Umbilical cable assembly

• US 6,688,894 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AMT Capital, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Caltek Corporation
• Inventors: Knox, William H. Jr., Calligan, William E. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US10/313,046
• Publication Number:
  US 20030119355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.1, 439/686, 439/687, 439/694, 439/695, 439/696, 439/502, 439/466, 439/468
• US Class Current: 439/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2071/006 Provisions for user interfaces for electrical protection devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 71/123 using a solid-state trip unit circuits H02H
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 11/03 characterised by the relationship between the connecting locations H01R11/11 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6658 on printed circuit board H01R13/6666 - H01R13/6691 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6666 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/713 the switch being a safety switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 31/005 Intermediate parts for distributing signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 33/95 with fuse; with thermal switch
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/2641 with built-in overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/006 Calibration or setting of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 3/05 with means for increasing reliability, e.g. redundancy arrangements for logic circuits H03K19/003
• CPC Class Codes: H02H 7/08 for dynamo-electric motors

Abstract

The specification and drawings describe and show one embodiment of the present invention in the form of an umbilical cable connector, including a multi-pin plug connector at one end of a multi-wire insulated cable and a multi-socket connector at the other end. The invention can be used for remote control of various electronic and electrical components using programmable controllers. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure.

Claims

1. An umbilical cable assembly comprising:

a male multi-pin plug connector electrically connected to a multi-wire cable at one end of said cable and a multi-socket connector electrically connected to an opposite end of said multi-wire cable;

the male multi-pin plug connector including a housing with an open side, the housing holding a circuit board, the circuit board including at least one row of a plurality of parallel oriented pins directed toward the open side, each row of the plurality of parallel oriented pins defining a male stacking header, and a mating housing cover which couples with the housing to encapsulate said circuit board;

the mating housing cover having an opening aligned with the at least one row of the plurality of pins such that when the mating housing cover and the housing containing the circuit board are coupled, the male stacking header is visible through the at least one opening, the at least one opening further being sized to receive a component'"'"'s corresponding multi-pin socket connector, and the free ends of the pins in the male stacking header further being recessed from an exposed surface of the mating housing cover to prevent contact by a user with the free ends of the pins;

the multi-socket connector including a housing with an open side, the housing holding a circuit board, the circuit board including at least one row of a plurality of parallel oriented sockets directed from the circuit board toward the open side, each row of the plurality of parallel oriented sockets defining a female stacking socket, and a mating housing cover which couples with the housing to encapsulate said circuit board; and

the mating housing cover having an opening aligned with the at least one row of the plurality of parallel oriented sockets such that when the mating housing cover and the housing containing the circuit board are coupled, the female stacking socket extends through the at least one opening, the multi-socket connector being formed to mate with another component'"'"'s corresponding multi-pin plug connector.

2. The cable assembly according to claim 1, wherein the multi-pin plug connector housing and the multi-socket connector housing, each further comprise wire-way means for sleeving the cable into each connector and for securing the cable to each connector, the wire-way means including a channel portion through which the cable can be sleeved through and into the housing for electrically connecting the cable wires to the circuit board and the housing cover further having an extended portion that covers said channel portion and secures the cable passing through said channel portion.

3. The cable assembly according to claim 2, wherein the channel portion further includes at least one raised portion on an inner surface of the channel portion, the raised portion for facilitating gripping of an insulation cover for the cable passing through said channel portion when said housing cover is secured to the housing.