Electrical connector

An electrical connector has a shell with an insert member and a wafer stacked in the shell for receiving and retaining the electrical terminals. A ribbon-like lamination is deformed in the space between the shell and insert member and between the shell and wafer to maintain the insert member and wafer assembled to one another and to the shell.

The invention relates to separable electrical connectors having a 
dielectric insert for retaining the electrical terminals. 
PRIOR ART 
Electrical connectors as presently used include an outer shell with an 
insert assembly having apertures for receiving the electrical terminals of 
the connector. The insert assembly usually includes retention elements for 
retaining the terminals in the insert assembly during normal use. The 
insert assembly is encapsulated in the shell with epoxy prior to inserting 
the terminals. In some instances the epoxy flows into the apertures and 
retention elements in which the terminals are later inserted making it 
difficult or impossible to assemble the terminals to the insert assembly. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention uses an insert member for receiving the terminals and 
a retention wafer for retaining the terminals in the insert member during 
normal use. Both the insert member and wafer are made of dielectric 
material. The insert member and wafer are retained in the shell by 
assembling a thin laminate in the space between the shell and the insert 
member and wafer and mechanically deforming the laminate until it 
substantially fills the space between the shell and insert member and 
engages shoulders on the insert member and wafer to prevent movement of 
the wafer and insert member relative to one another and relative to the 
shell. A silicone rubber grommet is attached to the wafer and a silicon 
rubber seal is attached to the insert member prior to assembly in the 
shell. The electrical terminals are inserted in aligned apertures in the 
insert member, wafer, grommet and seal and the terminals are retained 
therein by resilient fingers on the wafer engaging shoulders on the 
terminals. 
The laminate preferably is made of a matrix of screen-like material 
impregnated with an epoxy or other thermo-setting material and the length, 
width and thickness of the laminate and the viscosity of the epoxy is 
selected so that after deformation and curing the laminate substantially 
fills only the space between the shell and insert assembly without 
over-flowing into the apertures and retention elements on the wafer. 
With this arrangement the passages and retention elements for receiving the 
terminals are not blocked by the thermo-setting material because the 
quantity of thermo-setting material is selected to occupy only the space 
between the shell and insert assembly and the viscosity is such that 
during curing the flow of thermo-setting material is controlled by the 
matrix. The present invention avoids the problem of assembling the 
electrical terminals to the insert member and wafer heretofore 
encountered. 
The invention contemplates an electrical connector comprising a shell, an 
insert member and a wafer stacked in the shell and having apertures 
aligned with one another for receiving electrical terminals and retention 
means for retaining the electrical terminals in the apertures, and a 
laminate of deformable material between the shell and insert member and 
between the shell and wafer deformed to substantially fill the space 
therebetween for maintaining the insert member and wafer assembled with 
one another and with the shell. 
Also disclosed is a method of assembling a connector having a shell and an 
insert member and wafer with apertures therein for receiving electrical 
terminals, comprising assembling the insert member and wafer member, 
wrapping a deformable laminate around the members, inserting the assembled 
members and laminate into the shell with the insert member abutting a 
shoulder on the inner face of the shell, inserting a first sleeve into the 
shell in engagement with the laminate and applying force to the sleeve to 
deform the laminate in a space between the shell and members.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Referring to FIG. 1, the novel connector constructed according to the 
invention and shown therein comprises a seal 14, an insert member 3, a 
retention wafer 5 and a grommet 7 stacked in a cylindrical shell 1 with a 
shoulder 16 formed by a collar 8 on insert member 3 engaging a locating 
surface 10 on inner face of the shell. Insert member 3 and retention wafer 
5 may be made of dielectric material and seal 14 and grommet 7 may be made 
of silicon rubber or other suitable material. Insert member 3 and wafer 5 
are bonded together by a solvent and seal 14 and grommet 7 may be attached 
to insert member 3 and retention wafer 5 by adhesive. Seal 14, insert 
member 3, wafer 5 and grommet 7 have aligned apertures 9 therein for 
receiving electrical terminals 11. Wafer 5 has retention towers 12 formed 
integrally therewith by resilient elements 13 surrounding each electrical 
terminal. The resilient elements follow the contour of the terminal as the 
terminal is installed in aperture 9. When a collar 17 on the terminal is 
bottomed on a shoulder 15 in aperture 9 in insert member 3 resilient 
elements 13 move together and engage the collar to prevent disassembly of 
the terminal during normal use of the connector. The terminals can be 
removed from the apertures in case of malfunction or other reason by 
inserting a special tool (not shown) in the apertures having a sleeve 
surrounding the terminals for moving the resilient elements apart 
sufficiently to clear collar 17 on the terminals while removing the 
terminals. 
Prior to assembling seal 14, insert member 3, wafer 5 and grommet 7 in 
shell 1, a ribbon laminate 21 is wrapped around the stacked insert member, 
wafer and grommet and the shell is then assembled to the stack with the 
laminate positioned between the shell and insert member, wafer and 
grommet. The laminate is deformed prior to inserting the terminals by a 
pressure tool shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 and described hereinafter until the 
laminate substantially fills the space, including an annular groove 19 in 
the inner face of shell 1, between the shell and insert member and wafer 
and engages a shoulder 25 formed by collar 8 on insert member 3 and a 
shoulder 27 on wafer 5 to prevent separation of the wafer from the insert 
member and to maintain the insert member and wafer in proper position 
within the shell. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 5, the special tool for assembling the connector 
has three coaxial sleeves 29, 31 and 33 movable axially relative to one 
another preferably by hydraulic pressure determined by the size of the 
connector. 
Retention wafer 5 and insert member 3 are bonded together by a solvent and 
grommet 7 and seal 14 are attached to retention wafer 5 and insert member 
3 by adhesive with the apertures aligned. The members are inserted in 
innermost sleeve 33 with the end of the sleeve engaging shoulder 27 on 
wafer 5. With outer sleeve 29 retracted to the solid line position in FIG. 
2, laminate 21 is wrapped around the stack exteriorly of inner sleeve 33 
with one edge adjacent shoulder 25 on insert member 3. Outer sleeve 29 is 
then moved forwardly over the rear portion of the laminate to the broken 
line position in FIG. 2 and shell 1 is assembled over the stacked 
assembly, as outer sleeve 29 is retracted, until locating surface 10 on 
shell 1 engages shoulder 16 on insert member 3 as shown in FIG. 3. During 
this procudure, outer sleeve 29 prevents the laminate from becoming 
twisted or folded and facilitates assembly of the shell to the stacked 
assembly. Intermediate sleeve 31 moves forwardly between innermost sleeve 
33 and the inner face of shell 1 and engages the laminate. As the 
intermediate sleeve 31 continues to move forwardly it functions as a ram 
and deforms the laminate over and around shoulder 25 on insert member 3 
and in annular groove 19 in shell 1 as shown in FIG. 4 while inner sleeve 
33 in forward position between deformed laminate 21 and grommet 7 engages 
shoulder 27 on wafer 5 and maintains the wafer in engagement with insert 
member 3 and maintains shoulder 16 on insert member 3 in engagement with 
locating surface 10 on shell 1. 
After the space between the shell and insert member and between the shell 
and wafer is substantially filled by the deformed laminate, inner sleeve 
33 is retracted a short distance as shown in FIG. 5 and, as the laminate 
is further deformed by forward movement of intermediate sleeve 31, the 
laminate flows over and around shoulder 27 on wafer 5. The deformed 
laminate prevents both insert member 3 and wafer 5 from moving rearwardly 
in shell 1, and shoulder 16 on insert member 3 engaging locating surface 
10 on the inner face of shell 1 prevents the insert member and wafer from 
moving forwardly in the shell. The deformed laminate maintains the insert 
member and wafer in assembly with one another and with the shell. 
Terminals 11 are then inserted in the aligned apertures in the grommet, 
insert, wafer and seal until collars 17 on the terminals are bottomed on 
shoulders 15 in the apertures whereupon resilient elements 13 on wafer 5 
engage collars 17 to prevent disassembly of the terminals during normal 
use of the connector. 
Laminate 21 is made of a matrix, such as phosphorous bronze screen, fiber 
glass cloth or mat, or other suitable material. The matrix may be 
scalloped at one side on larger size connectors from sizes 14 to 24 to 
reduce the deformation force, but on smaller size connectors, such as 
sizes 8, 10 and 12, the scallops are not necessary because of the lower 
deformation force required. The matrix is coated with a thermal-setting 
material such as epoxy in the B stage, that is, before curing. 
The appropriate matrix and epoxy viscosity, determined by the curing 
temperature, are selected for each particular condition. In one 
application 80 mesh phosphorous bronze screen impregnated by weight with 
9% to 13% epoxy "B" stage was used and the epoxy was cured at 300.degree. 
F for ten hours. 
The length, width and thickness of the laminate is predetermined so that 
after deformation the laminate substantially fills only the space between 
the shell and insert member and wafer including annular groove 19 without 
overflowing into the apertures in the insert assembly. 
The thermo-setting material is cured by baking the assembly in an upright 
position with the mating face of the connector on top. The viscosity of 
the thermo-setting material is determined by the temperature during curing 
and the flow of thermo-setting material is controlled by the matrix to 
prevent the thermo-setting material from flowing into the apertures in the 
insert assembly. 
The present arrangement avoids the disadvantages of connectors as used 
heretofore because the apertures and retention elements for receiving and 
retaining the terminals are free of thermo-setting material and the insert 
member and wafer are maintained in assembly with one another and with the 
shell by the deformed laminate. 
While the invention shows a connector plug with male electrical terminals, 
it should be understood that the invention is intended for use on 
connector receptacles with female electrical terminals as well.