Shielded electric connector and cable assembly and method for making same

• US 7,422,480 B1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Issued: 09/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aptiv Technologies AG (Aptiv PLC)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: Esenwein, Frederick D., Musick, Steven A., Mlakar, Frederick E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gushi; Ross N
• Application Number:
  US11/788,521
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 439/877, 439/879, 439/578, 439/585
• US Class Current: 439/585
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 9/0518 Connection to outer conductor by crimping or by crimping ferrule

Abstract

A shielded electric cable assembly comprises a shielded electric cable and a shielded electric connector that has an inner terminal, an insulator and an outer shielding terminal. The inner terminal has an attachment portion that is supported on a projecting anvil of the insulator that is disposed in an intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal. The bay has an opening for a crimp tool that crimps the attachment portion of the inner terminal onto an exposed end of a conductive core of the shielded electric cable. The intermediate bay is closed by side wall flaps of the intermediate bay or by a closure shell. The crimp tool that may be part of the insulator.

Claims

1. A shielded electric connector comprising:

an inner terminal having a forward contact portion and a rearward attachment portion that includes core crimp wings,

an insulator having a forward housing and a rearward anvil that projects from a rearward end of the housing in a fixed manner,

the forward contact portion of the inner terminal being disposed in the forward housing of the insulator with the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal being supported on the rearward anvil of the insulator, and

an outer shielding terminal having a forward housing, an intermediate bay, and a rearward attachment portion,

the forward housing of the insulator being disposed in the forward housing of the outer shielding terminal with the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal and the rearward anvil of the insulator being disposed in the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal

the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal having an opening for receiving a crimp tool, and

means for closing the opening of the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal

wherein the crimp tool is attached to the rearward end of the forward housing of the insulator by a hinge.

2. The shielded electric connector of claim 1 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal includes at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay.

3. The shielded electric connector of claim 1 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is a closure shell.

4. The shielded electric connector of claim 1 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal includes at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay.

5. The shielded electric connector of claim 1 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is a closure shell.

6. A shielded electric connector comprising:

an inner terminal having a forward contact portion and a rearward attachment portion that includes core crimp wings,

an insulator having a forward housing, a rearward anvil that projects from a rearward end of the housing in a fixed manner, and a crimp tool that is attached to the rearward end of the housing by a hinge,

the forward contact portion of the inner terminal being disposed in the forward housing of the insulator with the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal being supported on the rearward anvil of the insulator, and

an outer shielding terminal having a forward housing, an intermediate bay, and a rearward attachment portion,

the forward housing of the insulator being disposed in the forward housing of the outer shielding terminal with the rearward attachment end of the inner terminal and the rearward anvil of the insulator being disposed in the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal, and

the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal having an opening for receiving the crimp tool of the insulator and side wall flaps for enclosing the crimp tool in the intermediate bay.

7. A shielded electric cable assembly comprising:

a shielded electric cable and a shielded electric connector,

the shielded electric cable having a conductive core, an inner insulation layer surrounding the core, a intermediate conductive layer surrounding the inner insulation layer, and an outer insulation jacket surrounding the intermediate conductive layer,

the shielded electric connector having an inner terminal, an insulator and an outer shielding terminal,

the inner terminal having a forward contact portion and a rearward attachment portion that includes core crimp wings that are attached to the conductive core of the shielded electric cable,

the insulator having a forward housing and a rearward anvil that projects from a rearward end of the housing in a fixed manner,

the forward contact portion of the inner terminal being disposed in the forward housing of the insulator with the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal being supported on the rearward anvil of the insulator, and

the outer shielding terminal having a forward housing, an intermediate bay, and a rearward attachment portion,

the forward housing of the insulator being disposed in the forward housing of the outer shielding terminal with the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal and the rearward anvil of the insulator being disposed in the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal,

the intermediate bay of the outer terminal having an opening for receiving a crimp tool, and

means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal

wherein the crimp tool is attached to the rearward end of the forward housing of the insulator by a hinge.

8. The shielded electric cable assembly of claim 7 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal includes at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay.

9. The shielded electric cable assembly of claim 7 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is a closure shell.

10. The shielded electric cable assembly of claim 7 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal includes at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay.

11. The shielded electric cable assembly of claim 7 wherein the means for closing the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is a closure shell.

12. The shielded electric cable assembly of claim 11 wherein the rearward attachment portion of the outer shielding terminal has forward crimp wings attached to the intermediate conductive layer of the shielded electric cable and rearward crimp wings attached to the outer insulation jacket of the shielded electric cable and wherein the closure shell has a cylindrical portion at one end that fits onto the forward housing of the outer shielding terminal and a collar at an opposite end that is attached to the forward crimp wings of the outer shielding terminal.

13. A method of making shielded electric cable assembly having a shielded electric connector attached to an end of a shielded electric cable having a inner conductive core, an inner insulation layer surrounding the conductive core, an intermediate conductive layer surrounding the inner insulation layer, and an outer insulation jacket surrounding the intermediate conductive layer, the method comprising:

providing a shielded electric connector having an inner terminal, an insulator and an outer shielding terminal, the inner terminal having a forward contact portion and a rearward attachment portion that includes core crimp wings, the insulator having a rearward anvil that that projects from a rearward end of a forward housing in a fixed manner, the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal being supported on the rearward anvil of the insulator, and the outer shielding terminal having an intermediate bay in which the rearward attachment portions of the inner terminal and the rearward anvil of the insulator are disposed, the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal having an opening for receiving a crimp tool, and means for closing the opening of the intermediate bay,

supporting an exposed end portion of the conductive core of the shielded electric cable on the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal,

placing the crimp tool on the core crimp wings of the inner terminal and crimping the rearward attachment portion of the inner terminal onto the conductive core of the shielded electric cable, and

closing the opening of the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal

wherein the crimp tool is attached to the rearward end of the forward housing of the insulator by a hinge.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is closed by at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is closed by a closure shell.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is closed by at least one side wall flap of the intermediate bay and wherein the outer shielding terminal has a rearward attachment portion that includes forward crimp wings attaching the outer shielding terminal to the intermediate conductive layer of the shielded electric cable, and rearward crimp wings attaching the outer shielding terminal to the outer insulation jacket of the shielded electric cable.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the intermediate bay of the outer shielding terminal is closed by a closure shell, wherein the outer shielding terminal has a rearward attachment portion that includes forward crimp wings attaching the outer shielding terminal to the intermediate conductive layer of the shielded electric cable and rearward crimp wings attaching the outer shielding terminal to the outer insulation jacket of the shielded electric cable, and wherein the closure shell has a cylindrical portion at one end that fits onto the forward housing of the outer shielding terminal and a collar at an opposite end that is attached to the forward crimp wings of the outer shielding terminal.