 of the tap cable 14 are not interconnected. Conversely, assembly 608 interconnects conductors 28, 40 but does not interconnect conductors 26, 38. rivet
614 comprises an upper interconnect structure 610 and a lower interconnect structure 612
Extending through a centrally located opening in the opposite flange 616 and locking the structure to form a structural assembly 608 and similar structure 606. Rivets 614 join the flanges laterally spaced from the side edges of the cable,
Minimize the tendency to disturb the corrugated joint when riveting the header.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, each of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies includes a plurality of corrugated convex portions and corrugated concave portions alternately arranged along the flat cable side surface. And having an adapter member disposed on the side of the flat cable and an insert member fixedly disposed along a side of the adapter member remote from the flat cable, the corrugation of one of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies. Each of the protrusions faces each of the other corrugated recesses of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies, and each of the corrugated protrusions of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies has a flat cable between the upper and lower interconnect assemblies. Since it has a shearing edge that cooperates to shear the flat conductor when inserting it, a material suitable for shearing as an adapter member is used as an insert member. And a material having high conductivity can be selected. For this reason, the force for shearing the flat cable can be increased, so that the work of interconnecting the flat cables is easy, and at the same time, an effect is obtained that a flat cable interconnection device having a large current carrying capacity is obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, a perspective view of a completed and stored series tap connection between a main two-core flat power cable and a tap cable, and FIG. 1A shows an interconnected type. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tap connection of FIG. 1 in which the housing member is separated from the tap connection, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the cable taken along line 3-3 in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the adapter member and the insert member of the upper and lower interconnection structure, FIG.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of an interconnection point showing an upper and lower adapter and an insert member separated from two cables, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section of a corrugated joint taken along line 6-6 in FIG. FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows an interconnect having pockets along the side walls of a relief opening used to provide locking during staking to secure the upper and lower interconnect structures to each other and to the cable securely mechanically. An enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of an insert having a connection structure,
FIGS. 8A, 8B and 8C show a seventh cable terminated to a cable.
Of the upper and lower interconnect structures having the illustrated inserts,
FIGS. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views before attachment, before staking, and after staking, respectively. FIGS. 9A and 9B show an upper and lower interconnection structure having an embodiment of an adapter for mechanically fixing adapters to each other and cables. 10A, 10B and 10C are perspective views before and after termination of the cable of FIG.
The figure is a perspective view showing another method of interconnecting cables,
11A and 11B are end views of another embodiment of the housing member before and after securing the cable around the interconnect, and FIG. 12 is another embodiment having a riveted flange. FIG. 3 is a drawing of a tap connection similar to FIG. 2 using the example structure. 10: Tap connection 12, 12 ': Main two-core flat cable, 14, 14': Tap cable, 26, 28, 38, 40: Conductor, 34, 36, 60, 80, 218, 220 , 406, 408, 442, 444, 60
6, 608: Interconnect structure assembly, 52: Lower corrugated joint, 62, 82, 224, 226, 300, 302, 418, 428 ... Adapter, 64, 84, 200, 222, 412, 414, 420, 422: insert member, 66, 74, 94, 202, 204 ... corrugated part.

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Frank Herbert Bamere Jr., United States Arizona 85282 Temp East Pebble Beach Drive 1737 (72) Inventor John Kevin Darry United States Arizona 85253 Scott Dill North Graniterie 5438 (72) Inventor Robert Carl Glebe, United States of America Arizona 85254 Scott Dill North 63rd Street 16239 (72) Inventor Earl Raymond Kleinberg, United States of America 85032 Phoenix North 35th Street 16435 ( 72) Inventor Dean Arnold Parner, Arizona, United States 85239 Maricopa, Medellin Avenue 45244 Avenue 1510 (72) Inventor Frederick Harman Rider 85308 Glendir, U.S.A. 56) References JP-A-56-134483 (JP, A) US Patent 4,241,498 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H01R 9/07 H01R 4/24

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A device for interconnecting between flat cables each having at least one flat conductor, comprising: an upper and lower interconnect assembly coupled to each other at predetermined portions of the flat cable. Each of the connection assemblies has a plurality of corrugated protrusions and corrugated recesses alternately arranged along a surface on the flat cable side, and each of the corrugated protrusions of one of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies Faces each of the corrugated recesses of the other of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies, and each of the corrugated ridges of the upper and lower interconnect assemblies is located between the upper and lower interconnect assemblies. A shearing edge that cooperates to shear the flat conductor when inserting a flat cable; Each Nburi are flat cable interconnect device characterized in that it comprises an adapter member arranged to a flat cable side, an insert member that is fixedly disposed along a side away from the flat cable of the adapter member.