GB2129231A

GB2129231A - Electrical connector mounting

Info

Publication number: GB2129231A
Application number: GB08326631A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Manfred Klingbeil; Manfred Massmann
Original assignee: Deutsche Telephonwerke und Kabelindustrie AG
Current assignee: Deutsche Telephonwerke und Kabelindustrie AG
Priority date: 1982-10-20
Filing date: 1983-10-05
Publication date: 1984-05-10
Also published as: DK480283A; BE897594A; IT8323290A0; IT1171763B; GR78701B; LU84874A1; DE3239228C2; DK161277B; DK480283D0; GB2129231B; DK161277C; IE54775B1; IE832376L; DE3239228A1; NL8302699A; AR230357A1; GB8326631D0; FR2535145B1; FR2535145A1

Abstract

An electrical connector assembly, comprises an assembly frame defining an aperture with bars 10, 11 on two opposite sides of the aperture, the bars 10, 11 securing between them electrical connectors 20 which are fixedly located in the aperture by means of interengaging male and female portions 101, 111 provided on the bars 10, 11 and the connectors 20, and which connectors 20 are located with respect to the plane of the aperture by at least one support rail 104 against which the connectors 20 abut. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION An electrical connector assembly This invention relates to an electrical connector assembly.

Standard female multi-contact connectors (DIN 41621 are conventionally connected to assembly frames by screws or bolts. As an alternative to the female multi-contact connectors, plug housings are also known which comprise segments with appropriate plug devices as contact carriers (DE-OS 31 42 182). Both the female multi-contact connectors and the plug housings are connected individually by a force-fit to an assembly frame and are then adjusted.

According to the present invention there is provided an electrical connector assembly, comprising an assembly frame defining an aperture with bars on two opposite sides of the aperture, the bars securing between them electrical connectors which are fixedly located in the aperture by means of interengaging male and female portions provided on the bars and the connectors, and which connectors are located with respect to the plane of the aperture by at least one support rail against which the connectors abut.

A preferred embodiment of the invention prevents displacement of the connectors and requires no adjustment of the connectors, therefore achieving a better plugging accuracy with lower manufacturing costs.

For a better understanding of the invention and to show how it may be put into effect reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. 1 shows a plan view of an embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of portions applicable to Figure 1; and Fig. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows an assembly frame containing a plurality of electrical connectors 20.

The assembly frame is made from a flat plate or sheet of material into which apertures are cut to receive the electrical connectors 20. Figure 1 does not show the two lateral ends of the plate, for the sake of clarity. It simply shows upper and lower bars 10 and 1 1 which define the top and bottom respectively of the apertures, together with uprights 12 which separate three adjacent apertures in the lateral direction. It can be seen that the left hand aperture which is thus provided contains a plurality of connectors 20 arranged side by side, whereas the adjacent aperture contains a single connector 20.

Figure 3 shows Figure 1 from the side, and it can be seen how the connectors 20 extend through the apertures to project at both sides of the plate from which the bars 10 and 1 1 are formed.

The bar 10 is formed with projecting plain rectangular tongues 101, and the bar 1 1 with projecting tongues 111 which are substantially rectangular with a sideways extension as shown to provide an angular configuration. Each tongue 101 is aligned vertically with a tongue 111, and each connector 20 is moulded to have, at its top and bottom shoulders, recesses which mate with the tongues 101 and 111 respectively, whereby the connector can be positively positioned on and between two aligned tongues 101 and 111.

In Figure 1 each connector 20 is shown as having a plain rectangular upper recess and a lower recess which is angular to provide a portion to accommodate the sideways extension of the tongue 111. Thus, the connectors 20 of Figure 1 cannot inadvertently be inserted upside-down, because the tongue 111 will not fit inside the plain rectangular recess at the normally upper end of the connector 20. This principle could of course be extended to providing other designs of the tongues 101,111 and associated recesses, so that particular orientations and positions of the connectors 20 could be guaranteed.

Figure 2 on the other hand shows details of the ends of a connector 20 in which the recesses 201 at the two ends are identically angular, but oriented at 1800 to each other, and can each receive either a tongue 101 or a tongue 111. This connector could be inserted between the bars 10 and 11 in either of the two possible orientations, since each recess 201 will receive either of tongues 101 and 111. It is also to be noted that the connector of Figure 2 is provided at both ends with apertures 203, for enabling the connector 20 to be secured in conventional manner by screws into a conventional assembly frame. The connector of Figure 2 can in fact be a standard design of connector according to DIN 41612, modified by the provision of recesses 201.

It will be appreciated that when a connector 20 as shown in Figure 1 or 2 is located onto a pair of tongues 101,111 as indicated in Figure 1, no further adjustment of the position of the connector is necessary as regards its location in the vertical direction or the lateral direction of Figure 1. The connector is positively located in these directions by the shapes of the tongues 101,111 and of the cooperating recesses in the connector.

The position of the connector in the direction perpendicular to Figure 1 is defined by two support rails 102 which extend along the bars 10 and 11 respectively and are secured thereto by bolts such as 105. Only one pair of bolts 105 has been shown for the sake of clarity. Each rail 102 has a substantially hook-form cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 3, with a secured end 103 (shown as a dotted line in Figure 1) and a free end 104 (portions of which are visible in Figure 1). Each connector 20 is pushed onto a pair of tongues 101,111 from the right-hand side of the plate as shown in Figure 3, and is pushed until it abuts against the free ends 104 of the two support rails 102. In this way the position of the connector 20 is positively determined in all directions with respect to the apertured plate.

There is no need for the connector 20 to be secured by bolts or screws. The support rails 102 have the additional function of increasing the rigidity of the bars 10 and 11.

It is to be noted that in Figure 1 there is a small gap between each tongue 101 and the bottom of the cooperating recess in the connector 20. This enables the connector 20 to expand upwards freely at high operating temperatures. In conventional assemblies however, in the event of any heating effect, the conventional force-fit connection gives rise to the danger of automatic maladjustment or displacement, which influences the accuracy of plugging in spite of there being provided guide means for the components (e.g.

printed circuit boards) carrying the contacts which are to mate with the connectors. This problem is overcome by the aforementioned gaps.

In addition, plugging accuracy may be improved by reducing the tolerances between the connectors 20 and the cooperating portions of the lower bar 11.

It will be appreciated that the electrical connectors 20 may be designed to receive the edge-connectors of a printed circuit board, and is a multi-contact connector which can be installed for example in telecommunications equipment.

The connector 20 may be a male or female connector, as required. The connector 20 may be a standard connector (for example according to DIN 41612)which has been adapted as illustrated and described with respect to Figure 1 or2.

Claims

1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising an assembly frame defining an aperture with bars on two opposite sides of the aperture, the bars securing between them electrical connectors which are fixedly located in the aperture by means of interengaging male and female portions provided on the bars and the connectors, and which connectors are located with respect to the plane of the aperture by at least one support rail against which the connectors abut.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connectors are male multi-contact connectors.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein the connectors are male muiticontact connectors.

4. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein for each connector at least one pair of male and female portions which cooperate with one another are angular in configuration.

5. An assembly according to claim 4, wherein for each connector all the female portions are angular.

6. An assembly according to claim 5, wherein for each connector the female portions are arranged as a pair of identical female portions which are oriented at an angle of 1800 relative to each other.

7. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein for each connector, in at least one pair of male and female portions which cooperate with one another and male portion is plain and the female portion is angular.

8. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the male portions are provided on the bars and the female portions are provided on the connectors.

9. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein the connectors comprise apertures for receiving securing screws or bolts.

10. An assembly according to any preceding claim, wherein each connector is an adapted standard connector.

11. An assembly according to claim 10, wherein the standard is DIN 41612.

12. An electrical connector assembly substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.