Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Plural-contact coupling part
Reissue Patent
1999-02-23
2001-07-24
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Plural-contact coupling part
C439S877000
Reissue Patent
active
RE037296
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to a keying system for a plurality of electrical connectors having different numbers of terminals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Electrical connectors are provided in a wide variety of configurations and generally are provided in sets (i.e. pairs) of connectors, such as male and female connectors, which are used to interconnect terminating ends of electrical circuitry. The connectors mount a plurality of terminals or contacts which interengage when the connectors are mated. Most often, the terminals or contacts are terminated to discrete wires or to circuit traces on a printed circuit board and which must be properly interconnected. For instance, in hard wired circuitry, a “hot” wire must be interconnected with a corresponding hot wire, a neutral wire must be interconnected with a corresponding neutral wire and a ground wire must be interconnected with a corresponding ground wire. In certain electronic applications, various signal circuitry must be properly interconnected with corresponding signal circuitry through the mating connectors. Consequently, it has been common to polarize a set or pair of mating electrical connectors so that they can be mated in only one orientation in order to properly polarize the electrical wiring or circuitry therethrough.
In order to properly understand the invention herein, the term “polarization” is understood to define structures whereby a single set or pair of electrical connectors can be mated in only one orientation as described above, such as in only one of two 180° orientations. The term “keying”, on the other hand, is meant to describe a system wherein one connector of any given set or pair thereof cannot be mated with another connector of another set or pair thereof, regardless of orientation.
Heretofore, there have been a variety of different polarization schemes or structures. For instance, a set or pair of electrical connectors may have keys and slots or other shapes on the outside surfaces of the connectors so that the connectors can be polarized and mated in only one of two 180° orientations. Another scheme utilizes silos projecting from a connector housing and within which the terminals or contacts are mounted. The silos are received in receptacles of the mating connector. The silos and receptacles have a particular cross-sectional shape which allow the connectors to mate in only one of two 180° orientations.
However, there are electrical connector systems wherein a plurality of sets or pairs of mating electrical connectors are provided of similar configurations, such as generally rectangular configurations, and wherein each set of connectors mounts a different number of pairs of terminals or contacts. In such systems, although the connectors in any given set thereof are polarized in order to ensure proper mating, there is a danger that one connector of any given set will be mated with a connector of a different set. In other words, one set or pair of mating connectors may have only one pair of terminals or contacts. That set of connectors would interconnect two circuits. Another set of mating connectors may have two pairs of terminals for interconnecting four circuits. The sets of connectors may increase in “size” to include three pairs of terminals for interconnecting six circuits, four pairs of terminals for interconnecting eight circuits, and so on. In other words, the size of the connectors are determined by the number of interconnected circuits, and such connectors are manufactured, sold and/or made available in the connector industry as an identifiable “Series” or “Line” of electrical connectors. There is a need for providing a keying system for such electrical connector systems whereby a connector in any given set thereof cannot be mated with an opposite connector in any other set thereof having a larger number of pairs of terminals. In other words, there could be serious problems if a smaller sized connector would be connected inadvertently or erroneously to a larger sized connector.
Problems are encountered in attempting to employing keying schemes to electrical connector systems described immediately above, particularly wherein the plurality of sets of connectors in the electrical connector system employ silos and receptacles at the mating interface between the connectors in each set. These problems arise particularly in high density and/or miniaturized electrical connectors wherein the terminals are very closely spaced in a compact array. It is difficult to provide keying structures on the silos and/or in the receptacles because the walls thereof are very thin when using particular configurations of terminals. This invention also is directed to solving those problems by providing a unique keying system for sets of electrical connectors which use silos and receptacles at their mating interfaces.
This invention is directed to solving such problems and satisfying the need for such a keying system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved keying system for a plurality of electrical connectors having different numbers of terminals.
Generally, the keying system of the invention is designed for use with at least four sets or pairs of mating connectors, such as with a male and female connector in each set. In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connectors have generally similar rectangular elongated configurations. Each set of connectors is adapted for mounting at least one pair of interengaging terminals, with the numbers of pairs of terminals in any given set of connectors being different from that of any other set of connectors, and with the number of mating terminals in the at least four sets of mating connectors increasing in a predetermined progression. The connectors in each respective set thereof have complementary interengaging mating portions. The invention contemplates that the respective mating portions of the sets of connectors be constructed so that either connector in any given set thereof cannot mate with a connector of any other set of connectors.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the sets of connectors are adapted for mounting the pairs of interengaging terminals arranged in at least one row on their respective connectors whereby the connectors have increasing lengths as a function of the number of pairs of terminals on the respective connectors. The terminals are mounted within projecting silos in one of the connectors in each set thereof, and the other connector in each respective set includes receptacles for receiving the silos. The complementary interengaging mating portions of the connectors, therefore, are provided by the silos and receptacles. In one form of the invention, the silos and receptacles are orthogonal in cross-section with flattened sides at different locations to prevent either connector in any given set thereof from mating with a connector of any other set thereof. As disclosed herein, the orthogonal silos and receptacles are generally rectangular or square with flattened corners thereof defining the flattened sides.
In particular, in the disclosed embodiments of the invention, the generally rectangular or square silos and receptacles are arranged in at least one row on their respective connectors, and it is contemplated that one side of the rectangular silos and receptacles be oriented in a common line along the length of the respective connectors. The flattened corners are located only on an opposite side of the rectangular silos and receptacles.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3072340 (1963-01-01), Dean
patent: 4923416 (1990-05-01), Zinn
patent: 0706495 (1941-05-01), None
patent: 4025571 (1990-11-01), None
patent: 0179585 (1986-04-01), None
patent: 0439076 (1991-07-01), None
patent: 0093175 (1991-04-01), None
Molex Connector Series No. 3191-p. 10K
Molex Incorporated
Vu Hien
Weiss Stephen Z.
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