GB2073962A - Electrical interconnect apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Electrical interconnect apparatus includes a flexible jumper 14 having a header 20 supporting the end portions of the jumper conductors so that they may be inserted into a socket arrangement 16 on a printed circuit board 10. The conductors are flattened over their central portions to improve the jumper flexibility. The end portions 18a of the conductors remote from the header are soldered in a second printed circuit board 12. A latch/pull tab 13 integrally formed with the header housing 30 cooperates with the socket arrangement. The header housing (30) is moulded over the insulative covering of the flexible conductors. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical interconnect apparatus This invention pertains generally to electrical interconnection and relates more particularly to electrical interconnect devices including flat, flexible muiticonductor cable.

United States Shieils Patent No. 3,601,755, commonly assigned herewith, sets forth an electrical jumper in widespread present use having a plurality of electrical conductors encased in an insulative covering with ends of the conductors exposed for electrical connection. The conductor end portions are of generally circular cross-section and a bridging portion extends between the end portions and is substantially more flexible than the end portions, permitting a high degree of cable bending to accommodate numerous connection applications, particularly as between or within the borders of printed circuit boards.In the making of the '755 patent jumper, the conductors of the cable are initially of constant round cross-section over their entire length and are subjected to rolling pressure thereby modifying the cross section of the bridging portion from initial round configuration to generally rectangular configuration of quite thin height and vastly expanded width.

Since the conductors of the referenced jumper are of composition responding to rolling pressure for distortion, they are generally of soft metal and the conductor end portions are suited principally for wave soldering to accommodate electrical connection. Typically, a printed circuit board is preformed with conductive pads defining aperturesforthe receipt of the jumper end portions and the end portions are inserted in such apertures and wave soldered in position. Absent such solder support thereof, the jumper end portions are readily displaced from intended alignment and have not been regarded heretofore as suitable as contact members adapted for separable connections. Such jumpers accordingly have not had usage in the area of separable flexible interconnections in printed circuit board and like applications.

The present invention has as its principal object the provision of improved flexible interconnection devices for separable electrical connection.

A more particular object of the invention is to adapt jumpers of the type discussed above to separable electrical interconnect applications.

In attaining the foregoing and other objects, the invention provides electrical interconnect apparatus inclusive of a jumper of the foregoing type having associated with at least one end portion thereof structure which is securable to the jumper without detracting from flexibility thereof, which provides support for some extent of the conductor end portions and which exposes other extents thereof for separable electrical connection. In its preferred embodiment, the invention provides a header comprised of electrically insulative material and integrally secured to and circumscribing conductor end portions and defining therethrough a supportive path in common for conductor end portions. In other aspects, the invention provides a socket memberfor securement to a printed circuit board or the like and compatible with the above-discussed header.Further, the invention provides for releasably latching the header and socket, the latching structure serving also to provide an anti-zippering release capability for the socket and header.

The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be further evident from the following detailed description and from the drawings wherein like reference numerals identify like parts throughout.

Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of the several components of a connection system of the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation schematic view of the multiconductor cable of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view as seen along plane Ill-Ill of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view as seen along plane IV-IV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of the socket of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a sectional view of a jumper assembly having the header of Figure 1 in assembly with a multiconductor cable.

Figure 7 is a partially sectioned view, showing the combination of the socket of Figure 5 and the jumper assembly of Figure 6.

Referring to Figure 1 separable electrical interconnection of printed circuit boards (PCB) 10 and 12 is provided by jumper assembly 14 and socket 16.

Assembly 14 includes jumper 19, having plural conductors 13, and header 20, inseparably joinded together.

The configuration of jumper 19 is seen in Figures 2-4. Conductor end portions 1 8a and 1 8b are bridged by flexible central portion 1sic. The end portions are of first cross-section, generally round (Figure 3) and the central portion is of second different crosssection, preferably rectangular and having one dimension greatly exceeding the other to provide enhanced bendability. As is described in detail in the referenced Shiells patent above, elongage round conductors may be flattened by rolling pressure to define the jumper configuration of Figures 2-4.For purposes of reference herein, the transition zone from flat to round cross-section is identified as jumper portion 18d, the extents of end portions within jumper insulation 22 are noted, e.g., as extent 1 8b-1, the extents of end portion outside jumper insulation 22 are noted, e.g., as extent 18b-2; and the terminal parts of end extents 1 8b-2 are noted as 18b-3. Such parts 18b-3 will be seen in Figure 1 to be disposed outwardly of header 20 and to be mutually spacedly supported linewise in ninety-degree orientation to jumper 18. Socket 16 defines circular openings 24 which are mutually spaced on centers corresponding to the spacing of parts 1 8b-3. Contact elements within the socket, discussed below, include downwardly depending tails 26a, which are wavesoldered into PCB 10.End portions 18a of jumper assembly 14 are likewise wave-soldered into conductive apertures 20 of PCB 12.

Structural detail of socket 16 and head 20 is shown in Figures 5 and 6, where these parts are shown separately, and in Figure 7 where the parts are shown in assembly.

Header 20 (Figure 6) has a jumper-terminating body 30, a latch/pull tab 32 and a flexible link 34.

Body 30 is formed on end portions 18b (Figure 2) of jumper 18, as by plastic molding, in such manner as to define interfacing surfaces 30a and 30b contiguous with jumper extents 18b-1 and 18b-2 and exclusive of terminal parts 18b-3. By such interfacing surfaces, body 30 circumscribes jumper insulation 22 without detracting from flexibility of jumper 18, e.g., engaging such insulation at jumper locations distal from bridging portion 1 8c and exposing transition portion 18d, and defines a supportive path for end portions 18b, e.g., those jumper segments running free ofjumper insulation 22 and exposed terminal parts 18b-3. Body 30 also preferably defines a chamfered or frustro-conical surface 30c adjacent and leading to jumper terminal part 18b-3 and circumscribing extent 18b-2.

Link 34 is of width (W, Figure 6) greatly less than the width of body 30 and defines a hinge as between body 30 and latch/pull tab 32. Thus, as is shown in the assembly of Figure 7, link 34 permits ready disposition of latch/pull tab 32 in horizontal posture, as opposed to vertical posture (Figure 6). Latch/pull tab 32 runs lengthwise with body 30, transversely of the direction jumper terminal parts 18b-3 (Figure 1), openings 36 being provided along such length for purposes discussed below.

Referring to Figure 5, socket 16 comprises housing 38 defining apertures 24 and provides frustro-conical surface 38a chamfered in complement to surface 30c of body 30 to be interfittable therewith. At its inward end, surface 38a is adjacent semicylindrical channel 40, bounded by housing surface 38b. Contact elements 26 are each retained in housing 38 by the registry of detent member 26b with housing surface 38c and of spring contact 26c biasingly against housing surface 38b. As noted above, tails 26a depend outwardly of housing 38 for seating in PCB 10 (Figure 1).

In Figure 7, header 20 is inserted in, and separably latched to, socket 16, respectively by interfitting of insertion registry surfaces 30c and 38a and latching surfaces 32a and 38d. Terminal part 18b-3 of conductor 18 confronts the downwardly turned end of spring contact 26c and rides atop contact 26c, being constrained by the contact and channel 40 into the illustrated terminal part disposition. Electrical continuity accordingly is established between conductive PCB pads (not shown), on PCBs 10 and 12, respectively connected to contact tails 26a and the remote ends (end portions 18a, Figure 1) of conductors 18.

By providing a rigid support for selective lengths of conductor ends, header 20 permits effective use of conductor terminals parts 18b-3 as separable contacts, despite their metallic softness. Additionally, header 20 provides rigid housing for jumper 19 by selective engagement therewith not impairing jumper flexibility.

In socket 16, contacts 26 desirably have sufficient bias to provide quite low contact resistance. Accordingly, greater insertion and retraction forces are involved and are accommodated by rigid plastic structure in both header and socket and by socket channels 40 and chamfered header exit structure. As respects retraction, i.e., separation of header and socket, latch/pull tab 32 is displaced from its Figure 7 to its Figure 6 position, openings 32a facilitating the lifting of the tab. The tab may now be pulled centrally to the right in Figure 7 to separate the parts, thus providing ready removal of the jumper terminal parts 18b-3 from socket 16 without zippering or like distorting action.

Various changes to the foregoing detailed embodiments will now be evident to those skilled in the art.

Thus, other flexible jumper configurations than the circular-rectangular cross-sectional combination may be employed, other electrical circuit means than PCBs may be interconnected, etc., without departing from the invention. The particularly shown and described interconnect device, apparatus and system are intended in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The true spirit and scope of the invention is set forth in the following claims.

Claims (11)

1. An electrical interconnect apparatus, comprising: a flat electrical cable having a plurality of elongate conductors, each including first and second opposed end portions of first cross-section and a bridging portion extending lengthwise between said end portions, and of second different cross-section and an electrically insulative covering for said cable exposing, respective first and second end extents of said first and second end portions; and an electrically insulative housing engagingly circumscribing said cable covering in registry with such conductors, first end portions and disposing such conductor bridging portions outwardly of said housing, said housing further engagingly circumscribing such conductor first end extents disposing terminal parts of said first end extents outwardly of said housing.

2. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said conductor first cross-section is generally circular and wherein said conductor second cross-section is generally rectangular.

3. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing defines chamfered structure circumscribing said conductor first end extents adjacent said terminal parts thereof.

4. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing imparts common directional change to said conductor first end portions in the course of their passage through said housing.

5. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 4 wherein said directional change is a generally orthogonal change through said housing.

6. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 1 wherein said bridging portion is bendable and further including an electrically insulative covering for said cable exposing said end portions.

7. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 1 further including a second housing separably joinable with said first-mentioned housing, said second housing defining passages for receiving said terminal parts of said conductor first end portions and including contact elements disposed in interference path in said passages for engaging said terminal parts on joinder of said first-mentioned and said second housings.

8. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 7 wherein said first-mentioned housing defines chamfered structures circumscribing said conductor first end portions adjacent said terminal arts thereof.

9. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 7 wherein said first-mentioned housing imparts common directional change to said conductor first end portions in the course of their passage through said first housing.

10. The electrical interconnect apparatus claimed in claim 9 wherein said directional change is a generally orthogonal change through said firstmentioned housing.

11. An electrical interconnect apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.