Electrical connector kit

• US 4,589,715 A
• Filed: 01/07/1985
• Issued: 05/20/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AMP Limited
• Original Assignee: AMP Limited
• Inventors: Weisenburger, Lawrence P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McQuade, John
• Application Number:
  US06/689,496
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 339/17 F, 339/17 M, 339/176 M, 339/176 MF, 339/18 R, 339/18 C, 339/18 P, 339/31 R, 339/31 M, 339/32 R, 339/32 M, 339/155 R, 339/122 R, 339/122 F , 339/123, 339/154 A, 339/155 R, 339/156 R, 339/97 R, 339/97 P
• US Class Current: 439/77
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/67 insulation penetrating terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/77 for flexible printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/006 the coupling part being secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. duplex wall receptacle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/24 Connections using contact members penetrating or cutting insulation or cable strands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/925 Floor mounted, e.g. under carpet

Abstract

A kit for making a connector permitting alternative interconnections between individual conductors of two parallel, planar arrays of conductors includes an insulating body with means to locate contact parts on opposite faces for alignment with chosen conductor to provide the alternative interconnections. The contacts are of three basic types comprising respectively a conductor engaging portion integrally joined to either a bus portion, a bus gripping portion or another conductor engaging portion. The locating means includes recesses on opposite faces communicating by contact receiving sockets extending between the faces and bus receiving channels extending between recesses on the same face.

Claims

1. An adapter kit for use in connecting individual conductors of an upper array of coplanar flat conductors, consisting of contact elements, in a separate connector, to preselected alternative individual conductors of a lower, parallel array of coplanar flat conductors, consisting of a flat cable having a plurality of side by side flat conductors surrounded by electrical insulation, at least some of the individual conductors of the lower array being laterally spaced from individual conductors of the first array, the kit comprising a plate-like insulating body formed with contact locating means for locating a predetermined plurality of separate upper and lower contact parts respectively on upper and lower opposite faces, for alignment of upper contact parts with respective conductors of the upper array and for alignment of lower contact parts with respective conductors of the lower array, the predetermined contact locating means including through-sockets extending between the faces, upper and lower contact parts located in respective locating means;

upper and lower contact parts in mutual alignment only being joined together by body portions receivable in the through-sockets and extending therebetween, bus channels extending laterally across the body between locating means on one surface of the insulating body;

bus portions adapted for location in preselected alternative channels electrically to connect corresponding laterally spaced upper and lower contact parts whereby on interposing the adapter kit between the upper and lower array of conductors, preselected alternative individual conductors of the lower array can be connected to laterally-spaced conductors of the upper array.

2. A kit according to claim 1 in which a contact part is integrally formed with means to grip a bus portion.

3. A kit according to claim 2 in which the bus gripping means is integrally joined to the contact part by a body portion receivable in a through socket with the bus gripping means in a bus-receiving channel on one face and the contact part on the opposite face.

4. A kit according to claim 3 in which the through-socket for receiving the body portion is laterally spaced from the contact locating means on the face across which the bus receiving channels extend.

5. A kit according to claim 4 in which there are three, laterally spaced centrally disposed, upper and lower contact part locating means each including common through-sockets and two further lower contact part locating means, respectively, laterally spaced to opposite sides of the three centrally-disposed lower contact part locating means, the further lower contact part locating means including through-sockets common to locating means for a bus gripping portion on the upper face, the bus receiving channels respectively extending between the bus gripping means locating means and a distal and adjacent upper contact part locating means, a third bus receiving channel also extending between a bus gripping portion locating means and the centermost upper contact part locating means.

6. A kit according to claim 5 in which the third channel includes a portion common with an adjacent channel.

7. A kit according to claim 1 in which an upper contact part is integrally formed with a bus strip of sufficient length to provide the precursor of any of the bus portions.

8. A kit according to claim 3 in which the bus gripping portion includes a tab formed to extend transversely of the body portion and provided at a free end with spaced bus gripping fingers returned for receipt in the bus-receiving channel.

9. An assembly for distribution of electrical power, comprising;

a flat cable having a plurality of flat conductors disposed side-by-side and surrounded by electrical insulation, the flat cable including sufficient electrical conductors for the transmission of power in a system including primary, ground, alternate ground and neutral conductors;

a connector having a plurality of contact elements, each having conductor engagable portions comprising means for penetrating flat cable insulation into a flat conductor therein, the number of contact elements being less than the number of flat conductors;

an adapter assembly disposed between the connector and the flat cable conductors and including three adapter contact elements, each having an upper contact part in engagement with a corresponding conductor engagable connector contact element and a lower contact part, the lower contact parts of the adapter contact elements being selectively laterally disposable and having a conductor engagable portion penetrating flat cable insulation into a corresponding flat conductor; and

conductive portions in the adapter assembly, joining corresponding upper and lower contact parts to form alternative distribution systems.

10. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the connector comprises three connector contact elements for single phase lower power distribution.

11. The assembly of claim 10 wherein the flat conductors are equally spaced having a constant pitch.

12. The assembly of claim 11 wherein the three connector contact elements are spaced apart on the same pitch as the flat conductors.

13. The assembly of claim 9 wherein the connector has a single ground contact element joined to a ground flat conductor laterally spaced therefrom.

14. Apparatus for interconnecting flat cable insulated conductors associated with a multi-phase electrical power supply to a three conductor single phase element in alternative single phase configurations, including a single phase connector having three separate insulation penetrating, conductor engagable connector contact elements located in an insulated housing and having the same pitch as the flat cable conductors;

the apparatus being characterized by an adapter assembly, disposable between the single phase connector and the flat cable conductors, and including three adapter contact elements, each having an upper contact part comprising means for engaging insulation penetrating conductor engagable connector contact elements, and at least one selectively laterally disposable lower insulation penetrating contact part engagable with a selected one of the flat cable conductors;

corresponding upper and lower contact parts being joined in the adapter assembly to form the alternative single phase configurations.

15. The appparatus of claim 14 wherein the adapter assembly further comprises an insulating body, the adapter contact element upper and lower contact parts being on oppositely facing surfaces of the body.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a plurality of laterally extending channels on at least one surface of the adapter insulating body and members disposable in the channels to join corresponding relatively laterally disposed upper and lower contact parts.

17. An assembly for distribution of single phase electrical power from a multi-phase electrical system, comprising:

a flat cable having a plurality of flat conductors disposed side-by-side and surrounded by electrical insulation, the flat cable including at least primary, secondary, ground and neutral conductors;

a single phase connector having three separate connector contact elements, each having conductor engagable portions comprising means for penetrating flat cable insulation into a flat conductor therein;

an adapter assembly disposed between the single phase connector and the flat cable conductors and including three adapter contact elements, each having an upper contact part in engagement with a corresponding conductor engagable connector contact element and a lower contact part, the lower contact parts of the adapter contact elements being selectively laterally disposable and having a conductor engagable portion penetrating flat cable insulation into a corresponding flat conductor; and

conductive portions in the adapter assembly, joining corresponding upper and lower contact parts to form alternative single phase configurations.

18. Apparatus for interconnecting flat cable conductors having insulation therearound, and associated with a three phase power supply, including primary, secondary, tertiary, ground and neutral conductors, to a three conductor single phase outlet in alternative single phase configurations, including an outlet connector assembly further comprising a base portion and an insulating terminal block structure;

the terminal block structure including a first side, a second side, and terminal receiving cavities extending between said sides;

electrical terminals situated in respective cavities in the terminal block;

each terminal being stamped and formed with a receptacle portion and a planar plate conductor insulation penetrating terminating portion, the receptacle portion opening toward the first side of the block, the terminating portion emerging from the cavity and lying against the second side of the terminal block, the planar plate terminating portion having raised relief lances thereon which face outwardly from second side, said lances adapted to penetrate completely through a layer of insulation of the cable and into the flat conductors when said cable is clamped between said second side of said terminal block and the base portion such that the planar plate terminating portions face respective flat conductors in said cable; and

characterized by

an adapter assembly disposable between the outlet connector assembly and the five conductor flat cable and comprising an insulating body and connector elements mounted thereon, the connector elements comprising upper contact parts comprising means for interconnecting to the terminal planar plate insulation penetrating portions and lower contact parts comprising insulating-penetrating means disposable in contact with any three of the five flat cable conductors, and means for connecting corresponding upper contact parts and lower contact parts, whereby the single phase outlet can be alternatively interconnected in a selected one of a ground primary single phase connection, a ground secondary single phase connection, a ground tertiary single phase connection, an isolated ground primary single phase connection, and an isolated ground secondary single phase connection.