Connector

Abstract: A connector (1, 30, 32) for a cable (2) with a plurality of conductors and a common shielding (3) comprises a housing (4) of insulating material with contacts to be connected with the conductors, and a metal hood (5). The housing is at least partially accommodated in the hood. The shielding of the cable can be connected to the hood. The housing (4) comprises a lower part (16) protruding out of the hood (5) along its complete circumference. This lower part is adapted to be inserted into a complementary connector (17). The hood is provided with at least one projecting flange (19, 31) for connecting the hood with a metal shielding (21) surrounding the complementary connector.

Description: The invention relates to a connector for a cable with a plurality of conductors and a common shielding, comprising a housing of insulating material with contacts to be connected with the conductors and a metal hood, the housing being at least partially accommodated in the hood, wherein the shielding of the cable can be connected to the hood, wherein said hood is provided with at least one projecting flange for connecting the hood with a complementary connector. In the known connector the hood also extends along two or more faces of the insertion part of the housing adapted to be inserted in a complementary connector, in order to provide a connection of the shielding of the cable with ground contacts of the complementary connector. This known connection between the hood and the ground contacts of the complementary connector is relatively complicated and requires space within this complementary connector. A connector of this type is shown in EP-A-0 421 373. The invention aims to provide a connector of the above-mentioned type wherein the connection of the hood to the shielding at the complementary connector occurs outside of this connector. To this end the connector of the invention is characterized in that said housing comprises a lower part protruding out of the hood along its complete circumference, said lower part being adapted to be inserted into the complementary connector, said complementary connector being surrounded by a metal shielding to be connected with said at least one flange. In this manner a connector is obtained wherein the connection of the shielding may occur outside of the complementary connector so that no space is required within this connector for contacts which have to cooperate with the hood. The invention will be further explained by reference to the drawings in which some embodiments of the connector according to the invention are schematically shown. Fig.1 shows a perspective exploded view of a first embodiment of the connector of the invention. Fig. 2 shows the connector of Fig. 1 as assembled. Fig. 3 is a view of the connector of Fig. 1 wherein one hood part has been removed. Fig. 4 is a schematically shown cross-section of the connector of Fig. 1 with a partially shown section according to the line IV-IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows the connector of Fig. 1 as inserted into a complementary connector. Fig. 6 shows a second embodiment of the connector of the invention in a perspective exploded view. Fig. 7 shows the connector of Fig. 6 as assembled. Fig. 8 shows a third embodiment of the connector of the invention in a perspective exploded view. Fig. 9 shows the connector of Fig. 8 as assembled. Fig. 10 shows the housing of the connector of Fig. 8 as partially disassembled. Referring to Figs. 1-5 there is shown a connector 1 for a cable 2 with a plurality of conductors not shown and a common shielding 3 shown in Fig. 5. The connector 1 comprises a housing 4 of insulating material in which contacts are received, which contacts are not shown in the drawings and to which conductors can be connected. Further, the connector comprises a metal hood 5 having two parts 6 and 7 which can be interconnected by means of screws 8. The shielding 3 of the cable 2 is connected to the hood 5 by means of an upright collar 9 with a conical outer wall 10 and a ring 11 with a conical inner wall 12. As the ring 11 is attached to the hood 5 by means of screws 13, the shielding 3 is clamped between the conical walls 10 and 12. Further details are described in a patent application of the same applicant of the same date. A strain relief is obtained by means of a clamping strip 14 clamping the cable 2 against an extension 14 of the ring 11. As shown in the drawings, the housing 4 comprises a lower part 16 protruding out of the hood 5 along its complete circumference. Thereby the connector 1 can be inserted into a complementary connector 17 with this lower part 16, wherein the space within the connector 17 can be fully used for contact pins cooperating with the contacts of the housing 4. For connecting the shielding 3 of the cable 2 through the hood 5 to the shielding/ground of a printed circuit board 18 on which the complementary connector 17 is mounted, the hood 5 has two diametrically opposed flanges 19 which can be attached to flanges 20 as shown in Fig. 5. These flanges 20 are part of a shielding 21 or cage surrounding the complementary connector 17. This cage 21 is of course connected with shielding/ground conductors of the printed circuit board 18 in a manner not further shown. The housing 4 is provided with lugs 22 engaging into slots 23 of the hood 5 in its mounted position in order to fix the housing 4 in the hood 5. The housing 4 further comprises slots 24, edges 25 of the hood 5 engaging into these slots. In the embodiment of Figs. 1-5 the housing is an assembly of four equal modules 26 each having at one side two pins 27 (see Fig. 4) and at the opposite side two aligned bores 28, in which the pins 27 of a preceding module 26 can be fittingly received. Each module 26 further comprises two lugs 22 and recesses 24. The pins 27 of the module 26 lying at the right side in Fig. 4 are removed before the housing 4 is mounted within the hood 5. Removing the pins 26 can be easily done by breaking off by means of a suitable tool. Fig. 1 schematically shows that two twinaxial cables 29 are connected to each module 26, so that the cable 2 in this embodiment comprises eight twinaxial cables 29. The construction of the module 26 is further described in EP-A-0 620 616. Figs. 6 and 7 show a second embodiment of the connector of the invention indicated by reference numeral 30. This connector 30 mainly corresponds with the connector of Figs. 1-5, so that a detailed description is not necessary. In this case the housing 4 is an assembly of five modules 26 so that the cable 2 comprises ten twinaxial cables 29. The hood 5 of the connector 30 is provided with L-shaped flanges 31, one leg of which joins the hood 5. Figs. 8-10 show a third embodiment of the connector of the invention indicated by reference numeral 32. The connector 32 mainly corresponds with connector 1 and is therefore neither described in detail. In this case the ring 11 comprises two parts 33 and 34 as further described in the above-mentioned patent application of the same date. The connector 32 comprises a housing 35 which is an assembly of two parts 36 with an intermediate insulating plate 37 as shown in Fig. 10. A cover 38 of insulating material is mounted on the two parts 36, wherein lugs 39 of the housing parts 36 engage into openings 40 of the cover 38. In this case the cover 38 includes the lugs 22 for attaching the housing 35 into the hood 5. The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiments which can be varied in a number of ways within the scope of the claims.

Claims: Connector (1, 30, 32) for a cable (2) with a plurality of conductors and a common shielding (3), comprising a housing (4) of insulating material with contacts to be connected with the conductors and a metal hood (5), the housing being at least partially accommodated in the hood, wherein the shielding of the cable can be connected to the hood, wherein said hood is provided with at least one projecting flange (19, 31) for connecting the hood with a complementary connector characterized in that said housing (4) comprises a lower part (16) protruding out of the hood (5) along its complete circumference, said lower part being adapted to be inserted into the complementary connector (17) said complementary connector being surrounded by a metal shielding (21) to be connected with said at least one flange (19,31). Connector according to claim 1, wherein said hood (5) is provided with a flange (19, 31) for connection to the shielding (31) at two opposite sides. Connector according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said hood (5) comprises two parts (6, 7) being detachable interconnected and surrounding an upper part of the housing (4), wherein the hood and the housing are provided with cooperating attachment means (22-25) for attaching the housing in the hood. Connector according to claim 3, wherein said housing (4) is an assembly of a plurality of parts (36, 37) which are interconnected by a cover (38) of insulating material, said cover having the attachment means (22) for attaching the housing (4) to the hood (5). Connector according to claim 3, wherein the housing (4) is an assembly of a plurality of equal modules (26), wherein each module (26) has at least one pin (27) at one side and at an opposite side an aligned bore (28) for fittingly receiving the corresponding pin of an adjacent module. Connector according to claim 5, wherein each module (26) has a lug (22) and a recess (24) at opposite sides, wherein said lugs and recesses of the assembled modules provide the attachment means of the housing (4). Connector according to claim 5 or 6, wherein each pin (27) of a module (26) is adapted to be removed.

Inventors: CREELE EDDY KAMIEL, DROESBEKE GERT, PANIS WERNER, CREELE, EDDY KAMIEL, DROESBEKE, GERT, PANIS, WERNER
Applicants: FRAMATOME CONNECTORS INT, FRAMATOME CONNECTORS INTERNATIONAL
Application year: 1996
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R13