WO1995007561A1

WO1995007561A1 - Connector, more particularly a modular connector

Info

Publication number: WO1995007561A1
Application number: PCT/EP1994/002992
Authority: WO
Inventors: Thomas Pichlmaier
Original assignee: Framatome Connectors International
Priority date: 1993-09-10
Filing date: 1994-09-07
Publication date: 1995-03-16
Also published as: DE4330682A1

Abstract

In a connector, more particularly a modular connector, having contact springs for contact elements formed as pins or strips on a plug, said contact springs extending in the zone of the socket for the plug in the connector housing, for the purpose of simple construction and reliable contact-making, the contact springs (7) are disposed on a support member (6), the latter is insertably fixed with the contact springs (7) between a top part (4) forming a plug socket and a bottom part (5), and the top part (4) and the bottom part (5) are supported and fixed, e.g. by catch-type engagement, in interconnected housing halves (1, 2).

Description

Connector, more particularly a modular connector

The invention relates to a connector, more particularly a modular connector, having contact springs for contact elements formed as pins or strips on a plug, said contact springs extending in the zone of a plug socket in the connector housing, which connector by appropriate design is of simple construction and allows reliable connections of the pin or strip contact elements to the contact springs.

To this end, according to the invention, the contact springs are disposed on a support member, the support member is insertably fixed with the contact springs between a top part forming a plug socket and a bottom part, and the top part and the bottom part are supported and fixed, for example by catch-type engagement, in interconnected housing halves. Preferably, the support member may have a flat portion which serves as a printed circuit board and which at the bottom has recesses in the form of channels after the style of a comb disposed in spaced adjacent relationship to receive and guide the contact springs, the channel-like recesses terminating on the cable connection side in transverse slots which are traversed by the connection ends of the contact springs, and wherein the contact springs are fixed on the support member by bending back the ends remote from the connection ends over the top of the support member. Also, an attachment in the form of a strip may be disposed at the top on the flat portion of the support member transversely and in spaced relationship from the end adjacent the cable connection and in that the attachment and the portion of the support member extending towards the attachment on the cable connection side have, in particular, staggered perforations for the passage of the connection ends of the contact springs. In conjunction with the top and bottom parts the support member allows simple assembly of the connector and gives a stable spaced accommodation and distribution of the contact springs in the connector housing, the contact springs in this way being available to make contact with the plug pins, plug blades or the like free of any bending. Also, provision is made for defined connection of the contact springs to the conductors of the connecting cable by constructing fork-shaped clips at the connection ends of the contact springs, the same acting as cutting elements to pass through the insulation of each of the cable connection ends and making contact with the cable connection ends by clamping action and being rigidly connected thereto. Advantageously, the cable connection ends are held in catch-type engagement in the fork-shaped clips of the contact springs by means of webs, attachments or the like provided on the top and bottom parts.

In another aspect of the connector, the plug socket formed in the top part and the bottom part has peripherally an entry bevel for the plug and at least a part of the entry bevel forms steps. The step-shaped shouldering ensures that the plug is properly introduced into the socket and makes additional coding operations possible. Finally, an electrical screening element is disposed in the receiving housing, more particularly in the connection spring zone. The invention is explained with reference to one exemplified embodiment in the drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a section of a connector.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a connector.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of a connector.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a connector.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of contact springs cut in the form of a comb.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a top half of a housing for a connector.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a bottom half of a housing for a connector.

Fig. 8 is a partial section and side elevation of a top part with the connecting cable.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of a bottom part.

Fig. 10 is a section of a support member.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a bent contact spring.

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a screening element,

Fig. 13 is a bottom elevation of a top part to an enlarged scale. Fig. 14 is a side elevation of a top part to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 15 is a front elevation of a top part to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 16 is a rear elevation of a top part to an enlarged scale.

Fig. 17 is a side elevation of a top part in partial section.

Fig. 18 is a bottom elevation of a support member.

Fig. 19 is a section of a support member.

Fig. 20 is a plan view of a support member,

Fig. 21 is a rear elevation of a support member,

Fig. 22 is a plan view of a bottom part, and

Fig. 23 is a front elevation of a bottom part.

Referring to the drawings, reference 1 denotes a top housing half and reference 2 a bottom housing half of the connector, the two halves being releasably and firmly interconnectable. A top part 4 with which a bottom part 5 is associated as shown in Figs. 9 and 22, 23, is insertably held in the interior 3¹ of the receiving housing 3 thus formed by the two housing halves 1 and 2. The top part 4 and the bottom part 5 together fix a support member 6 as shown in Figs. 10 and 18 to 21. The support member 6 serves to receive and mount a number of contact springs 7. For this purpose the support member 6 has channel-like recesses 8 and transverse slots 9. The latter are formed in an attachment 10 and a strip-shaped portion 11. As will be seen from Fig. 5, the contact springs 7 are formed in groups and are separable from a stamping 12. In the exemplified embodiment, the contact springs 7 are guided separately in the recesses 8 and extend with the cable connection ends 7" through the transverse slots 9. The cable connection ends 7" of the contact springs 7 have fork-shaped widened portions which act as cutting clips to pass through the insulation of the connecting cable 14 and make contact with the electrical conductors 15, 15' of the cable 14. To fix the conductors 15, 15' in the fork-shaped cable connection ends 7", the top part 4 has an attachment 16 which holds the electrical conductor 15' on the portion 11 while the attachment 10 presses the electrical conductor 15' against the support member 6. Figs. 18 to 20 show a support member 6 with, on the underside, recesses 8 formed as a fan and transverse slots 9 to receive a guide the contact springs 7. At the insertion end, the recesses 8 are separated from one another by webs 17, which ensure reliable lateral guidance of the contact springs 7 in the region of the bent-back portions 7' .

In the exemplified embodiment, the top part 4 is provided with entry bevels 18 in the region of the plug socket 22 and at the top they are shouldered in steps 18'. For their fixing, the top part 4 and bottom part 5 are provided with lugs 19 which engage as catches in holes 20 in the housing halves 1, 2.

The connector is assembled as follows: the contact springs 7 are separated from one another and bent (see Fig. 11) and then fitted into the recesses 8 and transverse slots 9 of the support member 6 and the ends on the plug side are bent back over the top of the support member 6. The support member 6 together with the contact springs 7 and the clamped electrical conductors 15, 15' of the connection cable 14 is then inserted between the top part 4 and bottom part 5 and then the screening element 21 is fitted. The top part 4 and the bottom part 5 together with the support member 6 and screening element 21 are also fixed against one another by fitting the housing halves 1, 2, the pins 23 of the top and bottom parts engaging as catches in recesses 24.

Claims

C A I M S

1. A connector, more particularly a modular connector, having contact springs for contact elements formed as pins or strips on a plug, said contact springs extending in the zone of a plug socket in the connector housing, characterised in that the contact springs (7) are disposed on a support member (6), in that the support member (6) is insertably fixed with the contact springs (7) between a top part (4) forming a plug socket and a bottom part (5), and in that the top part (4) and the bottom part (5) are supported and fixed, for example by catch-type engagement, in interconnected housing halves (1, 2).

2. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the support member (6) has a flat portion which serves as a printed circuit board and which at the bottom has recesses (8) in the form of channels after the style of a comb disposed in spaced adjacent relationship to receive and guide the contact springs (7), in that the channel-like recesses (8) terminate on the cable connection side in transverse slots (9) which are traversed by the connection ends of the contact springs (7), and in that the contact springs (7) are fixed on the support member (6) by bending back the ends remote from the connection ends over the top of the support member (6) .

3. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that an attachment (10) in the form of a strip is disposed at the top on the flat portion of the support member (6) transversely and in spaced relationship from the end adjacent the cable connection and in that the attachment (10) and the portion of the support member (6) extending towards the attachment on the cable connection side have, in particular, staggered perforations (9) for the passage of the connection ends of the contact springs.

4. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the connection ends of the contact springs (7) form fork-shaped clips to which the electrical conductors (15, 15') of the connection cable (14) can be fixed.

5. A connector according to claim 4, characterised in that the fork-shaped clips extend as cutting elements through the insulation of the connection cable (14) and make contact with the electrical conductors (15, 15') by clamping action.

6. A connector according to claims 4 and 5, characterised in that the electrical conductors (15, 15') are fixed in the fork-shaped clips of the contact springs (7) by means of webs, attachments (10, 16) or the like disposed at the top part and at the bottom part.

7. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the plug socket (22) formed in the top part (4) and the bottom part (5) has peripherally an entry bevel (18) for the plug and in that at least a part of the entry bevel (18) forms steps.

8. A connector according to claim 1, characterised in that the housing halves (1, 2) forming a receiving housing receive an electrical screening element in the region of the contact springs (7).