Connector for coupling a ground conductor to the shield of a shielded conductor

The disclosure is directed to a wrap-around type of connector for coupling the exposed shield of a jacketed cable from which a portion of the jacket has been removed to a grounding conductor. The connector is generally C-shaped with one free end portion having a greater radius of curvature than the other free end to permit one free end to pass over the other as the connector is closed on the cable shield. A tab is struck from the central portion of the connector to divide the interior of the connector into a cable receiving cavity and a ground conductor receiving cavity. By selectively adding strengthening ribs and removing material the various portions of the connector are made to function, as described. The connector can be made bare, or insulated, as required.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention: 
The invention is directed to a connector for coupling a cable to a terminal 
point and more particularly for coupling the shield of a cable to a 
grounding point. 
2. Description of the Prior Art: 
One wrap-around type of connector for coupling a ground conductor to the 
exposed shield of a jacketed cable is shown in U.S. Patent Ser. No. 
3,549,787 Entitled, "Connector for Coupling a Ground Conductor to the 
Shield of a Shielded Conductor", by John J. Churla, Jr., issued Dec. 22, 
1970 and assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. This connector 
does well with small solid ground conductors or flexible stranded ground 
conductors, and with shielded conductors where the shield has some 
strength to it or is well supported by the dielectric it surrounds. With 
large sized ground conductors and flexible shields, or dielectrics, it is 
possible that the ground conductor tab will not be urged about the ground 
conductor as the connector is installed about the shielded cable but will, 
instead, be held open enough to be forced through the shield and into, or 
through, the dielectric making contact to and shorting the shield to the 
central conductor. Also, even if the tab closes about a solid, large 
ground conductor, the entire conductor remains within the wrap of the 
connector and can prevent the full closure of the connector or distort the 
dielectric and thereby change the cable's characteristics. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION: 
The present invention overcomes the possible problems with wrap-around 
connectors for connecting a ground conductor to the shield of a shielded 
conductor as shown by the cited prior art connector. This is achieved by 
providing a generally C-shaped connector body with one end having a 
smaller radius of curvature than the other end and by providing a central 
tap shaped in the general contour of the adjacent connector end. Further, 
the tab is spaced from adjacent connector portions by spaces which can 
receive the ground conductor and permit same to be carried over an 
exterior surface of the tab and outside of the connector, thereby 
preventing any build-up of material that would interfere with the 
connector closure or interfere with the functioning of the cable. The 
selective placement of stiffening ribs and slots on the connector and tab 
facilitates the closure of the connector about the shield of the shielded 
conductor as well as the securing of the ground conductor to such 
connector. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an 
improved connector. 
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved connector for 
coupling a ground conductor to the shield of a shielded conductor. 
It is another object of this invention to provide an improved connector to 
connect a ground conductor to the shield of a shielded conductor where a 
portion of the ground conductor extends on the exterior of the connector 
to minimize the overall size of the joint between the ground conductor and 
shielded conductor. 
It is still another object of this invention to provide an improved 
connector for connecting a ground conductor to the shield of a shielded 
conductor wherein a tab to retain the ground conductor divides the 
interior of the connector into a shielded connector receiving cavity and a 
ground conductor cavity, whereby the ground conductor is not permitted to 
directly contact the conductor shield to prevent injury thereto. 
Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the 
following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying 
drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the 
invention, and the best mode which has been contemplated for carrying them 
out.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT: 
Turning now to FIGS. 1 to 4 there is shown a connector 20 for connecting 
the bared metallic portion 24 of a ground conductor 22 to the shield 30 of 
a jacketed, shielded cable 26 from which a portion of a jacket 28 has been 
removed (See FIG. 9). A jacketed, shielded cable 26 is shown in FIG. 6 
wherein a portion of the outer rubber, plastic or other dielectric 
material jacket 28 has been removed to expose the shield 30. The shield 
30, usually a braid made up of copper wires, tinned copper wires or the 
like which can provide a ground plane about the central conductor to 
control the transmission characteristics of the cable, prevents or reduces 
the radiation of signals in the cable and prevents or reduces the effect 
of external signals upon the signals in the cable. 
A portion of the shield 30 has been removed to expose the dielectric layer 
32 and a portion of the dielectric layer 32 is removed to expose the 
metallic central conductor 34 which carries the signal. The cable 26 of 
FIG. 6 is prepared to be terminated at one end of the cable 26. The 
central conductor 34 will be connected to the signal generating device, or 
the signal using device, (both not shown) and the shield 30 will be 
connected via a ground conductor (see conductor 22 in FIG. 9) to a 
grounding point (not shown). FIG. 5 shows a shielded, jacketed cable 26 
prepared for a midspan coupling of a ground conductor to the cable 26. 
Midspan refers to the connection at a location other than at the cable 
ends. As shown in FIG. 5, the jacket 28 of the cable 26 has been removed 
at a central location of the fragment of the cable 26 shown to expose the 
shield 30 thereunder. 
Returning now to FIGS. 1 to 4, connector 20 has a generally C-shaped 
appearance with a first curved end 36 having a first radius of curvature 
and a second curved end 38 with a predetermined radius of curvature 
greater than the radius of curvature of first curved end 36. The radii are 
so chosen that first curved end 36 is permitted to move within second 
curved end 38 and second curved end 38 is permitted to move over the first 
curved end 36 as the connector 20 is wrapped about the shield 30 of a 
cable 26 in the manner shown in FIG. 8, to be described below. A tab 42 is 
struck from the central portion 40 of the connector 20 and is provided 
with a third radius of curvature larger than those of the curved ends 36, 
38. The tab 42 serves to divide the interior portion of the connector 20, 
generally described by the central portion 40 and the two curved ends 
36,38, into a shield receiving chamber 44 and a ground conductor receiving 
chamber 46. As is shown in FIG. 7, the exposed shield 30 of the shielded, 
jacketed cable 26 is positioned within the shield receiving chamber 44 
defined by the interior surface 48 of tab 42, the central portion 40 and 
the second curved end 38 of connector 20. The bared metallic portion 24 of 
the ground conductor 22 is inserted within the ground conductor receiving 
chamber 46 defined by the exterior surface 50 of the tab 42 and the first 
curved end 36 of the connector 20. 
The tab 42 is struck from the central portion 40 of the connector 20 so as 
to leave channels 52,54 between the lateral edges of the tab 42 and the 
adjacent edges of the central portion 40. The channels 52,54 permit the 
bared metallic portion 24 to exit from the ground conductor receiving 
cavity 46 and pass over the exterior 50 of the tab 42 and then back into 
cavity 46, as is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. This path of the bared metallic 
portion 24 of the ground conductor 22 minimizes the direct contact between 
portion 24 and the shield 30 and thus minimizes the possible distortion of 
the shield 30 and dielectric 32, permits the connector 20 to be more 
closely wrapped about the shield 30 and minimizes the size of the joint 
between connector 20, cable 26 and ground conductor 22. The marginal edges 
56,58 of tab 42 are outwardly flared, or tapered, as shown in FIG. 3A, to 
provide a restricted path for a conductor placed in the slots 52,54. Thus, 
the opening width A is so chosen that a conductor is not permitted to pass 
out of the slots 52,54. At the free end of tab 42 is a large window 53 
created by the removal of the metal of connector 20 when tab 42 is formed. 
This large window 53, as will be described further below, provides an open 
area where the free end of tab 42 can go as the connector 20 is crimped. 
The tab 42 can exit the joint and thus not injure the shield 30 or 
dielectric 32 as it could if it were required to remain inside of the 
joint and conform to the shape of the jacketed cable 26. The lateral edges 
of the tab 42 are folded up towards first curved end 36 and coined to 
provide sharpened edges 56,58 (See FIG. 4) which will bite into the bared 
metallic portion 24 of ground conductor 22 and better hold onto a solid 
metallic portion 24 of ground conductor 22. The tab 42 is slightly dished 
as at 60 thereby giving rise to strengthening ribs inward of the edges 
56,58 (see FIG. 4) and the tab 42 is formed with its lateral edges 56,58 
tapered outwardly in the direction of the first curved end 36. The effect 
of taper of the tab 42, the dishing 60 and the edges 56,58 is to cause the 
bared portion 24 of the ground conductor 22 to move towards first curved 
end 36 as the connector 20 is wrapped about shield 30 (See FIG. 8). As was 
set out above, the spacing of edges 56,58 of tab 42 from the walls 
defining the slots 52,54 prevents the ground conductor bared portion 24 
from disengaging from the exterior surface 50 of tab 42. The tab 42 moves 
towards the window 53 and into it rather than moving into further contact 
with the shield 30, which could injure the dielectric 32, as discussed 
above. 
The channels 52,54 terminate in apertures 62,64, respectively which 
enhances movement of the tab 42. A slot 66 in the central portion 40 
extends towards and into the second curved end 38 facilitating the closure 
of the second curved end 38 about the shield 30 and over first curved end 
36. Strengthening ribs 68,70 generally flank the tab 42 and provide some 
rigidity to prevent the first curved end 36 from being deflected outwardly 
as the portion 24 of ground conductor 22 moves towards end 36 and thus 
interferes with the relative movements of the curved ends 36,38, as above 
described. 
The connector 20 can be provided bare where insulation of the joint is not 
required, or where the entire joint is to be later insulated. Also, the 
connector 20 can be provided with its own insulation layer whereby no 
secondary insulation operation is necessary. A layer of suitable 
insulation material such as plastic, rubber, varnish, films, or other 
suitable materials may be employed. FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the use of a 
thin plastic film 72 which extends about the exterior surface of connector 
20 and around the ends to cover a small portion of first and second curved 
ends 36,38. The film 72 is made wider than connector 20 to prevent contact 
with the connector 20 ends. The films 72 is joined to itself at either 
side of the first and second curved ends, 36,38. This entraps the 
connector 20 and prevents lateral movement. If desired, the excess film 
can be used as a carrier strip for continuous strip use and the foldover 
joints will hold the connectors in position and alignment. 
Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the insulation layer 72 can be used as 
a strain relief. In FIG. 9 the left marginal portion of insulation 72 that 
extends beyond connector 20 overlies the insulated portions of conductor 
22 and cable 26 changing the flexing point to a point outside of the 
connector and thus away from the joint of connector 20 with cable 26. The 
right marginal edge of insulation 72 extends beyond shield 30 and 
similarly moves the flexure point outside of connector 20 thereby 
protecting the joint and lessening any pressures on the ground conductor 
22 and shield 30. 
While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental 
novel features of the invention as applied to the preferred embodiment, it 
will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes of 
the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operation may 
be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of 
the invention.