Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-31
2001-12-25
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
C439S495000, C439S942000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332801
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical connector capable of connecting a contact element and a core wire of a cable by insulation replacement.
2. Description of the Related Art
The contact section of a press-connection or insulation-replacement contact element is made of a sheet of metal with side edges making contact with the core conductor or wire of a cable. An example thereof is disclosed in Japanese patent application Kokai No. 10255921.
As shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, a cable holder
52
is fitted in a first housing
51
while a plurality of contact elements
62
are held by a second housing
61
. The first housing
51
has a rectangular shape, and the cable holder
52
has a retention section
53
and a protruded section
54
which projects from the first housing
51
. A space
56
is provided between the first housing
51
and the top face of the retention section
53
to accommodate a cable arranging member
55
for holding a plurality of cables C at a dielectric section C
1
. A plurality of cable guiding grooves
56
are formed in the top, side, and bottom faces of the protruded section
54
of the cable holder
52
to guide core wires C
2
from which the dielectric sections have been removed. The front ends of the core wires C
2
are held by a retention tape
57
or the like to prevent uneven separation.
The contact elements
62
are made by stamping a metal sheet. Each contact element
62
has a base section
63
to be held by the second housing
61
, a resilient arm
64
extending from the base section
63
in a U-shape, and a connection section
65
which projects from the second housing
61
. A plurality of barbs
63
A are provided on the base section
63
to keep the contact element
62
at a predetermined position in the second housing
61
. A contact portion
64
A is provided at the inside front end of each resilient arm
64
. The protruded section
54
of the first housing
51
is fitted in the opening of the second housing
61
so that the core wires C
2
in the guiding grooves
56
are brought into resilient contact with the contact portions
64
A of the contact element
62
.
In the above connector, the core wires are exposed in the press-connection or insulation-replacement sections so that the dielectric sections C
1
as well as the core wires C
2
are present in the guiding grooves
56
. Accordingly, it is necessary that the width of the guiding grooves
56
be substantially equal to the diameter of the dielectric sections C
1
. Consequently, the width of the guiding grooves
56
is too large to keep the core wires C
2
from moving laterally upon making resilient contact with the contact sections
64
A, failing to provide stable contact. In addition, the width of the guiding grooves is likely made larger than the diameter of the dielectric sections for facilitating insertion thereof so that the position of the core wires becomes more variable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an electrical connector capable of facilitating insertion of a cable and stabilizing resilient contact the cable and a contact element.
According to the invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a housing made of a dielectric material and at least one contact element supported by the housing and made of a metal so as to have a contact section. The connector is provided with a press member rotatable between a closed position and an open position with respect to the housing and having a press section for pressing a cable to the contact section at the closed position, wherein a cable receiving groove is provided on a surface of the press member which is opposed to the contact section, the cable receiving groove comprising a guiding section which faces the contact section when the press member is at the open position and a retention section which faces the contact section when the press member is at the closed position.
With such a structure, it is not necessary to expose the core wire of a cable. The cable is inserted into the housing with the press member is at the open position so that the cable is guided the guiding section of the receiving section provided on the press member. When the press member is rotated from the open position to the closed position, the engaging position of the cable moves from the guiding section to the retention section. Consequently, the cable is pressed by the press section of the press member against the contact section of the contact element for connection by insulation replacement while the cable is held in place by the retention section.
The press section is a bottom face of the retention section, the retention section of the receiving groove has a width substantially equal to or slightly smaller than a diameter of the cable, and the guiding section of the receiving groove having a width greater than the width of the retention section. Alternatively, the cable is a flat cable and the receiving section has a width substantially equal to or slightly smaller than a width of the flat cable, and the guiding section has a width greater than the width of the retention section.
The receiving groove has a transition section between the receiving and retention sections. The transition section has a width which gradually changes from the guiding section to the retention section. The contact element is made of a metal sheet such that the contact section is flat in a plane of the metal sheet, and the contact section has a side edge capable of making connection with a core wire of the cable by insulation replacement. At least one of the guiding and retention sections has a bottom surface of a V-shape cross section for assuring the constant cable position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4426125 (1984-01-01), Crawford
patent: 4871319 (1989-10-01), Babow
patent: 5554053 (1996-09-01), Matthews
patent: 5904586 (1999-05-01), Takayasu
patent: 5944552 (1999-08-01), Hanami
patent: 5947761 (1999-09-01), Pepe
Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Vu Hien
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