US2440270A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

April 27, 1948. HECIHT 2,440,270

BLECTRI CAL CONNECTQR Filed July 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I... I I I I 70mm s A I INVENTOR By RA. HECl-IT April'27, 1948. R. A. HECHT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed July 3, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 8 mun 3 L x EY-IJIHIIIHHI T Q? m 6 3 m 4 m I u.. u 1 FT k 0 W K 4 a 3 3.

INVENTOR' RA. HE CHT ATTORNEY Patented A r. 21, 1948 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Rudolph A. Hecht, Teaneck, N. J., assignor to Bell Telephone Laboratories,

Incorporated,

New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 3, 1946, Serial No. 681,202

13 Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and particularly to terminal strips consisting of two cooperating terminal units which are arranged for quick separation.

In the field of electribal wiring the terminal strip plays a well known role. Its basic purpose is to facilitate the making and breaking of connections between a plurality of electric circuits and to otherwise simplify the electrical connections of equipment involving a great number of conductors. The conventional typeof terminal strip comprises a plurality of terminals rigidly mounted on an insulating block so as to extend therefrom in opposite directions, each terminating at each end in a conventional design of terminal tab to which wiring connections are made. While this type of terminal strip serves its purpose it does not provide the quick separable feature of connectors of the jack and plug type which is desirable in cases where the connector is to be used with equipment constructed on a unit type basis.

The jack and plug type connector, though facilitating the quick removal. or substitution of equipment units from, and in an electrical system, is, in general, characterized by a sliding type of contact which is subject to failure due to opens and high resistance, contacts caused by the collection thereon of dust and dirt. In a copending application, Serial No. 657,172, filed March 26, 1946, there is disclosed an electrical connector which embodies the desirable quick separation feature of the jack and plug type connector and, at the same time. precludes the possibility of contact failure. The connector of that application comprises two cooperating 'terminal units, the corresponding terminal elements of which are soldered together under tension. By virtue of the soldered connections contact failures are eliminated. To separate the two terminal-units of this connector the solder is fused by the application of a hot soldering iron to the points of connection between the various contact members whereupon the terminal elements spring apart and permit the quick removal of one, or both of the terminal units.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved electrical connector of the type disclosed inthe above-identified copending application.

The connector of the present application comprises two independent terminal units mounted in such a manner on a unitary supporting bracket as to be longitudinally displaceable relative to one another so as to tension the contact springs of one unit with respect to the contact springs of the other unit. The corresponding contact springs of the two units are soldered together at their points of contact while in their normal un- 5 tensioned condition so that when the units are relatively displaced, the springs thereof are placed under relative tension and automatically separate when a'hot soldering iron is applied to the soldered connections and the solder fuses. When the force applied to relatively displace the two units is removed subsequent to the fusing of the solder, the contact springs resume their normal untensioned condition without adhering to each other thus rendering possible the disengagement of one unit from the other.

An auxiliary feature of the invention resides.

in the use of mutually engageable stops on the two terminal units whereby the extent to which the units may be relatively displaced is main-- units are illustrated in their normal positions;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front view of the connector shown inFig. 1. In this view the upper terminal unit is shown longitudinally displaced relative to the lower terminal unit and illustrates the spring separation caused by this dispacement after the solder has been fused;

Fig. 3 is a side view of the connector shown in Fig. l; V

Fig. 4 is a front view of a connector illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 5 is a side view of the connector shown in 40 Fig. 4.

Referring particularly, at this time, to Figs.

1, 2 and 3 the connector disclosed therein com v-.prises essentially an upper terminal unit Iii, a

lower terminal unit U-shaped supporting bracket, or carrier 9. As illustrated. each of the terminal units l0 and I2 comprises two blocks of insulating material arranged in superposed contiguous association. Obviously, instead of using two such blocks a single molded block may be employed. Each insulating block of the unit III has moldedtherein a plurality of contact springs l3 which may be of any conventional design and which as illustrated, project in either direction at right angles to the u longitudinal axis of the insulating blocks. The

I2 and a substantially contact springs l3 of the two blocks of the unit In are arranged vertically, in staggered relation and horizontally, in alignment.

Each of the insulating blocks of the lower terminal unit i2 similarly carries a plurality of contact springs I4 which are L-shaped in design withv the forward: legsthereof extending vertically. The springs of the two insulating blocks of terminal unit l2 are also arranged vertically, in

passes through suitable apertures in the clamps The supporting bracket, or carrier 9 is a U- shaped sheet metal member whose opposite vertical sides are stamped, or otherwise formed into two legs l9 and I9. .The two' legs i9 and I9 of each side of the bracket 9 occupy the same vertical plane, the leg l9 beingsubstantially rectangular in shape and the leg i9 having an inverted U-shaped formation and arranged in telescopic relation to the leg i8. By virtue of the structural design of the bracket legs, legs 19 are relatively flexible whereas the legs l8 are comparatively rigid. Each of the legs l8 and I9 is provided with a slot, or aperture 20 which accommodates one of the embossings ll of the molded blocks in and I2. The base of. the, U-shaped bracket 9 is provided with holes such as 2| which accommodate screws or their equivalent, by means. of which the bracket may be fixed to a support. 1

To assemble the connector just described, the clamps ii are slipp d over the ends of the molded blocks l and I2 so that the embossings i1 protrude through suitable apertures in the clamps. The turned-in edges of the clamping brackets, i5 slide in the slots [6 in the insulating blocks. The horizontally projecting portions of each of the brackets ii are pretensioned towards each other so that they firmly grip the insulating blocks. The protruding embossings I! of the insulating blocks l0 and I2 are then fitted into their corresponding apertures 20 in, the supporting legs 18 and I9 of the bracket 9. When the upper and lower terminal units i0 and I2 are positioned on the bracket 9 the contact ends of the springs l3 of the upper unit, which are tinned, make surface engagement with the pretinned contact ends of corresponding springs i l of the lower unit. These contacting points are then soldered together. In this normal condition of the connector the contact springs l3 and H are untensioned.

When it is desirable to effect the separation of the soldered contact springs, pressure is manually applied to the left leg i 9 (viewing Fig. 1) in the direction of the arrow. The two oppositely disposed legs I9 and the terminal unit it) supported thereby are thus moved to the right until the stop 22 (Fig. 2) on the underside of the upper unit engages the stop 23 on the upper face of the lower unit. Due to the relative rigidity oi the bracket arms IS the lower terminal unit i2 experiences little, if any movement when the bracket arms l9 are flexed as described. When themovement oi' the upper unit to the right. The

springs l3 of the upper unit being heavier and shorter than those of the lower unit do not experience any flexing due to the displacement of the upper unit. The contact springs i3 and I4 will, therefore, be placed under relative tension at their solder points of contact so that when a hot soldering iron is applied to the solder at these points and the solder fuses, the springs will separate and resume their normal untensioned conditions. The relative positions of the contact springs under this condition are shown in Fig. 2. When the fused solder solidifies on the spring ends after the springs have become separated the pressure on the left bracket leg I9 may be released whereupon the legs l9 and the terminal unit l0 return to their normal untensioned positions.

It will be observed that while the connector of this invention is in use, the soldered connections between corresponding springs i3 and II of the terminal units l0 and 12 are not under tension.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the support for the terminal units 30 and 3i is constructed of three independent elements. One of these elements consists of a base portion 32 having two vertically extending legs 33 between which the lower terminal unit 3! is supported. The other two elements are substantially inverted U-shaped and each comprises a horizontal bridging piece 34 and two vertically depending legs 35. The ends of the legs 35 are bent inwardly and are secured to the base 32 by means of rivets, or screws 36. The material of which the base 32 and legs 33 are constructed is considerably heavier than the material of which the cross-piece 33 and legs 35 are constructed thus giving greater rigidity to the lower terminal unit 3| which is mounted on the legs 33. Thus any tendency the lower terminal unit may have to follow the upper terminal unit when the latter is manually moved to the right in the connector shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is removed.

The insulating block of the upper terminal unit is provided with an upwardly projecting hand grip 31 by means of which the said terminal unit may be manually displaced relative to the.lower terminal unit. Also, each of the upper and lower arms of the clamping brackets 38 is provided with a hole which accommodates a. surface boss ll near each end of' the insulating blocks of the two terminal units whereby the clamps are fixedly positioned on the blocks. Ifdesirable, the insulators of each unit may be molded as a single block, in which case the end clamps would not gether by fusible solder, and independently flexible supports for each of said units whereby said units may be relatively displaced to relatively tension the contact springs thereof at their soling a substantially inflexible support for one of said units and a support of greater flexibility for the other of said units whereby said units may be displaced relative to one another to relatively tension the contact springs thereof at their soldered terminal ends.

3. The combination in an electrical connector of a carrier comprising a base, a pair of opposite- 1y disposed substantially rigid supports extending vertically from said base, a pair of oppositely disposed flexible supports extending vertically from said base, a terminal unit removably mounted between said first pair of supports, a terminal unit removably mounted between said second pair of supports, contact springs carried by each of ble solder joining the contact ends of corresponding contact springs of said terminal units.

4. The combination in an electrical connector as defined in the preceding claim and in which the said pairs of oppositely disposed supports are formed integrally with the base.

5. The combination in an electrical connector of a first and a second terminal unit each having a plurality of contact springs, corresponding springs of said units having their contact ends i said terminal units, and means comprising fusielectrically connected together by fusible solder,

and a carrier for said units comprising a base, a pair of substantially inflexible arms extending from said base and supporting said first unit in superposed spaced relation to said base, and a pair of flexible arms extending from said base and supporting said second unit in superposed spaced relation to said first unit whereby said second unit may be displaced relative to said first placement of said units comprising mutually engageable stop members on juxtaposed faces of said insulating blocks.

8. A two part electrical connector-comprising a support having flexible arms, terminal units mountable between said arms, each unit comprising a plurality of contact springs, the contact springs of one of said units being connected to the contact springs Of the other unit by fusible solder when said units are mounted between the arms of said support, and said springs being tensionable in a manner tending to disengage them when pressure is applied to one of the flexible armsof said support whereby said springs become disengaged when the solder is fused.

9. An electrical connector comprising, in combination, terminal units each having a plurality of contact springs, the contacting ends thereof being held in permanent engagement by fusible solder, and a flexible support for each of said units, one of said supports being movable relative to the other support in a direction such as to tendto separate the contacting ends ofsaid springs, thereby rendering said springs automatically separable upon the fusing of said solder.

10. An electrical connector comprising, in combination, terminal units each having a plurality of contact springs, fusible means permanently maintaining the contact springs of one of said units in untensioned electrical engagement with the contact springs of the other of said units, and independent supports for said units, said supports being relatively movable in a direction such as to tension the springs of one of said units relative to the springs of the other unit whereby said springs automatically separate upon the fusing of said fusible means.

between a different pair oi. oppositely disposed for each of said units whereby said units may be displaced to relatively tension the contact springs thereof at their soldered terminal ends, and means for limiting the relative displacement of said-units.

7. The combination in an electrical connector of a flrst and a second terminal unit each'comprising an insulating block carrying a plurality of contact springs, corresponding springs of said units having their contact ends electrically connected together by fusible solder, and a. carrier for said units comprising a base, a pair of substantially rigid arms extending from saidbase, and supporting said flrst terminal unit in superposed spaced relation to said base and a pair of flexible arms extending from said base and supporting said second unit in superposed spaced relation to said first unit whereby said second unit may be displaced relative to said flexible arms of said support whereby said units are relatively movable in a direction such as to tension the springs of one thereof relative to the springs'oi the other to render said springs auto-- matically separable upon the fusing of said solder.

12. A two part electrical connector comprising a upport having oppositely disposed pairs of flexible arms, terminal units each comprising a plurality of contact springs, and means supporting each of said units between a different pair of oppositely disposed flexible arms of said support, the contact springs of said units being held in engagement by fusible solder and the arms of one of said pairs being flexible upon the application of pressure thereto in a direction, relative,

at their soldered terminal

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