GB2297205A

GB2297205A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB2297205A
Application number: GB9600971A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Joseph David Higgins
Original assignee: EUROPASONIC
Current assignee: EUROPASONIC
Priority date: 1995-01-19
Filing date: 1996-01-17
Publication date: 1996-07-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-01-17
Also published as: GB9500976D0; GB2297205B; GB9600971D0

Abstract

An electric connector for telecommunications has a housing with a mouth 31 for receipt of a cable 265 with conductors 28 for engaging respective socket contacts 24. The housing is in two parts and when the parts are brought together ribs 421 urge the conductors 28 into engagement with barbs 34 on contacts 24. The contacts 24 have inclined portions 32 which engage respective contacts 25 in a plug inserted into the connector at locations nearer the mouth 31 then barbs 34.

Description

IMPROVEMEN?S IN OR RELATING TO ELECTRIC CONNECTORS THIS INVENTION relates to electric connectors.

According to this invention, an electric connector comprises co-operable parts providing a socket for receiving an electric plug, electric contacts mounted in one part having portions for contacting respective contacts in the plug, the parts defining a mouth for receipt of a cable having conductors for engaging the contacts in the one part, the parts being shaped so that movement of the parts into co-operative position urges the socket contacts into engagement with the respective conductors at first positions, the socket contact portions engaging the plug contacts nearer the mouth than the first positions.

The socket contacts may have spaced barbs for engaging the conductors, with ribs on one socket part opposite the barbs for engaging the conductors.

The invention may be performed in various ways and one specific embodiment with possible modifications will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an exploded view of an electric conductor.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of part of the connector; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connector; and Fig. 4 is a section through the connector.

Referring to the drawings, an electric connector or coupler 10 is in the form of a socket 11 having a housing 12 which is in two parts 13, 14 of moulded plastics. The parts 13, 14 have complementary edges 13a, 13b, 14a, 14b enabling the two parts 13, 14 to be brought into engagement (Fig. 3) and they can be releasably held in this closed position by a self-tapping screw 15 extending through a recessed bore 18 in part 14 into threaded engagement with a bore in a tube 17. The socket 11 is intended to co-operate with a removable plug 19 of a kind used in telecommunications and having a plurality, e.g. four or six, conductors respectively received in grooves 20 between partitions 21. Correspondingly the connector 10 has a plurality of grooves 22 defined between parallel flat partitions 23.

Each respective groove 22 e.g. six or four, contains an electrically conductive terminal or contact 24 intended respectively to contact a conductor in the plug. For example, as shown in Fig. 4, socket terminal 24 is in contact with inserted plug conductor 25.

A cable 26 comprises electric insulation 27 around a plurality e.g. six or four, individual conductors 28 each of which has its own electric insulation 29 around a conductive core 30.

The housing parts 13, 14 having integral portions 13c, 14c which when the parts are brought together (Fig. 4) grip the cable 26 to resist unwanted removal or disturbance of the cable 26; and preferably additional parts 13d, 14d which also grip the cable 26 at an entrance mouth 31 to the connector 10 to further resist removal or disturbance of the cable 26.

The parts 13, 14 are first spaced apart (Fig. 1) and the cable 26 is then placed in position (Fig. 4) with the end part of insulation 27 removed and the individual conductors 28 placed in the respective grooves 22.

The terminal 24 is flat and has a tail portion 32 for engaging the respective plug contact 25 and a head portion 33 with spaced barbs 34 which, when the parts 13, 14 are brought together (Fig. 4), penetrate the insulation 29 and electrically contact the respective core 30 at positions further from the mouth 31 than the positions where contacts 32, 25 engage each other.

The tail portion 32 extends generally towards the mouth 31 away from the plug 19. The terminal 24 includes an edge 33 which engages a support surface 34a of the part 14.

The part 14 includes robust integral parallel walls 40 at the sides of zone 41 including the socket grooves and partitions.

The part 13 has parallel integral flat ribs 42 which enter into the respective grooves for pressing the conductors 28 against the barbs to cause the barbs 34 to engage the cores 30.

Claims

1. An electric connector comprising co-operable parts providing a socket for receiving an electric plug, electric contacts mounted in one part having portions for contacting respective contacts in the plug, the parts defining a mouth for receipt of a cable having conductors for engaging the contacts in the one part, the parts being shaped so that movement of the parts into co-operative position urges the socket contacts into engagement with the respective conductors at first positions, the socket contact portions engaging the plug contacts nearer the mouth than the first positions.

2. An electric connector as claimed in Claim 1, in which the socket contact portions are inclined with respect to the conductors.

3. an electric connector as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, in which the socket contacts have spaced barbs for engaging the conductors, with ribs on one socket part opposite the barbs for engaging the conductors.

4. An electric connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.