End connector for contacting at least two shielded cables

The present invention relates to an end connector for coupling at least two shielded cables having a plurality of cores, i.e., insulated wires, in such a way that the cables and the cores of the cables are insulated from one another at the connection point. An insulating body defines one or more insulating chambers into which the cables are guided. Desired cores of the cables are electrically coupled at end connection points of the insulating chambers. A cap is coupled to the insulating body to cover the coupled cores. The cap has a metallic outer surface and a hole. The shields of the cables are guided through the hole and electrically coupled to the outer surface.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to an end connector for contacting at least two 
shielded cables. 
DE-AS 1,043,450 discloses an end connector of the generic type in which 
cables comprising a plurality of cores i.e., insulated wires, are guided 
towards a common end connection point by the individual cores of the 
cables being guided in insulating chambers of an insulating body. In this 
arrangement, the individual cores of the cables are linked in the 
insulating chambers of the insulating body to the corresponding other 
cores of the other cables (for example by twisting). The introduction of 
the insulated ends of the cores of the cables into the insulating chambers 
of the insulating body here prevents a short circuit by contacting of the 
insulated ends of different cores of the cables. A metallic sleeve, which 
can be filled with casting resin, can in addition be placed over the end 
connection point. 
In this hitherto known end connector disadvantages arise to the effect that 
screening or shielding of the cables at the end connection point is only 
possible to a limited extent. 
It is an object of the invention to design an end connector for contacting 
a plurality of shielded cables in such a way that the cables, the 
connected cores and the shields are insulated from one another at the end 
connection point and that the end connection point has shielding against 
external disturbing electromagnetic fields. 
This object is achieved according to the invention, in an end connector of 
the generic type for contacting a plurality of shielded cables, by an 
arrangement wherein cores of the cables to be connected to one another are 
insulated from other cores of the cables at a connection point, 
wherein the cores of the cables to be connected to one another are 
conductively connected in a manner known per se to form at least one core 
strand, 
wherein the cables and the core strand(s) are guided towards the end 
connection point in insulating chambers of an insulating body, 
wherein, in the case of a plurality of core strands, the individual core 
strands are introduced in separate insulating chambers of the insulating 
body, 
wherein the insulating body is closed off with a cap for covering the 
connection points of the cores of the cables, there simultaneously being 
an electric insulation between the connection points of the cores of the 
cables and the cap, 
wherein shields of the individual shielded cables are also connected to one 
another, 
wherein the cap is a plastic cap having a metallic outer surface, 
wherein the plastic cap has a hole through which the connected shields of 
the individual cables are inserted and then electrically conductively 
connected to the metallic outer surface, and 
wherein the plastic cap is surrounded with an insulating layer, the 
application of which simultaneously entails a fixing of the position of 
the cables. 
A further advantage of the end connector according to the invention 
compared to the known prior art consists in the fact that the introduction 
of the cables is simplified since the insulating chambers of the 
insulating body are initially open at one side. 
The end connector according to the invention is designed in such a way that 
the cables to be contacted are initially guided towards the connection 
point in duct-shaped insulating chambers which are U-shaped, i.e. are open 
on one side. 
During the introduction of the cables into the end connector according to 
the invention, it is possible to connect the corresponding cores of the 
individual cables first of all and then to bend the cables and the core 
strands, obtained by the connection of the corresponding cores, in such a 
way that, in shape, they correspond to the course of the insulating 
chambers of the insulating body according to the invention. This course is 
essentially such that the cables run toward the end connection point from 
the same direction, the core strands being bent back in the direction from 
which the cables run towards the connection point, with the result that 
they can be introduced into insulating chambers of the insulating body. 
The connected shields of the cables are taken along further in a direction 
such that they can be threaded or inserted through a hole in the plastic 
cap of the end connector according to preferred embodiments of the 
invention. 
In this arrangement, a plurality of cables can be guided towards the 
connection point in a common insulating chamber. It is also contemplated 
to bend a core strand in such a way that it is introduced into an 
insulating chamber in which one or more cables are guided towards the 
connection point. In this arrangement, a short circuit can in general not 
occur, because both the cable and the individual cores of the cables are 
each independently surrounded by an insulation. Thus only the contact 
points of the individual cores of the cables are uninsulated. In an 
advantageous embodiment, the insulation of the individual cores of the 
cables with resect to one another is especially ensured by each of the 
core strands being introduced into its own special insulating chamber. 
In order to close off the insulating body according to the invention, a 
plastic cap can be placed on when the cables and the core strands have 
been introduced into the insulating chambers of the insulating body. The 
plastic cap here has a hole through which the connected shields of the 
individual cables can be threaded. This plastic cap can, for example, be 
secured on the insulating body by a clamping device or screw thread. 
The plastic cap closing off the insulating body is designed in such a way 
that it closes off the individual insulating chambers in mutually 
insulated fashion and has a metallic outer surface which shields the 
connection points. Particularly advantageous shielding of the cables, even 
in the region of the end connection point, is achieved if the connected 
shields of the individual cables are electrically conductively connected 
to the metallic outer surface of the plastic cap. For this purpose, the 
shields of the individual cables are attached in a manner known per se to 
the metallic outer surface of the plastic cap - for example by soldering 
or by the shields being clamped fast - after the shields have been 
threaded through the hole in the plastic cap. The plastic cap covering the 
end connection point must here have a size, particularly as regards the 
metallic outer surface, such that it protrudes clearly beyond the points 
at which the connection points of the individual cores of the cables in 
the insulating chambers are situated. It is also contemplated to guide 
back the shields of the cables in an insulating chamber of the insulating 
body in such a way that they protrude from the plastic cap. Shielding of 
the end connection point can be achieved by the shields being bent around 
the plastic cap and being electrically conductively secured on the 
metallic outer surface of the plastic cap. Insulation of the metallic 
outer surface of the plastic cap can be achieved by surrounding the 
plastic cap with an insulating material. This insulating material can be 
secured on the plastic cap in a manner known per se. A contemplated 
embodiment of this insulation of the plastic cap consists in the use of a 
heat-shrinkable sleeve, which is placed over the end connection point and 
then heated. In another embodiment of the insulation of the plastic cap, 
the metallic outer surface of the plastic cap is coated with a hot-melt 
adhesive. The advantage of using the hot-melt adhesive consists in the 
fact that not only is it possible to coat the metallic outer surface of 
the plastic cap in a simple manner but that, furthermore, the insulating 
chambers accommodating the cables and core strands can be filled with this 
hot-melt adhesive, improved fixing of the position of the cables thus 
being achieved as compared with the use of a heat-shrinkable sleeve. 
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will 
become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention 
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
As can be seen from FIG. 1, a plurality of cables 4, 5, 6 are guided 
towards the end connection point 7 in a common insulating chamber 8. The 
individual cores 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and 2.1, 2.2, 2.3 of the cables 4, 5, 6 are 
electrically conductively connected to one another in a manner known per 
se such as by twisting the cores together or by employing wire connectors 
and then bent in such a way that they are introduced into the insulating 
chambers 9, 10. As an alternative to this, a core strand 1, 2 can be bent 
in such a way that it is introduced into the insulating chamber 8, in 
which the cables 4, 5, 6 are guided towards the connection point 7. In 
this case, it is sufficient if the insulating body illustrated comprises 
two insulating chambers 8, 9. The shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 of the cables 4, 
5, 6 are likewise connected to one another and, in this embodiment of the 
end connector according to the invention, point in the longitudinal 
direction of the cables 4, 5, 6. In addition, a plastic cap 13 having a 
metallic outer surface 13A is fitted over the end connection point 7. The 
plastic cap 13 is secured onto the insulating body in a suitable manner. 
For example, in an embodiment in which the plastic cap 13 and the 
insulating body have round cross sections, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the 
plastic cap 13 can be secured by a screw thread T being cut into the side 
walls of the insulating chamber 8, 9, 10 and into the inside of the 
plastic cap 13. In this case, the plastic cap 13 is screwed onto the 
insulating body. As an alternative, it is possible to secure the plastic 
cap 13 by holding the plastic cap 13 on the insulating body with a 
clamping device. 
In the embodiment represented in FIG. 1, the plastic cap 13 is provided 
with a hole 14, through which the connected shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 of the 
individual cables 4, 5, 6 are inserted. It is then possible to 
electrically conductively connect the shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 of the cables 
to the screening or shielding metallic outer surface 13A of the plastic 
cap 13. As an alternative to this, the connected shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 of 
the cables 4, 5, 6 can be guided back so far in an insulating chamber 8, 
9, 10 that they protrude from under the plastic cap 13. By bending the 
connected shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 over underneath the plastic cap 13, the 
shields 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 can be brought into connection with the metallic 
outer surface 13A of the plastic cap 13 in this case too. 
FIG. 2 represents a lateral section through another end connector 
constructed according to the invention. In this embodiment, only two 
cables 4 and 5 can be seen. These cables are guided towards the end 
connection point 7 in separate insulating chambers 8 and 9. The two 
insulating chambers 8 and 9 are separated from one another by a partition 
wall 20. At the end connection point 7, the cores 1.1 and 1.2 and the 
cores 2.1 and 2.2 of the cables 4 and 5 are connected to form the core 
strands 1 and 2. The core strands 1 and 2 are bent back and introduced 
into the insulating chambers 8 and 9. The shields 3.1 and 3.2 are inserted 
through a hole in the plastic cap 13 and soldered firmly to the metallic 
outer surface 13A of the plastic cap 13 at solder joint 13B. The end 
connection point 7 is then covered with a hot-melt adhesive 21, the 
metallic outer surface of the plastic cap 13 thus being electrically 
insulated. In addition, the insulating chamber 8 and 9 are thereby at 
least partially filled, thus ensuring fixing of the position of the cables 
4 and 5. Instead of the hot-melt adhesive 21, the end connection point 7 
can likewise be covered with a heat-shrinkable sleeve. 
FIG. 3 shows a plan view of an end connector according to the invention, in 
which three cables 4, 5, and 6 are guided towards the end connection 
point. The insulating chamber 8, 9 and 10 are separated from one another 
by a partition wall 20. The core strands 1.1. and 2.1 are introduced into 
the insulating chamber 8 and 9. In addition, the plastic cap 13 is pushed 
over the end connection point 7. This plastic cap 13 is covered with a 
hot-melt adhesive 21. 
Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is 
to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and 
example, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope 
of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the 
appended claims.