JPS6019111B2 - Connector-assembly - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly to a connector capable of terminating electrical cables or wires by a method of insulation rejection.

Electrical connectors have become widely accepted as the preferred device for interconnecting circuit portions of electrically operated products and devices.

In such applications, the use of connectors to provide easy connection and disconnection of cables or wires provides ease of assembly and maintenance as well as design flexibility. There are various types of connectors currently in use.

However, common configurations include a dielectric housing incorporating a plurality of stamped or molded conductive terminals to which insulated multiconductor cables or wires are electrically connected. There are also many terminal configurations that are suitable for the specific needs of the application. Preferred terminals in many applications establish electrical contact with the cable conductor by eliminating the insulation coating of the conductor, thus Terminals that avoid the need to perform a separate step of removing the insulation coating.A wide variety of insulation displacement terminals are known in the art; for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,022 to Came is currently Discloses insulation displacement terminals, which are a typical widely used terminal type. Generally, these terminals accept an insulated wire, cut the insulation of the wire during processing, and automatically remove the insulation from the terminal. and a narrow slot that provides an electrical connection between the central core of the wire and the central core of the wire.This is a narrow slot that penetrates the insulation and enters the metallic core when the terminal is clinched or secured to the wire. In contrast to self-penetrating terminals, which typically have a portion in the form of .Both self-penetrating and insulation-displacing terminals known in the art have several drawbacks.

First, both technologies have limitations on the acceptable wire sizes that can be used in a particular terminal. Furthermore, currently known terminals generally require the application of lateral force in order to establish an electrical connection. That is, the force must be applied transversely to the length of the wire, thus
The wire must be able to accept forces applied laterally at the terminal. If the wire is pre-assembled into the connector housing before the wire is terminated, the need to be able to access the terminal from the side makes it difficult to arrange the close arrangement of multiple connections. hinder. This condition is particularly limiting if multiple rows of circuit connections are desired. Traditional wire termination techniques involve inserting wires into a connector and then crimping the terminals to establish a connection.
That is, it is known that two or more operations are often required, including an activation step.

These separate operations typically involve significant costs in assembly time and tooling investments. If only one step is required, for example forcing the wire laterally into the insulation displacement terminal, the task is usually difficult because of the lateral flexibility of the wire. As a result, considerable care must be taken to ensure proper termination of the wire or cable to the connector. Yet another limitation of the prior art is the difficulty associated with sealing prior art connector housings against environmental degradation of the electrical connections contained within the housing. As mentioned above, this limit is
This is particularly the case with conventional insulation displacement connectors, which require lateral access in the area of the terminal during the final termination process of the wire. Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly including terminals that makes it possible to establish an electrical connection with a wire by the application of an axial force directed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wire. It is to provide.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly that includes electrical terminals that allow a plurality of terminals to be positioned in close array within a connector housing.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly that includes insulation displacement terminals that can be used with wires having a wide variety of diameters.

Yet another object is to provide a connector assembly that includes insulation displacement terminals with a device for inexpensively and conveniently sealing the terminals against adverse environmental conditions.

In one presently contemplated form of the invention, the insulation displacement terminal of the connector assembly includes a metal housing that can be positioned around the insulated wire.

The housing includes a dielectric cut green section. and a device for moving the cutting line portion into the insulation coating of the wire in a direction substantially transverse to the length of the wire in response to an acting force applied to the housing substantially parallel to the length of the wire. It is equipped with Now, referring to the drawing, the first
The figure shows a box-shaped terminal, generally designated by the reference numeral 10', formed from folded sheet metal stock (not shown).

Terminal 10 has a simple, rectangular housing with a first end section 11, a folded middle section 12, and a pair of cantilevers stamped from each of two opposing side walls. a second end portion 13 of the housing having a resilient contact beam 14; The beam 14 forms a female terminal adapted to fit a male contact pin (not shown) introduced therebetween. The intermediate portion 12 which is folded (folded) is folded into the end portion 1 along the line of reduced width 16.
1 and 13, each having a pair of opposing contact portions 15 integrally formed, the contact portions 15 may thus be bent inwardly into a shallow V-shape.

Each contact portion 15 is formed by a pair of substantially V-shaped reinforcing IJ ribs 17 and a pair of green notches 18 located midway between the ribs 17. Notch 18 in each contact part 15
and ribs 17 together form an axis 19 around which contact portion 15 is bent. In each contact portion 15 a polygonal closure 20 is formed which is asymmetrical in shape with respect to the marking line 19 of bending. In the punching work of the terminal 10,
The green portion of the closure 20 is suitably beveled so as to have a relatively knife-like sharpness relative to the typical insulation sheathing of electrical cables or wires. Teeth 21 project from the edge of end section 13 and serve to secure the terminal in place within the connector housing.

The end portion 13 is also configured to form a stop for the end of a conductor inserted into the end portion 11 of the terminal.
It is provided with inwardly projecting wire stops 22 (only one of which is shown). A protrusion 23 is pressed outwardly from the side wall of the end section 13 to facilitate the insertion of the end section 13 within the cavity of the connector housing in a manner described in more detail below. In addition, ear 24 (
(only one of which is shown) extends from the side wall of the end portion 13 of the housing to the intermediate portion 12;
Each forms a pair of pivot points 25 for purposes described below. Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown an example of a connector assembly, generally designated by the reference numeral 30, which includes the foldable terminal 10 of FIG.

Connector assembly 30 includes an integral housing 31, a gasket 32, and a gasket retainer 33. The interior of the housing 31 is provided with a plurality of cavities, generally designated by the reference numeral 34, corresponding to the number of circuits that the connector can terminate. Each cavity 34 is suitably sized to slidably receive a terminal 10. The housing 31 further includes a gasket 32 and a tinner 33.
It has an upright rim for proper positioning. The integrally formed clasp arm 36 can be used if the connector housing is desired to be sealed against the environment.
It serves to compress the gasket 32 and attach the retainer 33. As seen in FIG. 2, openings are provided surrounding the cavities 34 at their upper ends and aligned with the vertical centerline of each cavity 34 to receive the ends of the wires 39 to be terminated. A housing wall 37 having □38 is provided. Corresponding openings 40 and 41 are similarly formed in gasket 32 and one knotner 33, respectively. Although the wire 39 is shown as a separate single conductor having a conductive core 42 surrounded by an insulating sheath 43, other types of wire, such as, for example, ribbon cables, may also be used by those skilled in the art with the present connector assembly. Three rivers can be used. 3 and 4, the internal structure of connector assembly 30 is shown with both energized and unenergized terminals 10a and 10b, respectively, with energized terminal 10a representing each It is in the lower part of the diagram.

In order to provide adequate support to the terminal 10 during operation, each cavity 3
4 preferably has a nominal depth approximately equal to the length of the unactivated terminal 10b. Thus, in the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, terminal 10b abuts the upper wall of housing 31 and its lower end is shown substantially flush with the lower surface of housing 31. A recess 44 is provided in the wall of each cavity 34 to provide a continuous recess around the cavity 34 at a depth approximately equal to the desired distance of travel of the terminal end portion 13 when the terminal 10 is applied. 45 is formed. As best seen in FIG. 3, the upper housing wall 37 is provided with strain relief tabs having a plurality of integrally formed recesses, generally designated by the reference numeral 46, in opposing pairs. Extending inwardly into section 34.

Each tube 46 includes a shoulder portion 47 suitable for gripping the wire 39 as it is terminated into the connector 30. To seal the connector 30 after assembly,
The upper housing wall 37 is formed with an integral ridge 48 extending upwardly around each closure 38 of the housing. Similarly, the gasket retainer 33 is the retainer 3.
It will extend downwards surrounding the opening of 3 □ 41 49
It is equipped with Additionally, the gasket 32 includes a resiliently deformable collar 50 extending inwardly of the connector housing 31 at each gasket entrance 40 that is suitably dimensioned to grip the terminated wire 39 in sealing relation. It is equipped with Still referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, one method of utilizing terminal 10 requires supporting connector housing 31 against a securing surface (not shown).

The wire 39 is inserted into the appropriate opening 4 of the gasket retainer 33.
1, then through the corresponding gasket closure and finally aligned housing opening 38.
, where it enters the terminal 10 and is forced to abut a stopper 22 stamped from the end portion 13 of the terminal 10 . The terminal portion 13 can be inserted using a suitable insertion tool (
(not shown) on the terminal 10 causes it to move axially into the housing cavity 34. The insertion tool is dimensioned to be dynamically received within the recess 44 of the retainer 34. Terminal part 13
Subsequent insertion of the terminal compresses the intermediate portion 12 of the terminal and causes the contact portion 15 to fold (steer) into the wire 39.

The folding (folding) action of each contact portion 15 is based on the notch 1.
This is achieved by a controlled yielding of the terminal material along the wisteria line 19 defined by 8. As it continues to be folded (unfolded), the chamfered green portion of the gate 20 comes into contact with the insulation coating 43 of the wire 39. Initially, wire 39
Due to the alignment of the openings 20 upwards and the resulting close support of the wires 39 across the two openings, no cuts occur during the coating. However, continued compression of the terminal 10 begins to cause the green portion of the gate 20 to sever and dislodge the sheathing 43 of the wire 39. In response to this inward compression and cutting action, the insulation sheath 43 bulges outward, as shown at 51 in FIGS. 3 and 4. Closed mouth 2
0 close cradlingaction
) maintains the wire 39 in position during this cutting operation, as best seen in FIGS. 5 and 6.

Since the gate 20 is formed asymmetrically with respect to the bending axis 19, one side of each contact portion 15 penetrates into the insulation coating 43 more than the other side. In this manner, less force is required to fold the terminal 10 into contact with the wire conductor 42. As shown in FIG. 5, when the cutting edge of the gate 20 contacts the metal core 42 of the wire 39, it will encounter much greater resistance and compression of the terminal 10 will cease. Terminal end part 13
is forced even more, thus housing part 1
3 ears 24 engage with them at the midpoint of the contact portion 15;
Each portion 15 is slightly arched around a pivot point formed in the ear 24. As best seen in FIG. 3, the arcuate bend in contact portion 15
facilitates a slight reorientation of the contact line of the force, which is perpendicular to the surface of the terminal 10 and approaches the force that remains after folding of the terminal 10 due to the latent elasticity of the terminal material. In this loaded state, the contact portion 15 maintains a good electrical contact surface to the conductor 43 of the terminated wire 39 even against the adverse effects of transient conditions, such as vibrations, for example. Ideally, the bowing of the contact portion 15 occurs at the same time that the insertion tool (not shown) bottoms out on the ledge formed in the cavity 34, thus causing the terminal 10 to arch. Prevent excessive stress. After that, the tooth 21 on the end portion of the terminal
is seated in the wall of the cavity 34 and the connector housing 3
1) and maintain the loaded condition. The connector 30 removes the strain on the wire 39.
This occurs simultaneously with the electrical termination of wire 39 to.

As best seen in FIG. 3, the recessed strain relief tabs 46 extend sufficiently long into the cavity 34 so that as the contact portions 15 bend during inward folding, they is supported by tab 46 such that shoulder 47 is embedded in the insulation 43 of wire 39. Thus, wire 39 is securely retained within housing 31 against the forces that may occur during use of the connector assembly. If it is desired that the connector assembly 30 has the ability to terminate wires or cables of different gauges, another embodiment of the invention may be employed, such as including terminals 60 shown in sections 7a, 7b, and 7c. Connector assemblies may be utilized.

As best seen in FIG. 7a, when the terminal 60' in the connector assembly of this embodiment is shown as a flat sheet metal blank 60a prior to its formation, the terminal 60 is located at the first end portion 61 of the housing. , a foldable intermediate portion 62 , and a second end portion 63 of the housing. The intermediate portions 62 (folded) each have a pair of substantially V-shaped reinforcing ribs 66 and a pair of green notches 6.
a pair of collapsible contact portions 65 comprising 7;
It's getting better.

Lip 66 and notch 67 together define axis 68 about which portion 65 will be bent. A polygonal closure 69 is provided in each portion 65, which is asymmetrically formed about the axis of bending 68. In order to accommodate wires or cables of different gauges, the contact portion 65 is connected to the terminal blank 6 in a manner described in more detail below.
0a are formed into a box-shaped housing and then formed axially offset from each other to provide the terminal configuration shown in Figures 7b and 7c. The operation of the modified terminal 60 is shown in Figures 7b and 7c, where the terminal 6 is inserted into the housing 70', and in Figure 7b:
It is shown folded into contact with a relatively small wire gauge 71 and in FIG. 7c folded into contact with a relatively large wire gauge 72.

The relative displacement of the contact portions along the length of each terminal 60 reflects the bending that would occur during termination of small diameter wires if the contact portions 65 were aligned with each other along the length of the terminal 60. The ultimate abutment that occurs between the pair of contact members in the axis 68 of the wire provides the contact portion 65 with a degree of folding adapted to the diameter of the respective wire being terminated. wire 71 to be terminalized;
To provide strain relief for 72, the housing 30 may be provided with a suitable recessed strain relief tab 73.

As can be seen in Figures 7b and 7c, the upper tab 73 is slightly longer than the lower tab 73, thus both tabs
Regardless of the relative movement of the contact parts 65 with respect to the longitudinal axis image of 0, they are acted upon simultaneously by each contact part 65. 8 and 9, yet another embodiment of the connector assembly of the present invention is shown in which a folding terminal, generally designated by the reference numeral 80, is connected to a shielded cable 81. It has been applied to terminalize.

The cable 81 generally consists of a conductor core 82 coated with an insulator 83 provided on a coaxial line, a metal shielding layer 84, and an insulator surface coating 85. The terminal 80 has a first end portion 86 and a foldable intermediate portion 87.
and a second end portion 88 from the sheet metal stock U.
Formed in a letter shape. Notches 89 are formed at the junctions of intermediate section 87 and end sections 86, 88 to weaken the terminal for bending at such junctions. The intermediate portion 87 includes a pair of opposing contact portions, each of which has a reinforcing rib 9 suitably located on either side of the intermediate twill/titch 92.
1 and, together with the edge notch 92, define a line of weakness passing laterally through the center of each contact portion 90.

Contact portion 90 further includes closures, each of which is formed with a centrally extending tooth 95 therein. Contact part 9
0 and are provided with straps 9 in opposing spaced relation. A gusset 97 is pressed into the end portions 86 and 88 to provide rigidity to the terminal in its complete configuration. End section 86 includes a pair of inwardly directed collar tangs to align and support inserted cable 81.
ng) 98 is provided and a pair of outwardly directed teeth are provided for engaging the wall of the housing. From the opposite end section 88, ground tongue (pillow ng) 10
0 extends outward. Referring now to FIG. 9, terminals 8 are shown fully inserted into dielectric housing 101 for connection to printed circuit board 102 or the like.

The housing has an open end 1 providing access to the cavity 104.
03, and the cavity 104 slidably receives the terminal 80. Opposite the open square end 103 is a bottom wall 105 with an open row 06 for passing a round pin terminal 107. Pin terminal 107 is formed with a shoulder portion 108 that is received in a complementary recess 109 formed in bottom wall 105 of housing 101 . A spike 110 integrally formed with pin 107 extends above shoulder portion 108 and into housing cavity 104 for electrically engaging conductor core 82 of inserted cable 81 . Tab 1 integrally formed with bottom wall 105
11 extends upwardly into the cavity 104 and folds each contact portion 90 in a direction suitable to allow the teeth 95 to penetrate the insulation sheath 85 of the cable 81 and establish electrical contact with the shield 84. Provide a fulcrum to support. A comparison of the described embodiments shows that in connector assemblies constructed in accordance with the present invention, the terminals used therein are folded.
It will be appreciated that the force required to do so may be transmitted to the terminal in a variety of ways.

For example, the terminal 10 of FIGS. 3 and 4 may be operated by supporting the housing 31 against a fixed surface, as described above. Instead, the end portion 13 of the terminal is supported against a suitably designed fixture (not shown) while the housing 31 is moved in the direction of the cross-section of the terminal 10, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In contrast to the opposite configurations of FIGS. 3 and 4, an applied force applied to the end portion 86 of the terminal 80, consistent with the direction of wire insertion, is likewise possible, e.g. Termination can also be accomplished in a single step by the use of suitable fittings with the ability to insert wires and fold terminals in a single motion.

A wide variety of housing configuration designs and uses of the connector assembly of the present invention, as long as a resultant force is applied axially to the terminals and the terminals are free to fold in response to such forces. is possible. There are also many variations to the configuration of the sekiguchi, as evidenced by a comparison of aperture 20 of FIG. 1 and aperture 94 of FIG. 8.

The major limitations of bushing are the use of suitable insulation cutting means and proper close support for the wire during termination.
ng). In view of the embodiments described above, the connector assembly of the present invention, because of its axial capability, has space limitations that require a large number of circuit terminals to be closely spaced. Particularly suitable for use as high density electrical connectors.

This is a departure from known insulation displacement connectors, which resist forces at the terminals directed transversely to the axis of the cable or wire. Because of the need to use wires or cables, wire termination capabilities typically exist for only two rows of connector terminals. Additionally, with the connector assembly of the present invention, axial terminal action, as best shown in FIG. 2, provides a convenient and inexpensive means to completely seal the connector housing from the environment. allow to do so.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an insulator exclusion terminal used in a connector assembly constructed according to the principles of the present invention.
1 is an exploded perspective view, partially in section, of one embodiment of an environmentally sealed connector in accordance with the principles of the present invention;
3 is a partial side sectional view of the connector of FIG. 2 illustrating the operation of the connector assembly of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a partial sectional side view taken generally along line 4--4 of FIG. 3; The figure is a partial cross-sectional view taken approximately along line 5--5 in figure 4, and figure 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 6 in figure 4.
7a, 7b and 7c.
The Figures show a second embodiment of the connector assembly of the present invention and the terminals used therein adapted for use with different wire gauges, and Figure 8 shows the present connector assembly adapted for use with shielded cables. 9 is a perspective view of a terminal used in a third embodiment of the connector assembly of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a shielded cable connector of the third embodiment of the connector assembly of the present invention. 10...Terminal, 11...First end portion, 12...
- Middle part, 13... Second end part, 14... Contact beam,
15... Contact portion, 16... Reduced width, 17...
Rib, 18...Notch, 19...Mari line, 20...Closing, 21.
...Teeth, 22...Stopper, 23...Protrusion, 24
...Ear, 25...Pivot point, 30...Connector assembly, 31...Housing, 32...Gasket, 3
3... Retainer, 34... Cavity, 36... Clasp arm,
37... Housing wall, 38... Sekiguchi, 39...
Wire, 40...open □, 42...conductive core (conductor)
, 43... Insulating coating, 44... Concavity, 45... Trough,
46... Evening, 50... Color, 60... Terminal, 61
...first end portion, 62...middle portion, 63...
Second end portion, 65... Contact portion, 66... Reinforcement rib, 67... Notch, 71, 71... Wire, 8
0...terminal, 81...cable, 82...conductor core,
83...Insulator, 84...Metal shielding layer (shield)
, 85... Insulator, 86, 88... End portion, 87...
Middle part, 89... Notch, 90... Contact part, 95
... Teeth, 98 ... Color tongue, 102 ... Printed circuit board, 105 ... Bottom wall, 106 ... Closed mouth, 107.
...Round pin terminal, 109...Complementary recess, 110...
・Spike, 111...Evening FIGIFIG. 2 Fi 3 FIG CI 4 FIG6 FIG7a FIG7b FIG. 7c FIG8 FI

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A connector assembly for electrically connecting an insulated wire having a conductor with an insulating coating around the periphery to another circuit element, the connector assembly having a wire receiving opening. a dielectric housing having a first end having a first end, a second end and a terminal receiving cavity located between the ends; and a terminal fitted within the housing cavity; The terminal has a first housing end and a second end positioned adjacent the abutting first end and the second housing end; an elongated, stamped metal body with a wire receiving area formed therein for receiving an insulated wire; and an insulation displacement device comprising an insulated wire; an apparatus adapted to cut through the insulation and electrically engage the conductor when the object displacement device is moved toward the wire; as: the terminal body includes a weakened portion having two axially spaced ends and a folding line, the folding line and the insulation displacement device being located between the spaced apart ends; and the weakened portion collapses at the fold line when an axial compressive force is applied to the first housing end and the second terminal end, and the weakened portion collapses at the fold line. is moved inwardly from an initial position to a collapsed position within a wire receiving area, whereby the insulation displacement device is moved toward the wire, cuts through the insulation, and connects the conductor and A connector assembly characterized in that the connector assembly comprises: 2 a strain relief tab device integrally formed with the housing adjacent the first end of the housing for securing the wire within the housing after termination of the wire to a terminal; A connector assembly as claimed in claim 1 comprising: 3. the strain relief tab device is configured to bias the strain relief tab device into the insulation of the wire to secure the wire within the connector assembly when the weakened portion is collapsed; 3. The connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the connector assembly is capable of interacting with the weakened portion. 4. further comprising a sealing device for sealing the conductor in the housing upon insertion of the conductor into the housing, the sealing device including a gasket mounted on the first end of the housing; The gasket has an elastically deformable collar surrounding the wire-receiving aperture and creating a seal with the conductor when the conductor is inserted through the aperture. A connector assembly according to item 1 of the scope of the invention.