Cable retention clip

Details Cable retention clip Cable retention clip

1999-06-25

2001-07-10

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

With stress relieving means for conductor to terminal joint

Enlargement engaging means

Reexamination Certificate

active

06257920

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The front portion of a cable is terminated to a device such as a connector by stripping away the jacket to expose grounded braiding or foil within the jacket, and to expose wires that can be extended to contacts and be soldered or otherwise connected thereto. A polymer material is molded around the cable and its wires, and around a rearwardly extending length of cable for strain relief. In some applications, the cable is repeatedly pulled and moved up and down and or from side to side. This can result in the cable jacket pulling out of the sheet metal strain relief device and the molded material while breaking off the wires. Metal retainers are often used to prevent pullout and break-off but pullout and break-off still occur. A connector which increased the reliability of holding of the cable against pullout and which increased strain relief to reduce the possibility of cable jacket breakage from fatigue, in a simple manner, would be of value.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a clip and a connector including the clip are provided, wherein the clip provides increased holding capacity for a cable jacket to prevent pullout and to provide additional strain relief, with the clip constructed to be securely held by a frame part that is molded around the clip. The clip initially has a major part in the form of a seamless sleeve with slots at opposite sides. A cable whose outside diameter is considerably less than the inside diameter of the sleeve, is inserted through the sleeve. The sleeve is then crimped so its opposite sides are pressed into wings with substantially parallel top and bottom wing parts, and with vertical slots between pairs of wings. The slots, whose lateral depth is a plurality of times greater than the thickness of the sleeve material, receive bulging portions of the crimped cable jacket to help lock the cable into the clip. The deep slots receive molding material that forms the connector frame and that is molded around the clip, to lock the clip into the connector frame.
The clip is preferably crimped by a tool that leaves dimples projecting inward from the top and bottom of the clip, to further lock the cable jacket to the clip. A plurality of cantilevered beams project rearwardly from the rear of the sleeve portion of the clip, to provide additional strain relief for the cable. Material molded around the clip, extends rearwardly around the outside of the cable and around the cantilevered beams of the clip.
In the construction of the connector, the clip is installed and the wires of the cable are terminated to contacts of a connector. Then, a first molded part of polymer is molded around the wires of the cable and into front most slots of the clip. Thereafter, an overmold or second molded part is molded around the first part and into more rearward slots of the clip. Thus, the deep slots of the clip not only lock the clip to the first and second molded parts, but also lock the molded parts to each other.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


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