Strain relief assembly

• US 6,478,609 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2000
• Issued: 11/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Original Assignee: Tyco Electronics Corporation (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Davis, Wayne Samuel, Whiteman, Robert Neil Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US09/678,422
• Time in Patent Office: 771 Days
• Field of Search: 439/470, 439/459, 439/460, 439/465, 439/467, 439/464
• US Class Current: 439/470
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5812 the cable clamping being achieved by mounting the separate part on the housing of the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/5816 for cables passing through an aperture in a housing wall, the separate part being captured between cable and contour of aperture

Abstract

A strain relief assembly (10) for an electrical connector (84) includes a connector receiving frame (12) dimensioned to receive an electrical connector (84) along an insertion axis (A); a pair of members (26, 56) hingedly secured to and extending from the frame (12), the members (26, 56) being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity (24); and at least one cable securing arm (38, 68) extending outwardly from each of the hinged members (26, 56) to a leading end. Each leading arm end is dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the cable (98).

Claims

1. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a connector receiving frame having a forward face and a rearward face perpendicular to an insertion axis, the frame being dimensioned to receive the electrical connector inserted into the frame along the insertion axis;

a pair of members hingedly secured to and extending from the frame wherein in a first, open position the members extend divergently to each other and to the axis of insertion and in a second, closed position the members extend in the same direction and substantially parallel to the insertion axis and being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the at least one cable.

2. The strain relief assembly of claim 1 wherein the hinged members are secured to the rearward face of the frame.

3. The strain relief assembly of claim 1 wherein the frame includes an opening extending through a wall of the frame dimensioned to receive a latch of the electrical connector housing.

4. The strain relief assembly of claim 3 wherein at least one of the walls includes a recessed portion proximate the latch to facilitate operation of the latch.

5. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a connector receiving frame having a forward face and a rearward face perpendicular to an insertion axis, the frame being dimensioned to receive the electrical connector inserted into the frame along the insertion axis;

a pair of members hingedly secured to and extending from the frame wherein in a first, open position the members extend divergently to each other and to the axis of insertion and in a second, closed position the members extend in the same direction and substantially parallel to the insertion axis and being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity, wherein at least one of the hinged members includes at least one protrusion extending into the wire receiving cavity defining a stop surface that prevents rearward movement of the electrical connector from the assembly upon closing the two hinged members; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the at least one cable.

6. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a connector receiving frame having a forward face and a rearward face perpendicular to an insertion axis, the frame being dimensioned to receive the electrical connector inserted into the frame along the insertion axis;

a pair of members hingedly secured to and extending from the frame wherein in a first, open position the members extend divergently to each other and to the axis of insertion and in a second, closed position the members extend in the same direction and substantially parallel to the insertion axis and being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity, wherein each of the hinged members include a hinged wall and a pair of opposed side walls such that upon securing the hinged members together the side walls of one of the members are disposed within the side walls of the other of the members; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the at least one cable.

7. The strain relief assembly of claim 6 wherein the wire receiving cavity defined by the closed hinged members has a rectangular profile.

8. The strain relief assembly of claim 6 wherein an inner surface of adjacent outer side walls and an outer surface of the inner side walls are secured together by at least one latch protrusion on one of the adjacent side walls and a cooperating latch receiving recess on the other of adjacent side walls.

9. The strain relief assembly of claim 8 wherein each latch receiving recess is elongated such that the hinged members can move substantially parallel to one another for a selected distance while remaining secured together.

10. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a dielectric member having a connector receiving portion and a wire receiving portion;

the connector receiving portion defining a frame having a forward face and a rearward face, the frame being dimensioned to receive and surround a portion of the electrical connector inserted into the frame such that a mating face of the connector extends from the forward face of the frame;

the wire receiving portion being a pair of members extending from and hingedly secured to opposite sides of the frame, the members being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end and in a direction substantially parallel to the cable when in a closed position, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the cable and be secured thereto;

whereby upon securing the hinged members together the electrical connector is held securely in the frame while permitting the position of the wires to be adjusted within the wire receiving cavity prior to securing the arms to the at least one cable thus facilitating attachment of the strain relief assembly to the connector and at least one cable.

11. The strain relief assembly of claim 10 wherein the hinged members are secured to the rearward face of the frame.

12. The strain relief assembly of claim 10 wherein each of the hinged members include a hinged wall and a pair of opposed side walls such that upon securing the hinged members together the side walls of one of the members are disposed within the side walls of the other of the members.

13. The strain relief assembly of claim 12 wherein the wire receiving cavity defined by the closed hinged members has a rectangular profile.

14. The strain relief assembly of claim 12 wherein an inner surface of adjacent outer side walls and an outer surface of the inner side walls are secured together by at least one latch protrusion on one of the adjacent side walls and a cooperating latch receiving recess on the other of adjacent side walls.

15. The strain relief assembly of claim 14 wherein each latch receiving recess is elongated such that the hinged members can move substantially parallel to one another for a selected distance while remaining secured together.

16. The strain relief assembly of claim 10 wherein the frame includes an opening extending through a wall of the frame dimensioned to receive the latch of the electrical connector housing.

17. The strain relief assembly of claim 16 wherein at least one of the walls includes a recessed portion proximate the latch to facilitate operation of the latch.

18. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a dielectric member having a connector receiving portion and a wire receiving portion;

the connector receiving portion defining a frame having a forward face and a rearward face, the frame being dimensioned to receive and surround a portion of the electrical connector inserted into the frame such that a mating face of the connector extends from the forward face of the frame;

the wire receiving portion being a pair of members extending from and hingedly secured to opposite sides of the frame, the members being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity, wherein at least one of the hinged members includes at least one protrusion extending into the wire receiving cavity defining a stop surfacc that prevents rearward movement of the electrical connector from the assembly upon closing the two hinged members; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end and in a direction substantially parallel to the cable when in a closed position, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the cable and be secured thereto;

whereby upon securing the hinged members together, the electrical connector is held securely in the frame while permitting the position of the wires to be adjusted within the wire receiving cavity prior to securing the arms to the at least one cable thus facilitating attachment of the strain relief assembly to the connector and the at least one cable.

19. A strain relief assembly for an electrical connector having a housing and a plurality of terminals terminated to respective wires of at least one cable extending from the connector, the strain relief assembly comprising:

a connector receiving frame having a forward face and a rearward face perpendicular to an insertion axis, the frame being dimensioned to receive the electrical connector inserted into and removed from the frame along the insertion axis;

a pair of members hingedly secured to and extending from the frame wherein in a first, open position the members extend divergently to each other and to the axis of insertion and in a second, closed position the members extend in the same direction and substantially parallel to the insertion axis and being securable together to define a wire receiving cavity; and

at least one cable securing arm extending outwardly from each of the hinged members to a leading end, each leading end being dimensioned to surround at least a portion of the at least one cable.