U.S. patent number 3,864,011 [Application Number 05/391,727] was granted by the patent office on 1975-02-04 for coaxial ribbon cable connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to AMP Incorporated. Invention is credited to John Henry Huber.
United States Patent |
3,864,011 |
Huber |
February 4, 1975 |
COAXIAL RIBBON CABLE CONNECTOR
Abstract
This invention relates to a connector for multi-unit coaxial
cable of the type wherein each center conductor has a individual
shield and each shield has a separate drain wire. More
particularly, the connector includes a plurality of contact members
each of which consists of an opposing cantilever contact spring
section for mating with contact elements of other electrical
circuits, a dual in-line cantilever, torsion bar terminating
section for receiving either the coaxial cable center conductor or
the drain wire, a housing to hold the plurality of contact members
and a strain relief clamp member.
Inventors: |
Huber; John Henry (Harrisburg,
PA) |
Assignee: |
AMP Incorporated (Harrisburg,
PA)
|
Family
ID: |
27013611 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/391,727 |
Filed: |
August 27, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/472;
439/494 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
12/775 (20130101); H01R 12/596 (20130101); H01R
13/595 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H01R
12/00 (20060101); H01R 12/24 (20060101); H01R
13/595 (20060101); H01R 13/58 (20060101); H01r
011/20 (); H01r 013/46 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/17,18,103,176,95-99,174,217 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Frazier; Roy D.
Assistant Examiner: Lewis; Terrell P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: AMP Incorporated
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A connector for connecting a coaxial ribbon cable of the type
having a plurality of signal-carrying conductors and drain wires,
to contact elements of other electrical circuits, which
comprises:
a. a housing of insulating material having a plurality of cavities
extending therethrough;
b. a plurality of contact members positioned in the cavities in the
housing, each contact member having on one end contact means for
resiliently engaging contact elements of other electrical circuits
and on another end, terminal means for receiving either the
signal-carrying conductor or the drain wire; and
c. strain relief means for relieving strain on the coaxial ribbon
cable which may be terminated therein, said means including two
identical halves, each half having a surface containing a plurality
of inwardly projecting lances for engaging the coaxial ribbon
cable, some of the lances pointing in one axial direction and other
of such lances pointing in the opposite axial direction, said
halves further having thereon means for being fastened to said
housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Miniaturization, particularly in the electronic industry, created a
need to pack in a large number of signal-carrying wire into small
spaces. In order to avoid having a large number of individual wires
coming into a device such as a printed circuit board, flat
multiconductor ribbon cable was developed. Further, in order to
prevent the unintentional transfer of electrical signals; i.e.,
cross-talk, between cables and between individual conductors in a
single cable, shielding was incorporated. Such shielding may take
the form of a wrap of conducting material around the entire
multi-conductor cable; see for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,634,782. Or
each individual conductor may be encased in a sheath of conducting
material such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,663,739. Although not
insurmountable, many problems did develop in terminating the
shielded multi-conductor flat cable, particularly in terminating
the shielding material itself. These problems led one worker in the
field to invent a multi-conductor cable wherein each center
conductor is individually shielded and each shield is provided with
a drain wire which is in parallel and in contact with the
shielding. This invention is disclosed in U.S. Pat. application
Ser. No. 208,955, filed on Dec. 16, 1971, the contents thereof
being incorporated herein by reference. The individual drain wires
provided a first step toward simplified terminating of
multi-conductor cable of a coaxial nature; i.e., coaxial ribbon
cable. What remained to be done was to invent a connector which
would accomplish the simplified termination.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a connector which
consists of an insulated housing having cavities therein, each
cavity adapted to receive a contact member of the type where one
end contains an opposing cantilever spring contact section and the
opposite end contains a dual in-line, cantilever, torsion bar wire
terminating section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention, together with its construction and method of
operation, along with other objects and advantages thereof, is
illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the drawings, in
which:
FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the housing member, strain relief
clamp member and a prepared coaxial ribbon cable;
FIG. 2 shows the assembly of the components shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the contact member embodying
features of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a plan view of one contact member of FIG. 3 positioned in
one of the cavities of the housing member of FIG. 1;
FIGS. 5 and 6 are side views of two contact members, positioned in
the housing member, illustrating the method of terminating the
coaxial ribbon cable of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 7 shows another embodiment of the contact member of FIG.
3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In FIG. 1 the coaxial ribbon cable 10 which is to be terminated to
the connector constructed in accordance with the present invention
consists of signal-carrying center conductors 12, drain wires 14
and suitable insulating material. This particular type coaxial
ribbon cable is described in the aforementioned application Ser.
No. 208,955. Directly in front of cable 10 is housing member 16
which is molded from an insulating material such as glass-filled
nylon. The external features of housing member 16 include the
housing body 18 bounded on either side by rails 20 which, at one
end, expand outwardly into mounting flanges 22. Each flange 22 has
one forward lug 24, two rearward lugs 26 and a slot 28 all of which
constitute in cooperation means for retaining cable strain relief
clamps 40.
Internally housing body 18 contains two rows of cavities 30, one
row above the other, with each cavity extending through the body.
The internal structure of the cavities is described below. The
external expressions of the cavities are contact element entrances
32, seen on the front face 34 of body 18, and the contact openings
36, the top row of which is seen running across the rear portion 38
of body 18. Each cavity is isolated physically and electrically
from its horizontal and vertical neighbors. The contact openings 36
begin at the back edge 39 of the horizontal surface of body 18 (see
FIG. 5).
The two halves a and b of the cable strain relief clamp 40 are
shown, one above and the other below housing member 16. Each half
contains a surface 42 in which a number of inwardly directed lances
44 are coined. These lances, pointing alternatively forwardly and
rearwardly, bite into the outer insulation of cable 10 to provide
the mechanical strain relief. Forwardly and displaced above surface
42 is lip 46 which covers a row of the contact openings 36 of the
housing member when assembled.
On either side of surface 42 is an ear 48 which fit inbetween lugs
24-26, on flanges 22. Each ear contains a bore 50 for receiving a
bolt 52. As the halves are interchangable, only one bore is
threaded.
The rear portion 54 of surface 42 is upturned to provide stiffness
for the thin metal stock from which the clamp is made. The piece of
metal connecting lip 46 to surface 42 also provides stiffness to
the clamp.
FIG. 2 shows the assembled connector 56.
Each of the aforementioned cavities 30 receive a contact member 60
which is illustrated in FIG. 3 and to which reference is now
made.
Contact member 60 is formed from an integral piece of sheet metal,
preferably beryllium copper, and plated with gold or other suitable
plating metals. Structurally the contact member may be divided into
a base 62, an opposing cantilever contact spring section 64 and a
terminating section 66, the former located near the front end 68 of
the base and the latter positioned at the back end 70.
The front end 68 of the base 62 contains a laterally projecting
sharp tip 72. Another similar tip 73 is provided on the same side
of the base in the vicinity of terminating section 66.
Opposing cantilever contact spring section 64 include two arms
74-76 which slidingly engages a square post (not shown) such as are
used to connect devices to printed circuit boards or other contact
elements of other electrical circuits. The two arms are positioned
on one side of base 62 with arm 76 directly overlying arm 74. Arm
76 is supported by a strap 78 which extends upwardly from the side
of base 62 and a horizontal platform 79 which extends parallel to
the base.
Each arm is bent to converge toward the other to provide in
cooperation resilient engaging means with the aforementioned
contact elements. The free ends of each arm diverge outwardly to
facilitate post insertion.
Terminating section 66 includes two cantilever torsion bar L-shaped
slotted terminals 80-82, the latter being immediately adjacent the
back end 70 of contact member 60 and the former spaced forwardly
thereof a preferred distance of about five times the thickness of
the metal sheet. In the making of the contact member, terminal 80
is formed coplanar and parallel to terminal 82 and is then bent and
wrapped over the top of base 62. The frist L-shaped terminal 80 is
the primary contact terminal. The second L-shaped terminal 82
provides the strain relief for the wire being terminated therein
and also is a secondary contact terminal. Each terminal consists of
a horizontal part which parallels base 62 and a vertical part which
extends upwardly from the horizontal part. The horizontal part is
adapted to receive any twisting or torsional forces which may be
applied to the contact member via cable 10. The vertical part is
adapted to receive any vertical movement imparted thereto by the
cable. The slots in each terminal begin in the top of the vertical
part, such beginnings being beveled to facilitate wire receiving.
As is well known in the art, such slots are dimensioned to the
conductor or drain wire so that optimum electrical contact is
achieved thereinbetween,
Returning to housing body 18 and more particularly to the cavities
30 which extend through the body, reference is now made to FIG. 4,
a plan view of a cavity and FIG. 5, a cross-sectional view of the
body taken along lines 5--5 of FIG. 1.
The cavities in the lower row, hereinafter designated as cavities
30 l, are the mirror image of the cavities in the upper row, which
cavities will be referred to as cavities 30 u.
Cavities 30 are designed to receive therein contact members 60 with
the minimum amount of free space. Thus, since contact member 60 is
not symetrical, the cavities are not symetrical. As FIG. 4 shows,
entrances 32 have a inwardly beveled or funnel-shaped opening to
facilitate the insertion of the square posts or other contact
elements. As FIG. 5 shows, immediately past the opening, the height
of the cavity increases as evidenced by rearwardly facing shoulders
86, one adjacent the cavity floor 88 and the other adjacent the
cavity roof 90. The increased vertical dimension remains unchanged
from shoulders 86 rearwardly.
The left side wall 92 of the cavities contains an undercut 94
adjacent to floor 88 to accommodate the base 62 of contact member
60. This undercut, only slightly larger than the thickness of the
base, extends from the cavity entrance rearwardly to about the
beginning of the contact opening 36.
The forward part of the cavity is wide enough to receive the
contact spring section 66 which is on the right side of contact
member 60.
The middle part of the cavity widens to receive the horizontal
platform 79.
The rear part of the cavity, which is contact opening 36, is the
widest part and accommodates the dual in-line terminals 80-82.
As FIG. 4 shows, the left side wall 92 is the wall which is
progressively cut back to widen the cavities. As noted above, the
lower cavities are the mirror image of the upper cavities. Thus,
with the nonsymetrical widening described above, while the
entrances of the two rows of cavities are aligned, one below the
other, the contact openings 36 of one row is displaced laterally
from the other row. This displacement is equal to the distance
between center conductor 12 and drain wire 14 of ribbon coaxial
cable 10.
The right side wall 96 remains unchanged from entrance 32 to the
end of contact opening 36.
Contact openings 36 are opened on the top to permit the insertion
of a multi-anvil tool (FIG. 5) and to the rear so that the contact
member 60 can be slid into the cavity during assembly.
In assembly the preferred embodiment, first, each of the cavities
30 is loaded with a contact member 60, those in cavities 30 u
facing in an opposite direction than those in cavities 30 l. As
FIG. 4 shows, any rearward pull on the contact members cause the
tips 72-73 to dig into wall 96 and thusly the members are retained
in the cavity. The shoulder 86 adjacent floor 88 provides a
predetermined positioning means for the members 60 as well as a
forward stop means.
Cable 10 is prepared by stripping the outer insulating jacket back
to expose a suitable length of center conductor 12 and drain wire
14.
The exposed lengths of center conductor 12 are placed into contact
openings 36 of cavities 30 u in alignment with terminals 80-82 and
the exposed lengths of drain wire 14 are placed into contact
openings 36 of cavities 30 l, also in alignment with terminals
80-82. Two multianvil tools 98 are brought into contact with the
conductors and wires, pressing them into the slots in the terminals
80-82 as shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, clamp halves 40 a and b are
placed inbetween lugs 24-26 with lip 46 covering the top of contact
openings 36. Upon bolting the halves together via bolts 52 the
assembly is complete as shown in FIG. 2.
FIG. 7 illustrates a contact member 60' wherein the contact spring
section 64 of contact member 60 is replaced by a contact pin
section 102. Section 102 includes a U-shaped pin 104 with the
opening 106 of the U facing to the side. Legs 108 of the U are
closed or pinched together at the free end 110 of the pin. The
vertical strap 78 and platform 79 is replaced by a supporting wall
112. In all other respects contact member 60' is the same as
contact member 60. There are a number of uses for contact member
60' including that of mating with contact member 60.
Of the several novel features of the housing and its cavities and
of the contact member in its entirety, special note of the
cantilever, torsion bar terminating section should be taken.
Through the combination of two terminals, each being flexible in
vertical-horizontal directions and in twisting motions, the contact
member over-all has a very low vertical profile which enhances its
use in miniaturization applications. Further, the novel features of
the present invention provide a means whereby coaxial ribbon cable
may now be terminated easily and with excellent electrical
characteristics.
The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of
understanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be
understood therefrom, as some modifications will be obvious to
those skilled in the art.
* * * * *