Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Patent
1997-08-26
2000-09-12
Sircus, Brian
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
439 21, H01R 2500
Patent
active
061169587
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical adapter with plugging and/or socket connection means, especially for interfaces at electronic devices.
This patent is the 371, National stage of PCT/CH 96/00376. Multiple connections via adapters, often connected in sequence, are required in many areas of telecommunications and data transfer technology, though they can present problems and obstacles relating to volume. Especially at interfaces of electronic devices such as computers, multiple connections often require the use of at least two adapters in sequence which then creates a serious obstacle to positioning of the device. Furthermore, connecting various transfer systems is not always possible with conventional adapters.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to create an adapter of the type described above which does not project as far from the device and which can be connected in sequence without presenting an obstacle to positioning.
This purpose is fulfilled according to the invention in that the shell sections of the plugging and/or socket connection means are joined in an at least partially articulated connection.
For this purpose, one of the shell sections can consist of two half shells which can be snapped together, which terminate in a pan-shaped joint part and which surround a capsule-shaped joint part on the other shell section in such a way that it can swivel, or each of the flexibly connected shell sections of the plugging and/or socket connection means can terminate in laterally reversed capsule-shaped joint parts which can be snapped together near the joint.
As explained in an application of the same date (Swiss patent application Ser. No. 03024, filed Oct. 26, 1995, corresponding to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/860,438, filed in the U.S. national stage on Jun. 26, 1997) from the same applicant, through-connections of the contacts by means of a band-shaped flexible printed conductor foil with a number of parallel printed conductors can be through-connected with such adapters provided with a number of plugging and/or socket connection means, whereby the at least partially electrically separable contacts are through-connected via a number of at least partially parallel printed conductors on the printed conductor foil and whereby printed conductor sections in the plug areas of modular plugging and/or socket connection means create direct plugged contacts. In this case, keeping the printed conductors separate, at least in the plug areas, by means of plastic ribs and subjecting the printed conductor sections which create the plugged contacts to at least some extent to the effects of springs which create contact pressure is preferable. Furthermore, the printed conductor foil can be folded near its center or continuously and inserted into and locked in the connector shell section by means of clamp-like components for the through-connections, whereby the front of the clamp-like component forms the plug-side contact surface for the exposed printed conductors at that point and whereby each of the free ends of the printed conductor foil are supported in a socket and form the contact area of both sockets with the exposed printed conductors.
As a result of these measures, one or more parts of the adapters can be swiveled away from the direction in which it is plugged, thereby considerably reducing the size of the projection at the interface. Furthermore, an additional swiveling adapter can be attached to create an additional swiveling plane.
Using a printed conductor foil for through-connections of the contacts produces results in not only a great deal of freedom for swiveling such adapters; spaced contacts can be connected without crossings or soldering, and a large number of variations is possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Various embodiments of the object of the invention are described in detail on the basis of the drawings, which show the following:
FIG. 1 is a diagram of a swiveling adapter according to the inv
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Reichle + De Massari AG Elekro-Ingenieure
Sircus Brian
Spencer George H.
Wood Allen
Zarroli Michael C.
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