JPH02184216A - Cable shield terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To shield an end of a cable, connected to a separable electric connector by providing a cylindrical conductive shell in which an insulating insert for carrying a metal contact such as a pin or socket, is mounted therein. CONSTITUTION: A receptacle connector portion 11 has a cylindrical metal shell 15 and is provided with an insulating insert 16 of rubber having a bore for receiving a pin contacts 17. A plug connector portion also has a metal shell. A shielding or grounding plate 20 is generally a metal cylindrical disc and has a flange 21. When the plate 20 is equipped in an end of the shell 15, a plate 10 is continuously brought into contact with an outer insulating end face of the flange 21, with respect to an inner surface of the receptacle. A plurality of bores 23 are formed on a circular surface of the plate 20 and individually disposed at the contacts 17, disposed in a receptacle shell insert.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to shielding electrical connectors and, more particularly, to shielded terminations of cables connected to separable electrical connectors.

Electromechanical connectors of the type that are particularly relevant to the present invention are releasably mated for connecting a set of cables or harnesses brought to each connector part via internally disposed contacts. a plug and an interengaging receptacle portion. Electrical connectors of this type are widely used to provide releasable connections to various electrical and electronic devices.

Such devices, particularly electronic devices, are particularly susceptible to interference and even damage from external interfering electromagnetic fields. Although external electromagnetic field interference can be at a relatively low level, higher level interfering electromagnetic fields, such as radar, can cause noise in electronic circuits and cables and have a negative impact on operating efficiency and accuracy. Failure to do so may substantially disrupt the operation of the electronic device. In the case of very high levels of interference, such as those that can occur at a substantial distance from the nuclear source and can induce currents in the range of hundreds of amperes or even sub-amperes, sensitive shielded Electronic devices that are missing may be completely damaged or destroyed.

This last-mentioned type of high level interference is often referred to as electromagnetic pulse or EMP interference.

Cables for electrical and electronic equipment that need to be protected from external interference fields are typically housed within a metal braid or other conductive shield that extends from the equipment termination point and terminates at a separable connector. be. It is this termination in the connector that is of particular interest to the present invention.

Currently, cable connections for electrical connectors are
Termination of cables is typically accomplished by jumpers, pigtails, or daisy chains that conductively connect the cable shield at a point adjacent to the connector and connector shell. Although they are currently widely used,
Satisfactory termination is not achieved because there is a substantial "window" through which contamination fields can travel to the internal parts of the cable wires or electrical connectors.

There are other situations where similar requirements for the termination of shielded cable wires exist. For example, there are certain types of terminal connection blocks in fishing boats that consist of a metal housing, and the metal housing has a It houses contacts that can each be accessed through an opening. In the past, when shielded cable wires with complementary contacts at their ends were each inserted into an opening in the connection block housing and mated with the housed contacts, the terminations of the cable wire shields were used for electromechanical connectors. This was done as described above.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved termination scheme for shielded cable wires to the connector portion of a separable electrical connector.

Another object is to provide an electrical connector with a cable shield termination that substantially eliminates the window available for external electromagnetic field interference.

Detachable electrical connectors of the type of particular interest to the present invention each include a substantially cylindrical conductive shell within which is mounted an insulative insert carrying metallic contacts such as pins or sockets. It has a plug and a receptacle part. In traditional applications, where the electrical components are coupled together to engage the contacts within the connector section and to make an electrical connection between the cable wires connected to each contact, shielding for the cable wires is typically a wire braid. In the past, the wire was fixed to the connector shell at one or more points by jumpers, pigtails or so-called daisy chains.

In a first embodiment of the invention, a ground plate having a continuous interlocking flange edge wall around its periphery has dimensions such that it can be permanently attached to the open end of a connector portion, i.e. a plug or severance. are doing. The ground plate thus provides continuous electrical and mechanical contact between the flange and the inner wall of the connector shell. A plurality of apertures are formed in the surface of the ground plate in alignment with connector contacts housed within the insulative insert of the connector portion.

A short shielding braid, which may be the same as that carried by the cable wire, is open at one end and fitted with a grounding plug at the other end. More specifically, the ground plug is a metal ferrule with an open end that is electrically and mechanically secured to the short shield kIA assembly. The outer end of the ground plate has a radially outwardly facing flange and a slotted sidewall that is compressed when a plug is inserted into the opening in the ground plate, and when the flange passes through the ground plate. Press the plug into place by snapping outward.

In use, the cable wire braid is dressed back leaving a length of insulated cable. A length of shielding braid with a grounding plug is placed over the insulated cable, and facing braid sections are electrically and mechanically secured to each other. The insulation is removed from the cable wire end and the cable wire end is secured to a socket or pin contact. The socket or pin contact is inserted through an aperture in the shield ground plate and securely positioned within the connector insulation insert. The grounding plug is snapped into place within the aperture in the shield plate.

The following embodiments of the invention modify and convert existing electrical connectors identical in general form to that described in connection with the first embodiment to obtain the same superior cable shield termination as the first embodiment. may be particularly adapted for use in In this case, an adapter ground plate is provided having substantially the same general structure as that of the first embodiment, with an outer diameter slightly larger than the inner diameter of the connector shell in which it is to be mounted. This plate, which has only a diameter, has a plurality of apertures adapted to align with the contact features of the connector part when it is assembled into the connector part.

In assembling this second embodiment, the adapter ground plate is inserted into the open end of the connector section, with its flange being received within the shell of the connector section. An adapter nut is threaded onto the connector portion and engages the outer edge of the shield or ground plate to force it inwardly and hold it in fixed mounting and contacting relationship with the connector shell. The cable wires are connected via the same type of plug as used in the first mentioned embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2, the type of electrical connector to which the present invention may be particularly advantageously applied is illustrated generally by the numeral l.
It is indicated by O. The connector has as its main parts a receptacle connector section 11 and a plug connector section 12, the receptacle connector section 11 engaging the plug connector section 12 to connect a set of cable wires. An electrical connection is formed between 13 and 14 in a known M manner. Each connector wire has an outer metal shell within which various connector components are disposed.

Referring in detail to FIG. 2, the receptacle connector portion 11 is a generally cylindrical metal shell 1 having an open end.
5, and inside this shell 15 there is a pin contact 17.
A rubber (or plastic) insulating insert 16 is provided having longitudinally oriented apertures for receiving the . Receptacle shell 15 except that plug connector portion 12 is also dimensioned to be received within open end 18 of the receptacle connector portion.
It has a similar outer metal shell. The plug also has a set of socket contacts 19 having portions that cooperate with the bin contacts 17 to establish an electrical connection to the cable wire.

Pin and socket contacts 17, as known to those skilled in the art.
and 19 one end of cable wire 13.14 respectively
and are electrically connected to those cable wires by crimping, soldering, etc., as necessary.

The shield or ground plate 20 is generally a cylindrical disk of metal and has a continuous flange 21 projecting at right angles thereto at its periphery. The outside diameter of the shield plate is such that it can be press fit into the other open end 22 of the receptacle shell to form a 360 degree mechanical and electrical interconnection to the shell wall.

Alternatively, the shield or ground plate 20 may be secured by screwing, welding, clamping means, conductive epoxy, or the like. In this way, as shown in FIG.
0 is forced into the end of shell 15, the outer edge surfaces of its plate and flange 21 are brought into continuous intimate contact with the inner surface of the receptacle. Also, as best shown in FIG. 2, the inner edge of the shield flange 21 is spaced only slightly from the innermost edge of the contact 17.

A plurality of apertures 23 are formed in the circular surface of plate 20 and are arranged in individual alignment with contacts 17 disposed within the receptacle shell insert. The width dimension of these apertures must be large enough to allow one contact to be inserted through the aperture for placement within the insulating insert of the connector section.

Initially creating a cable wire 13 or 14 for purposes of the present invention involves removing an end portion (e.g. 10 inches) of the cable braid shield, and then removing a length of insulated cable without the braid shield in the longitudinal direction. Leave the wire.

A length of braided shield 24, which may be the same or substantially the same as that used in the cable, is provided with a grounding plug 25 electrically and mechanically secured in place. The ground plug is a metal ferrule, one end of which has a diameter sufficient to receive the ends of the shield braid, and the ends are secured together. The opposite end of the grounding plug terminates in an enlarged first flange 26 and has a second flange 27 spaced therefrom which fits neatly within the aperture 23 in the grounding plate. A sized reduced diameter section is formed.

A slot 28 is formed in the side wall of the grounding plug in an elongated direction so that the plug can be laterally compressed for purposes described below.

A length of shielding braid 24 fitted with a grounding plug is threaded over the unshielded cable wire, and the two aligned ends of the shielding braid extend from the grounding plug. They are thereby electrically and mechanically fixed to each other.

The insulation is then removed from the end of the cable wire and the bare wire is terminated within the open end of the bin contact 17 or 19. Using conventional tools, the pin contacts and the connected wires are inserted through the apertures 23 in the rubber or plastic interface shell or gasket 29 and the shield plate 20, ensuring that they are positioned within the insulating insert of the connector section. . Finally, the grounding plug is inserted through the aperture in the interface shell and snapped into place within the corresponding aperture 23 in the shield plate (FIG. 2).

When so assembled, the cable 4111 terminates through the grounding plug at the shield plate and thus at the connector partial shell. Interfering signals induced within the cable shield are terminated at the connector partial shell. Furthermore, when the connector plug receptacle is engaged, the cable wires and connector contacts are surrounded by the shielding braid and the connector shell, and are thus shielded against electromagnetic contamination from external interfering electromagnetic fields. do.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 4 and 7 to describe other embodiments of the invention that are particularly useful when compatible with existing connectors. In this case, the connector parts are considered to be identical to those of the first described embodiment, and parts that are identical to those of that embodiment are therefore designated with the same reference numerals.

Adapter shield 31 has a metal disc 32 having a diameter that can be neatly received within open end 22 of receptacle shell 15. A plurality of apertures 33 are formed in this disk in such a number and arrangement that they are aligned one by one with respect to the contacts attached to the insert 16. An upright continuous wall or flange 34 extends away from the periphery of the disk 32. More specifically, the outer diameter of the flange 34 is slightly smaller than that of the disk 32, and has an inner diameter that allows it to fit into the insert 16 (the fifth
figure).

In use, the shield plate 31 is placed within the receptacle shell with the correct alignment of the aperture 33 and the insert aperture formed by the indexing key-a35.

An end cap 36 threaded onto the receptacle shell has a portion within the receptacle shell that secures the shielding 31 in good contact. An extension shell (not shown) can be attached to the receptacle shell having an inner portion that clamps against the outer end of the mtM plate to securely adhere to and establish a conductive relationship therewith.

In this adapter type, the grounding plug 25 can be connected to the cable wire braid in the same manner as in the first described embodiment, and the plug is disposed with a shield in the same manner.

FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of a grounding plug 37 for securing a separate length of the shield body 24 or directly to the end of the cable wire body 24 as shown. The plug is an elongated metal ferrule having a first enlarged flange 38 at the plug end, a second flange 39 spaced from the first flange, a third flange 40 and an elongated sleeve portion 41.

The sleeve portion is sized to be slidably received over the insulated cable wires and under the shield WkI body. The grounding plug and shield braid are electrically and mechanically secured to each other at 42.

Although the above embodiments have applied the invention to electrical connectors having cylindrical metal shell portions, the invention may also be usefully applied to connectors or junction boxes having virtually any geometric shape. For example, FIG. 8 shows a branch junction box 43 through which a plurality of pairs of shielded cable wires 44.45 and 46.47 can be connected to each other and the cable・
The shield is terminated as described below. The branch junction box includes an insulating core 48, shown as generally rectangular in shape, with one or more insulating cores extending therethrough and open at the face of the opposite core. Opening hole 4
9 and another L-shaped aperture 50 having an entrance on the face of the adjacent core. Female (or a) contacts 51 and 52 fit into each aperture 49 and 50 to mate with complementary contacts introduced through those apertures. Typically, the core 48 of such a junction box is carried within an open metal frame 53 for convenient attachment to flange members 53, for example.

To modify according to the invention, separate shielding or grounding plates 54-57, each having suitable dimensions, are placed on each flat surface of the core and secured within the frame 53.

The ground plate is formed with an aperture 58 aligned with the aperture in the core.

The cable wire has a grounding plug at one end, which plug may be identical to plug 28, and is mechanically and electrically secured to the cable wire shield. The grounding plug also has contacts that can engage contacts 51 or 52 on the grounding plug located within the aperture 58. Attachment of the grounding plug to the grounding plate takes place in the same manner as in the first described embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a common commercially available connector 59 called the ARINC series connector. The connector has an insulator 60 in which contacts (not shown) are mounted in respective alignment with apertures 61 in the outer wall.

The insulator with the contacts is mounted within a hollow metal housing 62, where the surface of the insulator with the aperture 61 extends outside the housing. To convert this standard connector to the present invention, ground plate 63 has a cavity 64 on one side that receives insulator 60 in a fitted manner. Opposing wall 65 has an aperture 66 aligned with aperture 61 . Ground shell 63 has a continuous edge that, when mounted on insulator 60, is held in intimate contact with housing surface 67 by threaded member 68. An environmental and electromagnetic seal 69 fits around cavity 64 and engagement surface 67 . The cable wire 70 is provided with a grounding plug 71, which is fixed as in the first described embodiment.

Although the shielding or grounding plate or shell has been described as being preferably made of metal, other materials may also be advantageously used for this purpose, such as conductive composites.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector having a ground plate of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the connector of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a shield plate of the present invention having an environmental seal; 5 is a perspective view of another embodiment showing an adapter/connector for an existing cable system, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a shielding plate of this other embodiment, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the grounding plug and connector; FIG. 8 is a section of a terminal branch junction box showing the means according to the invention for terminating the grounding plate and cable shield; FIG. FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the invention for use in the ARI NC series of connectors. In the drawing, 10 is an electrical connector, 11 is a receptacle connector part, 12 is a plug connector part, and 13
．． 14 is a cable wire, 15 is a metal shell, 17.1
9 is a bottle, socket contact, 20 is a grounding plate, 24 is a shield w1 assembly, 26.27 is a flange, 31 is an adapter shielding plate, 37 is a grounding plug, 38, 39, 40 is a flange, 41 is a sleeve portion, 43 are branch junction boxes, 44-47
is a cable wire, 48 is an insulated core, 59 is a connector,
60 each indicates an insulator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An electrical connector portion comprising a metal shell having an open end into which a cable having an electrical contact at the end is inserted; an inner wall of the metal shell received within the open end of the shell; a metal disk having an edge conductively engaged with the disk and an aperture therein of sufficient dimensions to allow the cable and electrical contacts to pass therethrough; an aperture in the disk; a slotted side wall having internal dimensions adapted to be received in fit and contact with an internal aperture sufficient to allow said cable to pass therethrough; a hollow metal grounding plug having first and second radially extending flanges, the spacing between the first and second flanges being approximately equal to the thickness of the disc; A cable shield termination device comprising a length of hollow tubular metal shield conductively secured within the bore and adapted to have its other end received over the cable and conductively secured to the cable shield. 2. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, wherein said metal disc is press fit into the open end of said shell. 3. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, wherein said metal disc has a continuous flange disposed about its periphery. 4. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the cable shield and the hollow tubular metal shield are constructed of a metal braid.
Shield termination device. 5. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, wherein said grounding plug further comprises an integral hollow sleeve received within and electrically and mechanically secured to said hollow tubular metal shield. 6. the metal disc is releasably and slidably received within the open end of the metal shell and is threadedly attached to the open end of the metal shell to attach the metal disc to the metal shell; 2. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, further comprising means for securing in conductive contact. 7. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, wherein the spacing between the inwardly facing surface of the metal disk and the contact is small to eliminate cable looping. 8. The cable according to claim 1, wherein the metal disk is mechanically and electrically fixed to the metal shell by welding.
Shield termination device. 9. The cable shield termination device of claim 1, wherein said metal disk is mechanically and electrically secured to said metal shell by a conductive adhesive. 10. A branch junction box having a conductive shell with an open end, through which a wire having a first electrical contact fixed to the end is inserted; conductive plate means having an aperture over an open end and arranged to be aligned with a second electrical contact disposed within the shell and complementary to the first contact; means for electrically and mechanically securing said plate means to said shell in a gap-tight manner; and means for electrically conductively securing said plate means to said shell, said wire shield having an internal aperture for passage of said wire therethrough; a slotted sidewall and first and second radially extending flanges that are larger than the aperture of the conductive plate means, the first and second radially extending flanges being larger than the aperture of the conductive plate means; A termination device for a wire shield comprising a metal grounding plug with a spacing between second flanges approximately equal to the thickness of said plate means. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said grounding plug includes an integral sleeve having external dimensions for receipt within said wire shield and around a wire.