Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~2141936
ELECTRICAL INTERCONNECTION SYSTEM
This invention relates to electrical connection systems
and more particularly to electrical interconnection systems.
Electrical wiring harnesses are typically assembled
from discrete electrical wires that are individually routed to
preselected locations and subsequently bundled together. These
harnesses are customarily assembled by manual application.
Machines have been developed to automatically assemble harnesses.
In either case, assembling such wire harnesses is time-consuming
and expensive.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an electrical cable assembly, comprising:
main electrical bus means including a multiplicity of electrical
conductors isolated from one another by insulating jacket means;
branch electrical bus means including less electrical conductors
than said main bus means isolated from one another by insulating
jacket means, said branch electrical bus means crossing said main
electrical bus means; electrical connector means selectively
connecting electrical conductors of said branch electrical bus
means to respective electrical conductors of said main electrical
bus means; and dielectric means applied to the terminated section
of the electrical connection harness thus formed insulating the
electrical connections thereof.
According to another aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a method of making an electrical cable assembly,
comprising the steps of: feeding a main bus cable to a terminating
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~2~41~;
station; feeding a length of a branch bus cable across said main
bus cable; selectively applying electrical connectors to the
crossed buses electrically connecting electrical conductors of
the main bus cable to respective electrical conductors of the
branch bus cable by means of leg members of the connectors pene-
trating the insulation jackets of the bus cables at corners of
the crossing of the conductors and conductor-engaging means of
the connectors engaging the conductors; cutting the branch bus
cable; and positioning a dielectric means onto the terminated
sections of the buses.
According to a further aspect of the present invention,
there is provided an electrical connector for electrically con-
necting insulated round electrical conductors disposed crosswise
of each other, comprising: a body section having L-shaped legs
in cross section, aligned slots between adjacent legs, one of the
aligned slots cutting through the insulation covering one of the
electrical conductors and electrically connecting with the elec-
trical conductor while the other of the aligned slots cuts
through the insulation covering the other of the electrical con-
ductors and electrically connecting with the electrical conductor.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention,there is provided an electrical connector for electrically con-
necting insulated flat electrical connectors disposed crosswise
of each other, comprising: a body section having inwardly-direc-
ted wedge-shaped members for penetrating the insulation of one of
the electrical conductors and being embeddable into the electrical
conductors, leg members extending outwardly from the body section
lZ14~;
and having pointed ends for penetrating through the insulation
of the crossed electrical conductors straddling them with the
pointed ends being bendable back through the insulation covering
the other conductor and into penetrating engagement with the
other electrical conductor.
The invention will now be described in greater detail
with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIGURE 1 is a perspective and exploded view of a main
electrical bus, branch electrical bus, connectors to selectively
interconnect electrical conductors of the buses, and housing
members to house the interconnected sections of the buses.
FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the elements of
Figure 1 assembled.
FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of parts of crossed
buses with electrical connectors exploded therefrom.
FIGURE 4 is similar to Figure 3 with one of the connec-
tors in a terminated position and the other in a part-terminated
position.
FIGURE 4A is a perspective view of an alternative
embodiment of the electrical connector.
FIGURE 5 is a part cross-sectional view of a housing
member showing a ground contact with interconnected buses and
another housing member exploded therefrom.
FIGURE 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 in an assembled
condition.
~2~4836
FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of
an electrical connector exploded from crossed buses.
FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of
Figure 7 in a terminated condition with electrical conductors of the crossed
buses .
FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of an
electrical connector exploded from crossed buses.
FIGURE 10 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector of
Figure 9 in a terminated condition with electrical conductors of the crossed
buses .
FIGURE 11 is a perspective view of a harness making operation for
electrically interconnecting branch electrical buses to a main electrical bus.
FIGURE 12 is a large perspective view of the programmable
terminating equipment of Figure 11.
FIGURE 13 is a flow diagram of the harness making operation of
Figures 11 and 12.
Figures 1 through 6 illustrate an electrical interconnection system
relatlng to a main electrical bus 10 to which is electrically connected
branch electrical buses 12 to form an electrical harness for use in
electronic controlled equipment or the like. Main electrical bus 10 is in
the form of a multl-conductor cable with electrical conductors 14 disposed
in an insulatlng jacket 16 so that electrical conductors 14 extend parallel to
and insulated from one another. Electrical conductors 14 are typically of a
size to carry electronic signals therealong in either direction and the
conductors can either be stranded or single conductors. Branch electrical
buses 12 are of the same construction with electrical conductors 18 covered
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by insulating jacket 20; branch buses 12 may not have as many conductors
as main bus 10.
Part of the electrical conductors in main electrical bus 10 and branch
electrical buses 12 can be larger for the purpose of supplying power to
electronic equipment if desired.
Figures 3 and 4 best illustrate electrical connectors 22 for electrically
connecting electrical conductors 18 of branch bus 12 to electrical
conductors 14 of main bus 10. Electrical connectors 2 are stamped and
formed from a suitable metal strip in strip form and they are formed into a
body sectlon 23 having a rectangular configuration with slots 24 located in
opposing sides and slots 26 located in the other opposing sides. The
entrances to slots 24 and 26 are beveled. Legs 28 have an L-shape in
cross section and are located at each of the corners of electrical
connectors 22. Electrical connectors 22 can have a round configuration if
desired as shown in Figure 4A.
When it is desired to electrically connect selected ones of electrical
conductors 18 of branch bus 12 with electrical conductors 14 of main bus
10, legs 28 of electrical connectors 22 are forced through insulating jacket
20 so that slots 24 displace the insulation surrounding electrical conductor
18 and legs 28 penetrate insulating jacket 16 while slots 26 displace the
insulation surrounding electrical conductor 14 selected to be connected with
electrical conductor 18 on each side of their selected crossing locations
thereby electrically connecting the selected conductors together. In this
way, electrical conductors of main bus 10 and electrical conductors of
branch bus 12 can be selected for interconnection by electrical connectors
22 thereby resultlng in a programmed interconnection therebetween in
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accordance with the needs of the electr~nic equipment to which branch bus
12 is to be electrically connected by means of a suitable electrical
connector ( not shown) terminated to the conductors of branch bus 12.
Electrical connectors 22 in a strip form can be inserted into a
terminated position by a program-operated applicator of the type illustrated
in Figures 11 and 12, legs 28 penetrate through insulatlng jackets 20, 16
of buses 10, 12 and respectively straddle electrical conductors 18, 14 with
slots 24 displacing the insulation covering conductors 18 and making
electrical connection with the conductors, whereas slots 26 displace the
insulation covering electrical conductors 14 and aiso make electrical
connection therewith as illustrated in Figure 4. In this way, selected
conductors 18 of bus 12 are electrically connected with selected conductors
14 of bus 10 thereby programmably interconnecting these electrical
conductors together in accordance with an established program.
The terminated sections of branch buses 12 to main bus 10 are
preferably encased in housing member 30 to protect the terminations and to
provide a strain relief, as well as to secure .he housing members in
position to the equipment or within the equipment itself. Housin~3 member
30 comprises hermaphroditic cover members 32 molded from a suitable
dielectrical material. Each cover member 32 includes hook members 34 at
each corner with slots 36 and latching members 38 adjacent thereto.
Latching members 38 have beveled surfaces 40 and latching surfaces 42.
A rectangular wall 44 extends outwardly from an inside surface of cover
member 32 and is spaced inwardly from slots 36 and latching member 38.
Aligning members 46 also extend outwardly from the inner surface of cover
members 32 at opposite corners of wall 44 and they are insertable into
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holes 47 as cover members 32 are latchably mated together and they serve
to align latching members 3% with their respective slots. Bus 10 ancl
buses 12 extend through housing member 30 when cover members 32 are
latchably secured together with the terminated areas of the buses disposed
within the area defined by walls 44.
In operation, a section of branch bus 12 terminated to main bus 10
via electrical connectors 22 is positioned within wall 44 of cover member
32, then another cover member 32 is latchably connected to cover member
32 via latching members 38 positioned in respective slots 36 with latching
surfaces 42 engaging the outer surfaces of cover members 32, aligning
members 46 and holes 47 aligning respective cover members 32 relative to
one another and latching members being aligned relative to respective slots
36 to enable the cover members ~o be latched together so that bus 12 and
bus 10 extend through housing member 30 with the terminated areas
thereof and electrical connectors being protected and insulated by housing
member 30. If desired, screws or bolts 48 engage hook members 34 to
secure housing 30 in position as illustrated in Figure 2. Beveled surfaces
40 facilitate movement of latching members 38 outwardly as cover members
32 move to~3ether in a latched condition. Projections 39 are spaced
inwardly from respective slots 36 and they serve as a surface against
which a screwdriver or the llke is positioned to apply a force against
latching members 38 to move them from a latched position.
After branch electrical buses 12 are terminated to main electrical bus
10 at selected locations therealong via electrical connectors 22, main bus 10
can be shielded if desired to provide a shielded electrical harness that will
comply with Federal Communications Commission regulations. To shield
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main bus 10, a piece of insulating tape 50 is secured onto main bus 10
covering legs 28 of connectors 32 that extend therethrough to insulate
them. Thereafter, a sheet of conductlve foil 52 having the same width as
bus 10 is adhered to bus 10 thereby supplying a shield therefor.
Conductive foil can also be applied to branch buses 12.
Each housing member 30 can have secured thereto a grounding
contact 54 to ground conductive foil 52 at each of housing members 30 or
selected ones thereof as desired. Ground contact 54 comprises an
elongated member 56 having securing members 58 that are wedgingiy
secured in slots 60 located in one side of wall 44. Spring contact fingers
62 are bent back over elongated member 56 for electrical connection with
conductive foil 52 when the terminated sections of buses 10, 12 are housed
in housing member 30 within the walls 44 as illustrated in Figure 6.
Spring ground contact 64 extends outwardly from elongated member 56
and is positioned along an inside surface 66 of a channel section 68 of
cover members 32 with spring ground contact 64 extending between an
outer end of an extension 70 of wall 44 which also extencls between the
sidewalls of channel section 68. A vertical section 72 of contact 64
extends along extension 70. The free end of contact 64 is almost located
coincident with the axis of hole 74. A ground wire 76 is inserted into hole
74 through the beveled entrance thereto and is forced against the inner
end of channel section 68 by the spring action of spring ground contact 64
as illustrated in Figure 6 thereby biting into ground wire 76 and securely
maintaining ground wire 76 in electrical engagement therewith. Ground
wire 76 can then be appropriately connected to a suitable ground. In this
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way a number of ground connections can be made for appropriately
grounding conductive foil shield 52 at a number of locations.
Figures 7 through 10 illustrate alternative embodiments of electrical
connectors for use in conjunction with electrically connecting flat
conductors 78 insulatively positioned in a parallel orientation in insulatlng
jacket 80 with flat electrical conductors 84 disposed in a parallel orientation
in insulatlng jacket 86 of a branch electrical bus 88 flat electricai
conductors 78 84 crossing one another. Electrical connector ~0 illustrated
in Figures 7 and 8 has a circular body section 92 from which depends legs
94 that are pointed at their outer ends. Triangular shaped members 96
are located centrally of body section 92 and they extend parallel to the
axis thereof.
Electrical connectors 90 have been formed in accordance with
conventional metal stamping and forming practices in strip form if desired
and legs 94 are inserted through the insulating jackets of overlapping
buses 82 88 with conductors 78 84 extending normal to one another so
that legs 94 straddle such conductors at a selected point of interconnection
so that when electrical connector 90 is moved to a terminating position
legs 94 clear the crossed electrical conductors at such terminatlng location
with triangu!ar shaped members 96 penetrating through insulatlng jacket 86
into penetrating engagement with conductor 84 and the pointed ends of
legs 94 are directed inwardly toward the axis of connector 90 penetrating
insulating jacket 80 and penetrating into conductor 78 as illustrated in
Figure 8 thereby electrically connecting these conductors together and also
breaking down any oxicles therebetween.
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Electrical connector 90A of Figures 9 and 10 is identical in
configuration to electrical connector 90 of Figures 7 and 8 except that
body section 92A is rectangular in configuration rather than circular;
otherwise electrical connector 90A is identical to electrical connector 90 and
the termination thereof to terminate conductors 78, 84 is the same as that
disclosed in relation to the termination of electrical connector 90 of Figures
7 and 8 except that pointed ends of legs 94A are not directed towards the
axis of electrical connector 90A.
Figures 11 and 12 illustrate a harness making operation for making an
electrical harness in an automatic manner under prog ram control . As
shown in Figure 11, main electrical bus 10 is fed from a reel 98 through a
cable length sensing station 100 to sense the length of cable that is to be
removed from reel 98. Bus 10 is fed to a terminating station 102 at which
is located a table 104 along which bus 10 moves and is held in position
thereon by hold-down members 106 that can be actuated by electromagnetic
means or air- or fluid-operated meanC.. Branch bus 12 is fed from reel 108
across main bus 10 along table 104 with bus 12 passing by cable length
sensing station 110 that senses the length of cable that is desired to be
removed from reel 108. A program-controlled terminating device 112
operates through an opening 114 in table 104 to automatically insert
electrical connectors 22, 90 or 90A from a strip of connectors 116 fed to
terminating device 112 from a supply reel (not shown) thereby
interconnecting the conductors of buses 10, 12 in accordance with a
programmed termination scheme. Electric motors 118 are operationally
connected to terminating device 112 to move the terminating dies thereof to
their programmed locations for insertion of the electrical connectors into
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the crossed buses electrically connecting selected electrical conductors
tog ethe r .
After bus 12 has been terminated to bus 10, bus ~ 2 is cut from its
supply and bus l O is moved to insulation applying station 120 at which
insulating tape 50 is appiied to bus 10 covering the exposed legs of the
connectors. Bus 12 is then moved to shield applying station 122 where
conduct~ve foil 52 is adhesively secured to the bottom surface of bus 10
whereafter housing member 30 is positioned onto the terminated sections of
buses 10, 12.
After other branch buses 12 have been terminated to main bus 10,
insulating tape 50 applied onto bus 10, conductive foil 52 secured thereto,
and housing members 30 secured in positlon over the terminated sections of
the buses, bus 10 is then cut from supply reel 98 and a completed harness
has now been made. If desired, only housing member 30 can be positioned
onto the terminated sections of the buses withcut applying insulating tape
or conductlve foil. Insulating tape and foil may be applied to both sides
of the main and branch cables.
Figure 13 depicts a flow diagram for making a harness in accordance
with the equipment illustrated in Figures 11 and 12, and the harness
making operation can be under the control of a programmable controller
that is microprocessor operated. Insulating tape can be applied onto main
bus cable and branch bus cable if concluctive foil is to be aclhesively
secured onto both sides of the maln bus cable. If conductlve foil is
secured onto the main bus cable, then grounding contact 54 is included in
the housing member.
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