Electrical connector

• US 4,056,299 A
• Filed: 05/03/1976
• Issued: 11/01/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Unisys Corporation
• Original Assignee: Burroughs Incorporated (Terreno Realty Corp.)
• Inventors: Paige, Walter Griffin
• Primary Examiner(s): McGlynn, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US05/682,770
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 339/95, 339/113, 339/184, 339/185, 339/191-193, 339/276 F, 339/276 SF, 339/277, 339/218
• US Class Current: 439/439
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/114 co-operating with pins or blades having a square transverse section
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/65915 Twisted pair of conductors surrounded by shield
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/48185 adapted for axial insertion of a wire end
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/05 for coaxial cables

Abstract

A simple inexpensive electrical connector (and method of fabrication) for the connection of twisted pair or coaxial cable wires to adjacent pins extending from a backplane. A thin metallic strip is punched to form a plurality of pairs of flags extending from a common connector strip. The distance between the two flags of each pair is regulated to match the standard distance between terminal pins of the backplane. Each flag is punched with a central opening which forms teeth therein. The flags are preferably bent at the perimeter areas in order to form stiffening flanges and means for wire connection. Alternatively the flags are preferably encompassed by stiff plastic insulating material after the lead wires have been connected to each flag. A common connector strip which may be broken off and discarded, is used for handling with automatic equipment. A solid, reliable, durable and gastight connection is accomplished by pressing the connector over a pair of adjacent terminal pins which are bitten into by the toothed projections of the inner openings of each flag. Servicing and orderliness is facilitated since multiple sets of connectors can also be stacked on the same pair of terminal pins.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for connecting a pair of wires, each wire carrying a different voltage level, to adjacent terminal pins on a backplane, comprising:

a. a pair of conductive flags, spaced a predetermined distance apart;

b. an opening centrally located in each flag of said pair of conductive flags;

c. a pair of bifurcated strips within each of said central openings to provide teeth for biting into the surface of a terminal pin inserted through said opening;

d. an insulating cover which integrally provides a hermetic seal to said pair of conductive flags and said pair of wires while rigidly maintaining said flags a predetermined distance apart, said insulating cover having openings oriented to expose the central opening of each flag and the ends of the teeth within the opening of each of said flags;

e. said insulating cover having one end provided with a shape distinguished from the shape of the other end to readily identify one wire of the twisted pair from the other wire in order to distinguish the level of each wire in the pair of wires, thus to reliably insure the proper voltage orientation and proper connection of the wires when connected on the terminal pins of said backplane;

f. each of said openings in said hermetically insulating cover providing sufficient exposed area about the central openings of the flag and about the teeth therein to permit bending of said teeth into contact against said backplane pins.

2. An electrical connection means for connecting a pair of wires to a pair of adjacent terminal pins on the backplane of an electrical assembly comprising:

a. a pair of metallic flags each of which has a central perforated opening with bifurcated teeth pointing inwardly toward the central part of the opening, said flags being held spatially, one from the other, so that the distance between openings of the two flags exactly matches the distance between adjacent terminal pins on the said backplane;

b. insulating means hermetically sealing and rigidly holding said pair of flags a preset distance apart and having central recesses which permit exposure of said bifurcated teeth, said recesses providing sufficient space to permit said teeth to bend into cutting contact with said backplane terminal pins;

c. and wherein said insulating means is formed with an external non-symmetrical shape to permit instant recognition as to which wire of said pair of wires is connected to which terminal of said pair of terminals.