Electrical connectors – Including or for use with coaxial cable
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2001-06-26
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2733)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with coaxial cable
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250959
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to connectors, such as electrical connectors, fiber optic connectors and the like, and, particularly, the invention is directed to a connector for terminating a plurality of coaxial cables having very fine conductor cores.
BACK GROUND OF THE INVENTION
A typical coaxial cable includes a center conductor core surrounded by a dielectric which, in turn, is surrounded by a shield such as a metallic braid or foil. An outer insulating sheath covers the cable. Heretofore, it has been typical to remove the outer sheath, shield and dielectric of each cable at an end thereof and solder the conductor core to a selected terminal in a connector.
Stripping the dielectrics of a plurality of coaxial cables and soldering each and every conductor core to its selected terminal is a laborious time-consuming process, and the conductor cores are prone to be cut during stripping. Therefore, insulation displacement terminals have been used to pierce the dielectric and establish contact with the conductor core of each terminal.
Still, problems continue to be encountered in terminating coaxial cables due to the ever-increasing miniaturization and high density of electronic circuitry. The coaxial cables continue to be made thinner and thinner, with the conductor cores becoming extremely fine. Correspondingly, it is increasingly difficult, if at all possible, to individually solder the conductor cores to the connector terminals. With insulation-displacement terminals, the terminals often are too wide for mounting the terminals in high density connectors at very narrow intervals.
It might be proposed to provide wire management grooves or passages in the connector housing for receiving the thin coaxial cables and/or fine conductor cores to align the cores with the terminals, but providing such means in the housing presents further molding problems as well as very difficult assembly problems. The present invention is directed to solving this myriad of problems in terminating coaxial cables.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved connector for a plurality of generally parallel coaxial cables having fine conductor cores.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector includes a dielectric housing having a slot. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing in a side-by-side arrangement, with contact portions closely spaced along the slot. A wire management member is provided for insertion into the slot and includes a plurality of side-by-side grooves for receiving the conductor cores of the cables and spacing the cores in alignment with the contact portions of the terminals. An actuator is mountable on the housing for engaging the wire management member and biasing the conductor cores against the contact portions of the terminals.
As disclosed herein, the slot in the housing is elongated and the wire management member includes an elongated plate having grooves on one side thereof in a generally parallel array. Means are provided on the wire management member for retaining the conductor cores in the grooves. In the preferred embodiment, the retaining means comprise restrictions, such as deformable tabs, generally at the mouths of the grooves for capturing the conductor cores in the grooves.
The terminals are shown herein to include bifurcated portions defining spaced legs between which the wire management member and conductor cores are inserted. One of the legs of each terminal forms the contact portion thereof. The legs are spaced sufficiently for also receiving a pressing portion of the actuator therebetween. The preferred embodiment also has insulation displacement means on the legs which define the contact portions of the terminals, for piercing through the insulation about the conductor cores of the coaxial cables.
A further feature of the invention includes a pair of ground plates sandwiching the coaxial cables therebetween in an area of shielded sections of the cables. A shield is provided about at least a portion of the housing, and the shield is engageable with at least one of the ground plates.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
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Fujikura Mitsuo
Iijima Hideki
Mizuno Yoshiyuki
Yamaguchi Tomisaburou
Molex Incorporated
Nguyen Phuongchi
Paumen Gary F.
Weiss Stephen Z.
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