Abstract:
The invention relates to a clamping connector for at least two aligned flexible ribbon cables, said connector including a base body, spring elements for pressing together the surfaces to be brought into contact, and a counter body. The base body and the counter body can be fixed to each other in a pre-locking position and a final locking position. The respective skinned partial regions of at least two flexible ribbon cables are pressed against each other in order to bring the same into contact. The sides of the base body and the counter body, facing the flexible ribbon cables, are provided with complementary recesses or projections by which means the flexible ribbon cables can be guided to form a cable grip.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a clamp connector for flexible ribbon cables in accordance with the preamble of patent claim  1 . Such a connector is known from DE 100 06 112 A1. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     DE 198 32 011 A1 describes several variants of clamp connectors in which flexible ribbon cables are stripped at the sites being connected and the stripped conductor tracks of the cables are pressed against one another by spring elements. These clamp connectors are in need of improvement in terms of their handling, because either they do not afford adequate protection against strain applied to the cable or else a strain relief necessitates costly preparations. At the site of assembly—for example, in a motor vehicle—what is of importance is a simple and secure handling during assembly. To this end, it is not expedient for a clamp connector to consist of several separate parts that have to be assembled with the ends of the flexible ribbon cables being connected. 
     DE 100 06 112 A1 describes a connector for flexible ribbon cables in which one stripped end of each of two flexible ribbon cables is pressed against a free, elastically spring-loaded end of a respective contact spring, so that an electrical connection is produced between the two flexible ribbon cables via the contact spring. This arrangement has the drawback that, in order to produce an electrical connection between the conductor tracks of two flexible ribbon cables, two respective contact sites are required, which, together, pose a higher risk of an increase in contact resistance due to oxidation, contamination, kink formation, or the like than is the case for a direct contacting of the two flexible ribbon cables. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is based on the problem of improving a generic clamp connector in such a way that, without great preparation of the cable, a good electrical connection with low contact resistance and a strain relief that is realized rapidly can be produced and the handling is simplified during assembly. 
     This problem is solved in accordance with the claims. Characterized in the subclaims are features of preferred embodiments of the invention. 
     The invention is based on the idea of clamping the ends of the flexible ribbon cables being connected between at least two pieces in such a way that the cable is pressed into a relief that forms “obstacles,” which deform the cable in such a way that high pull-out forces are required in order to detach the cable from the connector. Furthermore, the prelocking position makes possible a simple assembly, because the cable ends have to be inserted only up to a stop in the pre-assembled connector in order to be fixed in place subsequently by pressing the connector pieces together. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be illustrated in greater detail below on the basis of the description of embodiment examples with reference to the drawing. Shown therein is the following: 
         FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the clamp connector of the invention in perspective view; 
         FIG. 2 , the base piece of the clamp connector according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3   a  to  c , a section through the clamp connector according to  FIG. 1  in prelocking position and in final locking position; 
         FIG. 4 , a clamp connector with strain relief, which is in itself known, as ground connector; 
         FIG. 5   a  to  c , a second embodiment of a clamp connector of the invention with ground tap; 
         FIG. 6 , a third embodiment of a connector of the invention as Y connector; 
         FIG. 7   a  to  d , the connector according to  FIG. 6  in prelocking position and in final locking position in perspective view and internal sectional view; 
         FIG. 8 , a fourth embodiment of a clamp connector of the invention with a shielding; 
         FIG. 9   a  to  c , the shielding and the clamp connector according to  FIG. 8 , sectioned in prelocking position and in final locking position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 1  shows, in perspective view, a first embodiment of a clamp connector of the invention. The connector  1  has a base piece  4  and a mating piece  6 . The flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  being connected each have at their ends a region in which the insulation is stripped from the conductive tracks being connected. The flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  being connected are each inserted from different sides into the clamp connector  1  and the mating piece  6 , which, during this operation, is in a prelocking position in which it forms, together with the base piece  4 , an adequately large slot for inserting the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 , is then brought into its final locking position by pressing together the base piece and the mating piece, whereby the connection is produced. 
       FIG. 2  shows the base piece in perspective view. The base piece  4  consists of a bottom plate  10  and side walls  11   a ,  11   b , to which catches are affixed, with which the mating piece  6  can be held in place in a prelocking position and, finally, in the final locking position. 
     Arranged parallel to one another in the middle of the bottom plate  10  are four strip-shaped spring elements  5 . They are calked or fixed, such as with caulk for example, in chambers provided for them in the bottom plate  10  and are mutually arranged in such a way that each of the flexible ribbon cables presses against the other at the level of the conductive track. The spring elements  5  are bent in the shape of spirals at their ends in order, in this way, to be able to exert their spring force perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the flexible ribbon cables. 
       FIG. 3  shows the clamp connector in lengthwise section in perspective view.  FIG. 3   a   1  shows the clamp connector in prelocking position, in which the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  can be inserted. Evident in  FIG. 3   a  are two ribs  8 , which are arranged transverse to the longitudinal extension of the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  on the base piece  4  and on the mating piece  6 . These serve, simultaneously with the insertion operation of the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 , as stops against which the front sides of the flexible ribbon cables abut. In this way, it is ensured that the stripped regions on the two flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  come to lie on top of each other in a defined way.  1 [Translator&#39;s Note]In the drawings,  FIG. 3   a  and  FIG. 3   b.    
       FIG. 3   b  shows the clamp connector in the final locking position. Here, it is evident that the ribs  8  have now each pressed a flexible ribbon cable  2 ,  3  into a depression  7 , which is constructed here as an open slot. In this way, kinks running transverse to the longitudinal extension of the flexible ribbon cables are formed in the flexible ribbon cables, owing to which a pulling of the flexible ribbon cable out of the locked connector pieces or mating pieces  4 ,  6  would be possible only by deformation of the cable material. Of the spring elements  5 , only one ( 5   a ) on the outermost edge is shown, there being visible in the mating piece  6  a cross rib  9 , on the side flanks of which lie the overlapping ends of the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 . This results in an enlargement of the contact surface, this being best seen in  FIG. 3   c , because, in this way, the spirally twisted ends of the spring elements  5  can apply their spring force over a larger surface onto the flexible ribbon cables. 
       FIG. 4  shows a clamp connector that is used as ground connector, such as is known, for example, from DE 100 06 112 A1. A contact spring  12 , which extends over the entire width of the flexible ribbon cable  2 , is formed in one piece with a junction end  12   b  protruding from the base piece  4 . The contact spring  12  is cast in the base piece  4 . The spring is formed as a U-shaped bent piece of sheet metal, the free leg of which,  12   a , presses against the flexible ribbon cable  2  and produces an electrical contact with the connecting end  12   b  via the conductive tracks stripped of insulation. Further provided in the junction end  12   b  in its center is a screw ear  12   c . The plug connector, just like the first embodiment, has a strain relief, which is formed here by the cross rib  8  and the corresponding depression  7  in the mating plug  6 . During assembly, the flexible ribbon cable  2  is inserted into the mating piece  6  through a slot in the latter until it abuts at the opposite end against a terminal stop  26 . Once the mating piece  6  has been pressed in final locking position onto the base piece  4 , where it locks in place as in the embodiment example described above, it can no longer be released from this position. This is not to be understood as being limiting in this context, because, where it is desired, the locking can be made to be releasable through appropriate tools or the like. 
       FIGS. 5   a–c show a second embodiment of the clamp connector of the invention.  FIG. 5   a shows a perspective view of the clamp connector in longitudinal section. In contrast to the embodiments described above, this clamp connector has two mating pieces  6   a ,  6   b , which can be locked on the top side and bottom side of a base piece. The base piece  4  has an opening  13  in its center, through which the bare conductive tracks of the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  can be brought into contact with one another. This occurs via the spring elements  5 , which are each fixed in the mating pieces  6   a ,  6   b . The strain relief occurs in this embodiment example via lances  14 , which dip into the slots  15  provided in the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 . Provided on the two mating pieces  6   a ,  6   b  are terminal stops  17 , against which the head ends of the cable abut during insertion of the flexible ribbon cables into the connector in the prelocking position. 
       FIG. 5   b  shows the connector in locked position.  FIG. 5   c  shows that the upper spring element is constructed as a spring contact that protrudes laterally, this lateral protrusion  16  representing a ground tap. For this purpose, the insulation of the conductive tracks of the upper flexible ribbon cable  3  shown in  FIG. 5   a  is stripped on both sides. In this way, it is ensured that a contact is produced between the ground tap  16  and both of the conductive tracks of the flexible ribbon cables  3  and  2 . 
     The conductive tracks can consist of metal strips made of a copper alloy or of conductive tracks produced by vapor-deposition, sputtering, or conventional methods used in the manufacture of circuit boards.  FIGS. 5   b  and  5   c  show the clamp connectors in locked position. 
       FIG. 6  shows a third embodiment of a clamp connector of the invention, in which a flexible ribbon cable  19  is connected to two other flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 . This embodiment is similar in large part to that in  FIG. 5 , merely with, essentially, a slot  18  being provided roughly in the meridian plane of the base piece  4 , through which the flexible ribbon cable  19  is inserted until its head end has crossed the central opening  13  in the base piece  4  and, finally, has reached its terminal stop in a receiving groove  20  on the opposite-lying edge of the opening  13 . The cable  19 , just like the cables  2  and  3 , is secured by a strain relief  14 ,  15 , such as has been described in connection with  FIG. 5 . 
       FIGS. 7   a–d  show the clamp connector according to  FIG. 6  in prelocking position and in final position, once in perspective view and once in longitudinal section. Evident in  FIG. 7   a  is the prelocking position, during which the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 , and  19  can be inserted into the connector. In this operation, all cables run up against stops, as already mentioned in connection with  FIG. 5 .  FIG. 7   c  shows the connector in its final position, which, here, too, as in the preceding embodiment examples, is designed to be unreleasable.  FIG. 7   d  shows how the spring elements here press all three flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3 ,  19  at one site against one another. For this, a stripping of the insulation of the conductive tracks is performed, as needed, either only on the top side, on the bottom side, or on both sides at the head end of the middle flexible ribbon cable  19 . 
       FIGS. 8 and 9  show a fourth embodiment of a clamp connector of the invention, for which a shielding of the contact region between the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  being connected is provided. For this purpose, the spring elements  5  are constructed in the form of a base plate  22 , away from which the springs  5  extend, as in the embodiment example according to  FIG. 5 . The base plate  22  is bent back at its front and back ends toward the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3   2  in such a way that the bent ends of the two shieldings on the two mating pieces  6   a ,  6   b  lie opposite each other and clamp the respective flexible ribbon cable between them. The ends of the base plate  22  are guided through slots  23  in the base piece  4 . Preferably, the ends of the base plate  22  are constructed as elastic spring arms  24 . The terminal stops, provided here as well, for the head ends of the flexible ribbon cables  2 ,  3  are formed on the base piece  4 . The terminal stops  25  are located in front of the cross slots  23 , through which the elastic spring arms  24  in the base piece are passed.  2 [Transltor&#39;s Note]The text repeats a sentence fragment, including the reference numbers  2 ,  3 . This is presumably a typographical error. 
       FIG. 9  shows a shielding cage by itself and the clamp connector in prelocking position and in final locking position, which, apart from the shielding, do not differ essentially from the embodiment example shown in  FIG. 5 . 
     The above-described embodiment examples of the present invention serve only for illustration of the invention defined in the claims and, in this respect, are not to be understood as being limiting.