Electrical connector strain relief with shield ground for multiple cables

• US 5,855,493 A
• Filed: 10/20/1997
• Issued: 01/05/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Shelly, Christopher Warren
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/954,538
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 431/465, 431/579, 431/460, 431/469, 431/686, 431/687, 431/701, 431/731
• US Class Current: 439/465
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/512 assembled by screw or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/516 Means for holding or embracing insulating body, e.g. casing , hoods
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6275 Latching arms not integral with the housing H01R13/6276, H01R13/6277, H01R13/6278 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6588 with through openings for individual contacts
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6593 the shield being composed of different pieces

Abstract

A cable connector (20) for terminating a plurality of cables (26) in a clamping manner and matable with a complementary connector (10). Cable connector (20) includes a housing (32) and a backshell subassembly (62) having a pair of covers (66,68) and a pair of inserts (70,72) and can include a ground assembly (120) for gang termination of ferrule-terminated braid portions of shielded signal cables. Ground assembly (120) includes a commoning strip (122) compressed between ferrules (58) of the two rows of cables (26), and further includes a conductor (124) extending to a ground terminal (128) in housing (32).

Claims

1. An electrical connector for terminating a plurality of electrical cables, comprising:

a housing including a plurality of passageways for receipt thereinto of respective terminals terminated onto signal conductors of the cables; and

a backshell subassembly including a pair of opposed covers securable about a rearward end of said housing and fastenable to each other to surround end portions of said cables extending rearwardly of said terminals in said housing passageways, with portions of said backshell subassembly adapted to clamp said cables upon said covers being fastened to each other;

said covers upon being fastened together defining a housing-receiving cavity at forward ends thereof between inner cover surfaces, with at least one said cover including a section at said forward end thereof adapted to cooperate with a complementary section of said housing rearward end to enable affixing said housing to said one cover in an interference fit without discrete fasteners to hold said housing fixed in position to said one cover thus facilitating assembly of said terminated cable ends into said connector, said complimentary section of said housing being an undercut rib.

2. The connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said covers each include a pair of spaced-apart transverse ribs along said inner surface thereof spaced inwardly from said forward end thereof, and said housing rearward end includes a transverse rib along opposed outer surfaces associated with said inner cover surfaces and shaped and dimensioned to be assuredly held between said transverse ribs of said covers in a snug fit.

3. The cable connector as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one transverse rib of said housing and said one cover extend along side wall portions of both thereof adjacent said outer surfaces of said housing and adjacent said inner surface of said one cover respectively whereby said housing is fixable in position to said one cover during assembly.

4. The cable connector as set forth in claim 3 wherein both said transverse ribs of said housing and both said covers extend along side wall portions of both thereof adjacent said outer surfaces of said housing and adjacent said inner surfaces of said covers, respectively, whereby said housing is fixable in position to either one of said covers during assembly and said covers may be hermaphroditic.

5. An electrical connector for terminating a plurality of shielded electrical cables disposed in two rows, comprising:

a housing including a plurality of passageways for receipt thereinto of respective terminals terminated onto signal conductors of the cables; and

a backshell subassembly including a pair of covers fastenable to each other and securable to a rearward end of said housing and around end portions of said cables rearwardly of said terminals in said housing passageways;

said backshell subassembly further including a pair of inserts securable between said covers along inner surfaces thereof rearwardly from said housing, with each said insert associated with a respective row of said cables and including grooves therealong for holding and positioning respective cables, and said inserts being adapted to clampingly engage said cables upon said covers being fastened to each other; and

a ground assembly including an elongate conductive strip electrically connected to a ground terminal insertable into a said passageway of said housing, said elongate conductive strip extending transversely with respect to said backshell subassembly to be disposed between said two rows of shielded cables compressed against conductive ferrules crimped to shields of each said cable, thereby establishing a ground circuit between the shield of each said cable and said ground terminal.

6. The cable connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein said elongate commoning strip is resilient to conform to adjacent surfaces of said conductive ferrules upon full connector assembly.

7. The cable connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein each said cover including a pair of spaced-apart transverse ribs along said inner surface thereof spaced inwardly from said forward end thereof, and said housing rearward end including a transverse rib along opposed outer surfaces associated with said inner cover surfaces and shaped and dimensioned to be assuredly held between said transverse ribs of said covers in a snug fit.

8. The cable connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said transverse ribs of said housing and said covers extend along side wall portions of both thereof adjacent said outer surfaces of said housing and adjacent said inner surfaces of said covers, respectively.

9. The cable connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein said ground assembly includes an elongate conductor extending to said ground terminal, and further includes a terminal interconnecting said elongate conductor and said elongate commoning strip.

10. The cable connector as set forth in claim 9 wherein a pocket is defined between a said insert and an associated said cover for containing said interconnecting terminal.

11. The cable connector as set forth in claim 10 wherein said insert includes said pocket, and said pocket is dimensioned and shaped to receive said interconnecting terminal in an interference fit.

12. The cable connector as set forth in claim 5 wherein forward portions of said grooves of each said insert are defined between projections extending toward the other said insert during connector assembly, with said grooves and projections of each said insert being laterally offset from those of the other said insert for each said projection of each said insert to be opposed from a said forward groove portion of the other said insert, and with each said projection concluding in a cable-engaging surface adapted to engage a portion of an insulated signal conductor portion of a said cable received into an opposed forward groove portion of the other said insert.

13. The cable connector as set forth in claim 12 wherein central ones of said projections of each said insert are slightly elevated with respect to other ones of said projections to initially extend farther toward the other said insert than said other projections.

14. The cable connector as set forth in claim 13 is resilient and at least slightly compressible.

15. The cable connector as set forth in claim 14 wherein said covers and said inserts are so shaped and dimensioned to permit bowing thereof centrally of their respective side walls upon full connector assembly about said cables to compress said elongate commoning strip against all said conductive ferrules terminated to said shields of said cables for assured grounding thereof.

16. An electrical connector for terminating a plurality of electrical cables, comprising:

a housing including a plurality of passageways for receipt thereinto of respective terminals terminated onto signal conductors of the cables; and

a backshell subassembly including a pair of opposed covers securable about a rearward end of said housing and fastenable to each other to surround end portions of said cables extending rearwardly of said terminals in said housing passageways, with portions of said backshell subassembly adapted to clamp said cables upon said covers being fastened to each other;

said covers upon being fastened together defining a housing-receiving cavity at forward ends thereof between inner cover surfaces, with at least one said cover including a section at said forward end thereof adapted to cooperate with a complementary section of said housing rearward end to enable affixing said housing to said one cover, said section of said forward end of said cover engaging said complementary section of said housing securely, the engagement of said section at said forward end of said cover and said section of housing forms an interference fit and secures said cover to said housing.