EP0057255B1 - Line connector for flat assemblies - Google Patents

Abstract

A connecting plug for printed circuit boards has a receiving part with a front cross bar having rectangular openings therein surrounded by insertion bevels and corresponding to the necessary contact count. A multiple contact strip containing contacts snaps into the receiving part. Contact insertion and a decrease in assembly is thereby facilitated. The connecting plug is suitable, in particular, for use in devices of data systems.

Description

The invention relates to an electrical cable connector for ribbon cables for connection to printed circuit boards, in particular data technology, with two housing parts designed as a receiving part and as a female connector, each of which has row-like openings that are parallel to one another and run between opposite side faces of the housing parts and serve to receive contact elements which latches on one housing part and corresponding openings in the other housing part for receiving the latches and for locking the two housing parts with each other.

Conventional cable plugs for printed circuit boards, especially in data technology, have the disadvantage that they consist of several parts that have to be glued together. The cable connector consists essentially of a receiving part and a female connector glued into it. Since the two legs of the receiving part are pressed onto the female connector during gluing, when using the female connector in its counterparts there is a relatively large amount of play. If the cable connector is tilted when plugging in or pulling out, it may happen that the contact pins of the pin header are bent. In addition, to simplify the injection mold, such plugs have no insertion bevels. Sometimes, when the cable connector is plugged into bent pins, this leads to concealments and thus to sporadic errors in operation.

Another disadvantage of such line plugs is the poor ability to equip the plug with the contact springs clamped onto the cable. So-called 50 ohm tetral lines are particularly difficult because the individual tetras should remain twisted together right up to the female connector housing. If you glue the female connector and the female part - before fitting, it is very time-consuming to insert the contact springs into the respective chambers. If the gluing takes place after equipping the female connector, handling by the connected cable is cumbersome. In addition, contact damage due to adhesive residues, adhesive vapors etc. occurs.

From US-A 4243288 an electrical connector for ribbon cables is known, which consists of a female connector and a snap-on cover part. The female connector contains passages running parallel between opposite side surfaces of the housing parts and serving to receive contact elements. In addition, locking lugs are provided on one housing part and corresponding openings in the other housing part for receiving the locking lugs and for locking the two housing parts together.

From DE-A 2 358 234 a multiple connector with a cable holder is known, which serves to relieve the strain on the connection cable. The strain relief is effected by brackets, which are however not suitable for very high tensile forces.

From DE-U 7112 653 a plug socket is known in which the socket housing is formed in two parts from a lower part and an upper part, which can be detachably connected to one another. The assembly is done by locking the two housing parts.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cable connector for printed circuit boards which is easy to manufacture and easy to install.

To achieve this object, the cable connector is designed in accordance with the invention in such a way that the bottom of the receiving part has free-standing, perpendicular to it side walls on two sides and a front transverse web that contains the openings provided for receiving the contact elements in accordance with the number of connection contacts the two side walls are each provided with an opening, to which lead-in chamfers lead from behind that the female connector consists of a cuboid part, in which square contact chambers are arranged according to the number of connection contacts so that they are inserted into the female part when the female connector is inserted come to lie immediately behind the openings of the crosspiece, that the spring strips on the side walls have latching lugs for insertion into the insertion paths and for engagement in the openings of the receiving part, and that the base part protrudes rearward beyond the side walls the part contains means for strain relief and breakthroughs for cable ties and locking heels for attaching a protective cap.

These measures result in a cable connector, the individual parts of which can be snapped in, which means that there is no need for gluing. This simplifies production, which leads to a cheaper product. In addition, the handling is cleaner.

The loose female connector can be fitted with contact springs before assembly and only then can it be brought together with the receiving part.

The insertion chamfers provided for the contact pins result in a considerable security against rear insertion.

In order to stiffen the line connector, a further embodiment provides that the female connector has step-shaped shoulders on its front top and bottom, into which stiffening ribs extending over the crosspiece engage. In order to obtain an encapsulated version of the plug, a U-shaped cover cap is provided, which is provided with latching hooks on both of its U-legs and which can be snapped laterally into recesses in the rear base part.

In the case of jacketed round cable types, the strain relief can be carried out by the fact that the means for strain relief consist of longitudinal grooves in the rear base part.

In all other cases, in addition to the grooves provided, strain relief is also possible with a half-shell-shaped bracket that can be used in the rear bottom part in locking grooves to prevent rotation.

The openings for the cable ties are attached in pairs opposite to the grooves, so that the cable can be fed in both in the direction of insertion and at an angle of 90 ° to it, which is only possible by moving the trestle.

• Fig. 1 das Aufnahmeteil und die Federleiste im nicht verrasteten Zustand,
• Fig. 2 Aufnahmeteil und Federleiste im verrasteten Zustand sowie Bock- und Abdeck-Kappe in Explosivzeichnung dargestellt.

The invention is explained in more detail using the exemplary embodiments according to FIGS. 1 and 2. Show it:

• 1 the receiving part and the female connector in the unlocked state,
• Fig. 2 receiving part and female connector shown in the locked state and jack and cover cap shown in an exploded view.

1 shows a 27-pin cable connector, but any other number of poles can also be generated. The receiving part 1 consists of a bottom part 13 and the side walls 16 and the crosspiece 17. The crosspiece 17 has three rows of square plug-in openings 3, each of which is provided with insertion bevels, and stiffening ribs 4 running over it. Openings 5 are located on the side walls 16, to which chamfered insertion tracks 18 lead at the beginning. The base part 13 projects beyond the two side walls 16 and longitudinal grooves 10 are provided in this protruding part for the strain relief if no bracket 14 is required. The longitudinal grooves can be provided in a trough-shaped recess for better security against twisting of the cable. Also in this part openings 9 are provided for the cable ties. On the sides, the projecting part contains latching shoulders 12 for receiving a cover cap 15.

The female connector 2 consists of a cuboid part that contains three rows of contact chambers 6, which come into contact with the receiving part 1 immediately behind the plug-in openings 3. On the narrow sides of the female connector, locking lugs 7 are arranged, which are guided in the guideways 18 when inserted into the receiving part until they snap into the opening 5.

Before the spring bar 2 snaps into the bottom part 1, the contact springs attached to the feed wires are inserted into the spring bar from behind, which considerably simplifies the assembly. The female connector is only snapped into the receiving part 1 after it has been fitted with the spring contacts.

In Fig. 2 the engaged state of the receiving part 1 and female connector 2 is already shown. In addition, the half-shell-shaped bracket 14 is shown, which is provided for lines for which the strain relief with the help of the grooves 10 is not sufficient. In order to obtain an encapsulated version of the line connector, a U-shaped cap 15 can be snapped onto the rear part of the bottom 13, the leg parts of the cap having inwardly bent latching hooks 20 which engage in the latching shoulders 12 of the rear bottom part 13 and clasp the bottom part from below. The trestle can also contain longitudinal grooves for better security against twisting of the cable. The slot in the rear bottom part of the cable connector is insulator-shaped. The plastic sheath of the cable can be easily spread out, which significantly increases the pull-out force for the cable.

Claims (7)

1. An electrical connecting plug for flat cables for the connection to flat assemblies, in particular in data technology, comprising two housing parts which are in the form of a reception part (1) and a spring strip (2) and which in each case have square openings (3) which are arranged in lines and extend in parallel between opposite side walls (16) of the housing parts and serve to accommodate contact elements, and which housing parts have catches (7) on one housing part of corresponding openings (5) in the other housing part to accommodate the catches (7) and to interlock the two housing parts, characterised in that on two sides the base (13) of the reception part (1) has free-standing side walls (16), which extend at right angles thereto, and a front cross-piece (17) which includes the openings (3) which are provided in accordance with the number of the connection contacts and serve to receive the contact elements; that the two side walls (16) are each provided with an opening (5), to which lead insertion paths (18) for the catches (7), which are chamfered forwards from the rear; that the spring strip (2) consists of a parallelepiped- shaped part in which square contact chambers (6) are arranged in accordance with the number of the connection contacts, in such a way that upon insertion of the spring strip into the reception part (1), they lie directly behind the openings of the cross-piece (17); that on its side walls, the spring strip (2) has catches (7) for insertion into the insertion paths (18) and for engagement into the openings (5) of the reception part (1); and that in a part which protrudes backwardly over the side walls (6), the base (13) comprises means (10) for traction relief and openings (9) for cable ties, as well as locking interruptions (12) for positioning a protective cap (15).

2. A connecting plug as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that at its front upper and lower sides, the spring strip (2) has stepped interruptions (8), into which engage bracing ribs (4) which extend over the cross-piece (17).

3. A connecting plug as claimed in one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that there is provided a U-shaped covering cap (15) which is provided with locking hooks (20) on the two flanks (19) of the U which can laterally snap into recesses (12) on the rear base part (13).

4. A connecting plug as claimed in one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the traction relief means consist of longitudinal grooves (10) in the rear base part (13).

5. A connecting plug as claimed in Claim 4, characterised in that the longitudinal grooves (10) are arranged in a trough-shaped recess.

6. A connecting plug as claimed in one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the traction relief means consist of a support (15) which is shaped like a half shell and is likewise provided with longitudinal grooves.

7. A connecting plug as claimed in one of the preceding Claims, characterised in that the openings (9) for the cable ties are arranged in pairs opposite the grooves (10) for traction relief.

Images