GB2184899A

GB2184899A - Frame for multi-pole connectors and method for the manufacture thereof

Info

Publication number: GB2184899A
Application number: GB08629725A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Horst Griemla
Original assignee: Euscher & Co Ewald GmbH
Current assignee: Euscher & Co Ewald GmbH
Priority date: 1985-12-18
Filing date: 1986-12-12
Publication date: 1987-07-01
Also published as: FR2591814A1; IT8612595A0; IT1201685B; DE3544791A1; GB8629725D0

Abstract

In this frame for multi-pole connectors, ribs (3) are formed during the shaping of the basic unit, comprising a flange member (1) and a plug-in portion (2), the ribs being formed at the inner edge of the plug- in portion, for example, by being punched out of the corresponding bottom waste piece produced when the plug-in portion (2) is made. The ribs (3) are then bent over onto the wall of the plug-in portion (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Frame for multi-pole connectors and method for the manufacture thereof The invention relates to a frame for multi-pole connectors of the type comprising a flange member and a plug-in portion with ribs formed on it.

Frames of this type are used largely for miniature pin and socket connectors of multipole construction for plug-in arrangements in the field of electronic equipment, computers and the like. A frequent requirement here is that, in addition to the actual electrical contact between the pins and sockets, respectively, of the pin component and socket component, there should also be good contact between the frames of the connectors especially in the region of the plug-in portions of those frames.

It is also important that the frames should provide good electrical screening from tracking currents, parasitic current etc., and for this purposes one or other of the frames is usually provided with an earth connection.

In known frames of this type the ribs on the plug-in portion of the frame have generally been formed in the wall of the plug-in portion by a punching operation. For this purpose, the ribs are punched inwardly from the wall of the plug-in portion with a profiled clipping punch mounted on very complex sliding tools. After punching, the ribs are subsequently reshaped to provide each rib with a small contact bend so that they make good contact with the walls of the socket portion. It is true that this enables the ribs to make really reliable contact, but the formation of the ribs interrupts the peripheral wall of the plug-in portion in many places, so that really complete screening is no longer provided. Another disadvantage is the need to use complex tools, since the punching and subsequent reshaping of the ribs must be carried out with a profiled clipping punch on complex sliding tools.Incision also requires very strong cutting forces, which shortens the life of the cutting or punching tools.

In other known frames, nibs may be merely impressed inwardly in the wall of the plug-in portion, without the wall actually being cut or broken. The unbroken wall does therefore provide good screening, but frequently the nibs have low resilience, so that when the plug-in connection is made, it is impossible to ensure that all the nibs make adequate contact with the wall of the socket portion. This possible loss of contact is further aggravated by possible local deformations in the wall of the plug-in component during the formation of those nibs.

The present invention seeks to provide a frame of the above type which simplifies the method of manufacture, avoiding costly tools, but which at the same time ensures that complete screening is provided and that the ribs make reliable contact with the wall of the socket portion of the connector.

This is achieved, in accordance with this invention, by forming, e.g. during the initial stamping operation, integral tabs at the free end edge of the plug-in portion, those tabs thereafter being bent over substantially into contact with the wall of the plug-in portion.

Depending upon whether the plug-in member is a male or female member, those tabs may be bent inwardly or outwardly.

With this construction the wall of the plugin portion as such is not broken, so complete screening is provided. The ribs (or tabs) themselves can have adequate resilience and, given appropriate starting material, have a good spring action with very reliable contact making, through being bent over from the free end edge of the plug-in portion onto the wall thereof. Also it may be emphasised that those tabs can be cut from otherwise waste material so that the wastage of material is substantially reduced.

In a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of forming such a frame for a multi-pole connector according to claim 1, which comprises forming the flange member and the plug-in portion from a blank by a draw punching operation which results in the severing of a piece of waste material from the open end of the wall portion, wherein said tabs are formed during the draw punching operation by cutting the tabs from said piece of waste material, those tabs thereby remaining attached to the distal end of the wall portion after the severance of said piece of waste material, and wherein those tabs are subsequently bent downwardly and either inwardly or outwardly against the inner or the outer surface of the wall portion.

The tools used to produce the tabs or ribs may be of extremely simple construction and in particular may operate without slides.

Waste removal is still very simple, since there is no change in direction resulting from the formation of the ribs. Cutting forces may be kept small, so that despite the need to bend the ribs onto the wall of the plug-in portion, not only do the cutting tools have long lives but altogether higher output is obtained.

If fixed external dimensions are prescribed for the plug-in portion of the frame, and if the starting material for the frame, on the basis of the desired thickness, makes it problematic to maintain the original rib thickness for reasons of space and of the resilient behaviour of the rib, it is desirable to interpolate an operation after the ribs have been cut out of the bottom waste piece, in which the thickness of the individual ribs is reduced and they are then reshaped. The reduction in the thickness of the metal then causes the webs to spring more resiliently, so this construction helps to ensure that each inividual rib makes particu larly reliable contact with the plug-in portion of the frame of the opposing attachment. In this embodiment the ribs may also be given a small contact bend when they are reshaped.

An example of a frame according to the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame according to the invention, also showing in outline the waste piece which is normally formed during its production, and Figure 2 is a larger scale cross-section through the frame of Fig. 1.

The frame for multi-pole connectors shown in the drawings has a flange member 1, which contains holes and by which the frame can also be fixed to the connector. The frame further has a plug-in portion 2 integral with the flange member 1, and the clear space inside the portion 2 can receive the pin or socket elements of the connector components.

Ribs 3 are formed on the free end edges of the plug-in portion 2, particularly at its longitudinal sides, and are bent over onto its inner wall. In the example illustrated, as can be seen particularly from Fig. 2, the rib material is also considerably thinner than the frame material, and the ribs 3 have a small contact bend 4.

Frames of the type are normally made in a punch and draw arrangement. According to the invention the ribs 3 are initially formed as tabs on the free end edge of the plug-in portion 2 of the frame by cutting them out of the bottom waste piece, which is normally formed in the punch and draw method of frame production, as illustrated at reference 5 in Fig. 1.

After cutting the tabs are bent over onto the inner wall of the portion 2, to form the ribs 3.

For reasons of space, in order to make room for the ribs 3 inside the plug-in portion 2 without making the plug-in portion too large, and also to improve the resilient behaviour of the ribs 3, the rib material is made thinner before the ribs are bent over the wall of the plug-in portion, and where appropriate this is combined with the formation of the contact bend 4.

The example illustrated is based on a frame for a connector containing the pin component, since the ribs are normally provided on that component at the present time.

It would also be possible to provide the ribs on the frame for the socket component. In such a case the ribs 3 would have to be bent over onto the outer wall of the plug-in portion of the frame instead of the inner wall.

Claims

1. A frame for multi-pole connectors comprising an integral flange member and a plugin portion defined by an annular wall member extending outwardly from the flange member, wherein the distal edge of the annular wall member is formed with a plurality of integral tabs which are folded back against the inner or the outer surface of the wall member to form a plurality of ribs which engage between that surface and the mating surface of the complementary connector when the two are connected together.

2. A frame according to claim 1, wherein the tabs are of reduced thickness as compared with the thickness of the wall member.

3. A frame according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the tabs are formed with a contact bend intermediate the ends thereof.

4. A frame according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tabs are bent over inwardly to form ribs lying against the inner surface of the plug-in portion.

5. A frame according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the tabs are bent over outwardly to form ribs lying against the outer surface of the plug-in portion.

6. A frame according to claim 1, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A multi-pole connector comprising a frame as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A method of producing a frame for a multi-pole connector according to claim 1, which comprises forming the flange member and the plug-in portion from a blank by a draw punching operation which results in the severing of a piece of waste material from the open end of the wall portion, wherein said tabs are formed during the draw punching operation by cutting the tabs from said piece of waste material, those tabs thereby remaining attached to the distal end of the wall portion after the severance of said piece of waste material, and wherein those tabs are subsequently bent downwardly and either inwardly or outwardly against the inner or the outer surface of the wall portion.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein, before bending, the thickness of the tabs is reduced, as compared with the thickness of the wall portion.

10. A method according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the tabs are formed with a contact bend prior to or during the downward bending of those tabs against the inner or outer surface of said wall portion.