Electrical connector assembly having a grounding clip

• US 6,164,986 A
• Filed: 01/15/1999
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Frantz, Robert H., Koegel, Keith S., Whiteman, Robert Neil Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sircus, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US09/231,249
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: 439/98, 439/95, 439/610, 439/578, 439/709, 439/701, 439/469, 174/35 C, 174/36
• US Class Current: 439/98
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/658 High frequency shielding arrangements, e.g. against EMI [Electro-Magnetic Interference] or EMP [Electro-Magnetic Pulse] coaxial coupling devices specially adapted for high frequency H01R24/40; for flat or ribbon cable connectors H01R12/774; for coaxial cable H01R9/05
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6582 with resilient means for engaging mating connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6592 the conductive member being a shielded cable

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electrical connector assembly having a connector housing for terminating wires from a shielded cable. The cable has shielding therearound. A grounding clip commons the shielding from the cable. The ground clip has an opening through which the cable extends with tabs therein to provide electrical connection to the shielding of the cable and electrical engagement tabs to provide engagement with an adjacent structure. An overmolded housing is molded over the cable and the grounding clip, wherein the electrical engagement tabs extend above and below the overmolded housing.

Claims

1. A grounding clip for an opening in an enclosure, comprising:

a conductive member having two halves for providing an electrical connection between shielding of a shielded cable and a conductive portion of an adjacent article, the conductive member having a main body including first and second sections;

the first section being substantially planar and having at least one cable receiving opening extending therethrough, the opening being in electrical engagement with the shielding of the cable and providing electrical connection between the shielding and the conductive member;

the second section being adapted to be electrically connected to the conductive portion of the adjacent article; and

each half including interlocking members that engage cooperating members on the other half upon the halves being brought together and into electrical engagement with the shielding of the cable.

2. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein the two halves are identical to each other.

3. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein the second section comprises a plurality of tabs extending straight outwardly from edges of the planar first portion.

4. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein second section comprises a plurality of bent tabs extending outwardly from edges of the planar first portion with adjacent tabs being bent in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween.

5. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein the first section of the conductive member has at least two cable receiving openings through which two individual cables are received.

6. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein the first section of the conductive member and the shielded cable are overmolded so that the second sections are exposed at a surface of the overmolding, such that the grounding clip provides shielding within the opening and the overmolding provides sealing within the opening.

24. The grounding clip of claim 1, wherein the interlocking members of the halves are cooperating latching arms and securing arms, such that upon securing the halves together, the latching arms on one of the halves engage respective ones of the cooperating securing arms on the other of the halves.

7. A grounding clip, comprising:

two halves to be secured together and in electrical engagement around a shielded cable, each half including a body portion having first and second sections, the first section being a planar portion adapted to form at least one opening therethrough upon the halves being secured together, each half including interlocking members that engage cooperating members on the other half upon the halves being brought together and into electrical engagement with the shielding of the cable;

the second section of each of the halves having an electrical engagement section disposed along one side thereof to provide electrical engagement to an adjacent article along a top and a bottom of the assembled grounding clip.

8. The grounding clip of claim 7, wherein the two halves are identical to each other.

9. The grounding clip of claim 7, wherein the electrical engagement section is a plurality of tabs that extend straight outwardly from a main body of the grounding clip.

10. The grounding clip of claim 7, wherein the electrical engagement section is a plurality of bent tabs that extend outwardly from edges of the firs portion with adjacent tabs being bent in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween.

11. The grounding clip of claim 8, wherein the interlocking members for each of the halves are cooperating latching arms and securing arms, such that upon securing the halves together, the latching arms on one of the halves engage respective ones of the cooperating securing arms on the other of the halves.

12. The grounding clip of claim 11, wherein one end of each latching arm has a resilient latch thereon and the other end has a latching portion defining a slot adapted to receive the latch therein, such that upon inserting the latch of one half into the slot of the other half, the halves are secured together.

13. The grounding clip of claim 11, wherein the latching arm has a resilient latch thereon and the securing arm has an opening therein, the resilient latch engaging the opening to secure the halves together.

14. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:

a connector housing for terminating wires from a shielded cable;

a grounding clip for providing an electrical connection between shielding from a shielded cable and a conductive portion of an adjacent article, the grounding clip being a conductive member formed from two halves and having a main body including first and second sections, the first section being substantially planar and having a cable receiving opening extending therethrough for establishing electrical connection with the shielding, the opening further including a plurality of ground tabs for electrically engaging the shielding and a second section including a plurality of electrical engagement tabs to provide electrical engagement with an adjacent structure, each half including interlocking members that engage cooperating members on the other half upon the halves being brought together and into electrical engagement with the shielding of the cable.

15. The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the two halves are identical to each other.

16. The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the electrical engagement tabs extend straight upwardly from a main body of the grounding clip.

17. The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the electrical engagement tabs are bent with adjacent electrical engagement tabs extending in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween.

18. The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the assembly comprises at least two connector housings, at least one stacked on top of at least one other and at least two grounding clips for two of the cables, one of the grounding clips having electrical engagement tabs that extend straight upwardly from a main body of the grounding clip, the other of the grounding clips having electrical engagement tabs that are bent with adjacent electrical engagement tabs extending in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween the electrical engagement tabs that extend straight being received into the slot between the bent electrical engagement tabs to electrically engage the grounding clips.

25. The electrical connector assembly of claim 14, wherein the interlocking members of the halves are cooperating latching arms and securing arms, such that upon securing the halves together, the latching arms on one of the halves engage respective ones of the cooperating securing arms on the other of the halves.

19. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:

a connector housing for terminating wires from a shielded cable;

a cable having shielding therearound;

a grounding clip for electrically connecting the shielding from the cable to a conductive portion of an adjacent article, the grounding clip being a conductive member formed of two halves and having first and second sections, the first section being substantially planar and having an opening through which the cable extends with tabs therein to provide electrical connection to the shielding of the cable and the second section having electrical engagement tabs to provide engagement with an adjacent structure;

each half including interlocking members that engage cooperating members on the other half upon the halves being brought together and into electrical engagement with the shielding of the cable; and

an overmolded housing molded over the cable and the grounding clip, wherein the electrical engagement tabs are exposed above and below the overmolded housing.

20. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the two halves are identical to each other.

21. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the electrical engagement tabs extend straight upwardly from a main body of the grounding clip.

22. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the electrical engagement tabs are bent, adjacent electrical engagement tabs extend in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween.

23. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the assembly comprises two connector housings, one stacked on top of the other and two grounding clips for two of the cables, one of the grounding clips having electrical connection tabs that extend straight and upwardly from a main body of the grounding clip, the other of the grounding clips having electrical engagement tabs that are bent with adjacent electrical engagement tabs extend in opposite directions to form a slot therebetween the electrical engagement tabs that extend straight are received into the slot between the bent electrical engagement tabs to electrically connect the grounding clips.

26. The electrical connector assembly of claim 19, wherein the interlocking members of the halves are cooperating latching arms and securing arms, such that upon securing the halves together, the latching arms on one of the halves engage respective ones of the cooperating securing arms on the other of the halves.