Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~N 81-009
~2~13863
DESCRIPTION
MODULAR ELECTRICAL CON~CTOR
Background of the Invention
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical connector structures which
are comprised of an assemblage of selected preexisting interfitting
modules.
D~SCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ACT
It is well ~nown that certain types of all plastic molded
connectors, and more particularly, all olastic telecommunications
typeconnectors, have front or mating ends which are configured in
accordance with international standards adopted by many countries
throughout the world. Any standardized plug connector manufactured
lS primarily for sale in one country can therefore mate with a standardized
receptacle connector of the same type and size manufactured primarily for
sale in any other country.
It is also well known, however, that very few countries have adopted
international standards specifying the configuration of the rear or
termination ends of such connectors. Although the front or mating end of
a connector meets an international specification, one country may have a
domestic standard calling for a rear or termination end haYing conductors
for terminating within holes in a printed circuit board such that the
mating face of the connector when mounted on the board is parallel to the
board surface.
~`
.
-2-
Another country may have a standard requiring a termination end be such
the mating face is at right angles to a Drinted circuit board surface.
Another country may have a domestic standard calling for the termination
of the connector by the conductors of a multiconductor flat cable. Still
5 another country may have a domestic standard specifying that each
connector contact be individually terminated by the insulation
disolacement termination of solid or stranded wire, etc.
Thus a manufacturer in any one country wishing to serve the
total wor1d market for such connectors is faced with potentially high
tooling costs because one cavity end of the production mold would have to
conform to an international standard relating to the mating portion of the
connector while the other end cavity of the mold would have to conform to
the particular domestic standard specifying the termination portion of the
connector adopted by the particular country or countries the manufacture
desired to serve.
The problem is aggravated by the fact that, typically, the end
cavity of a connector mold which configures the mating portion of a
telecommunications connector is far more intricate and costly to make than
the end cavity of the mold configuring the less intricate termination
portion of the connector.
To alleviate this problem it has been heretofore recognized that
a low cost way of meeting at least part of such worldwide market
requirements is to provide a modular electrical connector construction
which is made up of a molded olastic common housing which defines the
mating portion of the connector and which includes a generally open-ended
cavity. A plurality of molded plastic insert members are then provided in
the form of a set of contact supporting modules each defining a different
termination configuration for the connector. Each of the modules is
formed so as to interchangeably nest in and substantially fill at least
one end of the cavity in the common housing. Each of the contact
SUDporting modules in a given set supports a plurality of contact elements
having mating ends which conform to the mating portion of the housing and
termination ends which conform to the particular termination portion of
the connectors as defined by the specific contact supporting modules
within the cavity of the housing.
3~36;3~
Thus the higher cost of tooling typically required
or molding the common housing portion of a connector
meeting international mating standards can be offset to
a large extent by mass producing such housings at one or
a relatively few strategically located primary locations
within one or more countries embraced by the inter-
national market area of interest. Such housings may
then be shipped to any of a larger number of secondary
locations in a greater number of countries embraced by
the market area. At these secondary locations the lower
cost contact supporting modules meeting specialized
domestic standards of a secondary location country can
be manufactured and assembled into the common housing
for sale in that domestic market.
Such modular connector, its method of manufacture
and tooling enabling its manufacture are disclosed and
claimed in a copending patent application assigned to
the same assignee as the present invention. As dis-
closed in that patent application a single common
housing is provided along with a single set of different
snap-in contact supporting modules each one defining a
respectively different termination configuration for the
housing and each supporting a plurality of contacts.
Further, all of the contacts in any module of the set
have identical mating ends. However, the termination
ends of all of the contacts in each different module
conform to the particular termination configuration
defined by that module. Additionally, the mating face
of the common housing with a snap in contact in place is
such that it will mate with a non-modular standard
connector.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIOW
A modular electrical connector adapted for mating
with a complementary electrical connector, the modular
electrical connector comprising:
an outer housing element configured either as a
plug connector or as a receptacle connector and having a
mating face and a rear face, the mating face adapted to
-3-~
~Z03~3
mate with a mating ace of an outer housing element of
the complementary connector;
recessed cavity means provided in the rear face of
the outer housing element of the modular electrical
connector;
contact restraining means in the housing element of
the modular electrical connector and comprising a
plurality of contact receiving openings generally
extending between the mating face and the recessed
cavity means;
a contact-supporting module mounted in the recessed
cavity means, the contact-supporting module having a
forward face received in the recessed cavity means and a
rearward face; the contact-supporting module comprising
a plurality of contact receiving openings in the forward
face thereof and a plurality of contact retaining slots
adjacent the rearward face thereof, the plurality of
contact receiving openings in the forward face and and
the plurality of contact retaining slots in the rearward
face being configured to receive both a plurality of
electrical contacts therein having a male configuration
and a plurality of electrical contacts therein having a
female configuration; and
a plurality of electrical contacts having either of
the male or female configurations received in the
contact-supporting module, the contacts being of an all
male or all female configuration, each of the contacts
having a mating end extending into a respective opening
of the plurality of contact receiving openings in the
forward face of the contact-supporting module and a
termination end received in a respective slot of the
plurality of contact retaining slots in the rearward
face of the contact-supporting module;
the contact receiving module adapted to be received
in the housing element regardless of whether the housing
element is configured as a plug connector or a
receptacle connector.
The present invention takes advantage of certain
~;
-3A-
2Q3~
features of the aforesaid modular connector structure in
combination with certain improved structural features
which enable complete subsets of different connector
series to be produced in modular form. In each subset
complementary plug and receptacle type connectors are
mateable with each other as well as with complementary
nonmodular standard connectors. The individual male and
female contacts supported within selected modular plug
and receptacle connectors are field serviceable or
replaceable. The attendant increased product
versatility which is thereby afforded allows a greater
part of the international market to be served with
higher cost savings.
~f~.
.,.
~s-
~L~ o3~6~
-4
tn accordance with the present invention an entire series or
family of connectors is categorized into subsets with the basic elements
of each subset being intermateable plug and receptacle housings for a
given connector size. Molded plastic inserts, carrying male or female
contacts, are then provided in as many different conductor termination
configurations as may be desired.
More specifically, in accordance with the present invention a
modular electrical connector may be realized which constitutes one member
of a subset of a pluraltiy of different subsets making up a family of
intermateable modular electrical connectors. Each connector is distinctly
different from any of the others in the subset and each carrying
electrical contacts with each one of the connectors in the subset having
an outer housing end of either receptacle or plug configuration. Any
given ~ember of the subset having an outer housing mating end or face of
plug configuration is intermateable with any other given member of the
subset having an outer housing mating face of receptacle configur~tion and
vice versa. However, the conductor termination end of any given member of
the subset is differently configured from the conductor termination end of
any given member of the subset. The modular electrical connector so
characterized comprises: an outer housing element corresponding to either
a plug configuration or a recePtacle configuration, each complementary to
the other, said housing element having a mating face defining the front
outer face of said modular connector, said mating face having an
electrical contact access opening means therein for receiYing electrical
contacts carried by any other connector member of said subset having a
complementary mating face;
contact restrdining means supported within the housing and
having a plurality of contact receiving openings extending generally
between the mating face and the rearwdrd portion of said housing, the
rearward tranverse surface of said restraining means being displaced from
the rear surface of the housing to form a generally open-ended cavity;
li a molded plastic contact supporting module selected from a set
of contact supporting modules, each module of the set supporting a
plurality of electrical contact elements and defining a different
termination configuration for sdid module electrical connector dnd being
~Z03~3
-5--
nestable within said open-ended cavity in close juxtaposition to the
rearward transverse surface of said restraining means with each cantact
thereof being positioned in a respective restraining means contact
receiving opening and restrained from rearward motion by the rear
tranverse surface of said restraining means when the module is nested in
said cavity, and means for mounting said selected contact supporting
module in said cavity.
3RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a male connector with a
receptacle housing in accordance with the present invention.
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a female connector with a plug
housing in accordance with the present invention and adapted for mating
with the male connector shown in Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the female connector
shown in Figure 2.
Figures 4A and Figure 4B are side views of typical solid
conductor insulation displacement type contacts for use in the contact
supporting modules of male and female connectors constructed in accordance
with the present invention.
Figure 5 shows a planar cross-sectional view taken in the
direction of arrows 5-5 of Figure 2 of the female connector shown in
Figure 2.
Figure 6 is a planar cross-sectional view taken in the direction
of arrcws 6-6 of Figure 1 of the male connector shown in Figure 1.
Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view of a contact receiving cavity
in either a male or female contact supporting module with an insulation
displace~ment ter~inatable contact frictionally held therein.
Figure 8 is an exploded perspective view of a contact supporting
module in accordance with the present invention for terminating and
providing strain relief for a multiconductor flat cable.
lZQ;3 ~63
DESCRrPTION OF THE PREFERRED Ei~800~,~ENT
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, and first to
Figures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a male connector generally
designated 10 and a female connector generally designated 12 which are
intermateable with one another anb edch comprising one member of a subset
of d Dlural ity of different subsets making up a complete fdmily or series
of modular electricdl connectors.
A subset of a connector series or family, as contemplated by the
preSent invention, comprises a plurality of distinctly different
connectors having certain common mdting fedtures. A connector within any
given subset hds a mating portion (or face) of either a plug or a
receptacle configuration with either configuration being complementary to
the other and therefore intermatdble with the other. Al`l connectors in
any given subset also have the same number of contacts with complementary
male and female mdting ends, and with all contacts being positioned such
thdt comDlementary male or female contacts held within comple~entary plug
and receptacle connectors will mate upon the intermating of the
connector. As will be seen any member of a given subset, in accordance
with the present invention, can be provided with different conductor
termination configurations for use with printed circut boards, flat
cables, solid or strdnded wire insulation displacement, etc.
In Figure 1, a male electrical connector 10 in accordance with
this invention is comprised of a receptacle outer housing element 14
having front or mating face configuration 16 with an access opening 18
sized and shaped to received the outer housing element mating face
configuration 20 of the female connector 12 shown in Figure 2. ~hen the
two connectors are mated the male contacts 17 adjacent the dielectric
center wall 17' of male connector 10, are received into contact access
oDening 19 of female connector 12 to mate with female contacts 32 adjacent
the periDheral dielectric wall 21 within the female connector 12.
Therefore, the connector 10 of Figure 1 may be characterized as
a male connector with d receptacle housing and the connector 12 of Figure
2 a female connector with a plug housing. As ~ill be better appreciated
hereinafter, owing to the modular construction of connectors made in
. .
~2038~3 `
accordance with the present invention, housings such as 14 and 22 in any
given subset may, depending on type of contacts used in the connector and
especially where pin and socket type contacts are used, be supplemented by
and interchanged with reciprocal1y sized housing elements. ~hus a
receptacle housing with male pin contacts is rep)aceable by a plug housing
having male contacts and plug housing with female contacts is replaceable
by a receptacle housing having female contacts.
In accordance with the invention, the receptacle outer housing
14~ its complementary plug housing element 22 and their reciprocal
counterparts are adapted to receive one of a plurality of different molded
plastic contact supporting modules, such as 24 and 26, within a cavity
formed in the rear of each housing element. This can better be seen by
referring to Figure 3.
In Figure 3, (see also Figure S) the outer housing element 22 of
female connector 12 is shown formed with a contact restraining means or
web 28 having a transverse rear surface 29 displaced from the rear outer
surface 29' of the housing element to form a generally open-ended cavity
30. The molded plastic contact supporting module 26 supporting contacts
32 within recesses 34 therein, (see also Figures 5 and 7) may then be
nested in the cavity 30 with contacts 32 passing through contact receiving
openings 36 in the contact restraining web 28.
Mounting means in the form of bosses 38 extending forwardly and
to the sides of the supporting module 26 engage latch openings 40 so as to
lock the module 26 to the h~using 22.
The latching action is preferable accomplished by means of the
upper surface of the hook portion 42 formed in each boss engaging the
forward-most surface of the contact restraining web 28 or a rear surface
cf a ledge formed in latch openings 40 when the module is nested within
the cavity 30.
Still referring to Figure 3, complementary keying means in the
form of a transversely extending nib or projection 44 and a registering
recess (not shown) in the right hand edge surface 46 of the module 26
ensures that the module 26 can be positioned in the cavity 30 in only one
orientation relative to the housing 22. This preserves the integrity of
lZ!~)38~3
-8-
the contact numbering system used to assign indices to the various contact
receiving recesses 34 for proper complementary matching with
corresPondingly numbered cavities in a mdting connector.
As can be seen by reference to Figure 5 taken in combination
with Figures 2 and 3, the ends of the contacts 32 when fully positioned
into the housing 22 through the contact receiving openings 36 are guided
into contact receiving channels 48 formed within the housing 22. These
channels in turn help guide the contacts 32 into engagement with contact
spring Dreloading elements 50 also formed within the forward end of the
plug housing 22 as seen in Figure 5 The open end 52 of contact receiv;ng
channels ~8 which form contact preloading means 50 are also depicted in
Figure 2. The contacts 32, are formed to maintain a spring bias inwardly
against elements 50 and toward each other to enhance
electrical contact with complementary male contacts when the plug and
receptacle housings are intermated. As will later be seen, the male
connector 14 (Figures 1 and 6) have complementary bias means 50' with
adjacent channels 48' having open ends 52'.
Referring again to Figure 5, the form of the female contact 32,
as also shown in Figure 4B, is of an insulation displacement type for use
with solid or stranded insulation wire. The mating male and female
contacts 32 and 58 (Figure 4) are of a form similar to that shown in
U.S.Patent 3,867,005 entitled `'Insulation - Piercing Contact Member and
Electrical Connector" and assigned to the assignee of the present
invention. ~he mating portions 32' and 58' of these contacts, however,
are configured differently from those shown in U.S. Patent 3,867,005 so as
to permit assembly of the contacts through the contact receiving openings
such as 36 in the contact restraining we~s of the housing members 14 and
22 to ultimately engage the contact preloading means 50 and 50' in the
plug and receptacle housings. The insulation displacement termination
portlon 32" and 58" of contacts 32 and 58 are, however, substantially the
same as that shown in the aforereferenced patent and includes two pairs of
detents such as 56 in contact 32 extending from opposite sidewalls of a
U-shaped channel in the contact (see Figure 7), with the spacP between
the detents comprising a notch 56' which will displace the insulation on
solid or stranded wire when forced therein to effect an electrical
termination of the contact to the conductor of the wire.
3~
g
As seen in Figure 4A the male contact for use in male connector
10 shown in Figure 1 is reciprocal in form to the female contact 32 shown
in Figure 4B, that is to say the mating surface 58' of contact 58 is on
the same side of the flat blade as the insulation displacement terminating
portion 58" while for the female contact 32 the insulation displacement
termination pcrtion 32" is on the opposite of the fe~ale contact surface
32'.
In accordance with the present invention each of the contact
members shown in Figure 4 are provided with raised portions 60 in the form
of dimPles or the like. As shown in Figure 7, it i5 the function of these
raised portions 60 in combination with the inner side-walls of the
forwardmost portion of cavities 34 within the contacts supporting module
26 to provide means for frictionally maintaining contacts within a contact
supporting module prior to the nesting of the module into a housing. In
this way molded plastic contact supporting modules in accordance with the
present invention can be assembled and put into inventory ~or later
selection and insertion into selected outer housing elements such as 22
shown in Figure 3 without the contacts inadvertently becoming displaced
from the module during handling.
Another feature of advantage provided by the present invention
can best be understood by referring to Figure 5 taken in combination with
Figure 6. Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the male modular
connector shown in Figure 1 taken on a plane defined by line 6-6 looking
in the direction of the arrows, and made up of receptacle outer housing
element 14 with a male molded plastic contact supporting module 24 nested
within a cavity 62 in the rearward portion of the outer housing element
i4. The male contacts 58 supported by module 24 extend through openings
64 in a contact restraining web 68 in a manner comparable to the female
connector shown in Figures 2, 3 and 5. However, because of the modular
construction of the present invention, which in the embodiment shown
permits5the use of the same contact supporting module for both plug and
receptacle housings (the plug supporting female contacts while the
receptacle male contactS) the walls 70 and 72 (in Figures 5 and 6), which
separates laterally disposed pairs of female and male contacts, are of the
same thickness. This simplifies th~ insulation displacement termination
of individual wires or cohductors within contacts in connectors made in
~38~
-10-
accordance with the present invention inasmuch as the termination tool
does not have to be adjusted otherwise compensate for any differences in
the thicknesses of theseparating walls 70 and 72 as in prior art
connectors. Reference is made to U.S. Patent 3,698,555 entitled
"Electrically Operated Programmable insertion Tool With Conductor Guide
and Movable Spring Relief ~nsertion Mechanism" illustrating a differential
wall thickness compensation mechanism used in a prior art termination
tool. The need for such mechanisms is no longer necessary in termination
tools for terminating modular connectors construed in accordance with the
present invention.
~ t will be readily appreciated by reference to Figures 4, 5 and
6, that the termination portions such as 32" and 52" of contacts 32 and 58
may be readily modified to conform to any one or more of a variety of
different conductor termination techniques without changing the
configuration of the mating portions 32' and 58' of such contacts. This
is illustrated by dotted lines 74 and 76 in Figures 3 through 6
inclusive. Dotted line 74 indicates that the insulation displacement
portion of the contact termination end may be eliminated and substituted
by a straight line extension of the material from which the contacts are
made to provide direct printed circuit board mounting on the modular
connectors. Similiarly, dotted line 76 illustrates a solid conductor with
a right angle bend which may be used in connection with a right angle
printed circuit board mounting assembly. Such extensions may also be
formed so as to have a rectangular cross-section to permit wrap
termination of wire conductors to the contacts dnd module.
Figure 8, however, illustrates a preferred form of the present
invention wherein the contact supporting module termination face is
adapted for terminating and providing strdin relief to a flat
multiconductor cable. As shown in Figure 8, the termination end of each
contact 77 held by the molded plastic contact support module 78 is formed
to provipe a typical insulation displacement type flat cable conductor
connection "V" or notch 81. To aid in more clearly illustrating the
features of the present invention, only two conductors of a flat
multiconductor cable have been indicated at 83. The module 78 may be of
either male or female contact configuration for nesting within either a
receptacle or plug outer housing e1ement such as 14 or 22 as described
~2038~;~
-1 1-
hereinbefore. The flat cable insulation displacement termination ends 81
are formed on the conductor termination portion of contacts such as 32 and
58 respectively in 1ieu of a singlesolid wire or stranded wire insulation
displacement portion as illustrated in Figure 4 at 56.
~ n accordance with the present invention the plastic insert
module 73 is provided with two upright pressure plate and cable strain
relief support locking members 82. Cable pressure prate 86 in turn is
provided with two downwardly extending latch member 88 carrying latch
hooks 91. After the cable has been put into place upon the top surface of
the module 78 the pressure plate 86 is forced down over the cable with the
latch hooks 91 engaging the lowermost surface 94 of each locking member 82
or the module 78. The pressure plate 86 is preferably made of a material
which has sufficient elasticity such that the latch members 88 are forced
away from one another out over bosses 96 on the end surfaces af locking
members 82 to permit the latch hooks 91 to engage the lower surfaces 94 of
the locking members or module.
After the pressure plate 86 has been installed the cable may
then be brought up and carried back over the upper surface of the pressure
plate ~as shown) and the strain relief clamp 100 thereafter snugly fitted
against the cable and retained by the engagement of apertures 102 with the
bosses g6. Strain relief clamp 100 is preferably made of a spring metal
material. As will be readily appreciated, by providing the insert module
with such locking members there is no need, in accordance with the present
invention, to provide a special housing member having equivalent locking
means when terminating flat cable.
It will be understood that the invention described hereinabove
may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit
or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments
therefore are to be considered in all respects as illustrational and not
restrictive and the invention is not to be limited to the details given
herein,.but only in accordance with the appended claims when read in the
light of the foregoing specification.
