Flat cable pitch transition connector

A pitch transition connector has identical contact elements having insulation-piercing contacts arranged in two rows and spaced at the pitch of a flat cable. Each contact element has a further contact opposite its insulation-piercing contact and axially offset therefrom. The contact elements in one row are in 180-degree out-of-phase relation with those in the other row defining a pitch for the further contacts different from the flat cable pitch.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to electrical connector assemblies and pertains more 
particularly to connector assemblies for providing connection between flat 
multiconductor cable and an array of electrical terminals having different 
pitch relationship than such flat cable. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Various connection schemes are presently known for mass-terminating flat 
multiconductor cable and providing transition to electrical terminals of 
different pitch than the cable, as are discussed in the Statement filed 
herein pursuant to 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98. Typically, such known schemes 
provide for pitch transition from multiconductor cable of standard pitch, 
i.e., wherein individual conductors are spaced on 0.050 inch centers, to 
pin configurations laid out in so-called D-connector variety, i.e., 
wherein the spacing between adjacent pins is 0.054 inches. Transition 
between such different pitch elements is provided either by the use of 
preformed electrical transition contacts supported in connector housings 
and extending between cable and terminals or by a connector involving 
contact elements having ends thereof fixedly supported and bendable 
central sections accommodating the pitch transition. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the present invention to provide pitch transition 
connection from flat cable to other than D-configuration pin layout. 
It is a more particular object of the invention to provide a pitch 
transition connector providing for pitch transition from the aformentioned 
standard flat cable to a pin layout involving pairs of pins laterally 
spaced, successive pairs being spaced by a preselected pitch different 
from that of the flat cable. 
It is a still further object of the invention to provide for zero-insertion 
pitch transition connection between flat cable and terminals of accessory 
circuitry. 
In attaining the foregoing and other objects, the invention provides a 
pitch transition electrical connector assembly for making connection to 
flat multiconductor cable of given pitch wherein a plurality of identical 
electrical contact elements are supported in an elongate housing, each 
contact element having a first contact of insulation-piercing type and a 
second contact opposite and axially offset from the first contact and 
arranged such that the first contacts are disposed in registry with the 
conductors of the flat multiconductor cable, i.e., are at such given 
pitch, and wherein the orientation of the contact elements is such that 
the second contacts are disposed at a predetermined pitch diverse from the 
given pitch of the cable conductors. In a particularly preferred 
embodiment, a base is provided for receiving the housing, the base 
circumscribing a fixed array of terminals adapted to register with the 
second contacts of the contact elements, the base and housing being 
movable relative to one another by an actuator to provide for electrical 
engagement of the second contacts and fixed terminals whereby continuity 
is provided between individual conductors of the flat cable and such 
terminals of the array. 
The foregoing and other objects and features of the invention will be 
further understood from the following detailed description of a preferred 
embodiment of the invention and from the drawings wherein like reference 
numerals identify like parts throughout.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
Referring to FIG. 1, connector assembly 10 is mounted on a printed circuit 
board 12 and includes a male header or base 14 circumscribing header 
terminal pins 16 which are electrically connected to conductive strips 
(not shown) on board 12. Base 14 is elongate about axis 18 and, as is 
shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, terminals 16 are arranged in longitudinally spaced 
laterally aligned pairs, e.g., terminals 16a and 16b comprising one pair 
in lateral alignment are spaced along base 14 from the terminal pair 
comprising terminals 16c and 16d. Base 14 pivotally supports at one end 
thereof an actuator 20, for purposes discussed below. 
Connector 10 further includes a female socket 22 having a housing 24 and a 
cover 26, the cover being separable from the housing to provide for 
disposition of flat multiconductor cable 28 in registration with housing 
contact elements shown particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3. 
A grouping of such housing contact elements 30a-30h is shown in plan view 
in FIG. 2 and contact elements 30e and 30c are shown in front elevation in 
FIG. 3. All of contact elements 30a-30h are of identical configuration, 
each including a first end contact 32 of insulation-piercing type and a 
second end contact 34 opposite contact 32 and axially offset therefrom. 
First contacts 32 may be of configuration shown particularly in U.S. Pat. 
No. 3,964,816, commonly assigned herewith and defining a slot 32a along 
the axis of contact 32 for receiving the conductors of cable 28 and 
electrically engaging the same during insulation piercing of the cable. In 
the illustrated embodiment, contact 34 is of socket type, including 
fingers 34a and 34b aside the central axis of contact 34. 
As is further seen from FIGS. 2 and 3, the housing contact elements are 
arranged in first and second rows aside longitudinal axis 36 of housing 
24. Those contact elements which are resident in the row shown upwardly of 
axis 36 in FIG. 2, i.e., contact elements 30a-30d, are in orientation or 
attitude such that the insulation-piercing contact 32 is rightward of 
contact 34 for each contact element. On the other hand, each of the 
housing contact elements disposed in the lower row in FIG. 2 are in 
orientation or attitude of opposite sense or phase from that of contact 
elements 30a-30d. Thus, in the case of contact elements 30e-30h, the 
insulation-piercing contact of each contact element is situated leftwardly 
of its contact 34. The contact elements are further supported in housing 
24 such that the spacing longitudinally between center lines of adjacent 
insulation-piercing contacts is equal to the pitch of cable 28. Thus, the 
spacing along axis 36 between the center lines of the insulation-piercing 
contacts of contact elements 30e and 30a, between the center lines of the 
insulation-piercing contacts of the contact elements 30a and 30f, etc., is 
equal to the spacing between the center lines of adjacent conductors of 
cable 28. This arrangement accommodates registration of the 
insulation-piercing contacts of all contact elements with cable 28. 
Electrical engagement therebetween is provided by suitable tooling which 
forces cover 26 into suitably latched engagement with housing 24, 
whereupon the individual conductors are driven into slots 32a of contacts 
32. 
Since the contact elements of opposite rows are effectively rotated into 
180-degree opposite phase relationship, and since the center line spacing 
between contacts 32 and 34 is identical for all contact elements, the 
center lines of second contacts of laterally facing contact elements are 
laterally in alignment. Thus, contacts 34 of contact elements 30a and 30e 
are aligned laterally along lateral or transverse axis 38. Contacts 34 of 
contact elements 30b and 30f, 30c and 30g, and 30d and 30h are aligned 
laterally along transverse axes 40, 42 and 44, respectively. 
By virtue of the geometry imposed in the connector as a result of the 
manner of support of identical contact elements and the opposite phase 
arrangement thereof, one readily provides a transition pitch multiple of 
two, i.e., the spacing between longitudinally successive and laterally 
aligned pairs of contacts 34 being twice that of the spacing between 
longitudinally successive insulation-piercing contacts 32. Otherwise 
stated, the pitch provided in the array of contacts 34 may be of 
predetermined measure exceeding the given pitch of the flat cable. 
Referring to FIG. 6, socket assembly 22 is shown in assembled relation with 
base 14, terminals 16 being aligned with the lateral axes of alignment of 
contacts 34 and hence being centrally disposed within contacts 34. 
Terminals 16 are free at this stage of interference with contacts 34 and 
the assembly of socket assembly 22 and base 14 may be characterized as 
being of zero-insertion force nature. Upon operation of actuator 20, i.e., 
upon clockwise rotation of actuator handle 46 on pivot pin 48 of base 14, 
actuator cam 50 moves into engagement with cover 26 and slidably displaces 
socket assembly 22 longitudinally along base 14, the completion of such 
relative movement between the socket assembly and base being shown in FIG. 
7. In such FIG. 7 disposition of the parts of the connector, contact 
finger 34a engages terminal 16 to provide electrical connection between 
cable conductor 28a and pin 52 extending outwardly of base 14 for 
connection to the printed circuit board conductive strip or other like 
accessory circuit. 
Various latching structure may be provided for mechanically interlocking 
the components of the connector assembly. Referring to FIG. 1, the 
interior walls of base 14 may define slots 54 of illustrated stepped 
configuration. Housing 24 may likewise have tabs 56 extending outwardly 
thereof in registry with slots 54 to enter the slots as the parts are 
assembled. Upon such longitudinal movement of the socket assembly relative 
to base 14, the tabs and slots are moved into latching registry, as 
indicated in FIG. 7. Releasable assembly of cover 26 to housing 24 may be 
provided by a suitable detent arrangement, shown by elements 58 and 60 in 
FIGS. 6 and 7. Finally, actuator handle 46 may be in releasable latched 
relation with slot 62 (FIG. 6) when the actuator is in its operated 
disposition shown in FIG. 7. 
While the invention has been shown in a particularized embodiment, various 
changes may be introduced without departing from the invention, as will 
now be evident. For example, the socket configuration for contacts 34 and 
the pin configuration for terminals 16 may be reversed such that the 
housing-supported contact elements include a first contact of 
insulation-piercing character and a second contact of pin configuration 
opposite and axially offset from the insulation-piercing contact. Also, it 
will be seen that the socket assembly 22 may have application other than 
to connection with a base configured as a header and may also find 
application in instances where zero-insertion force is not required. The 
foregoing particularly described and disclosed embodiment is accordingly 
intended in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense. The true spirit 
and scope of the invention are set forth in the following claims.