Two way cover assembly

Abstract

 A cover and strain relief assembly for use with known elongated electrical connectors to provide either a 90° or 180° cable exit from the connector is formed by three pieces including a yoke 16 that engages a mounting flange 14 of the connector 10 and a pair of mating panels 18, 20 which snap together engaging both the yoke 16 and the cable 12. The mating panels 18, 20 can be reversibly connected, with respect to the manner in which they engage the yoke 16 to yield 90° or 180° cable exiting from the connector 10. The panels 18, 20 can further be provided with adjustable cable strain relief means 22.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cover assembly for enclosing a rear portion of an electrical connector and providing a cable exit therefrom and in particular to an assembly which can provide alternate directions for a cable exiting from an electrical connector.

[0002] In the past it has been usual practice to provide a cable cover for an electrical connector which cover has a fixed exit for the cable. Thus, it is not always possible to direct the cable away from the connector in the manner desired. Some covers do have means for varying the angle of cable exiting but these usually require a rather complex assembly of parts and do not always accomplish the desired angling effect. Examples of known cable directing covers may be found in the following U.S. Patents: 3,904,265; 3,995,947; 4,108,527; and 4,169,648.

[0003] The present invention relates to a cover assembly for an electrical connector which assembly allows directing an exiting cable either 90° or 180° from the connector. The subject cover assembly includes a yoke adapted to engage, from the rear, the mounting flange of the connector and a pair of mating cover members which are selectively secured together engaging both the yoke and the cable to provide the 90° or 180° cable exiting as desired.

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cover assembly which can be readily mounted on an electrical connector without the use of any hardware.

[0005] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cover assembly which will direct an exiting cable 90° or 180° from an electrical connector of known configuration.

[0006] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a two way cable cover assembly for an electrical connector which cover assembly can be readily and economically manufactured.

[0007] Embodiments of the subject invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of the subject cover assembly and a known electrical connector;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the first embodiment of the subject cover assembly engaging the known connector to provide a 90° cable exiting;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the first embodiment of the subject cover assembled to provide 180° exiting of the cable from the connector; and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a yoke member for the subject cover assembly.

[0008] The subject cover assembly has been shown in combination with a known elongated electrical connector 10 of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 3,002,176 terminating a cable 12 in conventional manner. The connector 10 has a peripherial mounting flange 14. The subject cover assembly includes a mounting yoke 16, a first cover member 18, a second cover member 20, and a cable clamping member 22. The first embodiment of the yoke 16 is formed with a pair of spaced sidewalls 24, 26 joined by an intermediate wall 28 extending substantially normal to the planes of the sidewalls. The opposed faces of the sidewalls define first and second parallel, spaced, mounting flange receiving grooves 30, 32, respectively. Each sidewall also has, on the opposite, outwardly directed surface, an elongated mounting lug 34.

[0009] The first and second cover members 18, 20 have latching means 36, 38 for detachably securing the cover members together in known fashion. They further each have an elongated groove 40 each of which receives a respective and similarly elongated lug 34 of the yoke 16. Each cover member also includes a cable exit 42, 44 at least one of which can be profiled to receive therein a cable sizing and gripping member 22.

[0010] The subject cover assembly is mounted on a known electrical connector by first sliding the yoke 16 over the connector 10 so that edge portions of the peripherial flange 14 of the connector lie jin the respective grooves 30, 32. The wall 28 will form an abutment limiting the insertion of the connector 10 into the yoke 16 to properly position the yoke 16 with respect to the connector 10. The covers 18 and 20 are then provided with the proper sizing element 22, if used, and snapped together in either of the two configurations as shown in Figures 2 and 3 to provide the desired cable exiting. If cover 18 is on the top, as shown in Figure 1, the result will be 90° cable exiting as shown in Figure 2. If cover 20 is placed on top, using the Figure 1 orientation of the yoke 16, then the result will be 180⁰ cable exiting as shown in Figure 3.

[0011] An alternate embodiment of the yoke 46 is shown in Figure 4. This embodiment has a pair of spaced sidewalls 48, 50 joined by an intermediate wall 52, extending normal to the planes of the sidewalls, and a peripherial flange 54 extending from aligned edges of the sidewalls. The sidewalls are also provided with outwardly directed elongated mounting lugs 56. The flange 54 includes mounting apertures 58, 60 aligned with like mounting apertures in the connector.

[0012] The operation of this embodiment of the yoke 46 is similar to yoke 16. This yoke 46 would be assembled with the connector 10 by bringing the flanges 14, 54 into abutment and securing them together by known means (not shown). The covers 18, 20 would then be applied as before.

Claims

₁. A two way cover assembly for an electrical connector 10 formed by three cooperating components including a yoke member 16 having a pair of parallel spaced sidewalls 24, 26 joined along one marginal edge by an intermediate end wall 28 extending transversely to the planes of sajd sidewalls, said sidewalls 24, 26 each having connector engaging means 30, 32 along a second marginal edge and an elongated lug 34 on an outward surface of each said sidewall extending along a third marginal edge and lying at an angle with respect to said connector engaging means 30, 32 and a pair of mating panel members 18, 20 each having an inwardly directed face with an elongated lug engaging groove 40 therein, means 36, 38 to detachably secure said panels together, and a cable exit 42, 44 characterized by the ability of said panel members 18, 20 to engage said lugs 34 of said yoke 16 in a first relationship to provide a cable exit in a first direction and reversal of said panel members 18, 20 to opposite sides of said yoke 16 provides a cable exit in a second direction normal to said first direction.

2. A two way cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said connector engaging means of said yoke member comprises a groove 30, 32 in the inward surface of each sidewall 24, 26 in opposing spaced parallel relationship to receive therein a peripherial mounting flange portion 14 of said connector 10.

3. A two way cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said connector 10 engaging means of said yoke member 16 comprises:

a peripherial flange 54 integral with said sidewalls and extending normal to the planes of said sidewalls along said second marginal edge, said flange adapted to abut a like mounting flange 14 on said connector 10.

4. A two way cover assembly according to claim 1 further comprising:

cable sizing and gripping means 22 received in said cable exit of at least one of said mating panel members 18, 20. s

5. A two way cover assembly according to claim 1 wherein said means to detachably secure said panels together comprises:

latching means 36 on one said panel member positioned to engage lug means 38 on the other said panel member.

₆. In combination with an elongated electrical connector 10 having a peripherial mounting flange 14, a two way cover assembly providing cable exiting from said connector in either of two directions spaced 90° apart, said cover assembly being formed by three cooperating members including a yoke member 16 having a pair of parallel spaced walls 24, 26 joined by an intermediate end wall 28 extending normal to the planes of said sidewalls 24, 26, connector engaging means 30, 32 on each said sidewall 24, 26 engaging said mounting flange 14 of said connector 10, and a pair of oppositely outwardly directed elongated mounting lugs 34 lying parallel to each other and at an angle with respect to said connector engaging means 30, 32; and a pair of mating panel members 16, 18 each having an inwardly directed face with an elongated lug engaging groove 40 therein, means 36, 38 to detachably secure said panels together, and a cable exit 42, 44 characterized by engagement of said panel members 18, 20 on respective sides of said yoke 16 to provide a cable exit 42, 44 in a first direction and engagement of said panel members 18, 20 on opposite sides of said yoke 16 provides a cable exit 42, 44 in a second direction 90° removed from said first direction.

7. A two way cover assembly according to claim 6 wherein said connector engaging means comprises:

a groove 30, 32 in the inward surface of each sidewall in opposing spaced parallel relationship to receive therein a peripherial mounting flange 14 portion of said connector 10.

8. A two way cover assembly according to claim 6 wherein said connector engaging means comprises:

a peripherial flange 54 integral with said sidewalls and extending normal to the planes of said sidewalls along said second marginal edge, said flange 54 adapted to abut a like mounting flange 14 on said connector 10.

9. A two way cover assembly according to claim 6 further comprising:

cable sizing and gripping means 22 received in said cable exit 42, 44 of at least one of said mating panel members.

10. A two way cover assembly according to claim 6 wherein said means to detachably secure said panels together comprises:

latching means 36 on one said panel member 18 positioned to engage lug means 38 on the other said panel member 20.

Drawing