Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
This invention relates to an electrical connector,
and particularly to an electrical connector comprising a
housing carrying a plurality of electrical terminals at
least one of which carries a tubular filter device.
Many electrical connectors now include filter
devices which serve to filter out unwanted signals or
interference on circuits passing through one or more terminals
of the connector, and a particularly useful type of filter
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device for this purpose is a tubular filter device o~ the
type described in our Canadian Patent Specification No. 925582
which issued May 1, 1973.
Such a tubular filter device can be mounted on a
-~ male electrical terminal with an inner electrode electrically
connected to the terminal, and an outer electrode
electrically connected to a ground conductor of the connector.
When a connector includes a plurality of such $ilter
devices, then the ground conductor is often a rigid metal
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plate through an individual aperture in which each of the
filter devices passes, with the outer electrode o$ each
filter device electrically connected to the ground plate,
for example by means of solder.
However, the use of solder makes assembly o~ the
connector time consuming and laborious, and also adds
considerably to the weight of the connector.
In order to overcome these difficulties it has been
proposed to replace the rigid metal plate by a thin
resilient metal foil sheet having therein apertures defined
by circumferentially spaced inwardly directed tines which
are deflected on insertion of a filter device into the
aperture, and thereafter resiliently engage the filter
device to provide the necessary electrical connection.
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However, with such a ground plate the tines can be
easily damaged on insertion and withdrawal of a filter
device, and reliable electrical connection cannot always
be guaranteed.
According to this invention there is provided an
electrical connector comprising a housing carrying a
plurality of electrical terminals at least one of which
- carries a tubular filter device, the connector including
a ground conductor in the form of a plate through an
individual aperture in which the or each of the filter
devices p'asses with an electrode of the or each filter
device electrically connected to the ground plate, in
which the ground plate comprises a rigid metal plate with
a metal foil sheet superposed on one face of the rigid
metal plate, the or each filter device passing through an
individual aperture in the rigid metal plate and an
aligned aperture in the metal foil sheet, the or each
aperture in the metal foil sheet being defined by a plurality
of circumferentially spaced inwardly directed tines which
are compressively sandwiched between the associated filter
device and the wall of the aligned aperture in the rigid
metal plate.
The connector of this invention is easy to
manufacture and assembly with the filter devices being
press fitted in apertures in the ground plate with the
tlnes of the metal foil sheet providing the required
- electrical connections and the rigid metal plate serving
to provide support for the metal foil sheet and also acting
as an anti-overstress stop preventina damage of the tines
by permanent deformation thereof.
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A connector according to this invention will now
be described by way of example with reference to the
drawings in which:-
Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the
eonnector;
Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the assembled
: eonneetor;
Figure 3 is a plan view of part of the ground plate
of the eonnector; and
Flgure 4 is a cross-sectional view through part of
the connéctor showing a filter device.
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2b.
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The connector shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprlses
a housing 1 carrying a plurality of electrical terminals 2
ln the form of posts. The exact form of the housing 1 and
the unseen ends of the terminals 2 is. of no significance
to this invention, and will not therefore be described in
detail herein.
One or more of the terminals 2 is to carry a tubular
ad; ~ nl
~2 filter device 3 as described in~. Patent Specification
JLJ q~5,~g~
; No. 37~3978, the filter device 3 being mounted on the terminal
2 by means of a contact spring 4 which is received within
the filter device 3 and over the terminal 2, and provides an
electrical connection between an inner electrode of the
: filter device 3 and the terminal 2.
The connector also includes a composlte ground plate
- 15 5 (Figures 3 and 4) formed of a rigid metal p.late 6 and a
metal foil sheet 7 superposed on one face of the rigid metal
plate 6.
The metal plate 6 has a plurality of apertures 8
therein, and the metal foil sheet 7 also has a plurality
of apertures 9 therein each aligned with an individual
aperture 8 in the metal plate 6 and defined by a plurality
of circumferentially spaced inwardly directed t~nes 10.
The composite ground plate 5 is secured to the housing
1 by bolts 11 (Figure 2) with each of the terminals 2 passing
through a pair of aligned apertures 8 and 9 in the ground .
plate 5.
As best seen in Figure 4, when a filter device 3
is mounted on a terminal 2, the filter device extends
through the ground plate 5 with the tines 10 of the metal
foil sheet 7 compressively sandwiched between the filter
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device 3 and the wall of the aperture 8 in the metal plate
6, the tines lo thus providing the required electrical
connection between the outer electrode of the filter device
3 and the ground plate 5.
The filter devices 3 are electrically isolated from
; the housing 1 by an insulating spacer plate 12, and thus
the housing 1 can be of metal.
In one particular connection as described above the
metal plate 6 was of cold rolled steel 0.002 inches in :~
thickness, and the metal foil sheet 7 was ASTM Alloy 24,
0.003 inchQs in thickness, the metal foil sheet 7 being
secured to the metal plate 6 by means of an electrically
conductive epoxy adhesive material.
: As best seen in Figure 4, the tines 10 extend
completely through and beyond the lower face of the metal
plate 6 whereby their resiliency urges them radially
inwardly to grip the outer electrode of the filter device 3.
. If a particular terminal 2 is not to carry a filter
device 3, then the tines 10 are removed from the associated
aperture 9 in ~he metal foil sheet 7 in order to prevent
grounding of that terminal 2 to the ground plate 5.
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