GB2194181A - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrical connector between a co-axial cable 1, Fig. 1 and a printed circuit board 12 is formed by forming a plurality of injection insulating mouldings 13 around two parallel conductors 6,7 soldered to a plurality of co-axial cables 17, Fig. 5, and then separating them by cutting the conductors 6,7 so as to provide a plurality of such connectors. The conductors 6,7 fit in spring loaded sockets 10, 11 in the printed circuit board, and are respectively connected to the core 2 and conductive braid 4 of the coaxial cable 1. A lug 14 of the moulding fits in a hole in the printed circuit board. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical connector This invention is concerned with electrical connectors.

In electronics there is a need for an electrical connector that can be used to firmly connect wires to a socket, is easily and quickly connected and disconnected and can be simply and cheaply manufactured.

Many available connectors, such as various versions of standard co-axial connectors, are unsatisfactory because they are slow to connect or disconnect and are quite expensive to manufacture.

This invention was made while attempting to produce an electrical connector that met these criteria.

This invention provides a method of forming a connector comprising the steps of; holding a conductor in place, then joining a plurality of wires to the conductor at points spaced along the conductor, then forming an insulating moulding around each of the joints and then severing the conductor between each of the insulating mouldings to form a plurality of connectors.

Advantagecusly such connectors can be made so as to connect into a plurality of sockets, so another aspect of this invention provides a method of forming a connector comprising the steps of; holding a plurality of parallel conductors in place then joining a plurality of wires to the conductors at points spaced along the conductors, then forming a plurality of insulating mouldings arranged so that each insulating moulding encloses at least one joint on each of the conductors and then severing all of the conductors between each of the insulating mouldings to form a plurality of connectors.

If the connectors are attached only by the projecting conductors being held in sockets it is found in practice that damage can occur to both connector and socket in the event of rough handling, and the connector can easily be removed by accident. So this invention additionally provides a connector comprising; at least one conductive pin designed to fit into a socket, a wire joined to the conductive pin, and an insulating moulding formed around the joint; where the insulating moulding is formed having a projecting lug shaped to support and stabilise the connector in use.

One way in which the invention may be performed will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a longitudinal cross section through a connector between a co-axial cable and a printed circuit board constructed in accordance with this invention; and Figures 2 and 3 show longitudinal cross sections through a connector like that in figure 1 at various stages in its manufacture.

Figure 4 shows a cross section.through a mould used in the manufacture of a connector like that in figure 1.

Figure 5 and 6 show longitudinal cross sections through a connector like that in figure 1 at further stages in its manufacture.

Referring to figure 1, a co-axial cable 1 consists of a signal carrying core 2 concentrically surrounded by an insulating layer 3 an earthed conductive braid 4 and an outer insulating layer 5.

A conductor 6 is soldered to the core 2 and a conductor 7 is soldered to conductive braid 4 at joints 8 and 9 respectively.

Conductors 6 and 7 fit into sockets 10 and 11 respectively which are spring loaded to grip wires placed in them and are well known and need not be described in detail. Sockets 10 and 11 are set in a printed circuit board 12 and are connected to circuit elements (not shown) on the P.C.B.12.

The conductors 6 and 7, joints 8 and 9 and co-axial cable 1 are all firmly embedded in a insulating moulding 13. Insulating moulding 13 has a projecting lug 14 which fits tightly into a hole in the P.C.B. 12 and so holds the connector firmly in place, thus preventing any jaring of the P.C.B. 12 or tension on co-axial cable 1 causing damage to the conductors 6 and 7 and sockets 10 and 11. The moulding 13 is also formed with shoulders 15 on lug 14, which prevent the connector being pushed too far into, or even through, the sockets 10 and 11 if excessive force is used to make the connection.

Referring to figures 2A and 2B the first stage of manufacture of the connector shown in figure 1 is to place a plurality of partially stripped co-axial cables 17 across a pair of parallel conductors 6 and 7. The co-axial cables are partially stripped and the end of the core 2 is bent over so that it "hooks over" the conductor 6. Conductor 7 is bent so that curved sections 24 are formed, each corresponding in position and having the same radius of curvature as the braided conductor 4, so the braided conductors 4 of the co-axial cables 27 fit into curved sections 24.

The joints 8, between the cores 2 and the conductor 6; and the joints 9, between the braided conductor 4 and the conductor 7, are then soldered as shown in figure 3. The bent sections of core 2 and conductor 7 ensure that a good soldered joint is produced.

The soldered assembly is then placed in an injection moulding machine with a mould shape as shown in figure 4. The mould has; a plurality of hollows 18 shaped to form the insulating moulding 13, lug 14 and shoulders 15, and channels 19, 20 and 21 along which the co-axial cable 17 and conductors band 7 pass respectively. When the mould is in use molten plastic is forced along channel 22 and through the holes 23 into the hollows 18 to produce a plurality of insulating mouldings 13 held together by conductors 6 and 7, as shown in figure 5.

The connectors are then separated as shown in figure 6, the conductors being severed at the top surfaces 16 of the mouldings.

Although the main function of lug 14 is to attach the connector to the P.C.B. it also performs the useful secondary function of stopping the connector being attached with conductors 6 and 7 in the wrong sockets, because there will only be a locating hole for lug 14 on one side of the sockets 10 and 11.

Claims (10)

1. A method cf forming a connector comprising the steps of; holding a conductcr in place, then joining a plurality of wires to the conductcr at points spaced along the conductcr, then forming an insulating moulding around each of the joints and then severing the conductor between each of the insulating mouldings to form a plurality of connectors.

2. A method of forming a connector comprising the steps of; holding a plurality of parallel conductors in place, then joining a plurality of wires to the conductors at points spaced along the conductors, then forming a plurality of insulating mouldings arranged so that each insulating moulding encloses at least one joint on each of the conductors and then severing all of the conductors between each of the insulating mouldings to form a plurality of connectors.

3. A method of forming a connector as claimed in claim 2 wherein there are two parallel conductors and the wires are arranged as a plurality of co-axial cables.

4. A connector formed by the method of claim 1.

5. A connector formed by the method of claim 2.

6. A connector formed by the method of claim 3.

7. A connector comprising; at least one conductive pin designed to fit into a socket, a wire joined to the conductive pin, and an insulating moulding formed around the joint; where the insulating moulding is formed having a projecting lug shaped to support and stabilise the connector in use.

8. A connector as claimed in claim 7 wherein said lug is shaped and positioned to fit into a matching hole in a substrate supporting one or more sockets into which the connector can be fitted.

9. A connector as claimed in claim 8 wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

10. A connector as claimed in any of claims 4 to 9.