Electrical connector shield having an internal cable clamp

Abstract

The present invention relates to a electrical connector shield wherein one end retains an electrical connector and the other end contains an opening defined by arcuate portions and a curved inner wall against which electrical leads emanating from the connector are simultaneously clamped and deflected away from the shield at an angle.

Parent Case Text

This is a continuation, of application Ser. No. 228,654, filed Feb. 23, 1972 abandoned.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Electrical connectors, containing many terminal contacts which are terminated to as many electrical conductors or leads are housed in some form of shield. The multitude of leads emanating from the connector require some means whereby such leads can be collected into a coherent stream for ease in handling after they have left the shield and also to provide strain relief and to protect the terminations.

Prior art devices insofar as known, universally employ a strain relief assembly in the nature of a clamp or collar such as taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,056,942. Generally attached to the outside of the shield, the clamp supports the multitude of leads as they exit from the opening, thereby transferring lead strain to the shield. Further, such clamp can be utilized to direct the leads away from the shield at different angles as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,309.

Outside mounted clamps can result in elongating the total housing package, particularly where space is critical. Further, such clamps are bulky and offer projections on which leads coming from other nearby housings can be entangled.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a shield for an electrical connector from which a plurality of electrical leads emanate. The shield consists of two halves forming, in cooperation with each other, a portion at one end for receiving the electrical connector, an opening at another end through which the leads pass, a curved inner wall facing the opening, a slot transverse to and opening into the opening opposite the curved wall and a clamp-deflector slidably mounted in the slot operable to force the leads against the inner wall and also operable to deflect the leads away from the shield as they exit from the opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing the components of the instant invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one component shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 3 and 4 are plan views of a part of the components shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the operation of the instant invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In FIG. 1, an assembly plug unit, designated at 10a, is seen on the left. On the right, receptacle unit 10b, which consists of two subassemblies, is shown in exploded fashion. One subassembly is the electrical connector 12a and the other subassembly is connector shield 14.

Connector 12a includes a flange 15 consisting of a front plate 16a and a rear plate 18, the two being joined by tabs 20 on plate 16a being crimped over plate 18. Holes 22, positioned in flanges 15, are provided so that unit 10a on the left may be bolted to unit 10b on the right if such is desired.

Plate 16a contains a forward projecting, trapezoidal shaped shroud 24a which houses a dielectric connector block 26a. Block 26a houses a plurality of terminal contacts 28a, such being of the female type. Terminal contacts 28a are in turn terminated to electrical leads 30 which are seen extending away from connector 12a.

Connector 12b is similar to connector 12a except that shroud 24b on plate 16b is sized so as to receive shroud 24a therein, and electrical block 26b houses a plurality of contacts 28b of the male type adapted to electrically mate with contacts 28a.

Turning now to shield 14 and directing attention to FIG. 2 as well as to FIG. 1, it is seen that shield 14 consists of two halves, designated herein as right half 34a and left half 34b, integrally joined by hinge 36. Completing the subassembly is clamp deflector 38.

Turning first to right half 34a, a base portion 40 is enclosed on opposite sides by upstanding wall portions 42 and 44 which are integrally joined therewith. The front of base portion 40 narrows to define a projecting shelf 46 which is raised to define an inwardly facing shoulder 48. A groove 50 is positioned immediately behind shoulder 48 to provide a seating space for flange 15 on connectors 12a and 12b. As seen on the left of FIG. 1, shoulder 48 retains connector 12b from forward movement.

A wall 52 is positioned on base 40 on the end opposite shelf 46 and is integral therewith and with wall portions 42 and 44. An electrical lead channel 54 separates wall 52 into left side 52a and right side 52b. Left side 52a contains a slot 56, an outer arcuate portion 58, and an inner arcuate portion 60, the latter bridging the two sides 52a and 52b. A post 61 is positioned at each end of inner arcuate portion 60. A radiused groove 62 is also positioned on left side 52a, one end 64 opening into slot 56 and its other end 66 opening on the outside of shield 14 in recessed area 68. The end 66 is enlarged to receive the head of self-tapping screw 70 while end 64 is sized to receive the shank of the screw.

Right side 52b is characterized by having its inner wall 72 curve to the right rearwardly. This structure results in an enlarged end of channel 54.

Apertures 74 are provided in left and right sides 52a and 52b to receive self-tapping screws 76.

Left half 34b is with two differences, the mirror image of right half 34a. The first difference is that there are two holes 78 which are in aligned locations with apertures 74 on right half 34a. Each hole contains a recess or counterbore (78a on the assembled unit on the left) adapted to receive the head of a screw 76.

The second difference is a recess 61a positioned in aligned location with and adapted to receive posts 61 on right half 34a.

Clamp deflector 38 has a beveled side 80 and three straight sides 82, 84 and 86. Edge 88, which connects side 82 and beveled side 80, and edge 90 which is between side 86 and beveled side 80 are both rounded.

OPERATION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate one of the important and novel features of the present invention. Both Figures show half 34a of shield 14 with half 34b omitted for reasons of clarity. Electrical connector 12a with electrical leads 30 attached thereto is shown in place with shelf 46 indicated in FIG. 3 by dashed lines.

In FIG. 3 it was desired to have electrical leads 30 leave shield 14 at an angle thereto. This was achieved by simply placing clamp-deflector 38 in slot 56 so that beveled side 80 faced inwardly and then pressing it against leads 30 via screw 70. This directs the leads along curved inner wall 72. At the same time clamp-deflector 38 clamps leads 30 against the inner wall so as to relieve any strain on leads 30.

FIG. 4 illustrates the situation where leads 30 leave shield 14 directly to the rear thereof. This was achieved by simply placing clamp-deflector 38 in slot 56 so that beveled side 80 faces outwardly and edge 90 presses leads 30 against inner wall 72 via screw 70. As noted above, leads 30 are being simultaneously clamped to shield 14.

Note in FIGS. 3 and 4 that the edges of clampdeflector 38, being round, do not cut into leads 30 as such press thereon.

Housing 14 and clamp-deflector 38 are molded from a thermo-plastic dielectric material. In addition to the obvious cost-benefits resulting from using such materials and such means of manufacture, this device allows much greater ease of assembly, the versatility of two choices of cable exit direction, and the need for no other insulation materials as are required in prior art devices employing metallic shield and cable clamps.

It is intended that the particular embodiment of the invention shown and described herein is merely illustrative and the spirit and scope of the invention is limited only by the appended claim.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector shield adapted to contain an electrical connector having a plurality of electrical leads attached to the back thereof, which comprises:

a. an insulating housing consisting of two hinged halves, having,

a front portion adapted to receive an electrical connector having a plurality of electrical leads attached to the back thereof; a rear portion having a channel thru which said electrical leads may pass, said channel defined by a generally straight wall on one side and on the opposite side a wall consisting of a straight section and a curved section, the curved section being positioned adjacent an outside wall of the housing, and

a slot in said rear portion and opening into said channel from the generally straight wall;

b. a movable clamp deflector slidably mounted in said slot, said deflector having a beveled side which when facing inwardly toward the front portions force electrical leads which may pass thru the channel to leave the shield in a direction generally parallel to the curved section and when the beveled side faces outwardly, electrical leads which may pass thru the channel would be forced to leave the shield in a direction generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shield; and

c. means for advancing or withdrawing said clamp deflector into or out of said channel.