EP0399074A1 - Elektrischer Verbinder - Google Patents

Elektrischer Verbinder Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0399074A1
EP0399074A1 EP89109391A EP89109391A EP0399074A1 EP 0399074 A1 EP0399074 A1 EP 0399074A1 EP 89109391 A EP89109391 A EP 89109391A EP 89109391 A EP89109391 A EP 89109391A EP 0399074 A1 EP0399074 A1 EP 0399074A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
terminal
connector
housings
connecting device
links
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP89109391A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Ted Ju
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to EP89109391A priority Critical patent/EP0399074A1/de
Publication of EP0399074A1 publication Critical patent/EP0399074A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R31/00—Coupling parts supported only by co-operation with counterpart
    • H01R31/06—Intermediate parts for linking two coupling parts, e.g. adapter

Definitions

  • This invention relates to electrical connectors.
  • Electrical connectors are used very extensively for connecting multi-way cables to electrical equipment and joining cables. There are many different conventions as to which type of connector be used and even in the case of standard connectors, there are many different ways in which the pins are connected. Even where the pin configuration is standardized, a cable end or a piece of equipment may present either a "male” connector or a “female” connector. Because of this lack of standardization, there is a need for an adaptor which can be plugged into electical equipment or into a cable termination and which presents a connector of a different type or of a different pin configuration for connection to the cable.
  • the adaptor would have two "female" connectors, one for connection to the equipment and one for connection to the cable.
  • Switching devices Connectors that convert from a "male” type connector to a “female” type connector are referred to below as "switching devices". It is known to produce a switching device by connecting the individual terminal posts of one connector with the corresponding terminal posts of a like connector with small pieces of wire which are soldered on the terminals. The whole assembly is then encapsulated to protect the connections, usually by a hard setting resin or other insulating plastics material. The process of manufacturing the switching device is therefore complicated. It needs to be done by a relatively skilled worker so the cost is higher and production capacity is correspondingly low. It is also easy for errors to occur in the connection of the terminals and therefore the reject rate is high. All these factors lead to difficulty in the mass production of such devices.
  • FIG. 1 Another known arrangement is that shown below in Figure 1.
  • two insulating plastic blocks C and D are inserted between insulated housings which accommodate the respective sets of terminals of the two connectors of the switching device.
  • These insulating blocks contain grooves which house and support a plurality of connecting links.
  • Each of these connecting links has one end that forms a terminal of one connector of the switching device while the opposite end forms a terminal in the other connecting block.
  • a centre portion having a kink which effects the necessary lateral displacement to enable the connecting link to appear in the correct place in both of the electrical connectors. It would not be possible for the conductive links to pass straight through the switching device without a lateral displacement because this would then result in one of the connectors being a mirror image of the other.
  • This switching device has received considerable acceptance in industry and has a lower cost of assembly than the earlier arrangements. It is also more compact. Even this arrangement, however, is not compact enough for some applications and the object of the present invention is to provide a switching device which is even more compact and has a simpler construction than the device of Figure 1.
  • the invention also has a wider application than that of switching devices. For example, essentially the same construction can be used to produce a connector which converts from one pin configuration to another pin configuration. It could convert from a "male" connector to a "female” connector as with the switching device or it could preserve the same type of connector but provide only a crossover of certain terminals. Such an application may be necessary for example in the case of two-way data communication where it is necessary to connect a "receive" line to a "transmit" line.
  • a connecting device having formed on respective surface areas thereof at least a first and a second multi-terminal connector, and having a plurality of conductive links each forming at a first end a terminal of the first multi-terminal connector and at a second end a terminal of the second multi-terminal connector, each link also having a centre portion joining the first and second terminals said centre portion of at least one link also effecting a lateral displacement of the axis of the link between the terminal at its first end and the terminal at its second end with respect to the other links, the first and the second connector each having a housing of an insulating material with a plurality of bores to accept the terminals, means for fastening the first and second housings together thereby trapping the links in position, characterized in that the first and second housings are arranged to abut and there is provided at least one channel in at least one of the abutting surfaces of the housings to form a cavity between the housings to accommodate the centre portion of the or each link that has
  • the connecting device is a switching device.
  • Advantages accruing include a reduction in the total volume of the connector, reduction in manufacturing complexity, decrease in costs, all leading to greater convenience and acceptance by the user.
  • the convenience in manufacturing and reduced cost generally arises from the elimination of the two switching blocks C and D in the prior art arrangement shown in Figure 1.
  • Optional features of the invention are set out in the claims below that follow claim 1.
  • each terminal will require means for fastening the various components together. Most suitably, this would consist of a metal cover or a metal frame which traps the various components of the connector assembly together. Alternatively, screw or wire clip fastenings may be provided. Connectors also often have locating arrangements. Such arrangements are well-known to the man skilled in the art and will not be described in detail below.
  • Figures 2 and 3 show a "switching device" for switching from a "female” connector to a "male” connector.
  • Two housings 1, 1′ each of an insulating plastics material have a number of circular cross section bores 12.
  • the bores 12 are arranged in two staggered rows.
  • the housings fit back-to-back and the bores form holes out of which protrude respective sets of male terminals 21, 22 as can be seen more clearly in Figure 3.
  • one housing 1 is identical to the other housing 1′.
  • one of the housings 1,1′ is upside down with respect to the other.
  • the assembled switching device therefore consists of two back-to-back connectors each with identical pin layouts but upside down with respect to each other.
  • each terminal of one connector of the switching device is unitary with the corresponding terminal 22 of the other connector, together forming a conductive link 2.
  • a central portion 23 at right angles to the terminals 21, 22.
  • This central portion 23 provides the necessary lateral displacement of the pin so that the terminals in the two connectors of the switching device are in the correct positions.
  • the left hand terminal on the row of four terminals on the connector facing to the right in Figure 2 connects via the link 2 to the left hand terminal of the row of four terminals of the left facing connector, (when viewed upside down so that the row of four is uppermost).
  • all of the conductive links 2 are identical and can therefore be mass produced prior to assembly of the device. They may suitably be stamped from a single piece of metal or formed from cylindrical bars for the terminals 21, 22 and sheet metal from the central section 23, and rivetted together.
  • the housings 1,1′ also have a number of grooves 13 in the inwardly facing surfaces. When the housings 1, 1′ are assembled these grooves form a concave space between the housings.
  • the grooves are sufficiently wide and deep to accommodate the central portion of the link 2, and each one runs from a respective bore 12 in one housing to a position opposite the corresponding bore in the other housing.
  • the walls between the concave spaces 13 serve to hold the connective links in place and provide insulation between them. This can be seen clearly from Figure 3.
  • FIG. 4 there is shown a switching device with "female” connectors.
  • a switching device with "female” connectors.
  • Such a device would connect a "male” terminal on electrical equipment to a "male” terminal on a cable.
  • the spaces 13′ which accommodate the central portion of the conductive links in this embodiment are in the form of a narrower channel formed in the bottom of a larger recess in the surface of the plastic housing 1, 1′.
  • a separating flange 14 is provided to isolate the compartment containing one conductive link from that containing an adjacent conductive link.
  • This separating flange can best be seen from Figure 5.
  • the conductive links 2 may suitably be formed of sheet metal stamped and crimped as appropriate.
  • the bores in this arrangement have inwardly facing counterbores which accommodates the "female” type terminals, and presents circular cross section holes 12′ on the outer surfaces to allow admission of the "male" terminals of a mating connector.
  • Figures 6 and 7 illustrate a type of switching device using "female" connectors of the double prong type.
  • Each connector has two free ends 211, 212.
  • This type of terminal can very conveniently be stamped from sheet metal.
  • the bores in the plastic housings 1, 1a are slot shaped on the side that abuts the other respective housing so as to accommodate the lamina terminal pins 21, 211, 212 and circular on the outer ends 121 to accept the pins of the electrical equipment or cable as appropriate.
  • the use of flat conductive links 2 as shown in Figures 6 and 7 has the additional advantage that the channels 13 can be made as thin slots. The thinness of the material is not limited by the diameter of the connecting pins in this case. This has the additional advantage of ease of manufacture while at the same time providing a better insulating between adjacent pins.
  • a connecting device may be constructed in which the channels for the central portions of the conductive links are provided in only one of the insulating housings. It is also envisaged that the abutting surfaces of the housings be profiled with a series of ridges and grooves to help location of the two housings during assembly. The surfaces of the housings may also be profiled axially to stagger the abutting surfaces at adjacent pins so as to increase the insulation distance between adjacent conductive links.
  • the construction described above in respect of switching devices also be used in devices where a change in pin configuration is desired.
  • the arrangment of the channels would be adapted to suit the changed configuration desired.
  • the links may not all be identical.
  • the links may not all be identical.
  • the two connectors of the connecting device be side by side or one above the other with the connecting links running in channels from one to the other.
  • one of the housings would also include a rear wall member disposed to abut the rear of the other housing, then to confine the conductive links. This rear wall member may be a separate component abutting the rear of both housings.
  • the two housings be of different configurations and/or one be of "male" type and the other of "female" type.

Landscapes

  • Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
EP89109391A 1989-05-24 1989-05-24 Elektrischer Verbinder Withdrawn EP0399074A1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP89109391A EP0399074A1 (de) 1989-05-24 1989-05-24 Elektrischer Verbinder

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP89109391A EP0399074A1 (de) 1989-05-24 1989-05-24 Elektrischer Verbinder

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0399074A1 true EP0399074A1 (de) 1990-11-28

Family

ID=8201403

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89109391A Withdrawn EP0399074A1 (de) 1989-05-24 1989-05-24 Elektrischer Verbinder

Country Status (1)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0399074A1 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023014485A1 (en) * 2021-08-03 2023-02-09 Panduit Corp. Single pair ethernet coupler and adapter

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2344209A1 (de) * 1973-09-01 1975-03-13 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Zweipoliger zwischenstecker
US4618196A (en) * 1985-05-30 1986-10-21 Itt Corporation Gender reversal connector
DE8815342U1 (de) * 1987-12-29 1989-02-23 Ming Fortune Industry Co., Ltd., Hsin Tien, Taipeh Vorrichtung zum Umsetzen elektrischer Verbindungen

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE2344209A1 (de) * 1973-09-01 1975-03-13 Bbc Brown Boveri & Cie Zweipoliger zwischenstecker
US4618196A (en) * 1985-05-30 1986-10-21 Itt Corporation Gender reversal connector
DE8815342U1 (de) * 1987-12-29 1989-02-23 Ming Fortune Industry Co., Ltd., Hsin Tien, Taipeh Vorrichtung zum Umsetzen elektrischer Verbindungen

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2023014485A1 (en) * 2021-08-03 2023-02-09 Panduit Corp. Single pair ethernet coupler and adapter
US11799232B2 (en) 2021-08-03 2023-10-24 Panduit Corp. Single pair ethernet coupler and adapter

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