Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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1 FIELD OF THE INVENTION:
This invention relates to electrical connector
assemblies and pertains more particularly to con~ector
assemblies for providing connection between flat Multi-
conductor cable and an array of electrical terminals
having different pitch relationship than such flat cable.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION:
Various connection schemes are presently known
for mass-terminating flat multiconductor cable and pro-
viding transition to electrical terminals of dif~erent
pitch than the cable. Typically, such known schemes
provide for pitch transition from multiconductor cable
of standard pitch, i.e., wherein individual conductors
are spaced on .050 inch centers, to pin configurations
laid out in so-called D-connector variety, i.e., wherein
the spacing between adjacent pins is .054 inches. Transi-
tion betweerl such different pitch elements is provided
either by the use of preformed electrical transition
contacts supported in connector housings and extending
between cable and terminals or by a connector involving
contact elements having ends thereof fixedly supported
and bendable central sections accommodating the pitch
transition.
SUI~MARY OF THE INVENTION:
It is an object of the present invention to
provide pitch transition connection from flat cable to
other than D-configuration pin layout.
It is a more particular object of the invention
to provide a pitch transition connector providing for
pitch transition from the aforementioned standard flat
cable to a pin layout involving pairs of pins laterally
spaced, successive pairs being spaced by a preselected
pitch different from that of the flat cable.
It is a still further object of the invention
to provide for zero-insertion pitch transition connection
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between flat cable and termlnals o~ accessory clrcultry.
In attalnlng the fore~olng and other objects, the lnvention
provldesa pltch transitlon electrical connector assembly
for makinq zero-lnsertion force connection between flat
multiconductor cable of given pitch and an array of fixed
electrical terminals havlng a given outer dimension.
The connector assembly comprises a plurality of identlcal
electrical contact elements, each having a firlst contact
of insulation-piercing type and a second contact opposite
and axially offset from the first contact, the contact
including a socket portion defining a terminal receiving
region having an access greater than said given other
dimension of the terminals; an elongate housing adapted
for receiving the cable and for engaging the contact
elements therewith, the housing supporting the contact
elements with such first contacts thereof in laterally
spaced first and second rows, longitudinally successive ones of
the first contacts being spaced by the given pitch, the
housing supporting such second contacts in respective pairs,
the contacts of each such pair being spaced mutually in
lateral alignment, longitudinally adjacent ones of the pairs
being spaced by a predetermined pitch exceeding the given
pltch; an elongate base circumscribing such terminal array
and adapted for receiving the housing and placing the
termlnal receiving region of the second contacts individually
in circumscribing relation about the respective terminals
of the terminal array in preselected non-engaging registry
w$tb such terminals; and actuator means for effecting
relative longitudinal movement of the housing and the base
to place the terminal contacting member of the second contacts
individually in electrical engagement with the array terminals.
The foregoing and other objects and features of the
inventlon will be further understood from the following
detailed descriptlon of a preferred embodiment of the invention
and from the drawings wherein like reference numerals
identify like parts throughout.
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D~SCRIPT_ON OF THE DR~WINGS:_
Fig. 1 is a perspective and partly exploded vlew
~f a connector assembly ln accordance with the invention.
Fig. 2 is a partial plan elevation of the housing
of Fig. 1, indicating the dispositions of contact elements
in the ho~sing.
Fig. 3 is a front elevation view in section along
plane III-III of Fig. 2.
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1 Fig. 4 is a fron-t e]evation of the basc memheJ-
of the Fig. 1 assembly as seen interiorly of the front
wall thereof.
Fig. 5 i5 a bottom pla~ view of the base of the
Fig. 1 connector assembly.
Fig. 6 is a front elevation illustrative view
of the connector assembly of Fig. 1 with the actuator
member thereof in unoperated disposition.
Fig. 7 is a successor view to Fig. 6 wherein
the actuator member is shown in operated disposition.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRFFERRED EMBODIMENT:
Referring ~o Fig. 1, connector assembly 10 is
mounted on a printed circuit board 12 and includes a male
header or base 14 circumscribing header terminal pins 16
which are electrically connected to conductive strips
(not shown) on board 12. Base 14 is elongate about axis
18 and, as is shown in Figs. 4 and 5, terminals 16 are
arranged in longitudinally spaced laterally aligned pairs,
e.g., terminals 16a and 16b comprising one pair in lateral
alignment are spaced along base 14 from the terminal pair
comprising terminals 16c and 16d. Base 14 pivotally
supports at one end thereof an actuator 20, for purposes
discussed below.
Connector 10 further includes a female socket
22 having a housing 24 and a cover 26, the cover being
separable from the housing to provide for disposition of
flat multiconductor cable 28 in registration with housing
contact elements shown particularly in Figs. 2 and 3.
A grouping of such housing contact elements
30a-30h is shown in plan view in Fig. 2 and contact elements
30e and 30c are shown in front elevation in Fig. 3. All
of contact elements 30a-30h are of identical configuration,
each including a first end contact 32 of insulation-piercing
type and a second end contact 34 opposite contact 32 and
axially offset therefrom. First contacts 32 may be of
configuration shown particularly in U.S. Patent 3,964,816,
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l commonly assigned herewith and defining a slot 32a along
the axis of contact 32 for receiving the conductors of
cable 28 and electrically engaging the same durin~ insu-
lation piercing of the cable. In the illustrated embodi-
ment, contact 34 is of socket type, including fingers 34aand 34b aside the central axis of contact 34.
As is further seen from Figs. 2 and 3, the
housing contact elements are arranged in first and second
rows aside longitudinal axis 36 of housing 24. Those
contact elements which are resident in the row shown
upwardly of axis 36 in Fig. 2, i.e., contact elements
30a-30d, are in orientation or attitude such that the
insulation-piercing contact 32 is rightward of contact 34
for each contact ~lement. On the other hand, each of the
housing contact elements disposed in the lower row in
Fig. 2 are in orientation or attitude of opposite sense
or phase from that of contact elements 30a-30d. Thus, in
the case of contact elements 30e-30h, the insulation-
piercing contact of each contact element is situated
leftwardly of its contact 34. The contact elements are
further supported in housing 24 such that the spacing
longitudinally between center lines of adjacent insulation-
piercing contacts is equal to the pitch of cable 28. Thus,
the spacing along axis 36 between the center lines of the
insulation-piercing contacts of contact elements 30e and
30a, between the center lines of the insulation-piercing
contacts of contact elements 30a and 30f, etc., is e~ual
to the spacing between the center lines of adjacent con-
ductors of cable 28. This arrangement accommodates
registration of the insulation-piercing contacts of all
contact elements with cable 28. Electrical engagement
therebetween is provided by suitable tooling which forces
cover 26 into suitably latched engagement with housing 24,
whereupon the individual conductors are driven into slots
32a of contacts 32.
Since the contact elements of opposite rows
are effectively rotated into 180-degree opposite phase
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1 relationship, and since the center line spacing between
contacts 32 and 34 is identical for all contact elements,
the center lines of second contacts of laterally ~acing
contact elements are laterally in alignment. Thus, contacts
34 of contact elements 30a and 30e are aligned laterally
along lateral or transverse axis 38. Contacts 34 of con-
tact elements 30b and 30f, 30c and 30g, and 30d and 30h
are aligned laterally along transverse axes 40, 42 and 44,
respectively.
By virtue of the geometry imposed in the con-
nector as a result of the manner of support of identical
contact elements and the opposite phase arrangement thereof,
one readily provides a transition pitch multiple of two,
i.e., the spacing between longitudinally successive and
laterally aligned pairs of contacts 34 being twice that of
the spacing between longitudinally successive insulation-
piercing co~tacts 32. Otherwise stated, the pitch pro-
vided in the array of contacts 34 may be of predetermined
measure exceeding the given pitch of the flat cable.
Referring to Fig. 6, socket assembly 22 is shown
in assembled relation with base 14, terminals 16 being
aligned with the lateral axes of alignment of contacts
34 and hence being centrally disposed within contacts 34.
Terminals 16 are free at this stage of interference with
contacts 34 and the assembly of socket assembly 22 and
base 14 may be characterized as being of zero-insertion
force nature. Upon operation of actuator 20, i.e., upon
clockwise rotation of actuator handle 46 on pivot pin 48
of base 14, actuator cam 50 moves into engagement with
cover 26 and slidably displaces socket assembly 22 longi-
tudinally along base 14, the completion of such relative
movement between the socket assembly and base being shown
in Fig. 7. In such Fig. 7 disposition of the parts of
the conneator, contact finger 34a engages terminal 16 to
provide electrical connection between cable conductor 28a
and pin 52 extending outwardly of base 14 for connection
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1 to the printed circuit board conductive strip or other
like accessory circuit.
Various latching structure may be provide~ for
mechanically interlocking the components o~ the connector
assembly. Referring to Fig. 1, the interior walls of
base 14 may define slots 54 of illustrated stepped con-
figuration. Housing 24 may likewise have tabs 56 extending
outwardly thereof in registry with slots 54 to enter the
slots as the parts are assembled. Upon such longitudinal
movement of the socket assembly relative to base 14, the
tabs and slots are moved into latching registry, as
indicated in Fig. 7. Releasable assembly of cover 26 to
housing 24 may be provided by a suitable detent arrange-
ment, shown by elements 58 and 60 in Figs. 6 and 7.
Finally, actuator handle 46 may be in releasable latched
relation with slot 62 (Fig. 6~ when the actuator is in its
operated disposition shown in Fig. 7.
~ hile the invention has been shown in a partic-
ularized embodiment, various changes may be introduced
without departing from the invention, as will now be
evident. For example, the socket configuration for con-
tacts 34 and the pin configuration for terminals 16 may
be reversed such that the housing-supported contact
elements include a first contact of insulation-piercing
character and a second contact of ~in configuration oppo-
site and axially offset from the insulation-piercing
contact. Alsol it will be seen that the socket assembly
22 may have applica~ion other than to connection with a
base configured as a header and may also find application
in instances where zero-insertion force is not required.
The foregoing particularly described and disclosed embodi-
ment is accordingly intended in an illustrative and not in
a limiting sense. The true spirit and sCoPe of the inven-
tion are set forth in the following claims.
~ WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:
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