Electrical connector for terminating two flat multiconductor electrical cables

Abstract

 An electrical connector for terminating two flat multi-conductor electrical cables (100,300) one (100) of which includes signal (101) and ground (102) conductors and the other (300) of which includes only ground conductors (301), comprises a body member (1) having a rowofterminals (2) on each of two opposite surfaces, a first bus member (5) which .extends across both surfaces of the body member (1), two cover members (7 and 8) one for each surface of the body member (1), a second bus member (12) mounted on one (8) of the cover members and having a bridging portion (14) extending through the body member (1), and an auxiliary cover member (16) to cover the second bus member (12). The cover members (7, 8, 16) are used to apply conductors of the two cables (100,300) to the terminals (2) and bus members (5,12).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to an electrical connector for terminating a flat multi-conductor electrical cable, and particularly such a cable in which certain of the conductors, for example alternate conductors, serve in use as ground conductors, while the remaining conductors serve as signal conductors.

[0002] In United States Patent Specification No. 4,094,566 there is described such an electrical connector comprising a body member of electrically insulating material carrying on a surface thereof a row of electrical terminals each having a mating portion adjacent one edge of the body member surface and a conductor-connection portion in the form of a slotted plate adapted to establish an electrical connection to a conductor of a flat multi-conductor electrical cable by movement of the conductor transversely of its axis into the slot in the plate, in known manner. The connector also includes a bus member arranged on the body member surface and providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions in a row parallel to the row of slotted plate conductor-connection portions of the terminals.

[0003] For use of this known connector, an end portion of a cable to be terminated is . prepared by exposing the conductors thereof, and the conductors are then moved transversely of their axes into appropriate ones of the slotted plate portions of the terminals in the case of signal conductors and the bus member in the case of ground conductors.

[0004] Thus, the signal conductors are terminated to individual terminals of the connector while the ground conductors are commoned by the bus member.

[0005] The bus member initially has a slotted plate portion aligned with the slotted plate portion of each terminal, and also a slotted plate portion positioned between each adjacent pair of terminal slotted plate portions. Prior to conductor connection, those portion of the bus member aligned with terminals to be connected to signal conductors are bent to an inoperative position so that a signal conductor can pass over each such portion without connection thereto.

[0006] The known connector also includes a cover member adapted to be positioned over the body member surface and the terminals and bus member thereon, the inner surface of the cover member being formed with grooves to receive the conductors of the cable, and with transverse slots to receive the slotted plate portions of the terminals and bus member, whereby the conductors can be located in the grooves and the cover member then applied to the body member to urge the conductors into the slots in the associated slotted plate portions of the terminals and bus member.

[0007] The connector specifically described in the above noted United States specification has a row of terminals on each of two opposite surfaces of the body member. and a bus member which extends across both surfaces, the conductors of a cable to be terminated being separated into two groups for termination on the two surfaces of the body member respectively; each surface then being covered by an individual cover member.

[0008] Sometimes cables as mentioned above are used in conjunction with a second similar cable in which all of the conductors are to serve as ground conductors, and there is then a need to common all the conductors of this second cable at the connector and to connect then also to the ground conductors of the first cable.

[0009] According to this invention a known connector as discussed above is characterised by a second bus member arranged on the outer surface of the cover member and providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions in a row parallel to the other rows of slotted plate portions of the terminals and first bus member, the second bus member having a bridge portion which passes through the cover member, the free end of the bridge portion being formed as a slotted plate portion arranged to receive a ground conductor of a cable terminated to the terminals and first bus member.

[0010] Preferably the connector is also characterised by an auxiliary cover member adapted to be secured to the cover member carrying the second bus member, the auxiliary cover member being formed in its inner surface with grooves to receive the conductors of a second flat multi-conductor cable and transverse slots to receive the slotted plate portions of the second bus member whereby the auxiliary cover member can be used to terminate the conductors of the second cable to the slotted plate portions of the second bus member.

[0011] An electrical connector according to this invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of two of the connectors, with part broken away, arranged side-by-side and positioned over an array of terminals posts to which cables connected to the connectors are to be connected;

Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of one of the connectors of Figure 1, with part broken away;

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the connector of Figure 2 in the assembled state;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but at a different position;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the second bus member used in the connector of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is an end view of the bus member of Figure 5.

[0012] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the connector comprises a body member 1 moulded from electrically insulating plastics material and carrying on each of its two opposite major surfaces, a row of electrical terminals 2 each stamped and formed from sheet metal, and having a socket portion 3 adjacent one edge of the body member surface, and a conductor-connection portion 4 in the form of a slotted plate adapted to establish an electrical connection to a conductor of a cable by movement of the conductor transversely of its axis into the slot in the plate, in known manner.

[0013] The body member 1 also carries a first bus _member 5 stamped and formed from sheet metal and extending across both the major surfaces of the body member 1, the bus member 5 providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions 6 in two rows parallel to the two rows of slotted plate conductor-connection portions 4, of the two rows of terminals 2 respectively.

[0014] In the connector shown in Figure 2, the bus member 5 initially has a slotted plate portion 6 aligned with the slotted plate portion 4 of each terminal 2, and also a slotted plate portion 6 between each adjacent pair of terminal slotted plate portions 4. However, prior to connection of the connector to a cable, one or more of the slotted plate portions 6 of the bus bar 5 can be bent to an inoperative position (as shown for the portion 6a in Figure 2) such that a conductor of the cable for connection to the terminal aligned with that portion 6a can pass the bus bar 5 without connection thereto.

[0015] otherwise, as shown in Figure 1, the bus bar 5 can be formed with slotted plate portions 6 only at positions where they are required.

[0016] The connector also comprises two cover members 7 and 8 each moulded from electrically insulating material and adapted to be latched in position over a respective major surface of the body member 1.

[0017] As shown for the cover member 7 in Figure 2, the inner surface of each cover member 7 or 8 is formed with grooves 9 to receive the conductors of a cable, and with transverse slots 10 to receive the slotted plate portions 4 and 6 of the terminals 2 and bus member 5, respectively. The inner surface of the cover member 8 is similarly provided with grooves 9 and slots 10.

[0018] In order to-terminate a flat multi-conductor cable (100 in Figure 1) with the connector, the insulation is stripped from an end portion of the cable to expose the conductors, some of which in use constitute signal conductors 101 and are to be connected to respective terminals 2, and the others of which in use constitute ground conductors 102 and are to be connected to the bus member 5.

[0019] As shown in Figure 2, an upper (as seen in the drawing) portion 7a of the cover member 7 is hingedly connected to the remainder of the cover member by an integral hinge, the inner surface of this portion 7a being formed with a plurality of grooves 11 to receive respective ones of the conductors 101 and 102 of the cable 100.

[0020] The exposed conductors of the cable 100 are located in these grooves 11 some of which, as shown, communicate with the grooves 9 in the remainder of the cover member 7 while the portion 7a is in the position shown in Figure 2.

[0021] Those conductors associated with grooves 9 in the main part of the cover member 7 are then urged into the grooves 9 in known manner by means of a bar passed over the inner surface of the cover member 7, and the remaining conductors are then similarly inserted into the grooves 9 in the inner surface of the cover member 8.

[0022] The two cover members 7 and 8 are then applied to the body member 1, the portion 7a of the cover member 7 being returned to a position in line with the remainder of the cover member, whereby the conductors 101 and 102 are urged into the associated slotted plate portions 4 and 6 of the terminals 2 and the bus member 5, which slotted plate portions enter the slots 10 in the cover members 7 and 8.

[0023] The conductors 101 and 102 of the cable 100 are thus connected to the terminals 2 and the bus member 5 respectively, with at least one of the ground conductors 102 also being connected to a terminal 2, as shown for the left hand terminal 2 in Figure 1.

[0024] The connector can then be mated with an array of posts 200 carried by an insulating substrate 201, as shown in Figure 1.

[0025] Figure 1 also shows a second flat multi-conductor cable 300 connected to the connector, this second cable 300 being one in which all the conductors 301 in use serve as ground conductors, and as. such are to be connected to the ground conductors 102 of the cable 100 at the connector.

[0026] With reference to Figures 3 and 4 also, to this end the connector includes a second bus member 12 mounted on the outer surface of the cover member 8 and providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions 13 arranged in two parallel staggered rows which are also parallel to the rows of other slotted plate portions 4 and 6 of the connector.

[0027] The second bus member 12 also has a bridge portion 14 which passes through the cover member 8, the free end of the bridge portion 14 being formed as a slotted plate portion 15 arranged to receive one of the ground conductors 102 of the first cable 100.

[0028] The connector also includes an auxiliary cover member 16 adapted to be secured to the cover member 8 and formed on its inner surface with grooves 9 and slots 10 as formed in the cover members 7 and 8. Thus, the auxiliary cover member 16 can be used to apply the conductors 301 of the cable 300 to the slotted plate portions 13 of the second bus member 12 in the manner described above.

[0029] Figure 3 is a sectional view of the connector of Figure 2 at a position showing the bridge portion 14 of the second bus member 12 and the slotted plate portion 15 thereof connected to aground conductor 102 of the first cable 100 which ground conductor is also shown connected to the first bus member 5 and to a terminal 2.

[0030] Figure 4 is a sectional view similar to Figure 3, not showing the bridge portion 14 of the second bus member 12, but showing the first bus member 5 at a position at which one of the slotted plate portions 6a thereof has been bent to an inoperative position to allow a signal conductor 101 to pass over the first bus member 5 for connection to a terminal 2.

[0031] Figures 5 and 6 show the second bus member 12 which is formed with holes 17 which can receive pegs on the cover member 8 to secure the bus member 12 to the cover member 8 in the required position.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a body member of electrically insulating material carrying on a surface thereof a row of electrical terminals each having a mating portion adjacent one edge of the body member surface and a conductor-connection portion in the form of a slotted plate adapted to establish an electrical connection to a conductor of a flat multi-conductor electrical cable by movement of the conductor transversely of its axis into the slot in the plate; a bus member arranged on the body member surface and providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions in a row parallel to the row of slotted plate conductor-connection portions of the terminals; and a cover member adapted to be positioned over the body member surface and the terminals and bus member therein, the inner surface of the cover member being formed with grooves to receive conductors of the cable, and with transverse slots to receive the slotted plate portions of the terminals and bus member whereby the conductors can be located in the grooves and the cover member then applied to the body member to urge the conductors into the slots in the associated slotted plate portions of the terminals and bus member, characterised by a second bus member (12) arranged on the outer surface of the cover member (8) and providing a plurality of integrally formed slotted plate portions (13) in a row parallel to the other rows of slotted plate portions (4 and 6) of the terminals (2) and first bus member (5), the second bus member (12) having a bridge portion (14) which passes through the cover member (8), the free end of the bridge member (14) being formed as a slotted plate portion (15) arranged to receive a ground conductor (102) of a cable (100) terminated to the terminals (2) and first bus member (5).

2. An electrical connector as claimed in Claim 1, characterised by an auxiliary cover member (16) adapted to be secured to the cover member (8) carrying the second bus member (12), the auxiliary cover member (16) being formed on its inner surface with grooves (9) to receive the conductors (301) of a second flat multi-conductor cable (300), and transverse slots (10) to receive the slotted plate portions (13) of the second bus member (12) whereby the auxiliary cover member (16) can be used to terminate the conductors (301) of the second cable (300) to the slotted plate portions (13) of the second bus member (12).

3. An electrical connector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised by a row of terminals (2). on each of two opposite surfaces of the body member (1), the first bus member (5) extending across both surfaces, and by an individual cover member (7 or 8) for each of the two surfaces, the conductors (101, 102) of a cable (100) to be terminated being separated into two groups for termination on the two surfaces of the body member (1) respectively.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in Claim 3, characterised in that a portion (7a) of one cover member (7) is hingedly connected to the remainder of the cover member (7), the inner surface of this portion (7a) being formed with grooves (11) to receive respective ones of the conductors (101, 102) of the cable (100), the inner surface of the remainder of that cover member (7) and of the other cover member (8), being formed with grooves (9) for only those conductors (101, 102) to be terminated on the surface of the body member (1) associated with that cover member (7 or 8) .

Drawing