Electrical connectors – Including or for use with tape cable – Including connector housing surrounding cable
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-18
2001-04-17
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Including or for use with tape cable
Including connector housing surrounding cable
C439S494000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06217374
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.
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.
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 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 of the top row, middle terminals received in at least some of the passages of the middle row and bottom terminals received in at least some of the passages of 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. The tail portions of the middle terminals are longer than the tail portions of the top terminals.
The invention contemplates a wire management platform projecting from the rear face of the central body portion. The platform includes a first top surface at which the tail portions of the top terminals are juxtaposed. A second top surface is offset from the first top surface and projects further from the rear face of the body portion than the first top surface and at which the longer tail portions of the middle terminals are juxtaposed. A bottom surface is provided at which the tail portions of the bottom terminals are juxtaposed. The three distinct surfaces facilitate connection of the tail portions of the terminals to the conductors of a plurality of appropriate electrical wires.
As disclosed herein, a plurality of grooves are provided in at least one of the platform surfaces, aligned with the tail portions juxtaposed thereat. The grooves facilitate aligning the electrical wires and respective conductors with the tail portions of the terminals.
According to another aspect of the invention, a wire management platform may include a first top surface and an offset, longer second top surface for use in a connector having only two rows of terminals, with the tail portions of the bottom row being longer than the tail portions of the top row. According to a further aspect of the invention, a wire management platform for a single row of terminals may include grooves for aligning the conductors of the wires with the tail portions of the terminals.
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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Bradley Paula
Molex Incorporated
Ta Tho D.
Zeitler Robert J.
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