Low-voltage connector provided with an adapter, and an adapter for such a connector

• US 6,338,655 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2000
• Issued: 01/15/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Infra+ BV (CRH PLC)
• Original Assignee: Infra+ BV (CRH PLC)
• Inventors: Masse, Dominique, Nozick, Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): LUEBKE, RENEE S
• Application Number:
  US09/527,574
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 439/628, 439/638, 439/443, 439/676, 439/76.1
• US Class Current: 439/638
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals

Abstract

A low-voltage connector provided with a plurality of pins arranged in pairs, each pin being provided with a contact zone at the front of the connector, which contact zone serves to come into electrical contact when an associated connector is plugged in, and with a connection zone at the rear of the connector, which connection zone normally serves to establish electrical connection with a respective conductor wire, an adapter provided with connection means co-operating, instead of said conductor wires, with the connection zones of the pins and with contact means serving to come into electrical contact with a separate component, wherein said connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts.

Claims

1. A low-voltage connector comprising:

a plurality of pins arranged in pairs, each pin being provided with a contact zone at a front of the connector, which contact zone serves to come into electrical contact when an associated connector is plugged in, and with a connection zone at a rear of the connector, which connection zone is adapted to establish electrical connection with a respective conductor wire; and

an adapter provided with connection means co-operating with the connection zones of the pins, and also provided with contact means serving to come into electrical contact with a separate component;

wherein said connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts; and

wherein the adapter is provided with tabs that co-operate with contact holes provided in a printed circuit.

2. A connector according to claim 1, in which the insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots are directly accessible from the rear of the connector and are angularly positioned such that the pins are inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts by as plug-in movement in translation.

3. A low-voltage connector according to claim 1, in which the printed circuit constitutes the separate component, so that the connector can be mounted on a printed circuit of an appliance via said adapter.

4. A low-voltage connector comprising:

a plurality of pins arranged in pairs, each pin being provided with a contact zone at a front of the connector, which contact zone serves to come into electrical contact when an associated connector is plugged in, and with a connection zone at a rear of the connector, which connection zone is adapted to establish electrical connection with a respective conductor wire; and

an adapter provided with connection means co-operating with the connection zones of the pins, and also provided with contact means serving to come into electrical contact with a separate component;

wherein said connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts; and

wherein the low-voltage connector further comprises a printed circuit that is an integral part of the adapter.

5. A low-voltage connector comprising:

a plurality of pins arranged in pairs, each pin being provided with a contact zone at a front of the connector, which contact zone serves to come into electrical contact when an associated connector is plugged in, and with a connection zone at a rear of the connector, which connection zone is adapted to establish electrical connection with a respective conductor wire; and

an adapter provided with connection means co-operating with the connection zones of the pins, and also provided with contact means serving to come into electrical contact with a separate component;

wherein said connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts; and

in which the contact means comprises a printed circuit connected to the connection means.

6. A low-voltage connector according to claim 5, in which the printed circuit is provided with a plurality of contact zones serving to come into electrical contact with a separate connector of a different type.

7. A low-voltage connector comprising:

a plurality of pins arranged in pairs, each pin being provided with a contact zone at a front of the connector, which contact zone serves to come into electrical contact when an associated connector is plugged in, and with a connection zone at a rear of the connector, which connection zone is adapted to establish electrical connection with a respective conductor wire; and

an adapter provided with connection means co-operating with the connection zones of the pins, and also provided with contact means serving to come into electrical contact with a separate component;

wherein said connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts; and

in which each of the pins of the adapter is formed with a tab inserted into a respective contact hole provided in a printed circuit defining the contact means.

8. A low-voltage connector assembly, comprising:

a connector having a plurality of pins, each pin provided with a contact zone at a front of the connector and with a connection zone at a rear of the connector; and

an adapter provided with connection means for co-operating with the connection zones of the pins, and contact means for electrical connecting with a separate component; and

wherein the connection zones comprise insulation-displacement contacts provided with slots, and the connection means of the adapter comprise pins inserted into the slots of the insulation-displacement contacts; and

wherein the contact means is a printed circuit and the pins of the connection means are connected to the printed circuit.