Electrical connectors – Contact comprising cutter – Insulation cutter
Patent
1992-11-20
1994-07-05
Pirlot, David L.
Electrical connectors
Contact comprising cutter
Insulation cutter
439417, H01R 424
Patent
active
053262786
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a releasable connector assembly for interconnecting two flat cables.
The problem of interconnecting two flat cables for the purpose of establishing a set of electrical circuits arises in numerous circumstances. Such flat cables or "ribbon cables" are constituted by a set of electrical conductors disposed side-by-side and embedded in an insulating plastic.
A connector assembly of this type comprises two connector portions, a male portion and a female portion, each constituted by a base and a cover. Each cable is clamped between a face of the base and the cover. To establish electrical connection, the base includes electrical contacts each having respective sharp ends. By pressing the cover hard against the base, the projecting ends of the contacts pierce the insulating covering of the cable, thus providing respective electrical connections between the contacts of the base and the conductors of the cable.
French patent application No. 89 02251 filed in the name of the Applicant describes such a connector assembly. As specified in the above-mentioned document, a connector assembly may be used for establishing series connections or parallel connections between the conductors of the two cables to be interconnected. The present invention is equally applicable to series connection and to parallel connection or to a combination of those two types of connection.
It should also be specified that each connector assembly may either be installed at an end of a cable, or else it may be installed on an intermediate length of the cable. The present invention relates to both types of installation option, or, naturally, to a combination thereof.
In order to wire a cable to a connector portion, a special tool is commonly used enabling sufficient force to be applied between the base and the cover to enable the cable to be pierced right through, as mentioned above. However, there exist some circumstances in which such connector assemblies are used where it is desirable for each connector portion to be capable of being wired to the cable conveniently by hand. It will be understood that if the number of conductors is very small, e.g. two, then piercing the cable presents no particular difficulty. In contrast, with a higher number of conductors, e.g. about five or six, it is generally not possible for conventional connector assemblies to be wired to each cable by hand under conditions that are acceptable.
An object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly which enables each cable to be wired to each connector portion without requiring the use of a tool.
After each cable has been wired to a connector portion, the two cables are interconnected by engaging the end of the male connector portion in the end of the female connector portion so as to put the contacts in each of said portions into mutual contact. Under some circumstances in which connector assemblies are used, this operation must be performed quickly or under conditions that are difficult. It is therefore important for the ends of the connector portions, and more precisely the ends of the contacts, to be prevented from being damaged in the event of the ends of the male and female connector portions being wrongly presented to each other.
Another object of the invention is thus to provide a connector assembly in which the contacts of the bases cannot be damaged if the male portion is not properly presented to the female portion.
Finally, under certain conditions of use, flat cables may be subjected to accidental traction forces. It will be understood that under such circumstances, these traction forces are applied to the connector assemblies. More particularly, the traction force exerted on the cable is applied to the projecting contact ends in the bases where they perforate the cable. As a result there is a serious risk of the contact ends breaking, thereby breaking the electrical connection.
Another object of the invention is to provide a connector assembly in which such traction forces as may be exerted on the cables are
REFERENCES:
patent: 3214713 (1965-10-01), Strobel
patent: 3275968 (1966-09-01), McCaughey
patent: 5049088 (1991-11-01), Rishworth et al.
patent: 5067910 (1991-09-01), Knox et al.
Cabane Francis
Huguenet Jean-Pierre
Logerot Bernard
Amphenol Socapex
Pirlot David L.
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