Cable Connecting Assembly

Abstract

A cable connector assembly in which there is a male member having a body and a frusto-conic section and a female member provided with lengthwise slots dividing an end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring members or teeth which are caused to separate as the teeth engage the male member at a line of junction at the base of the frusto-conic section. A nose of the male member can be provided with a lengthwise extending slot dividing it into spring urged sections each of which can engage the interior of the female member. A ring surrounds the teeth of the female member adjacent an open end thereof to prevent excessive spreading of the teeth. One portion of the cable connector assembly is provided with a latch and the other portion is provided with a latch keeper which cooperates with the latch to hold the portions in latched relation. A signal member is actuated by the latch when in latched position.

Parent Case Text

This is a Continuation of our co-pending application Ser. No. 195,975 filed Nov. 5, 1971, and now abandoned.

Description

This invention relates to cable connectors.

An object of this invention is to provide a cable connector which forms a firm but releasable connection between electrical contact members.

A further object of this invention is to provide such a cable connector assembly in which there is a latch which holds connector members in assembled relation and an indicator operated by the latch which shows when the members are properly latched together.

Briefly, this invention provides a cable connector assembly in which there is a male member having a body and a frusto-conic section. An end portion of a female member is provided with lengthwise slots dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring members or teeth which are caused to deflect outwardly as the teeth engage the male member at a line of junction between the frusto-conic section and the body. Each tooth has points of contact with the male member at that line so that there is a plurality of points of contact between the male and female members. In addition, the male member can be provided with a lengthwise extending slot dividing an end portion of the male member into a plurality of spring urged sections each of which can engage the interior of the female member spaced from the line of tooth contact to provide additional points or areas of contact between the male and female members. A ring surrounding the teeth of the female member adjacent an open end thereof prevents excessive spreading of the teeth. One member of the cable connector assembly can be provided with a latch and the other member can be provided with a latch keeper which cooperates with the latch to hold the portions in latched relation. A signal member can be actuated by the latch when in latched position.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains from the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cable connector assembly constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention, portions of electrical cables being shown in association therewith;

FIG. 2 is a view in end elevation of the assembly shown in FIG. 1 with cables removed therefrom;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of one of the portions of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, part thereof being broken away to reveal interior construction, electrical cables being shown in association therewith;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of another of the portions of the assembly shown in FIG. 1, part thereof being broken away to reveal interior construction, electrical cables being shown in association therewith;

FIG. 5 is a view in side elevation of a male element of the assembly removed therefrom, an end cap therefor being shown in dot-dash lines;

FIG. 6 is a view in end elevation of the male element shown in FIG. 5 looking in the direction of arrows 6--6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view in side elevation of a female element of the assembly removed therefrom;

FIG. 8 is a view in end elevation of the female element shown in FIG. 7 looking in the direction of arrows 8--8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view in section taken on an enlarged scale on the line 9--9 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a view in section taken on the line 10--10 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view in lengthwise section of the female section of the element of FIG. 7 with the male element being shown in dashed lines in position inside the female element;

FIG. 12 is a view in section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 12--12 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the end cap of the male element;

FIG. 14 is a view in end elevation of the assembly portion shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 15 is a view in end elevation of a latch keeper of the assembly;

FIG. 16 is a view in side elevation of the latch keeper shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a view in section taken on the line 17--17 in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 18 is a view in side elevation of a mounting plate which is part of one of the assembly portions.

In the following detailed description and the drawings, like reference characters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a cable connecting assembly 20 constructed in accordance with an embodiment of this invention which includes a first portion 22 and a second portion 23 which can be separated as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Hollow tubular sections 24 and 26 of the portion 22 (FIG. 3) receive cables 27 and 28, respectively, and hollow tubular sections 29 and 31 of the portion 23 (FIG. 4) receive cables 32 and 33, respectively. Male connector members 34 and 36 (FIG. 2) are located inside the first connector portion 22 and female connector members 37 and 38 (FIG. 4) are located inside the second connector portion 23. The male connector members are similar in structure and only the male member 36 will be described in detail. The female connector members are similar and only the female connector member 38 will be described in detail.

The male member 36 (FIG. 5) includes a unitary body provided with a socket 42 extending lengthwise thereof from one end. As shown in FIG. 3, a conductor portion 43 of the cable 28 can be received in the socket 42. Radial lock screws 44 lock the conductor portion 43 in the socket 42. A radial socket 46 (FIG. 5) in the member 36 can receive a screw fastener 47 as shown in FIG. 9 for locking the member 36 in the lengthwise bore 49 of the assembly portion 22 which is aligned with the tubular section 26. A metal tube 50 molded in the assembly portion 22 surrounding the bore 49 is provided with a radial bore 501 through which the screw fastener 47 extends. An outwardly extending opening 502 in the portion 22 permits access to the screw fastener 47. A dielectric plug 503 closes the opening 502. An inwardly directed annular flange 504 surrounding the mouth of the opening 502 holds the plug 503 in position. The opposite end of the male member 36 (FIG. 5) includes a connector end portion including a first substantially cylindrical section 51, a substantially frusto-conic intermediate portion 52 and an outer end portion 53. The connector end portion is divided into two sections or teeth 531 and 532 by a lengthwise diametrically extending slot 54 which terminates in a diametral bore 56. The wall of the outer end portion 53 is originally machined to a cylindrical shape and the teeth are then set or deformed outwardly so that the walls of the outer end portion diverge as shown in an exaggerated fashion in FIG. 5.

The portion 52 is machined to a frusto-conic shape before the setting and the first substantially cylindrical portion 51 is machined to a cylindrical shape before the setting. The slot 54 is substantially of uniform width throughout its length before the setting. At the tip of the connector end portion, an annular neck 58 is formed with a flange 59 extending radially outboard of the neck. The flange 59 can be received in an annular slot 61 (FIG. 13) in an end cap member 62, which can be of non-conductive material and covers the tip of the male member to prevent inadvertent touching of the tip of the male member. The diameter of the end cap can be slightly less than the diameter of the cylindrical faces of the portion 51 so as not to interfere therewith.

The female member 38 (FIG. 7) includes a unitary body provided with a socket 63 extending lengthwise thereof from one end. As shown in FIG. 4, a conductor portion 64 of the cable 33 can be received in the socket 63. Radial lock screws 65 lock the conductor portion 64 in the socket 63. A radial socket 66 (FIG. 7) in the member 38 can receive a screw fastener 67 as shown in FIG. 9 for locking the member 38 in a lengthwise bore 69 of the assembly portion 23 which is aligned with the tubular section 31. A metal tube 70 molded in the assembly portion 23 surrounding the bore 69 is provided with a radial bore 701 through which the screw fastener 67 extends. An outwardly extending opening 702 in the portion 23 permits access to the fastener 67. A dielectric plug 703 closes the opening 702. An inwardly directed annular flange 704 surrounding the mouth of the opening 702 holds the plug 703 in position. The opposite end of the female member 38 includes a tubular connector end portion provided with an axial bore or socket 71 (FIG. 7) and with lengthwise slots 72 which divide the connector end portion into a plurality of arcuate axially split teeth 721. Each of the lengthwise slots 72 terminates at a radial bore 73. A circumferential groove 74 in the outer wall of the female member adjacent the open end of the socket 71 receives a ring 76, which can be of stainless steel or the like and which prevents excessive spreading of the teeth.

When the connector end portions of the male member 36 and the female member 38 are brought into engagement, the teeth 531 and 532 of the male member 36, as shown in FIG. 11, enter into the socket 71 and engage the wall of the socket 71 inboard of the lengthwise slots 72, and spring pressure urges the teeth 531 and 532 of the male member 36 outwardly into firm engagement with the wall of the socket 71. At the same time, the teeth 721 of the female member 38 expand outwardly upon engaging the male member at a line of contact 78 between the substantially frusto-conic portion 52 and the substantially cylindrical portion 51. The teeth 721 of the female member are held in firm engagement with the male member spring fashion by the resilience thereof. As shown in FIG. 12, each of the teeth 721 has two points or areas of contact with the male member insuring firm contact therewith and creating a multiple number of high pressure contact points through which to pass current.

The male and female members are locked in engagement by a latch mechanism shown most clearly in FIG. 10. The assembly portion 23 includes a socket 81 which is parallel to the tubular sections 29 and 31 and in which a metal tube 82 is molded. A latch bar 83 is mounted in the socket 81 and extends into the metal tube 82. A screw fastener 84, which extends through a radial opening 86 in the metal tube 82, extends into a diametral bore 87 in the latch bar 83 to lock the latch bar in position in the socket 81 with a substantially conic-shaped head portion 88 thereof extending outwardly of the assembly portion 23. A transverse latch notch or slot 89 is provided in the latch bar adjacent the head portion 88. A radial opening 91 in the assembly portion 23 permits access to the head of the screw fastener 84. A dielectric plug 92 closes the opening 91. An inwardly directed annular flange 93 surrounding the mouth of the opening 91 holds the plug 92 in position therein.

The assembly portion 22 includes a lengthwise bore 96 in which a metal guide tube 97 is mounted. The head portion 88 of the latch bar 83 extends into the guide tube 97. An upright opening 98 (FIGS. 10 and 17) of substantially square cross section intersects the lengthwise bore 96 and receives a latch keeper 99. The latch keeper 99 is tubular and is of substantially rectangular box-shape as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16. A latch keeper bar 101 is set into a lower wall 102 and into side walls 1021 and 1022 of the latch keeper 99 with a cam face 103 thereof exposed inside the hollow of the latch keeper as shown in FIG. 15. A slot 104 (FIG. 10) is formed in the guide tube 97 through which the bar 101 can extend to be received in the slot 89 of the latch bar 83 to hold the assembly portions in assembled relation. The latch keeper bar 101 limits lengthwise movement of the guide tube 97. A compression spring 106 (FIG. 10) seated in a socket 107 in the assembly portion 22 in alignment with the upright opening 98 urges the latch keeper 99 to latched position. A resilient dielectric diaphragm 108 is mounted in the opening 98 overlying the latch keeper 99, and inward pressure on the diaphragm 108 causes downward movement of the latch keeper 99 as shown in FIG. 10 to permit release of the latch keeper bar 101 from the notch 89. An annular edge flange 109 of the diaphragm 108 is received in a slot 111 underlying an annular inwardly directed flange 112 of the assembly portion 22 to hold the diaphragm 108 in position. A signal bar 113 is mounted for sliding movement in the bore 96 in alignment with the guide tube 97 in position for engagement by the head 88 of the latch bar 83. A compression spring 114 surrounds an end portion 116 of the signal bar 113 bearing on a collar 117 of the signal bar 113 and on a shoulder 118 surrounding an end of the bore 96. The spring 114 urges the signal bar 113 to a position shown in dot-dash lines in which it is completely housed inside the assembly portion 22 and in which an outer end 1181 of the signal bar 113 is flush with an end 1182 of a central housing portion 1183. The collar 117 engages an end of the guide tube 97 to limit movement inwardly of the signal bar 113. A right-hand end of the guide tube 97 engages an annular shoulder 119 of the assembly portion 22 surrounding the bore 96. When the assembly portions are assembled, the signal bar 113 is held by the head portion 88 of the latch bar 83 in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 10 at which an end portion thereof is exposed to indicate that the assembly portions are latched together.

The assembly portions or housings 22 and 23 can be formed of rubber or other rubber-like dielectric material of the type usually used in cable connectors. An annular lip 121 of the portion 23 surrounds an annular lip 122 of the portion 22 when the portions are assembled. An annular peripheral rib 123 on the lip 122 engages the lip 121 to form a seal against entry of fluids. The male member 36 and the female member 38 can be formed of brass or beryllium-copper alloys or the like which are resilient in nature to provide spring action. In the drawings, angular dimensions of the conductor portions which interact have been exaggerated for clearness. In a preferred embodiment of this invention in which the diameter of the male member section 51 (FIG. 5) is three-quarters of an inch, the difference between the diameters of the sections 51 and 53 can be approximately 0.005 inch and the difference between the outer diameter of the section 51 and the inner diameter of the socket 71 of the female member 38 can be approximately 0.004 inch. In such a preferred embodiment in which the length of the nose or connector end portion between an outer end 1211 (FIG. 5) and a shoulder 1221 is 1 9/16 inches, the teeth 531 and 532 are set or deformed outwardly sufficiently that the width of the slot 54 adjacent the outer end 1211 is 0.005 inches greater than the width of the slot 54 adjacent the bore 56. A mounting flange 126 is molded on the portion 22. A mounting plate 127 is molded inside the flange 126. Openings 128 (FIG. 18) in the plate 127 can receive appropriate fasteners (not shown).

The connector assembly illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject to structural modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by letters patent is:

1. In a cable connecting assembly, the combination of a male connector member including a body and a connector head including an outer portion, a frusto-conic intermediate section, and an inner section, the inner section and the intermediate section meeting at a circular contact line, with a female connector member including a body and an annular, open ended connector end portion having a substantially cylindrical socket therein for receiving the connector head of the male member, there being lengthwise slots in the connector end portion of the female member extending from the open end and dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring teeth, the normal diameter of the socket of the female member being less than the diameter of the contact line and substantially equal to the diameter of the outer portion of the connector head so that the teeth of the female member are engageable with the head of the male member at the contact line to resiliently engage the head of the male member while the outer portion of the head of the male member aligningly cooperates with a portion of said female member spaced from said contact line.

2. A cable connecting assembly as in claim 1 wherein the outer portion of the head of the male member is provided with a lengthwise slot dividing the outer portion into spring teeth and walls of the teeth of the outer portion are substantially cylindrical and said teeth diverge sufficiently so that ends of the male outer portion can resiliently engage the interior of the socket of the female member when the teeth of the female member engage the head of the male member at the contact line.

3. In a cable connecting assembly, the combination of a male connector member including a body and a connector head including an outer portion, a frusto-conic intermediate section, and an inner section, the inner section and the intermediate section meeting at a circular contact line, with a female connector member including a body and an annular, open ended connector end portion having a substantially cylindrical socket therein, there being lengthwise slots in the connector end portion of the female member extending from the open end and dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring teeth, the normal diameter of the socket of the female member being less than the diameter of the contact line so that the teeth of the female member are engageable with the head of the male member at the contact line to resiliently engage the head of the male member, the outer portion of the head of the male member is provided with a lengthwise slot dividing the outer portion into spring teeth and walls of the teeth of the outer portion are substantially cylindrical and diverge sufficiently so that ends of the male outer portion can resiliently engage the interior of the socket of the female member when the teeth of the female member engage the head of the male member at the contact line, and a dielectric cap is mounted on the outer portion of the male member spanning the teeth thereof and substantially covering the outer ends of the teeth of the outer portion inboard of the cylindrical walls of the teeth of the outer portion.

4. In a cable connecting assembly, the combination of a male connector member including a body and a connector head including an outer portion, a frusto-conic intermediate section, and an inner section, the inner section and the intermediate section meeting at a circular contact line, with a female connector member including body and an annular, open ended connector end portion having a substantially cylindrical socket therein, there being lengthwise slots in the connector end portion of the female member extending from the open end and dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring teeth, the normal diameter of the socket of the female member being less than the diameter of the contact line so that the teeth of the female member are engageable with the head of the male member at the contact line to resiliently engage the head of the male member, a circumferential slot in the outer walls of the teeth of the female member adjacent the open end of said member, a continuous ring mounted in the slot and movable therein relative to the teeth, the ring having an inner circumference which is greater than the circumference of the bottom of the slot when the teeth of the female member are in normal full engagement with a male connector member but less than the circumference of the bottom of the slot when any tooth is forced outward to closely approach the elastic limit of the tooth and less than the circumference necessary to removal of the ring from the groove when the teeth are in their normal undistorted condition out of contact with the male member, the ring cooperating with the teeth to link them in mutual supporting relation in which they restrain outward movement of each of the teeth of the female member to prevent outward movement thereof beyond the elastic limit thereof.

5. In a cable connector assembly, the combination of a first housing member and a second housing member, a connector element in each of the housing members, the connector elements being engageable to provide electrical connection therebetween, the housing member and the connector elements being relatively movable in reciprocation with a latch mechanism which includes a latch bar mounted in the first housing member and extending parallel to the direction of reciprocation, there being a transverse latch notch in the latch bar, there being an elongated lengthwise extending bore in the second housing member for receiving the latch bar and a transverse opening in the second housing member intersecting the lengthwise bore, a hollow latch keeper reciprocably mounted in the transverse opening, said latch keeper surrounding the lengthwise bore and including side wall members extending on opposite sides of the lengthwise bore, an inner cross piece underlying the lengthwise bore and an outer cross piece overlying the lengthwise bore, a latch bar mounted on the inner cross piece and engageable with the latch notch of the latch bar to hold the housings in latched position, and spring means urging the latch keeper in latching direction, the outer cross piece being inwardly urgable to release the latch deeper from latch bar.

6. A cable connector assembly as in claim 5 wherein there is a latch releasing bar mounted in the lengthwise bore for axial movement therein and spring means urging the latch releasing bar in a latch releasing direction, the latch bar engaging the latch releasing bar when in latched position.

7. A cable connector assembly as in claim 6 wherein the latch releasing bar includes a signal portion which extends outwardly of the second housing member when the latch releasing bar is engaged by the latch bar in latched position.

8. A cable connector assembly as in claim 5 wherein there is a resilient dielectric diaphragm overlying the latch keeper and the diaphragm is deformable to cause the latch keeper to move in latch releasing direction.

9. In a cable connecting assembly, the combination of a male connector member including a body and a connector head including an outer portion, a frusto-conic intermediate section, and an inner section, the inner section and the intermediate section meeting at a circular contact line, with a female connector member including a body and an annular, open ended connector end portion having a substantially cylindrical socket therein, there being lengthwise slots in the connector end portion of the female member extending from the open end and dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring teeth, the normal diameter of the socket of the female member being less than the diameter of the contact line so that the teeth of the female member are engageable with the head of the male member at the contact line to resiliently engage the head of the male member, the outer end portion of the outer portion of the male connector head having a reduced cross-section, a dielectric cap mounted on and coveringly receiving the outer end portion of the outer portion of the male member, the exposed surface of the cap being a substantial longitudinal extension of the longitudinal surface of the outer portion of the male member to a transverse end face of the cap.

10. A cable connecting assembly as in claim 9 characterized by the fact that the outer end portion of the outer portion of the male connector head has a groove in its laterally facing surface and that the dielectric cap is of cup form and a flange extends inwardly from the rim thereof, said flange being received in said groove to mechanically couple and secure the cap to the male member.

11. In a cable connecting assembly, the combination of a male connector member including a body and a connector head including an outer portion, a frustoconic intermediate section, and an inner section, the inner section and the intermediate section meeting at a circular contact line, with a female connector member including a body and an annular, open ended connector end portion having a substantially cylindrical socket therein, there being lengthwise slots in the connector end portion of the female member extending from the open end and dividing the end portion of the female member into a plurality of spring teeth, the normal diameter of the socket of the female member being less than the diameter of the contact line so that the teeth of the female member are resiliently engageable with the head of the male member at the contact line, a hoop-ring annularly of and supported by the spring teeth adjacent the free ends of the teeth, the spring teeth being severally deflectable further than they are deflected by normal engagement thereof with the head of the male member at the contact line such that before any spring tooth is deflected beyond its elastic limit the hoop-ring cooperates with the spring teeth to resist forces tending to effect further outward deflection of at least one of said teeth, and the outer portion of the head of the male member aligningly cooperates with a portion of said female member spaced from said contact line.

12. A cable connecting assembly as in claim 11 wherein the outer portion of the head of the male member is provided with a lengthwise slot dividing the outer portion into spring teeth and walls of the teeth of the outer portion are substantially cylindrical and said teeth diverge sufficiently so that ends of the male outer portion can resiliently engage the interior of the socket of the female member when the teeth of the female member engage the head of the male member at the contact line.