MXPA99006853A - Electron connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrical connector provided with an insulating body (12) with contact elements (32). The contact elements (32) have at one of their ends elastic contact parts (40) arranged inside a socket (44). The other ends of the contact elements (32) have pairs of contact pieces with the laced insulation (28). The pairs of contact pieces (28) allow connecting two wires of each of the contact elements (32). The contact elements (32) are formed from supports (56a, 56b) stamped from a strip in the form of a conductor frame (54). The contact parts (38), on which each pair of contact pieces (28) are formed, are formed in rows at each edge of the terminal strip of the conductor frame, the elastic contact portions (40) running inwardly from each other. the edges of the strip at an angle of 45§ with respect to the edges of the rule

Description

ELECTRIC CONNECTOR This invention refers to an electrical connector. The invention also relates to a conductor frame for forming an electrical connector element, and to a method of forming supports for forming electrical contact elements. U.S. Pat. 5,186,647, for example, discloses an electrical connector provided with: electrical contact parts with which electrical connections are made to active conductor wires; and a female plug for receiving a male plug in such a way that elongated electrical contact parts of the connector electrically connect with connecting pieces of the male plug; the elongated parts of electrical contact being formed in the corresponding individual electrical contact elements of the connector, contact elements that have each been formed on said contact pieces; the elongated contact parts being disposed over a considerable extension of said contact elements, generally in parallel and substantially in a common plane, the contact pieces generally running normally by said plane until reaching, on one side of the plane, free ends of the contact pieces arranged in rows generally parallel to the direction of travel of the elongated contact portions. With previous connectors of this type, each contact piece was placed on a different contact element, the multiple connections with the contact elements made through said connectors not being easily affected. In one aspect, it is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector that facilitates the establishment of multiple connections with the elements of the connector. In this aspect, the invention is characterized in that the first and second contact pieces of each contact element are generally planar and have an angular disposition therebetween. Preferably, the contact parts are bifurcated, whereby the contact parts define corresponding parts of the connector with displaced insulation. Preferably, the first and second contact pieces of each contact element have a V-shaped configuration, seen in the direction of travel of said parts when moving away from said plane. This allows the contact elements to be formed efficiently. The electrical connector can, from this point of view, have four contact elements, with the first and second contact pieces of two of these elements disposed in a first of the cited rows and the first and second contact pieces of the other two contact elements disposed in a second of the rows, the said parallel rows running substantially parallel to the direction of travel of said elongated contact portions. In another aspect, the invention provides a conductor frame in the form of a strip, which defines contact supports substantially stamped but interconnected to form the corresponding elements of the electrical connector. In this aspect, a conductor frame as described above is characterized by: the first and second rows, running longitudinally, of the contact supports, which have adjacent first parts side by side, located in the corresponding parts first and second of the edge of the strip contiguous with the corresponding first and second longitudinal edges of the strip, the first parts, each defining the corresponding first and second bifurcated contact pieces, which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the strip, first and second contact pieces of each of the first parts mentioned, which are joined in a base part of the corresponding first part, the base pieces of the first parts, which are joined to elongated portions of the corresponding contact supports, and the elongated parts of the contact supports, which run along the corresponding first parts in transverse direction with respect to the strip, at an angle with respect to the edges of the strip, in such a way that the elongated portions of the contact supports having the first parts thereof in a of said lateral edge portions are parallel to and interposed between the elongated portions of the contact supports having the first portions thereof in the other of said lateral edge portions. The invention also provides a method of forming supports for forming the corresponding electrical contact elements, from a strip, the method being characterized by: forming adjacent first parts side by side of the supports, located in the corresponding first and second parts of the edge of the strip contiguous to the corresponding first and second longitudinal edges of the strip, each of the first parts defining the corresponding first and second bifurcated contact pieces, which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the strip, joining the contact pieces first and second of each of said first parts in a base part of the corresponding first part; forming elongated portions of the corresponding contact supports, which are joined to the base parts of the first parts; the elongated portions of the contact supports which run along the corresponding first parts in the transverse direction with respect to the terminal strip, at an angle with respect to the edges of the terminal strip, in such a way that the elongated portions of the contact supports which have the first portions thereof in one of said lateral edge portions are parallel to and interposed between the elongated portions of the contact supports having the first portions thereof in the other of said lateral edge portions. The invention also provides an electrical connector provided with contact elements formed from the conductor frame of the invention or according to the method just described. The invention is further described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures 1 to 4 are various perspective views of an electric connector constructed in accordance with the invention, provided with removable covers attached to the same; Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector of Figure 1; Figures 6 to 9 are various perspective views of the connector of Figures 1 to 4, but with the covers removed; and Figure 10 is a diagram of a conductor frame for forming contact supports that are used to form contact elements of the electrical connector of Figures 1 to 4 and Figures 6 to 9. The electrical connector 10 shown in FIG. Figures 1 to 9 have an insulating connector body 12 with a first part of the body 14 and a second part of the body 16. The part of the body 14 is formed from the upper and lower parts 18 and 20. The upper part 18 has vertical terminals 22 arranged in two rows 24 and 26 (figure 5), terminals between which bifurcated contact pieces 28 are arranged in each row, which form connectors with displaced insulation to make electrical connections with insulated wire electroconductors. In this way, the contact pieces 28 have grooves 30, and the connections with the wires are established by inserting end portions of the insulated wires into channels located between adjacent terminals 22, such that the end portions of the wires run in direction transversal to the path of the rows 24 and 26 of terminals, and later pushing the threads downwards so that they penetrate into the grooves 30. When pushing the threads downwards, the parts of the contact pieces 28 that define the edges of the grooves 30 perforate the insulation of the wires and are elastically coupled to the internal conductors. The part of the body 16 can be disassembled and mounted on the body part 14 thanks to elastic fit fasteners, constituting 66 and 68 integral part of each of these two pieces. The parts 18, 20 of the part of the body 14 are encased in each other in the same elastic manner by means of the intercoupling pieces by elastic adjustment 70, 72, specifically to define an internal cavity receiving four electrical contact elements 32. The contact pieces 28 are formed in pairs, each of the contact elements 32 defining two of these parts. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the contact pieces 28 of each of the aforementioned pairs are formed on a single contact part 38 of the corresponding contact element 32. Each of these parts 38 includes, in addition to the two pieces 28, a lower part 34 interconnecting these two contact pieces 28. The parts 38 of each contact element 32 are connected, by means of intermediate portions 36 thereof, to adjacent elongated portions side by side and generally parallel 40 of the contact elements. Considerable portions of the elongate portions 40 generally run along a common plane, said plane also containing the intermediate parts 36. The elongated portions 40, however, have convex contact pieces 42 oriented towards their free ends. The body part 16 has an outwardly open female plug 44 which can receive a male electrical plug, namely of the type known as type RJ45. Male plugs of this type typically have eight electrical contacts on one face which, when the plug is inserted into the socket 44, abuts a portion of the wall surface 46 of the socket 44. The part of the plug surface wall 46 has grooves 48 and convex contact pieces 42 of contact elements 32 run inside them in a way that allows them to electrically connect with four of the contacts of an RJ45 plug when inserted into socket 44. Except for the free parts of the end of the contact elements 32, including the parts 42 thereof, and the exposed parts of the contact elements located between the terminals 22, the rest of these elements is housed in the internal cavity defined by the part of the body 14. Therefore, as seen in figure 5, the contact parts 38 run downwardly from the upper part 18 of the body part 14, inside the channels located between the terminals 22 and towards the cavity defined within the part of the body 14. From there, the intermediate parts 36 run from the contact parts 38 inwards in the direction transverse to the body of the connector (i.e. rows 24 and 26) to join the corresponding elongated portions 40 of the contact elements 32. From here the elongated portions 40 run forward generally in a parallel direction until they protrude through an anterior wall of the body part 14 and from there to the part of the body 16, so that the parts 42 of the contact elements are housed, as mentioned above, within the grooves 48.

The contact pieces 28 generally run normally along the plane containing the main parts of the elongated portions 40 of the contact elements 32, and are generally flat. The contact parts 28 of each contact element 32 are arranged, however, in accordance with the illustrated V-shaped configuration, such that the planes of these are disposed approximately 90 ° to each other, and also approximately at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the path of the rows 24, 26. That is to say, within the channels located between the terminals 22, the axial planes of the contact parts 28 have an inclination of 45 ° with respect to the longitudinal direction of the path of the rows 24, 26, the contact pieces 28 being viewed from above in the perspective shown in FIG. 5. In addition, the vertices of the V-shaped configurations of the contact pieces 28 of the two contact parts 38 closest to the part of the body 16 face outwards, while the vertices of the V-shaped configurations of the contact parts 28 of the two contact parts 38 furthest from the body part 16 look inward. For this reason, in each adjacent row 24, 26, one of the contact pieces 28 of the two contact parts 38 of the row are parallel and the contact pieces 28 located at the opposite ends of the row are also parallel, but they are arranged at a 90 ° angle with respect to the other contact pieces of that row. Two elastically resilient covering elements 50 are provided, by means of elastic adjustment intermeshing components (not shown), to the upper part 18 of the body part 14, for the purpose of covering the upper ends of the terminals 22 and the upper part 18 of the body part of the connector 14. These covering elements are mounted on the connector 10 by pressing downwards as seen in figure 5, and have internal pressure parts (not shown). When carrying out the operation of connecting the covering elements 50 in the manner indicated to the body part 14, these pressure parts are each capable of hooking wires located at the upper ends of two of the contact pieces 28 of each row 24. , 26, pushing these threads downwards until they are inserted into the slots 30 of the contact pieces 28, during the action of clamping the cover elements 50 to the connector 10. In this way, a separate tool is not required to facilitate the insertion of the wires in the contact pieces 28.

By virtue of the above arrangement, each contact element can be connected to two wires by hooking those wires to the corresponding contact parts 28 of the contact element. The V-shaped configuration of the contact parts 38 enables a simple and compact arrangement of the connector 10. The part of the body 16 is disposed at one end of the body part 14. The other end of the body part 14 has a loop type detent element 52 which is capable of adapting threads which are connected, or which are already connected, to the connector 10, to retain them in the connector 10, or which can alternatively be used as a means of fastening threads to the body.

The special shape of the contact elements described lends itself to its conformation as a conductor frame 54, as shown in FIG. 10.

This conductor frame 54 takes the form of a strip of electroconductive material with which the contact supports 56a, 56b are stamped. These supports are subsequently deformed, by bending, to form the contact elements 32. The conductor frame 54 has two longitudinal side edges 58, 60, and the stamping of the supports 56a, 56b is carried out in the following manner: a) parts 38 of the supports 56a, 56b are arranged in longitudinal rows, those of the supports 56a being on the side edge 58 and those of the supports 56b on the side edge 60, such that the portions 38 of the supports 56a occupy a edge portion 62 of the conductor frame, adjacent the side edge 38, and the parts 38 of the supports 56b occupy an edge portion 64 of the conductor frame, adjacent to the side edge 60; b) the parts 34 of the parts 38 connect with intermediate pieces 36 of the supports and subsequently with the elongated portions 32; c) the elongate portions 40 of the contact supports 56a (those having their parts 38 at the edge 58) run towards the edge 60 at an angle of 45 °. In the same way, the elongated portions 40 of the contact supports 56b (those arranged with parts 38 adjacent the edge 60), run towards the edge 58 at an angle of 45 ° and parallel to the elongated portions 40 of the supports 56a; d) the elongate portions 40 of the contact supports 56a are interspersed with the elongated portions 40 of the contact supports 56b, and spaced apart therefrom.

It will be noted that the supports 56a adjacent the edge 58 differ slightly from those adjacent the edge 60 in that the elongated portions 40 of the supports 56a are somewhat longer. When the supports 56b are bent to form contact elements 32, they form the two contact elements 32 which are at the end of the part of the body 14, remote from the body part 16, while the contact elements 32 formed to from the supports 56a make up the other two contact elements 32. The arrangement described is particularly advantageous in that the contact elements 32 are formed so as to limit the loss in the strip material with which the contacts are formed . The described arrangement has been advanced only by way of explanation, and may be subject to numerous modifications without abandoning the spirit and scope of the invention, which are set forth in the appended claims.

PARTS LIST electrical connector 12 body of the connector 14 first part of the body (of the body of the connector 12) 16 second part of the body (of the body of the connector 12) 18 piece of the body of the upper piece (of the body part 14) 20 piece of the body of the lower piece (of the body part 14) 22 terminals 24 row (of terminals 22, contact pieces 28) 26 row (for terminals 22, contact pieces 28) 28 forked contact pieces 30 slots (for the contact pieces 28) 32 electrical contact element 34 lower part (for the contact part 38) 36 intermediate parts (for the contact part 38) 38 contact part (of contact elements 32) 40 elongated parts (of the contact elements 32) 42 convex contact parts (of the elongated parts 40) 44 socket 46 part of the wall surface 8 grooves 50 cover elements 52 retainer member 4 conductor frame 6a contact holders 6b contact holders 8 side edges (of the conductor frame 54) 0 side edges (of the conductor frame 54) 2 part of the edge (of the conductor frame 54) 4 part of the edge (of the conductor frame 54) 6 pieces of elastic adjustment 8 pieces of elastic adjustment 0 pieces of elastic adjustment 72 pieces of elastic adjustment

Claims (23)

CLAIMS:

1. An electrical connector (10) provided with: electrical contact parts (28) with which electrical connections are made to active conductor wires; and a female plug (44) for receiving a male plug in such a way that elongated electrical contact parts (40) of the connector electrically connect to connecting parts of the male plug; the elongated parts of electrical contact (40) being formed in the corresponding individual electrical contact elements (32) of the connector, contact elements that have each been formed on the corresponding first and second parts of said contact pieces (28); the elongated contact parts (40) being arranged over a considerable extension of said contact elements, generally in parallel and substantially in a common plane, the contact pieces (28) generally extending normally along said plane until reaching, on the one hand from the plane, free ends of the contact pieces arranged in rows (24, 26) generally parallel to the direction of travel of the elongated contact portions (40); characterized in that the first and second contact pieces (28) of each contact element (32) are generally flat and have an angular disposition between them.

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein the first and second contact pieces (28) of each contact element (32) have a V-shaped configuration, viewed in the direction of travel of said pieces when moving away from said plane.

3. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 2, provided with four contact elements (32), with the first and second contact pieces (28) of two of these elements arranged in a first of said rows ( 24) and the first and second contact pieces (28) of the other two contact elements (32) arranged in a second of said rows (26), said rows running substantially parallel to the direction of travel of the aforementioned ones. elongated contact parts (40).

4. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 3, wherein adjacent contact pieces (28) of the two contact elements (32) of each row (24, 26) are substantially parallel and in disposition angular with respect to the direction of travel of the rows.

5. An electrical connector as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the contact parts (28) are bifurcated, whereby the contact pieces (28) define corresponding parts of the connector with displaced insulation.

6. An electrical connector as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the elongated contact portions (40) define elastic contacts intended to connect the connecting pieces of the male plug.

7. An electrical connector as set forth in any of the preceding claims, wherein the female plug (44) adopts a shape that allows it to receive an RJ 45 male plug.

8. An electrical connector as disclosed in any of the preceding claims, provided with a covering element (50) that is fastened to the connector (10), intended to cover the external ends of the contact parts (28) and the surrounding parts of the insulating body (12) of the connector which receives the contact elements (32), said cover element (50) being able to be fastened to the body (12) by moving it towards said plane following a direction substantially corresponding to the direction of travel of the pieces of first and second contact (28), and provided with latching means which, when displacing the covering element (50) in the manner indicated, are able to displace threads located at the outer ends of the first and second contact pieces (28) towards outwardly open grooves. (30) of the contact pieces (28), so that the insulation of the wires is displaced and the wire conductors are electrically hooked, and fastened, by the contact pieces (28).

9. An electrical connector as set forth in any of the preceding claims, provided with a retainer element (52) to facilitate fastening to the connector of the wires that are connected to the contact pieces (28).

10. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 9, wherein the retainer element (52) has a loop shape.

An electrical connector according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the first and second contact pieces (28) are uncovered to receive said wires in a first part of the insulator body (14) of the connector, and wherein the female plug is formed in a second part of the insulating body (16) of the electrical connector, the second part of the body (16) being disposed at one end of the first body part (14), and the other part being provided end of the first part of the body (14) of a retainer element (52) to facilitate fastening to the connector the wires that are connected to the contact pieces (28).

12. An electrical connector according to claim 11, wherein the retainer element (52) has a loop shape in said first body part (14).

A connector as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the contact elements (28) are formed from a conductor frame (54) in the form of a terminal strip that defines contact supports substantially stamped but interconnected (56a, 56b) to form the corresponding elements (32) of the electrical connector; the first and second rows, running longitudinally, of the contact supports (56a, 56b), which have adjoining first parts side by side (38), located in the corresponding first and second parts of the edge (62, 64) of the strip contiguous to the corresponding first and second longitudinal edges (58, 60) of the strip; the first parts (38), which define each of the corresponding first and second bifurcated contact pieces (28), which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the terminal strip; the first and second contact pieces (28) of each of said first parts (38), which are joined in a base part (34) of the corresponding first part (38); the base pieces (34) of the first parts (38), which are joined to elongated portions (40) of the corresponding contact supports- the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports, which run through the corresponding first parts ( 38) in the transverse direction with respect to the strip, at an angle with respect to the edges of the strip, in such a way that the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports (56a) having the first parts thereof in a of said lateral edge portions (62) are parallel to and interposed between the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports (56b) having the first portions (38) thereof in the other side edge portion mentioned (64); the contact supports (56a, 56b) that deform to form the contact elements (32), so that the first portions (38) thereof normally run substantially through the corresponding elongated portions (40) with the contact pieces first and second (28) thereof arranged angularly together.

14. A conductor frame (54) in the form of a strip that defines substantially stamped but interconnected contact supports (56a, 56b) for forming the corresponding elements (32) of the electrical connector, characterized by: the first and second rows, which run lengthwise, of the contact supports (56a, 56b), which have contiguous first parts side by side (38), located in the corresponding first and second parts of the edge (62, 64) of the strip adjacent to the corresponding longitudinal edges first and second (58, 60) of the strip; the first parts (38), which define each of the corresponding first and second bifurcated contact pieces (28), which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the terminal strip; the first and second contact pieces (28) of each of the first parts mentioned, which are joined in a base part (34) of the corresponding first part (38); the base pieces (34) of the first parts (38), which are joined to elongated portions (40) of the corresponding contact supports; and the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports, which run along the corresponding first parts (38) in the transverse direction with respect to the terminal strip, at an angle with respect to the edges of the terminal strip, in such a way that the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports (56a) having the first portions thereof in one of said lateral edge portions (62) are parallel to and interposed between the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports ( 56b) having the first parts (38) thereof in the other of said side edge portions (64).

15. A conductor frame as set forth in claim 12, wherein the elongate portions (40) are joined to the first portions (38) by intermediate portions (36) of the corresponding supports.

16. A conductor frame as set forth in claim 15, wherein the intermediate portions (36) run in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the corresponding elongated portions (40).

17. A conductor frame as set forth in any of claims 14 to 16, wherein said angle is substantially 45.

18. A method of forming supports for forming electrical contact elements (32), which includes the conformation of a conductor frame as set out in any of claims 14 to 17, and the deformation of the contact supports (56a, 56b) ) created in this way to form the contact elements (32).

19. A method of forming electrical contact elements (32), which includes forming contact supports from a conductor frame as set out in any of claims 14 to 17, and deforming the contact supports (56a, 56b) thereof so that the first portions (38) thereof normally run substantially by the corresponding elongated portions (40) with the first and second contact pieces (28) thereof arranged angularly together.

20. A method of forming supports (56a, 56b) to form the corresponding electrical contact elements, from a strip, the method being characterized by: forming contiguous first parts side by side (38) of the supports (56a, 56b) , located in the corresponding first and second parts of the edge (62, 64) of the strip contiguous to the corresponding first and second longitudinal edges (58, 60) of the strip, each of the first parts defining the corresponding bifurcated contact pieces first and second (28), which are separated in the longitudinal direction of the strip, joining the first and second contact pieces (28) of each of said first parts (38) in a base part (34) of the corresponding first part; forming elongated portions (40) of the corresponding contact supports (56a, 56b), which are joined to the base pieces (34) of the first parts; the elongated portions of the contact supports running through the corresponding first parts (38) in the transverse direction with respect to the strip, at an angle with respect to the edges (58, 60) of the strip, such that the elongated portions (40) of the contact supports (56a) having the first portions (38) thereof in one of said lateral edge portions (62) are in parallel ae interposed between the elongated portions (40) of the supports contact (56b) having the first parts (38) thereof in the other of the said side edge portions (64).

21. A method as set forth in claim 20, wherein the elongate portions (40) are joined to the first portions (38) by intermediate portions (36) of the corresponding supports.

22. A method as set forth in claim 21, wherein the intermediate portions (36) run in a direction transverse to the direction of travel of the corresponding elongated portions (40).

23. A method as set forth in any of claims 20 to 22, wherein said angle is substantially 45 °.