Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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MULTI-CONDUCTOR FLAT CABLE CONNECTOR
The present invention relates to a multi-conductor
flat cable connector having a preassembled base and cover.
Multi-conductor flat cable connectors have
generally included a base carrying insulation stripping
contacts and a cover. The cover and base are shipped and
stored una~sembled and are assembled on a flat cable by the
user. The user must thus handle two parts to apply the
connector to the cable, which adds to assembly time, and one
of the parts may be lost in shipment and storage.
10 More recently flat cable connectors have been made
to be preassembled so that they are shipped and stored with
the cover retained on the base. In the preassembled or open
position the flat cable can be slid between the cover and
the base and the cover and base are then forced together to
force the cable into the contacts on the base. Such
connectors are disclosed in U.S. Patents Nos. 4,006,957 and
4,145,103. Plastic latches formed to hold the connector in
the open position and the closed position, as disclosed in
U.S. Patent No. 4,006,957, have been subject to breakage.
The metal latch clip of U.S. Patent No. 4,145,103 is an
improvement. However, when the connector of that patent is
in the open position the cover and clip readily pivot on the
base making it difficult to slide the cable between the
cover and the base. Moreover, in the connectors of both
patents the cover can be pushed onto the base with only
light pressure. Often, the cover is accidentally pushed
onto the base before a cable is inserted between them
requiring disa~sembly of the connector if it is to be used.
The multi-conductor flat cable connector of the
present invention includes a base carrying a plurality of
insulation stripping contact elements which ex~end from one
surface of the base for making electrical connection to
conductors of a flat cable. The base is formed centrally at
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each end with a generally rectangular cover guide extending
perpendicularly from the one surface. A cover i8 positioned
on the base and is formed at its ends to slidably mate with
the cover gui~es on the base. A pair of metal latching legs
extend one from each end of the cover. The latching legs
latch the cover to the base in an open position permitting a
flat cable to be inserted between the cover and the contact
elements and upon movement of the cover to a latched closed
position whereat conductors of the cable are connected by
lD the contact elements. A pair of shearable latch stops, one
at each end of the base, are positioned to be contacted by
portions of the latching legs when the connector is in an
open position and are shearable by the latching legs as the
base and cover are forced together to move them to their
15 closed position carrying the conductors of the cable into
the contact elements.
In the drawing Figure 1 is a perspective view of a
first embodiment of a multi-conductor flat cable connector
constructed in accordance with the present invention with ~ -
20 the central portion of the connector broken away to shorten
the length; Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the
end of the connector of Figure 1 to more clearly illustrate
the separate parts; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken
along line 3-3 of Figure l; Figure 4 is a view similar to
25 that of Figure 1 with a flat cable inserted into the
connector and the connector moved to its closed position;
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second
embodiment of a multi-conductor flat cable connector
constructed in accordance with the present invention with
30 the central portion of the connector broken away; Figure 6
is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of one end of the
connector of Figure 5 assembled and latched in an open
position; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken generally
along line 7-7 of Figure 6; Figure 8 is a view similar to
35 that of Figure 6 with the connector latched in a closed
position; and Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view taken
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generally along line 9-9 of Figure 8.
The first embodiment of the connector of the
present invention, illustrated in Figures 1 through 4,
includes a base 10 carrying bifurcate insulation stripping
contact elements 11, a cover 12 and a latching clip 14. In
the preferred embodiment, the central portion of the
connector omitted from Figures 1 and 4 repeats the structure
illustrated adjacent the breaklines.
The contact elements 11 extend from the upper
surface 16 of the base 10 in two parallel rows. Transverse
lines across the base pass alternately through a contact in
one row and then a contact in the other row to properly
space the contacts 11 for making contact to each conductor
of a flat cable 17. In the illustrated embodiment, the
contact elements are formed with flat tails extending from
the lower surface of the base in parallel rows with the tail
of one contact element 11 in one row in line with the tail
of a contact element in the opposite row to provide proper
alignment with a dual inline integrated circuit package. In
one preferred embodiment, fourteen contact elements 11 are
provided, ~even in each of the parallel rows.
Strain relief ribs 18 are formed on the upper
surface 16 of the base 10 between the contact elements 11
and the adjacent edge of the base 10. One rib is formed on
each side of the bifurcation in each contact element 11 to
engage the insulation on a flat cable 17 between the
conductors when the connector is closed.
The base is made of an insulating plastic
material, such as glass reinforced polyester, and it is
formed centrally at each end with a generally rectangular
cover guide 19 extending perpendicularly from the upper
surface 16 of the base. The exterior surface of each cover
guide 19 is formed with a slot extending from top to bottom
to define guides for the legs of the latching clip 14.
Within the slot 20 each cover guide 19 is formed with two
pairs of latching teeth 22 and 23, each pair of teeth 22 or
23 being laterally aligned at opposite edges of the slot 20
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in the cover guide 19. A shearable latch stop post 25 is
formed in the slot 20 between the lower pair of teeth 23 on
each cover guide 19.
The cover 12 is formed of an insulating plastic
material, such as glas~ reinforced polyester. It is
recessed centrally at its ends at 27 to receive and slidably
mate with the rectangular cover guides 19 extending from the
bace 10. Centrally at the top of each end recess 27 the
cover is formed with a latching clip retainer projection 29.
10 The lower surface of the cover 31 is scalloped across its
width to provide a complementary guidç surface to the usual
scalloped pattern on one surface of the flat cable 17.
The latching clip 14 is generally U-shaped and it
is made of metal, preferrably stainless steel. The latching
lS clip 14 is normally retained on the cover 12 by retention
teeth 33 stamped into the metal of the clip at both ends of .
the clip to engage the latching clip retainer projections 29
on the cover. The main portion of each of the legs of the
latching clip 14 is of a width to pass between the latching
;20 teeth 22 and 23 on the cover guide 19 and two pairs of edge
tabs 35 and 36 extend from the main portion of each leg,
each pair of tabs 35 or 36 being laterally aligned at
oppo~ite edges of the leg of the clip. The pairs of tabs 35
and 36 are spaced so that the upper edge tabs 35 engage the
25 upper teeth 22 on the cover guide 19 when the lower edge
tabs 36 engage the lower teeth 23 in the closed position of
the connector.
In manufacturing the connector, the base 10, the
contact elements 11, the cover 12 and the latching clip 14
30 are ~eparately formed. The contact elements 11 are inserted
into the base 10 and the latching clip 14 i~ pressed onto
the cover 12 to engage the metal retaining teeth 33 on the
clip with the retainer projections 29 on the cover. The
cover and clip are then placed over the base 10 and moved
35 downward until the lower clip edge tabs 36 move over and
engage the upper teeth 22 on the cover guide 19 as
illustrated in Figure 1. In this position the ends of the
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legs of the latching clip 14 abut the latch stops 25 and the
c~ver guides 19 fit within the end recesses 27 in the cover.
The connector is then ready for shipment and storage during
which the engagement of the latching clip 14 with the latch
stops 25 prevents inadvertent pressing of the cover from the
open position to the closed position.
When it is desired to use the connector a flat
cable 17 is inserted between the cover 12 and the contact
elements 11, the scalloped lower surface 31 of the cover
1~ guiding the flat cable 17 into proper position with the
conductors above the contact elements. Pressure is then
applied to move the cover and base together to carry the
conductors of the flat cable 17 into the contact elements
11. Upon application of sufficient pressure to make the
15 connection, the ends of the latching clip 14 shear off the
latch stops 25 and the lower latchinq clip edge tabs 36 move
over the lower teeth 23 on the cover yuide while the upper
edge tabs 35 move over the upper teeth 22 to ~irmly latch
the cover to the base. Apertures 38 in the legs of the
20 latching clip 14 fit over the latch stops 25 to permit
complete engagement of the edge tabs 35 and 36 with the
teeth 22 and 23 even though the latch stops are ~ot
completely sheared off.
As the connector approaches its closed position,
25 the strain relief ribs 18 on the upper surface of the base
10 engage the lower surface of the cable between the
conductors to provide strain relief. A range of cable
thicknesses may be used while still providing mechanical
strain relief, the ribs 18 biting more deeply into the
30 insulation of a thicker cable. The ribs must however be
short in length, as illustrated, or the force necessary to
move the connector to its closed position with a thick cable
in place becomes prohibitably high.
The ~econd embodiment of the connector of the
3S present invention, illustrated in Figures 5 through 9,
includes a base 40 carrying bifurcate insulation stripping
contact elements 41, a cover 42 and a pair of identical
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latching legs 44. In the preferred embodiment, the central
portion of the connector omitted from Figure 5 repeats the
structure illustrated to the left of the break lines.
The contact elements 41 extend from the upper
surface 46 of the base 40 in two parallel rows. Transverse
lines across the base pass alternately through a contact in
one row and then a contact in the other row to properly
space the contacts 41 for making contact to each conductor
of a flat cable 47. The ends of the contact elements 41 not
shown in the drawings are exposed in a rectangular opening ~'!
10 extending from the bottom of the base 40 and they are formed
to make electrical connection to leads on the opposite faces
of printed circuit edge cards.
Strain relief ribs 48 are formed on the upper
surface 46 of the base 40 between the contact elements 41
15 and the adjacent edge of the base. One rib 48 is formed on
each side of the bifurcation on each contact element 41 to
engage the insulation on a flat cable 47 between the
conductors when the connector is closed. The base 40 is
made of an insulating plastic material, such as glass
20 reinforced polyester, and it i8 formed centrally at each end
with a generally rectangular cover guide 49 extending
perpendicularly from the upper surface 46 of the base. A
latch opening 51 is formed at each end of the base 40, the
end wall of the opening 51 being a continuation of the end
25 wall of the corresponding cover guide 49. Within each latch
opening 51 the base 40 is formed on the inner wall of the
opening with an inclined surface 53 plateauing on a first
latching lobe 54 followed by a step down to the face of a
second latching lobe 56. The first latching lobe 54 extends
30 from the surface of the second latching lobe 56 a distance
generally equal to the thickness of the material of the
latching legs 44 and the surface of the second latching lobe
56 extends a similar distance from the interior wall of the
latch opening 51. At both edges of the first latching lobe
35 54 a shearable knob 57 is formed.
The cover 42 i8 formed of an insulating plastic
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material, such as glass reinforced polyester. It has
rectangular ends to slidably mate with the rectangular cover
guides 49 extending from the base 40. At each end the cover
42 is formed with a latching leg slot 59 therethrough. At
the upper surface of the cover 42 and part way therethrough
the slot 59 has a greater width than the major portion of
the slot, providing stop shoulders 61 at the transition to
the narrower wid~h of the slot. Also, part way through the
cover 42 the slot has an increased thickness defining a
10 retention shoulder 62.
Each latching leg is formed from a strip of spring
metal, such as stainless steel. It has a thickness
general~y equal to the narrower upper portion of a slot 59
through the cover 42. The major portion of a latching leg
15 44 has a width generally equal to that of the major portion
of a slot 59 through the cover 42 and it is formed at one
end with edge tabs 64 to engage the stop shoulders 61 in the
cover 42. Centrally at the same end a retention tongue 65
is bent out of the major plane of the latching leg 44 to
20 spring out and engage the retention shoulder 62 in the cover
42 when the edge tabs 64 contact the stop shoulders 61 to
firmly retain the latching legs 44 on the cover 42.
Centrally over a major portion of its length, each latching
leg 44 is formed with a longitudinally extending aperture 66
25 into which a pair of opposed shearing ears 68 extend from
- the longitudinal edges thereof. The end of the aperture 66
spaced farthest from the cover 42 is arcuate to correspond
to the arc of the first and second latching lobes 54 and 56
at each end of the base 40. The shearing ears 68 are spaced
30 apart a di~tance less than the distance across the shearable
knobs 57 and they are spaced from the arcuate end of the
aperture 66 so that they contact the shearable knobs 57 as
the arcuate end of the aperture 66 passes over the first
latching lobe 54.
In use, the latching legs 44 are inserted one into
each of the slots 59 in the cover 42 until the edge tabs 64
thereof engage the shoulders 61 in the cover and the
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retention tongue 65 thereof springs out of the remainder of
the plane of the leg and engages the retention shoulder 62
in the cover to firmly retain the legs 44 on the cover. The
cover is then placed over the base with the rectangular ends
thereof aligned with the cover guides 49 of the base 40 and
the latching legs 44 extending into the latch openings 51 at
the ends of the base 40. The cover is moYed downward into
the base until the shearing ears 68 on each of the legs 44
contact shearable knobs 57 on the base 40 and the arcuate
end of the aperture 66 in each leg engages a first latching
lobe 54 on the base. The engagement of the shearing ears 68
with the shearable knobs 57 spaces the cover 42 above the
base 40 a distance sufficient to permit a flat cable 47 to
be inserted between the cover 42 and the contact elements 41
in the base 40. They resist finger pressure which might
press the cover onto the base when not desired. The
engagement of the arcuate end of the aperture 66 in each
latching leg 44 with a first latching lobe 54 on the base
prevents the cover from being removed from the base once
assembled to the open position in which the cable can be
inserted between the cover 42 and the contact elements 41.
After a flat cable 47 has been inserted between the cover 42
and the contact elements 41 pressure is applied to force the
base and cover together whereupon the shearing ears 68 on
the latching legs 44 shear through the shearable knobs 57 on
the base. As the cover and base are pressed together to
their closea position in which the conductors of the flat
cable 47 are forced into the contact elements 41, the
arcuate end of each latching leg 44 moves over and engages a
second latching lobe 56 on the base 40 to retain the cover
on the base in the closed position.
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