Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-25
2001-09-25
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Insulating body having plural mutually insulated terminals...
C439S404000, C439S942000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293829
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a connector having a wire management means for facilitating terminating the conductors of a plurality of electrical wires to the terminating portions of the connector terminals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A known type of input/output (I/O) electrical connector includes an elongated dielectric housing having a front mating face and a rear face with a plurality of terminal-receiving passages extending therebetween. The faces extend longitudinally between opposite ends of the elongated housing. A plurality of terminals are received in the passages. Each terminal includes a forwardly projecting contact portion and a tail portion projecting rearwardly from the housing beyond the rear face thereof. The tail portions typically are inserted into holes in a printed circuit board, surface mounted to circuit traces on a circuit board or connected directly to the center conductors of discrete electrical wires.
With the ever-increasing miniaturization of the electronics in various industries, such as in the computer and telecommunications industries, along with the accompanying miniaturization of electrical connectors, considerable problems have been encountered in terminating miniature terminals, particularly the terminal tails. This is particularly true when the tail portions of the terminals are terminated to “loose” or freely movable electrical wires (versus more stationary circuit traces of a generally rigid circuit board). This problem of terminating the tiny terminal tails to the conductors of discrete electrical wires is magnified or compounded when the terminals are mounted in the connector housing in a plurality of closely spaced rows which is typical in many known I/O electrical connectors. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a unique wire management system in such an electrical connector, including the connector, itself, as well as a method of assembling or terminating the connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector of the character described, including a wire management means for facilitating termination of the tail portions of a plurality of terminals to the conductors of a plurality of electrical wires, particularly when the terminals are mounted in rows in the connector housing.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved method of terminating a plurality of electrical wires to a plurality of terminals of an electrical connector as described.
Another object of the invention is to provide a wire management system wherein the individual wires are kept spaced from each other and prevented from getting tangled with the other wires to improve the electrical performance and integrity of the connector/cable system.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector includes an elongated dielectric housing having a central body portion with a front face, a rear face and at least three rows of terminal-receiving passages extending therebetween and including a top row, a middle row and a bottom row. A plurality of terminals are received in the passages and include top terminals received in at least some of the passages in the top row, middle terminals received in at least some of the passages in the middle row and bottom terminals received in at least some of the passages in the bottom row. All of the terminals have forward contact portions and tail portions projecting rearwardly from the body portion beyond the rear face thereof. In the embodiment disclosed herein, the tail portions of the middle terminals are longer than the tail portions of the top terminals.
The invention contemplates a wire management system which includes a pair of juxtaposed wire guide members including a top wire guide member having a top surface with wire-receiving channels for aligning a plurality of electrical wires with the tail portions of the top row of terminals. A bottom wire guide member has a bottom surface with wire-receiving channels for aligning a plurality of electrical wires with the tail portions of the bottom row of terminals. Guide means are provided between the wire guide members for receiving a plurality of electrical wires aligned with the tail portions of the middle row of terminals.
According to one aspect of the invention, the wire guide members are hermaphroditic. The two wires guide members include opposing, generally semi-cylindrical wire-receiving channels in the inside surfaces thereof defining the guide means for receiving the electrical wires aligned with the tail portions of the middle row of terminals.
According to another aspect of the invention, the rear face of the housing includes a receptacle for receiving forward ends of the wire guide members. The guide means between the wire guide members are sized to allow the wire guide members to be juxtaposed about the electrical wires aligned with the tail portions of the middle row of terminals and slid forward into the receptacle.
A further feature of the invention includes attachment means between the wire guide members to hold the members about the electrical wires aligned with the middle row of terminals. As disclosed herein, the attachment means include at least one post on at least one of the wire guide members press-fit into a hole in the other wire guide member.
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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Fromm Galen
Manchester Gary S.
Nelson Richard A.
Qiao Huili
Molex Incorporated
Patel Tulsidas
Zeitler Robert J.
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