Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2035392 67789-304
The present lnventlon relates to pin connectors and ln
partlcular to pin connectors having insulation dlsplacement
contacts and a termination cover, securable to the pin
connector, either having or adapted to receive a latch/e~ect
lever.
The use of latch/e~ect levers ls known. U.S. Patent
4,761,141 discloses a shroud for posltlonlng over plns ln a pln
fleld that can be latchlngly secured to plns ln the pln fleld by
a latch/e~ect lever. A shrouded pln header ls dlsclosed ln U.S.
Patent 4,178,051 capable of belng soldered to a prlnted clrcult
board and latchlngly securlng a matlng connector ln a cavlty ln
the shrouded pin header.
In accordance wlth the present lnventlon, there ls
provlded a connector for lnsulatlon dlsplacement termlnatlon of
conductors of a multlple conductor cable, comprlslng: a housing
havlng lnsulatlon dlsplacement contacts secured thereln, each of
sald lnsulatlon dlsplacement contacts havlng an lnsulatlon
dlsplacement portlon extendlng beyond a cable recelvlng face for
terminatlon to a conductor of the multlple conductor cable, sald
houslng further having an end-wall, sald end-wall havlng a
recess deflnlng a recess wall, sald recess wall havlng a further
recess thereln; a termlnatlon cover securable to sald houslng,
sald termlnatlon cover movable from a pre-termlnatlon posltlon
where a cable can be positioned ln the connector for termlnatlon
toward the cable recelvlng face to a termlnatlon posltlon to
termlnate conductors of the multlple conductor cable to the
lnsulatlon displacement portlon of respectlve contacts, sald
` -
203~392 67789-304
termlnatlon cover havlng leg means extendlng from an lnner
surface, sald leg means adapted to receive and secure a
latch/e~ect lever; and a latch/e~ect lever secured ln sald leg
means, sald latch/e~ect lever havlng a surface that engages the
recess wall to llmlt travel of the lever when the houslng ls ln
the termlnatlon posltlon, sald latch/e~ect lever havlng a foot
havlng a forward extendlng portlon for arcuately passlng through
sald further recess as the latch/e~ect lever ls rotated to e~ect
a complementary connector.
The lnventlon wlll now be descrlbed by way of an
example wlth reference to Flgures, ln whlch:
FIGURE 1 ls a slde vlew of a pln connector ln
accordance wlth the present lnventlon, wlth the termlnatlon
cover ln a pretermlnatlon posltlon, and wlth a rlbbon cable
posltloned to be termlnated thereln;
FIGURE 2 ls a slde vlew of the pln connector of Flgure
1 wlth the termlnatlon cover ln a termlnated posltlon and a
matlng connector lnstalled;
FIGURE 3 ls a slde vlew of a latch/e~ect lever;
FIGURE 4 ls an end vlew of a latch/e~ect lever;
FIGURE 5 ls a perspective view of the termlnatlon
cover securlng system;
FIGURE 6 ls an enlarged partlal side view of a pln
connector showlng the termlnatlon cover secured ln the
pretermlnatlon posltlon;
FIGURE 7 ls an enlarged partlal slde vlew of a pln
connector showlng the termlnatlon cover secured ln the
,;
.,'~S
~ 2035392 67789-304
termlnated posltlon, wlth a cable termlnated ln the pln
connector.
FIGURE 8 ls a partlal slde view of the termlnatlng
cover showlng a clockwlse latch/e~ect lever stop; and
FIGURE 9 ls a partlal slde vlew of the termlnatlng
cover and shroud showlng a counter clockwlse stop.
;~
20353~2
_ -3-
A pin connector 20 in accordance with the present
invention is shown in Figure 1. Pin connector 20
includes shroud 22 having an array 24 of contacts 26
secured therein and terminating cover 28 having
latch/eject levers 30 secured therein, or adapted to
have latch/eject levers 30 secured therein.
Shroud 22 has an elongate housing 32 molded of
insulative material having a U-shaped cross section.
Housing 32 has a base 34 having walls 36 integral with
side edges thereof and extending normally to an inside
floor 38 of base 34. Walls 36 and floor 38 define
cavity 40. Contacts 26 are secured in base 34 with a
pin portion 42 extending into cavity 40, protected by
walls 38, for mating with receptacle contacts (not
shown) in a complementary connector 44 (see Figure 2),
also received in cavity 40. Complementary connector 44
could take many forms, such as part number 746290
manufactured by the assignee. Each contact 26 also has
an insulation piercing portion 46 extending beyond a
cable receiving face 48 on the opposite side of base 34
from floor 38.
Walls 36 provide protection for pin portions 42 and
may have slots 50 formed therein to receive polarization
features of complementary connector 44. While a
particular polarization feature has been shown, walls 36
may be modified by appropriate molding to accommodate
14768 CA ~~
203~392
_ -4
other forms of polarization such as a single slot or
military polarization.
A latch/eject lever 30 is shown in Figures 3 and 4.
It is understood that while the latch/eject lever 30 of
the preferred embodiment will be described as performing
the dual functions of latching complementary connector
44 in a mated position in cavity 40 and ejecting
complementary connector 44 from the mated position in
cavity 40, these functions may be performed
independently. Accomplishing either of these functions
independently with the terminating cover described
herein is contemplated as within the scope of the
invention. Thus, the notation latch/eject lever or
lever shall mean either a latch lever, an eject lever or
a lever that is capable of performing both functions.
Lever 30 has a latching shoulder 54, a foot 56 and
an integral pivot shaft 58. Pivot shaft 58 has a
tapered end 60 to facilitate insertion as will be
described in more detail below. Foot 56 has central
portion 62 that extends beyond side portions 64, with
both central portion 62 and side portions 64 forming
rounded edges, respectively 66 and 68, as they merge to
form the upper surface 70 of foot 64. Central portion
62 and side portions 64 have respective under surfaces
72,74.
Terminating cover 28 is elongate having opposed
side walls 78,80, opposed end walls 82,84, outer surface
14768 CA
2035392
--5
86 and opposed inner surface 88, a portion of which
forms fluted surface 90. Terminating cover 28 has
recesses or apertures 92, in accordance with the
teaching of U.S. Patents 3,820,055, 4,410,229 or
4,781,615, the disclosures of which are hereby
incorporated by reference. Apertures 92 receive the
leading sections of insulation piercing portions 46.
Terminating cover 28 may have flanges 94 for securing
pin connector 20 to a circuit board or back panel of a
computer. Flanges 94 may have a slot 96 as shown in
Figures 5-7 or an aperture to receive a bolt or threaded
insert as are known in the art. Absent the need for
features to anchor pin connector 20 to a circuit board
or back panel, flanges 94 may be terminated such as at
line 98 in Figure 8.
Spaced leg means 100,102 extend from inner surface
88 proximate end walls 82,84. In the preferred
embodiment, the leg means at each end of terminating
cover 28 are identical and leg means at only one end
will be described. ~eg means 100,102 at one end of
terminating cover 28 are spaced from leg means 100,102
at the other end of terminating cover 28 to receive and
secure shroud 22 therebetween.
As best seen in Figure 5, facing surfaces 104 of
leg means 100,102 are spaced apart a distance 106 that
is substantially the thickness 108 (see Figure 4) of
latch/eject lever 30 to receive latch/eject lever 30
14768 CA
2035~92
_ -6
therebetween. In the preferred embodiment, leg means
100,102 are mirror images of each other. Leg means
100,102 have opposed channels 110 having a chamfered
lead-in 112. Chamfered lead-in 112 cooperates with
tapered end 60 of pivot shaft 58 to facilitate
positioning shaft 58 in channel 110. Surfaces 114,116
also assist in positioning shaft 58 as latch/eject lever
30 is assembled to terminating cover 28 by moving shaft
58 from end 112 toward inner surface 88. Shaft 58 seats
in cylindrical aperture or recess 120 thereby securing
latch/eject lever 30 to terminating cover 28 and
simultaneously providing a pivot for latch/eject lever
30 upon pivotally securing latch/eject lever 30 to
terminating cover 28. As latch/eject lever 30 is moved
from end 118 toward inner surface 88 in channels 110,
leg means 100,102 resiliently deflect outwardly and,
upon shaft 58 seating in aperture or recess 120, leg
means 100,102 resile inwardly to secure latch/eject
lever 30 to terminating cover 28. Leg means 100,102
thus provide structure on the terminating cover adapted
to have secured thereto at least one latch/eject lever.
Each of leg means 100,102 have an inside end
surface 124 that faces the inside end surface of spaced
leg means at the other end of terminating cover 28.
Surfaces 124 on leg means 100,102 at the two ends of
terminating cover 28 are spaced substantially as the end
wall surfaces 126 at the two ends of housing 32 of
14768 CA
2035392
_ -7-
shroud 22. As stated above, shroud 22 is received
between inside end surfaces 124 of leg means 100,102 at
the ends of the terminating cover. End walls 126 of
shroud 22 slidingly engage surfaces 124 as shroud 22 is
positioned between leg means at the ends of terminating
cover 28, as best seen in the side views shown in
Figures 1 and 2. Inside end surfaces 124 are tapered at
128 where they would otherwise intersect ends 118 of leg
means 100,102. Tapers 128 assist in laterally
positioning shroud 22 between the leg means at the two
ends of terminating cover 28 as the shroud is positioned
relative to terminating cover 28.
- Guide rails 130 are raised above surfaces 124
defining surface 132 and extend substantially from taper
128 to inner surface 88. In the preferred embodiment,
the facing surfaces of guide rails 130 are contiguous
with and are merely an extension of facing surfaces 104.
On the opposite side of guide rails 130 from facing
surfaces 104, guide rails 130 form protrusion engaging
surfaces 134 which face outwardly toward side walls 78
and 80. Surfaces 134 are chamfered 136 at end 138 to
assist in side-to-side positioning of shroud 22 relative
to terminating cover 28.
Each of leg means 100,102 has a first transverse
slot 140 spaced a first predetermined distance from
inner surface 88 and recessed from surface 124 and a
second transverse slot 142 spaced a second predetermined
14768 CA
2~33392
_ -8-
distance from inner surface 88, between the first
transverse slot 140 and inner surface 88. The second
transverse slot 142 is also rereSce~ from surface 124
and is substantially identical to first transverse slot
140. Guide rails 130 cooperate with protrusions 144
upst~n~ing from end walls 126 to provide stability as
shroud 22 is positioned on terminating cover 28. Side
surface 146 of a protrusion 144 slides along a
corresponding protrusion engaging surface 134 of a guide
rail 130 while end surface 148 slides along a
corresponding surface 124 of a corresponding guide rail.
The corner edge 150 of a protrusion 144 may be rounded
to facilitate movement.
Cable guides 154 extend from inner surface 88 along
leg means 100,102 to guide cable 156 during insertion
into pin connector 20 as well as during positioning
cable 156 in fluted surface 90. Guides 154 also assist
in positioning shroud 22 during termination and are
received in recesses 158 in housing 32 during
termination of cable 156.
Terminating cover 28 is preassembled onto shroud 22
in a pretermination position for ease of threading a
ribbon cable between insulation piercing portions 46 and
inner surface 90. In this manner, pin connector 22 is
capable of being employed in daisy chain applications.
Prior to preassembling shroud 22 to terminating
cover 28, shroud 22 is positioned above inner surface 88
14768 CA
203S392
g
between leg means 100,102 at the ends of terminating
cover 28. As shroud 22 i8 moved toward inner surface 88
for preassembling to terminating cover 28, end walls 126
cooperate with tapers 128 to position shroud 22 from
end-to-end relative to terminating cover 28, and
chamfers 136 cooperate with protrusions 144 to position
shroud 22 from side-to-side. The rounded corner edge
150 on protrusions 144, coupled with taper 128 assist in
causing leg means 100,102 to resiliently deflect toward
end walls 82,84 and may cause terminating cover to bow
slightly such that end surfaces 148 of protrusions 144
are received between surfaces 124 on leg means 88 at the
two ends of terminating cover 28 and side surfaces 146
of protrusions 144 slidingly engage and slide along
protrusion engaging surfaces 134 to guide the cable
receiving face 48 toward and substantially parallel to
inner surface 88.
As shroud 22 is moved toward inner surface 88,
protrusions 144 are received in respective first
transverse slots 140 as shown in Figure 1. Upon
protrusions 144 seating in first transverse slots 140,
leg means 100,102 resile inwardly to an unbiased
position and terminating cover 28 also resiles to secure
terminating cover 28 and shroud 22 in a pretermination
position.
As shown in an enlarged view in Figure 6, in the
pretermination position there is sufficient space
- 14768 CA
- 203~39~
--10--
between ends 160 of insulation piercing portions 46 and
the inner surface 88, specifically fluted surface 90,
for threading a ribbon cable 156 and poæitioning the
cable for termination in pin connector 20. At this
stage, latch/eject levers 30 may or may not be
positioned pivotally secured on terminating cover 28.
To effect termination of cable 156 in pin connector
20, shroud 22 or terminating cover 28 are moved toward
the other to terminate individual conductors 162 to
respective ones of the insulation piercing portions 46
of contacts 26. Typically, outer surface 86 will be
positioned against a surface and a tool (not shown) is
positioned in cavity 40 to extend over pin portions 42
and press on floor 38 to cause shroud 22 to move from a
pretermination position to a termination position and in
the process effect termination of conductors of the
cable to insulation piercing portions of the contacts in
a known manner.
In moving from the pretermination position, leg
means 100,102 again resiliently deflect toward end walls
82,84 and terminating cover 28 may bow slightly such
that end surfaces 148 of protrusions 144 ride out of
first transverse slots 140, facilitated by rounded
corner edge 150, and slidingly engage surfaces 124 as
side surface 146 slidingly engages protrusion engaging
surface 134 to guide the cable receiving face 48 toward
and substantially parallel to inner surface 88 until
14768 CA
20~392
.
protrusions 144 are received in respective second
transverse slots 142 as shown in Figure~ 3 and 8. Upon
protrusions 144 seating in second transverse slot 142,
leg means 100,102 resile inwardly to an unbiased
position and terminating cover 28 also resiles to secure
terminating cover 28 and shroud 22 in a terminated
position. In the terminated position, cable 156 is
secured between cable receiving face 48 and inner
surface 88, specifically inner surface 90.
Terminating cover 28 can be terminated to a cable
as described above with or without latch/eject levers 30
secured therein. With latch/eject levers 30 secured in
terminating cover 28, the latch/eject levers do not
interfere with the tooling or the termination process.
In the event that termination is effected without
latch/eject levers 30 secured in terminating cover 28,
the levers can be installed subsequent to termination.
As best seen in Figures 8 and 9, stops are provided
to prevent undesired clockwise or counter clockwise
movement of latch/eject levers 30. With reference to
Figure 8, clockwise movement of latch/eject lever 30, as
indicated by arrow 168, beyond a vertical position is
prevented by providing a stop shoulder 170 defined by a
differential elevation between inner surface 88 and the
upper surface 172 of flange 94. While end 174 of
latch/eject lever 30 clears inner surface 88 in its
-arcuate path as latch/eject lever 30 pivots on shaft 58,
14768 CA
- ~ 20~3~2
-12-
end 174 engages stop shoulder 170 preventing further
counter clockwise movement. This stop is effective
whether or not shroud 22 is secured to terminating cover
28.
With reference to Figure 9, with termination cover
28 secured in the termination position relative to
shroud 22, further counter clockwise movement of
latch/eject lever 30, from the position shown and as
indicated by arrow 180, is prevented. Foot 56 is
received in recess 182 (see Figure 5) with edges 68 of
side portions 64 clearing surfaces 184 and edge 66 of
central portion 62 passing through further recess 186,
- clearing surface 188 in their respective arcuate paths
as latch/eject lever 30 pivots about shaft 58. Under
surface 74 on side portions 64 engage respective
surfaces 184, recess~ from end walls 126 to provide a
counter clockwise stop. The counter clockwise stop, as
shown in Figure 9, provides a limit to the arcuate
counter clockwise travel of latch/eject lever 30.
14768 CA
