FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] This invention relates to an electrical conductor connected for connecting the conductors
of electrical cables to each other and more particularly to so connecting the conductors
of multi-strand ribbon tape cables.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Electrical conductor connectors of the type with which this invention is concerned
are well known. Many of the known connectors such as those disclosed in U.S. patent
No.4,552,429, European patent No.0150593 and Canadian patent No.1070403 all to AMP
Incorporated include terminal carriers which have a removable cover which is, in one
way or another, engaged with the terminal carrier to hold conductors in the connector
in engagement with the terminals of the terminal carrier. Problems that frequently
arise with conductor connectors of the above type are that the conductors, whether
single conductors or contained in ribbon tapes, may easily be torn from the terminals
in the connectors by stress applied to the conductors on the outside of the connector
with which they are engaged to cause electrical disconnection of the conductors with
the terminals and more often than not irreparable damage to the terminals themselves.
A second problem with the known conductor connectors is that the covers for holding
the conductors on the terminal carriers are components which are separate from the
carriers and so easily become misplaced and prior to location over conductors engaged
with the carrier terminals permit, in hostile environmental conditions such as in
mines and in many industrial applications, the ingress of particulate matter and other
dirt on to or into the terminal carriers with the possible consequence that the covers
may be improperly located and in time become dislodged from the terminal carriers
and further that the dirt may interfere with the proper electrical connection of the
conductors with the terminals on those connectors in which the covers press the conductors
into electrical engagement with the terminals on the terminal carriers.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION
[0003] It is the object of this invention to provide an electrical conductor connector which
will at least minimize the problems discussed above with known conductor connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] An electrical conductor cable connector according to the invention includes a housing,
made from an electrical insulating material, having side walls which between them
define an enclosure, a floor which extends between the side walls to define an open
topped compartment in the housing on one side of the floor, a plurality of suitably
spaced conductor engaging elements in and extending from the floor into the compartment
with each element including a formation in the floor of the housing for electrically
connecting an electrical conductor in a cable in the floor to the conductor engaging
element, a press member which is made from an electrical insulating material, for
pressing a conductor ribbon tape cable into the compartment, and the conductors which
are carried by the tape, into electrical engagement with the conductor engaging elements,
means for clamping the ribbon tape in the compartment between the conductor engaging
elements and the/or each tape exit from the housing and a catch arrangement for locking
the press member in the compartment to hold the tape clamped in the housing. In one
form of electrical conductor cable connector according to the invention each conductor
engaging element includes a first blade which extends perpendicularly from the housing
floor into the compartment with the connecting formation on each conductor element
being a second oppositely directed blade which is located in the floor with each blade
of each conductor engaging element including a cutting edge for cutting the ribbon
tape insulation on a conductor when pressed onto the blade and a slot for electrically
engaging a conductor in the insulation when cut by the blade with the press member
including slots for receiving the blades which project from the housing floor when
the ribbon tape is pressed by the press member into the compartment over the blades.
[0005] In accordance with further optional features the housing floor includes, on its side
opposite to that in the compartment, a recess defining a second compartment into which
the second blades of the conductor engaging elements project with the connector including
a second press member, having blade slots, for pressing a second conductor ribbon
tape into the second compartment and the tape conductors, through the cut tape insulation,
into electrical engagement with the blade slots and a catch arrangement for locking
the second press member in the second compartment.
[0006] Conveniently the second compartment may include clamping means for clamping the ribbon
tape in the floor in a position between the conductor element blades in the second
compartment and the/or each tape exit from the compartment.
[0007] The ribbon tape clamping means may be mating tape direction changing formations between
the housing in the/or each compartment and the/or each press member between which
the/or each ribbon tape is clamped in use.
[0008] Conveniently also the catch arrangement for holding the/or each press member in the/or
each compartment may be a resiliently deformable male formation on a surface of one
of the components and a recess in an adjacent surface of the other into which the
male formation is pressed to lock the components together when the/or each press member
is fully pressed into the/or each compartment.
[0009] In one specific form the housing includes a ribbon tape entry slot which extends
through the wall of at least the first compartment above the conductor engaging elements
and the cable connector includes in the/or each compartment, a first catch arrangement
for holding the press member in a compartment clear of the tape entry slot and a second
catch arrangement for holding the press member in pressure contact with the tape when
pressed into clamping contact with the tape.
[0010] Advantageously, the/or each housing compartment may be filled with a flowable liquid
sealant.
[0011] In many electrical circuit applications in which the cable connector will find application
it will be convenient to open circuit a conductor in the connector and the housing
may, for this purpose, include a cutting blade which extends from the floor or press
member into the/or each compartment for cutting and so open circuiting a pre-selected
cable conductor when pressed by the press member into the compartment with a conductor
engaging element on at least one side of the cutting blade in the path of the cut
conductor through the housing for electrically engaging the conductor on one side
of the blade. The base of the press member and the floor in the/or each compartment
which carries a cutting blade may include mating formations in the cut conductor path
through the housing on one side of the cutting blade for deforming the cut conductor
to withdraw it out of electrical contact with the cutting blade.
[0012] One way of carrying out the present invention will now be described in detail by
way of example with reference to drawings which show one specific embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical conductor cable connector of the invention
shown connecting two ribbon tape cables at right angles to each other;
FIG. 2 is a sectioned side elevation of the connector housing shown sectioned on the
line 2-2 in Figure 3;
FIG. 3 is a plan view of the Figure 2 housing shown sectioned on the line 3-3 in Figure
2;
FIG. 4 is a partially ghosted perspective view of a single conductor connecting element
of the connector shown connected to two insulated electrical conductors;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation of the upper portion of one of the conductor
connecting element blades of Figure 4;
FIG. 6 is a sectioned side elevation of one of the press members for use with the
housing of Figures 2 and 3;
FIG. 7 is an end elevation of the press member of Figure 6;
FIG. 8 is a side elevation of a second press member for use with the Figure 2 and
3 housing;
FIG. 9 is a sectioned end elevation of the cable connector in use;
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectioned side elevation illustrating the first stage of
engagement of the Figure 6 press member with the Figure 2 housing;
FIG. 11 is a schematic electrical diagram illustrating the function of the cable connector;
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary sectioned end elevation of a cable cutting blade arrangement
in the connector housing;
FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a modified conductor connecting element of the connector;
and
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the Figure 13 connecting element
shown located in the floor of the connector housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
[0014] The cable connector 10 of the invention is shown in Figure 1 to be connecting two
multi-conductor ribbon tape cables 12 and 14 at right angles to each other.
[0015] The housing of the connector 10 of Figure 1 is shown in Figures 2 and 3 to include
side walls 16 and 18, opposite end walls 20 with a compartment 22 defined between
the four walls and a floor portion indicated generally at 24. The floor portion of
the housing is recessed to provide a second embodiment 26 which is located below and
separated from the first compartment by a floor 28.
[0016] The walls 18 and 20 of the housing compartment 22 are slotted to provide an entry
slot 30 for the ribbon tape 12.
[0017] A plurality of conductor engaging elements 32, which are more clearly seen in Figure
4 each include two oppositely directed blades 34 which are joined at right angles
to each other by a connector strip. The connector elements 32 are punched from a common
strip of electrically conductive sheet metal such as a suitable copper or brass alloy.
As is more clearly seen in Figure 5, the upper edge of each of the blades 34 includes
spaced points for piercing the insulation of a ribbon tape on either side of one of
the conductors of the tape, a V-shaped formation for guiding the conductor into a
slot 36 while at the same time slicing through the insulation on either side of the
conductor. The width of the slot 36 is very slightly narrower than the diameter of
the conductor so that the conductor in the cut insulation is in firm physical engagement
with the blade 34 when fully pressed into the slot 36. The edges of the cable locating
V could include small ripper teeth 38 to facilitate cutting of the ribbon tape insulation
as a conductor is pressed into the slot 36 of the blades 34.
[0018] The central portion of the conductor engaging elements 32 including the connector
strip between the blades is embedded in the material of the floor 28 with only the
slotted portion of the blades 34 projecting from above and below the floor into the
compartments 22 and 26 as shown in Figure 2.
[0019] The conductor engaging elements 32, in the compartment 22, are each located across
a groove in the floor which extends, up and over a rounded formation 40 in the end
walls 20 to the slot 30. The grooves serve as locators for the conductor carrying
portions of the ribbon tapes which are to be used with the connector. The floor of
the compartment 26 is similarly grooved with the grooves running down and over a formation
42 which forms a side wall of the compartment to a tape outlet from the compartment.
[0020] Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a press member 44 for use in pressing the ribbon tape
12 into the compartment 22 and into engagement with the conductor engaging elements
32 in the compartment. The press member is shown in the drawings to include side walls
46 and 48, opposite end walls 50 which are joined by a central rib 52 and a base portion
54.
[0021] The base 54 of the press member 44 is solid material and carries on its underside
and its side walls grooves which, when the press member is located in the compartment
22 of the connector housing are in register with the locating grooves on the floor
of the compartment and the formations 40 and slots 56 which are in register with the
conductor engaging elements 32 on the floor of the compartment 22 and in which the
blades of the elements are fully located when the press member is fully pressed into
the compartment to clamp the ribbon tape 12 in the compartment. The side walls 46
and 48 of the press member are separated from the walls 50 by slots 58 which, together
with the resilience of the plastics material from which the press member is made,
enable the walls to be flexed inwardly towards the vertical edges of the walls 50
when the walls are pressed inwardly in the direction of the arrows in Figure 6. Catch
formations 60 and 62 are positioned on the outer surfaces of the side walls 46 and
48 as shown in Figure 7. The inner surfaces of the side walls 16 and 18 of the connector
housing are recessed at 64, as shown in Figure 2, to receive the catches 60 and 62
of the press member.
[0022] Figure 8 shows a second press member 66 for location in the compartment 26 of the
floor portion 24 of the Figure 2 housing. As is the case with the press member 44
of Figure 6 conductor locating grooves extend over the upper surface of the press
member 66 and over onto its left hand vertical edge in Figure 8 and slots for receiving
the blades 34 of the conductor engaging elements 32 in the compartment 26. The grooves
in the press member are located to be in register with grooves on the underside of
the floor 28 and the inner surface of the formation 42 in the compartment 26. The
compartment 26 grooves, as with those on the upper surface of the floor, are in register
with the slots in the blades 34 of the conductor engaging elements in the compartment.
The end walls of the press member 66 include outwardly projecting catch formations
68 which, when the press member is fully pressed into the compartment 26 engage in
slots 70 in the end walls of the compartment 26 to lock the press member in the compartment.
This press member, as is the case with that of Figures 6 and 7, includes on one end
wall two vertical grooves 72 and on the opposite end wall a single centrally located
groove, not shown. The purpose of the grooves on the two press members is to ensure
that the press members and the slots 56 in them for receiving the conductor engaging
blades 34 are correctly oriented by keying with inwardly projecting ribs 74 on the
inner surfaces of the end walls of the compartments 22 and 26.
[0023] In use, the compartments 22 and 26 of the connector 10 are at least partially filled
with a water resistant highly viscous grease. The ribbon tape 14 is located in the
compartment 26 with its free end up against the wall on the right hand side of the
compartment. The width of the compartment 26 conveniently corresponds to that of the
ribbon tape 14 so that the raised conductor carrying portions of the ribbon tape insulation
are located over the grooves and conductor engaging element blades 32 in the compartment.
Alternatively, the compartment could be wider than the tape 14 but would then include
one or more stops on the underside of the floor 28 accurately to locate the tape 14.
The press member 66 is now located over the mouth of the recess 26 with the grooves
72 engaged with the locating ribs 74 on the inner surfaces of the end walls of the
compartment. The press member is now pressed, conveniently by a suitable tool, into
the compartment to press the ribbon tape 14 down over the blades 34 which cut through
the insulation on the sides of the conductors in the tape and press the conductors
into the slots 36 in the blades. The catch formations 68 on the end walls of the press
member are pressed, by resilient deformation of the catch formations and/or deformation
of the walls 20 over the inner surfaces of the recess end walls until they clip into
the slots 70 with the upper surface of the press member bearing on the ribbon tape
14. The raised conductor insulation of the tape 14 is now firmly located in the grooves
in the compartment floor and in the press member. The formation 42 is dimensioned
to be almost a friction fit with the left hand vertical side wall of the press member
so that the ribbon tape is firmly pressure clamped in the compartment between the
vertical side of the press member and the formation 42 to lock the ribbon tape in
the compartment against any stress applied to the ribbon tape on the outside of the
cable connector 10.
[0024] With the ribbon tape 14 now located in the compartment 26 and its conductors in electrical
contact with the conductor engaging element blades 34 in that compartment the press
member 44 is pressed into the recess 22 of the housing until its catches 60, again
by resilient deformation of the material of the press member, engage in the recesses
64 in the walls 16 and 18 of the housing. With the catches 60 so engaged in the recesses
the underside of the base 54 of the press member is situated above the upper edge
of the slot 30 in the housing walls as shown in Figure 10.
[0025] At its place of use the ribbon tape 12, to which one or more of the connectors 10
are to be connected, is slid sideways into the slot 30 until its leading edge abuts
the end of the slot 30 in the compartment 22. The entrance to the compartment could,
as shown in Figure 2, include a flared mouth which terminates in a very slightly raised
projection 76 over which the ribbon tape 12 is frictionally moved into the slot 32
and which, once in the slot, engages the outer edge of the tape 12 accurately to locate
the tape in the slot 30 with its raised conductor insulation over the grooves in the
floor of the compartment and on the underside of the base 54 of the press member.
As has been mentioned previously, the grooves 72 in the press member which are keyed
with the ribs 74 on the end walls 20 of the compartment ensure that the slots 56 in
the base of the press member are located directly over the blades of the conductor
engaging elements 32 in the compartment. The press member 44 is now pressed downwardly
into the compartment 22 with the side walls 46 and 48 hinging inwardly to permit the
catches 62 to engage in the recesses 64 in the side walls of the housing to lock the
press member in the housing in pressure contact with the ribbon tape 12. The ribbon
tape conductors, as described with reference to the compartment 26, are now firmly
located in the slots 36 of the blades 34 in the compartment 22. As will be seen from
Figures 7 and 9 the side walls of the base 54 of the press member are rounded complementally
to the formations 40 in the compartment 22. The side walls of the press member base
are dimensioned, as is the case with the formation 42 of the compartment 26, to clamp
the ribbon tape firmly between the press member and the vertical portions of the formations
40 against movement in the compartment by stress imposed on the ribbon tape 12 on
the outside of the connector. This is illustrated in Figure 9 which more clearly illustrates
the direction changing clamping formations on both the housing and press member 44.
[0026] To release the cable connector 10 from the ribbon tape 12 the side walls of the press
member 44 are pressed inwardly in the direction of the arrows in Figure 6 to clear
the catches 62 of the recesses 64 in the walls 16 and 18 of the housing and, when
cleared, the press member is merely lifted in the compartment 22 until the catches
60 abut the upper edges of the recesses 64. The ribbon tape 12 may then merely be
tensioned to lift it from the conductor engaging element blades 34 and, when straightened,
is merely slid from the slot 30 in the connector housing.
[0027] In some applications, it may be desirable to open circuit one of the ribbon tape
conductors in the connector as illustrated in Figure 11. To achieve this, as shown
in Figures 2, 3 and 12, a blade 78 is embedded in the floor 28 of the housing to project
into one of the compartments, in this case compartment 22, with its sharpened upper
edge projecting into the compartment. The press member 44 includes a recess for receiving
the sharpened edge of the blade in use as illustrated in Figure 12. The blade 78 is
located in the conductor path between two blades 34 of linearly spaced conductor engaging
elements 32 with a raised formation 80 on the floor 28 extending across the conductor
insulation groove between the blade 78 and one of the blades 34. The underside of
the press member 44 includes a complementally shaped female formation 82, as shown
in Figures 2 and 6, in which the formation 80 is located in use. As the press member
44 now presses the ribbon tape 12 down onto the floor of the compartment 22 the blade
78 severs the conductor in whose path it lies with the conductor being deformed and
so shortened by the formations 80 and 82 out of electrical contact with the blade
78 to ensure a clean open circuit 84 as shown in Figure 11. The open conductor on
either side of the break is now connected, through the blades 34 on either side of
the cutting blade 78, to conductors on the ribbon tape 14. It will be noticed from
Figure 11 that the ribbon tape 14 in this drawing includes five conductors whereas
the connector, as shown in the remaining drawings, has provision only for four. This
is not amiss as a connector of the invention could be designed for any reasonable
width of ribbon tape having however many electrical conductors are required for a
specific application.
[0028] The invention is not limited to the precise details as herein described. For example
as an alternative to the conductor engaging elements 32 being moulded into the floor
28 of the housing, the floor could include, as shown in Figure 14, an L-shaped recess
into which the elements 32 are pressed on completion of the plastics moulding process.
One of the legs of the L extends through the floor 28 and is shaped as shown in the
drawing to include a step 86. The portion of the recess defining the outer leg of
the L extends from the underside of the floor to terminate at 88 below the upper surface
of the floor. The press in conductor engaging elements 32 in this application are
modified from that of Figure 4 in that they include a locking tang 90 which extends
downwardly and inwardly from the base of one of the blades 34, as shown in Figure
13, and a dimple 92 on the remaining blade 34. With the conductor engaging element
32 held as shown in Figure 13 they are pressed into the L-shaped recesses in the underside
of the housing floor 28 until the upper blade 34 projects from the upper surface of
the floor 28 and the lower edge of the locking tang engages over the recess step 86,
as shown in Figure 14, to lock the element 32 in the recess. The dimple 92 serves
firmly to locate the other blade 34 in its recess against flexing in the recess.
[0029] Additionally, the conductor cutting blade 78 described with reference to Figures
11 and 12 could be fixed to the press member 44 in place of the floor 28 with the
blade receiving recess located in the upper surface of the floor 28.
1. An electrical conductor cable connector characterized in that it includes a housing
(10) made from an electrical insulating material, having side walls (16, 18 and 20)
which between them define an enclosure, a floor (24) which extends between the side
walls (16, 18 and 20) to define an open topped component (22) in the housing (10)
on one side of the floor (24), a plurality of suitably spaced conductor engaging elements
(32) in and extending from the floor (24) into the compartment (22) with each element
(32) including a formation (34) in the floor (24) of the housing (10) for electrically
connecting an electrical conductor in a cable (14) in the floor (24) to the conductor
engaging element (32), a press member (44) which is made from an electrical insulating
material, for pressing a conductor ribbon tape cable (12) into the compartment (22)
and the conductors which are carried by the tape (12) into electrical engagement with
the conductor engaging elements (32), means (40) for clamping the ribbon tape (12)
in the compartment (22) between the conductor engaging elements (32) and the/or each
tape exit from the housing (10) and a catch arrangement (52) for locking the press
member (44) in the compartment (22) to hold the tape (12) clamped in the housing (10).
2. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in claim 1 characterized in
that each conductor engaging element (32) includes a first blade (34) which extends
perpendicularly from the housing floor (24) into the compartment (22) with the connecting
formation on each conductor element (32) being a second oppositely directed blade
(34) which is located in the floor (24) with each blade (34) including a cutting edge
for cutting the ribbon tape (12) insulation on a conductor when pressed onto the blade
(34) and a slot (36) for electrically engaging a conductor in the insulation when
cut by the blade (34) with the press member (44) including slots (56) for receiving
the blades (34) which project from the housing floor (24) when the ribbon tape (12)
is pressed by the press member (44) into the compartment (22) over the blades (34).
3. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in claim 2 characterized in
that the housing floor (28) includes, on its face opposite to that in the compartment
(22), a recess defining a second compartment (26) into which the second blades (34)
of the conductor engaging elements (32) project with the connector including a second
press member (66), having blade slots, for pressing a second conductor ribbon tape
(14) into the second compartment (26) and the tape conductors, through the cut tape
insulation, into electrical engagement with the blade slots (36) and a catch arrangement
(68, 70) for locking the second press member (66) in the second compartment (26).
4. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in claim 3 characterized in
that the housing floor (28) includes slots in which the conductor engaging elements
(32) are located with each slot including in its length through the floor a catch
formation (86) and each conductor engaging element a tang (90) which is located on
one of its blades (34) for engaging the catch formation in the slot to lock the element
(32) in the slot with its blades (34) projecting from opposite faces of the housing
floor (28).
5. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in claim 4 characterized in
that it includes clamping means (42) between the housing in the second compartment
(26) and the second press member (66) for clamping the ribbon tape (14) in the floor
(24) between the conductor element (32) blades (34) in the second compartment (26)
and the/or each tape exit from the compartment.
6. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in any one of the above claims
characterized in that the ribbon tape (12, 14) clamping means are tape direction changing
formations (40, 42) between the housing (10) in the/or each compartment (22, 26) and
the/or each press member (44, 66) between which the/or each ribbon tape (12, 14) is
clamped in use.
7. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in any one of the above claims
characterized in that the catch arrangement (66, 64 and 68, 70) for holding the/or
each press member (44, 66) in the/or each compartment (22, 26) is a resiliently deformable
male formation (62, 68) on one of the components (44, 66) and a recess (64, 70) in
the other into which the male formation (62, 68) is pressed to lock the components
(44, 10, 66) together.
8. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in any one of the above claims
characterized in that the housing (10) includes a ribbon tape entry slot (30) which
extends from one side (18) of the housing through the walls (20) of the compartment
(22) above the conductor engaging elements (32), and the cable connector (10), in
the compartment (22), includes a second catch arrangement (60) for holding the press
member (44) in the compartment (22) for movement between a first position in which
it is clear of the tape entry slot (30) and a second position in which the press member
(44) is locked by the first catch arrangement (62) in the compartment in clamping
contact with the tape (12) on the housing floor (24, 28).
9. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in any one of the above claims
characterized in that the/or each housing compartment (22, 26) is filled with a flowable
liquid sealant.
10. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in any one of the above claims
characterized in that it includes a cutting blade (78) which extends from the floor
(28) into the/or each compartment (22, 26) for cutting and so open circuiting a pre-selected
cable conductor when pressed by the press member (44, 66) into the compartment (22,
26) with a conductor engaging element (32) on at least one side of the cutting blade
(78) in the path of the cut conductor through the housing (10) for electrically engaging
the conductor on one side of the blade (34).
11. An electrical conductor cable connector as claimed in claim 10 characterized in
that the base of the press member (44, 66) and the floor (28) in the/or each compartment
(22, 26) which carries a cutting blade (78) include mating formations (80, 82) in
the cut conductor path through the housing (10) on one side of the cutting blade (78)
for deforming the cut conductor to shorten it out of electrical contact with the cutting
blade (78) in use.