Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Patent
1996-11-25
1998-09-22
Vu, Hien
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
439404, H01R 424
Patent
active
058106162
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to insulation displacement connectors for voice and data communication. It is particularly concerned with insulation displacement connectors of the type using a folded contact in which an insulation penetrating slot is defined between two planar blades which are arranged substantially at right angles to each other.
Our earlier application PCT/GB92/00998 published as WO 92/22941 the contents of which are incorporated by reference, describes a contact arrangement of this general type. A similar contact is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,979 (assigned to the Siemon Co.). The contacts disclosed in these specifications are supported both. laterally and torsionally by the plastic housing of the connector. The lateral support prevents spreading of the contact blades of wire insertion and the torsional support prevents twisting. Because of this support, the contact is more rigid at the point of wire entry than at the point of final termination. A version of this type of contact is disclosed in GB-A-1361127 (ISE). In this disclosure two separate blades are arranged at right angles to one another and held in a blade holder. The blades are intended to be removed and re-arranged to prevent a fresh blade to the wires and are not designed to be mounted in a plastics housing so that there is no mechanism to support the blade except at its base. This is in contrast to conventional IDC contacts where both blades lie within a common plane such as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,611,264 (Ellis).
Contacts described in PCT/GB92/00998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,979 operate by emulating a split cylinder. On wire insertion, the blades bow outwards as the blades are held firmly in position at their open ends. As a result, the contacts can hold two or more wires, overcoming a failing of the planar type contact described in Ellis and other specifications.
We have found that contacts of the type described in PCT/GB92/00998 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,979 do not operate satisfactorily with wires having hard insulation. The mechanical arrangement of the contact has difficulty in correctly contacting the conductors of such wires.
Due to the mechanical constraints imposed on the prior art contacts by the connector body, there is virtually no movement of the insulation displacement slot defined between the two planar blades at the wire entry point when a wire is inserted. Only when the wire moves below this entry point does any significant contact deflection occur.
If the wire has a particularly hard insulation, such that it is insufficiently or improperly penetrated at the insertion point, the connection between the wire and the contact worsens as the contact deflects with further downward movement of the wire into the slot. This causes intermittent or permanent circuit discontinuity.
The invention in its various aspects aims to overcome the aforementioned problem with the prior art and to provide an insulation displacement contact and connector which is reliable when used with wires having a hard insulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention, in essence, resides in an insulation displacement connector in which the contacts are supported in the housing against torsional movement but in which a degree of lateral movement is permitted.
More specifically there is provided a "V" shaped insulation displacement contact for receiving and establishing electrical contact with insulated wires, comprising a first contact portion, a medial portion and a second contact portion, the second contact portion comprising a pair of spaced apart contact blades defining a slot therebetween, the contact blades being folded about an axis of the contact, characterised in that the width of the slot along the length of the slot is substantially constant whereby the stiffness of the contact blades is greatest at the base of the slot, and in that the slot is sufficiently long to receive two insulated wires.
A contact embodying the invention has the advantage that insulation displaced from the wire at t
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patent: 4410229 (1983-10-01), Stephenson
patent: 4909754 (1990-03-01), Paradis
patent: 5044979 (1991-09-01), Siemon et al.
patent: 5269700 (1993-12-01), Mitra
patent: 5522733 (1996-06-01), White et al.
Molex Incorporated
Tirva A. A.
Vu Hien
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