Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
337
1 TERMINATION OF FLAT FLEXIBLE CABLES
Back~round of ~he Invention
l. Fiel of_th_ Invention
The invention relates to terminating
one or more flat flexible cables and, more
particularly, to methods and apparatus for terminating
one or more flat flexible cables along a substanti.ally ~-
flat surface, such as a floor, which terminating may
take place prior to the layi.ng of carpeting over both
the floor and the terminated, flat flexible cable or
cables.
2. Descrl~tlon of the Prlor Art
Flat flexible cable structures are
known. A typical, flat flexi.ble cable includes a
number of spaced, substantially parallel-extendi.ng
conductors whi.ch run along the length of a flat,
longitudinally extending, dielectric member, and which
form, with the dielectric member, an elongated, ::
flexible article.
It is known also to employ flat
flexible cables in various telephone wiring systems
within buildings. One or more such cables may be -~
extended along a floor surface to an area at which .:~
telephone equipment is to be connected, with a suitable
floor covering, typically carpeti.ng~ thereafter being
laid over the cable in order to hide it from view.
Descriptions of such flat flexible cable usage, and of
certain associated devices such as connectors,
30 housings, etc., may be found in U.S. Patents 3,934,072
and 4,030,801 to J. W. Balde and E. D. Bunnell,
respectively.
33~
1 In the flat flexible cable termlnating
system disclosed in J. W. Balde Patent 3,934,072, flat
flexible cables are laid along a floor, under a flat
peripheral flange at the bottom of a bracket, which
bracket is then attached, e.g., by an adhesive material
or by fasteners, to the floor. The flat flexible
cables extend up through a central opening within the
bracket, and into a central connection zone between two
spaced, parallel-extending, raised flanges on the
10 bracket. The two raised flanges are adapted to receive
opposite ends of up to five female telephone connectors
bridging the space between the raised flanges, each
connector serving to teeminate a different, associated
one of the flat flexible cables along multiple pairs of
conductors, e.g., up to twenty-five pairs of
conductorsj in the associated, flat flexible cable.
The flat flexible cable terminating
system of E. D. Bunnell Patent 4,030,801 employs a
flat-bottomed base plate, which is attached to a floor
20 by fasteners. Two parallel-extending sidewalls stretch ;~
upwardly from the base plate and include
lateraIly-projecting ears for receiving opposite ends
of two connectors~ Each of the connectors is -~
associated with a different one of two multiple
conductor, flat flexible cables which extend parallel
to the sidewalls and toward the laterally-projecting
ears from opposite ends of the base plate. The base
plate, which is adapted to receive only the two
multiple conductor, flat flexible cables, is covered,
30 after the termination of the cables and the laying of a
carpet over the cables, by a screw-attached housing.
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337'
.` .
In both J. W. Balde Patent 3,934,072 and E. D.
Bunnell Patent 4,030,801, the termination of cables for
large numbers of telephone lines is envisioned, requiring
the use of large connectors for receiving multiple pairs
of conductors, e.g~, up to twenty~five pairs of conductors,
in each 1at flexible cable which is to be terminated.
Clearly, it would be desirable to provide relatively
simple and ine~pensive equi.pments and techniques for
terminating flat flexible cables where only a few pairs of -
conductors, e.g., only two pairs of conductors, are
included in each cable..
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with one aspect of the invention .~
there is provided a method of terminating a pair of flat ~ .
flexible cables along a substantially flat surface,
comprising the steps of: (a) terminating one of the flat ~
flexible cables in first electrically conductive, : ~.
receiving means mounted in a housi:ng composed of a
dielectric materlal; (b) terminating the other flat :~
~flexible cable in second electrically conductive, .
receiving means mounted in said housing in electrical
isolation from the first electrically conductive, :
receiving means; and then (c) inserting said housing into
receiving and retaining means integral with a plate
mounted on said substantially flat surfaceO ;~
A third and a fourth flexible cable may be
similarly, terminated in an additional housing, and the
additional housing may then be inserted into additional
receiving and retaining means integral with the plate.
In accordance with anothe.r aspect of the invention
there is provided apparatus for terminating, along a
,
33~7
substantially flat surface, a flat flexible cable which
includes at least one insulated conductor, the apparatus
comprising- a plate having a substantially flat, first
face suitable for attachment to the substantially flat
surface, said plate including a second face with upstanding
wall means located along an edge of said second face; a
connector including electrically conductive means for
receiving the flat flexible cable and piercing through the
insulation thereon so as to make electrical contact with
the at least one conductor; and means, defining a recess
in said upstanding wall means of said plate, for receiving
and retaining said connector within said recessO
Brief_Description of the Drawing
FIG~ 1 of the drawing is an isometric view of a
floor plate constructed in accordance with the principles `
of the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, isometric view of a rear
portion of the floor plate of FIG~ 1 with a connector
retained in the floor plate;
FIGo 3 is an isometric view of the connector
depicted in FIG. 2, showing additional features o~ the
connector and also illustrating a cover which is associated
with the connector, the cover being shown removed from the
connector;
FIG~ 4 is a plan view illustrating the manner in
which two flat flexible cables may be received by the ~:~
connector of FIGS. 2 and 31 with the cover removed from
the connector;
FIG~ 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the
connector of FIGS~ 2 and 3, showing further features of
the connector; ;
'
3';'
1 FIG. 6 is an isometric view of a rear
portion of an alternative floor plate adapted to
receive and retain a plurality of connectors;
FIGS. 7 and 8 are isometric views of
rear portions of two further, alternative floor plate
structures;
FIG. 9 is an isometric view of a
temporary, protective cover which may be utilized with -
the various floor plate and connector structures
10 according to the invention; ~-
FIG. 10 is a side elevational view,
partly in section, of a connector, floor plate and ~
housing arrangement; and ;
FIG. 11 is an isometric view of a rear
portion of the housing illustrated in FIG. 10, showing
additional features of the housing.
Detailed Descr~tion
____ _ __ _ _ __ _ .
Referring initially to FIG. 1 of the
drawing, a floor plate 21 is sho~n. The floor plate 21
20 includes a substantially flat, first or bottom face 22
which may be attached, e.g~, by means of an adhesive
medium or by mechanical fasteners (not shown) to a
substan~ially flat, floor surface 23. The floor plate
21 also includes a second or upper face 24 and an
upstanding wall 26 located along an edge, e.g., a rear
edge, of the second face 24. A recess 27 for receiving
a connector 28 is located in the upstanding wall 26 of
the floor plate 21.
As may be seen in FIG5. 2-4 of the
30 drawing, the connector 28 includes a pair of opposed,
recess areas 29,29 so as to define a necked region 31
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37
1 of the connector 28, at opposite sides of which necked
region 31, the connector 28 may be retained by
insertion of the connector 28 into the recess 27 in the
upstanding wall 26 of the floor plate 21. The
connector 28 also includes, along an outwardly-facing,
end wall 32 of the connector 28, a recess 33 for
receiving a plug, e.g., a modular plug of the type
disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,761,869 to B. C. Hardesty et
al. A number of electrically conductive, contact
10 elements 34,34 are located within the recess 33 in the
end wall 32 of the connector 28, in position to be
engaged by a set of electrical conductors in the plug.
The connector 28 preferably includes
two sets of electrically conductive,
insulation-piercing contacts 36A,36A and 36B,36B (FIGS. ,r
3 and 4) along an upper surface 37 of the connector 28.
The contacts 36A,36A of the connector 28 are so
disposed as to permit the termination of a first, four
wire, flat flexible cable 38A at the contacts 36A,36A,
20 while the contacts 36B,36B of the connector 28 are so
disposed as to permit the optional, additional,
independent termination o~ a second, four wire, flat
flexible cable 38B at the contacts 36B,36B. A body
portion 39 of the connector 28, which is composed of a
dielectric material, such as a polycarbonate material,
constitutes a housing for the two sets of contacts
36A,36A and 36B,36B, maintaining the various contacts
36A,36A and 36B,36B in electrical isolation from one
another. In another embodiment, the connector 28 might
30 include only one set of electrically conductive,
insulation-piercing contacts 36A,36A, where only a
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~ " ~
33~
1 sin~le, flat flexible cable 38A need ever be terminated
in the connector 2~.
A top cover ~1 (FIG. 3) is adapted to
be placed over the upper surface 37 of the connector 28
to aid in securing the flat flexible cable 38A or
cables 38A and 38B. The top cover 41 includes two
suitable sets of apertures 42A,42A and 42B,42B for
receivi.ng the two sets of contacts 36A,36A and 36B,36B,
respectively.
Turning now also to FIG. 5 of the
drawing, two representative contacts 36A,36A have been
turned through 90 from their true ori.entation in order
to show more clearly the general confi.gurati.ons of
insulation-piercing facilities 43A,43A at the top ends
of the contacts 36A,36A. Such con:Ei.gurations may be
similar to those disclosed i.n U.S. Patent 4,~68,912 to
W. J. Hudson, Jr. et al. The contacts 36A,36P~
preferably also have insulation-piercing facilities
44A,44A at their bottom ends. These additional,
20 insulation-piercing facilities 44A,44A are adapted to
be wired, in any suitable pattern, to the electrically
conductive, contact elements 34,34(FIG. 2) in the
recess 33 in the end wall 32 oE the connector 28.
Similar sets of insulation-piercing facilities would,
of course, be present at top and bottom ends of the
other contacts 36A,36A and 36B,36B. A bottom cover 46
(FIG. 5) functions in cooperation with the bottom ends
of the contacts 36A,36A and 36B,36B in similar manner
to the functioning of the top cover 41 with respect to
30 the top ends of the contacts 36A,36A and 36B,36B.
A rear portion of an alternative floor
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~a3~
1 plate 47 i.s shown in FIG. 6. The floor plate 47 has an
upstanding wall regi.on 48 located along a rear edge of
the floor plate 47. The upstanding wall region 48
includes at least two, and preferably more than two,
recesses 49,49 for each receivi.ng and retaining a
connector, similar to the connector 28. Thus, any
desired number of parallel-extending, flat flexible
cables may be terminated at the floor plate 47,
depending upon the number of available,
10 connector-receiving recesses 49,49 in the upstanding
wall region 48.
Rear portions of two additional floor
plates 51 and 52 are shown, respectively, in FIGS. 7
and 8 of the drawing. Each of these addi.ti.onal floor
plates 51 and 52 i.ncludes a modified form of recess 53
or 54 for receiving and retai.ning a connector si.milar
to the connector 28. Thus, the recess 53, which i.s
located in an upstanding wall 56 along a rear edge of
the floor plate 51, is bounded by a number of
20 connector-retaining, serrations 57,57 along opposite
sides of the recess 53, whi.le the recess 54, which is
located in an upstanding wall 58 along a rear edge of ;.:
the floor plate 52, has a pair of bent,
connector-retaining tabs 59,59 located proximate to i.t.
Of course, either of the floor plates 51 and 52 miyht .
alternatively include two or more such recesses 53 or
54. ~
Referring next to FIG. 9 of the
drawing, a temporary, protective cover 61 is shown.
30 The cover 61 includes a major portion 62, in the form
of a box with an open bottom (not shown), for
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. .,, ;,
337 ~
1 enveloping a floor plate, such as the floor plate 21 of
FIG. 1, and one or more connectors, such as the
connector 28 of FIG. 2. The cover 61 (FIG. 9) also
includes an outwardly-extending flange 63, located
along a bottom edge of the box-shaped, ma~or portion 62
and so disposed as to stretch across one or more flat
flexible cables 64,64, which cable or cables is or are
terminated in the one or more connectors beneath the
major portion 62. The cover 61 will function, during -~
10 the laying of carpeting over the flat flexible cable or
cables 64,64 and connector or connectors, to protect
the covered structures. The flange 63, in particular,
will serve to protect each flat flexible cable 64 from
severance during cutting of the carpeting along an
outer edge 66 of the box-shaped, major portion 62 of
the cover 61, adjacent to the flange 63. The cover 61
may be attached temporarily, e.g., loosely, to the
floor plate 21 (FIG. 1) by means of a nut 67 which may
be threaded onto a post 68 extending upwardly from the
20 floor plate 21, e.g., through suitable apertures 69 and
70 (FI~. 3) in the connector 28 and its top cover 41.
After carpet-laying, the nut 67 may be removed and the
cover 61 may readily be withdrawn upwardly and
rearwardly from the slit carpet.
A permanent housing 71, for enclosing
the floor plate 21 of FIG. 1 and the connector 28 of
FIG. ~, is shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 of the drawing.
The housing 71 includes a slight recess 72 (FIG. 11)
along the bottom of a rear wall 73 of the housing 71 to
30 provide clearance for a rearwardly-extending, flat
flexible cable 74 associated with a plug 76 (FIG. 10)
_g_
.
33~
1 inserted into the recess 33 (FIG. 2) in the end wall 32
of the connector 28. A bolt or other fastener 77 tFIG.
10) may be tightened onto the post 68 (FIG. 1) of the
floor plate 21. Tightening of the fastener 77 causes
the rear wall 73 of the housing 71 to clamp the flat
flexible cable 74 onto a carpet 79 at the recess 72.
Tightening of the fastener 77 also causes a forward
wall 81 of the housing 71 and a forward portion 82 of
: the floor plate 21 to cooperate to clamp a cut portion
10 of the carpet 79 to the fixed floor plate 21.
"
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