JPH0228235B2 - - Google Patents

Abstract

An assembly (10) for effecting interconnection of like gender connectors (78, 80) on the ends of existing cables (82, 84) or between a cable and an equipment panel is formed by a pair of connectors (12, 14) of the same gender terminating opposite ends of a short length of multi conductor cable (16). The connectors (12, 14) are fixed in a back-to-back condition with the cable (16) and the gap between the connector enclosed in cover members (70, 72). The thus formed assembly can be used to mate cables and equipment having connectors of like gender which must be mated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides connectors of the same sex, such as two male connectors each terminating cable assemblies, or two male connectors, one terminating a cable assembly and the other attached to a panel. This invention relates to a connector that allows two female connectors to be connected to each other.

Main and peripheral cabling often requires the interconnection of already installed connectors of the same sex. These mutual connections can be made by reprocessing the joint end of one cable and attaching a connector of a different gender, but in general, interconnections between the main device and peripheral devices are made by replacing the connector at the end of the cable. The work is not always convenient because it is performed somewhere in an area where access to the equipment is not always available. Additionally, this method not only has problems with the use of termination tools and extra connectors of the appropriate type and gender;
Cable length loss due to connector replacement can also be a significant problem.

It is known in the telephone industry to use connectors that allow multiple terminations of a single cable to be made at a single location. An example is US Pat.
No. 3,963,300 and US Pat. No. 4,032,211 which shows a so-called half-tap that joins two connectors into a single cable. However, both of these termination schemes have the same type of connector at the free end of the cable. Examples of half tap configurations can also be found in US Pat. Nos. 3,876,276 and 4,236,977.

The present invention provides a gender converting connector consisting of a pair of identical connectors which are assembled back to back by terminating both ends of a short flat cable and encapsulated in a single housing. It is preferable that both of the two connectors of the gender conversion connector are plug type or socket type connectors, and that insulation penetration type cable termination technology is used. The cable may be a multiconductor flat flexible cable or a multiconductor ribbon cable.

The present invention will be described below with reference to embodiments illustrated in the drawings.

The illustrated gender changing connector according to the present invention uses a pair of socket connectors to mutually connect a pair of pin connectors, but the present invention uses a pair of pin connectors having the same shape to mutually connect a pair of socket connectors. It also includes using.

Gender change connector assembly 10 according to the present invention
includes a pair of receptacle connectors 12, 14 for terminating opposite ends of a short multi-conductor flat or ribbon cable 16, both of which are connected to a securing means 18.
are secured back-to-back by means of a hermaphrodite-shaped outer cover 20.

Connectors 12 and 14 are the same connector,
Each connector has a housing 22, 2 of rigid insulating material.
4, and a plurality of terminal passages 26 pass between the joint surface 28 and the back surface 30. The same number of terminals 32 are inserted into these passages 26, one by one, and each terminal 32
has a mating portion (not shown) directed toward or extending from the mating surface 28 and an insulation-penetrating conductor engaging portion 34 extending from the back surface 30. Each housing 2
2 and 24 further include cover latch means 36 and 38.
will be provided. Each connector 12, 14 also has a latch means 44, 46 and a cable receiving slot 4.
8 and a plurality of terminal receiving passages 50.

Fixation means 18 includes spacer cylinders 52, 54 having tapped holes at opposite ends to receive bolts 56, 58 and 60, 62, respectively.

The outer covers 20 are hermaphroditic and each cover 20 includes profiled side cover portions 64 having depending longitudinal flanges 66, 68 and depending end flanges 70, 72. Each end flange 70
has outwardly directed latch ears 74, and each end flange 72 has a latch slot or recess 76 for receiving a corresponding latch 74.

To construct the gender conversion connector according to the present invention, connect both ends of the short cable 16 to each connector 1.
2, 14 are terminated in a known manner and then both connectors 12, 14 are placed back to back and secured by fixing means 18 through their respective conventional mounting flanges. The assembly of the cable 16 and the connectors 12, 14 made in this way is covered with two or more covers.
0 so that the longitudinal edges of both connectors 12, 14 are gripped by their respective flanges 66, 68, and the cover portion 64 and end flanges 70, 72 secure the cable 16.
and covers the gap between both connectors 12 and 14. The assembly 10 is configured, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, with connectors 78, 80 attached to cables 82, 84 to be mated, as shown, or to a cable and a panel (not shown) of the device housing, respectively. inserted into the device. For mutual mating, simply insert the correct gender reassignment assembly 10 according to the present invention between two identical existing connectors and mate.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a sex changing connector according to the invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an assembled connector according to the invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a hermaphroditic cover used in the connector according to the present invention. 10...Gender conversion type electrical connector assembly, 1
2, 14... A pair of electrical connectors of the same sex, 16
...Multi-conductor cable, 18...Fixing means, 20...
...External cover, 26...Terminal passage, 28, 30...
...Connecting surface and back surface of connector, 32, 34...Terminal and its conductor engaging portion.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 Gender-changeable electrical connector assemblies for interconnecting cables or cables and equipment that already have connectors of the same sex that cannot be normally interconnected, each having a pair of electrical connectors of the same sex; The connector includes a housing made of an insulating material with a plurality of terminal passages passing between a mating surface and a back surface, a mating portion attached to each of the terminal passages and directed toward the mating surface, and a conductor engagement extending from the back surface. a short multi-conductor cable including the same number of terminals as the terminal passages, and having both ends terminated by both the connectors, and fixing the connectors back to back; and an outer cover for enclosing the backs of both said connectors in the assembled state.