Abstract:
A grounding connector comprising a ferrule portion and a pad portion. The ferrule portion has a conductor receiving bore terminating adjacent the transition portion. The transition portion also slopes downwardly from the ferrule portion toward the pad portion to form an obtuse angle with the pad portion. The grounding connector is unitary and seamless.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/839,626 filed Aug. 23, 2006, the entire disclosure which is herein incorporated by reference. 
     
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a cable assembly ground connector that reduces the presence of static electricity. 
         [0004]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0005]    It is known in the prior art to provide cable assemblies that can ground connected structures. The present invention is an improvement over the prior art as it reduces the amount of static electricity in a ground connector terminal. Reducing the presence of static electricity is especially important in aerospace applications where static electricity can increase and build up to dangerous levels. Typical ground connectors also can be subject to increased forces across a neck or transition area. Strengthening the transition area of the ground connector is also very desirable due to the ground connector being subject to increased torsional vibration and pull-out forces. It is also desirable to develop an efficient process for creating a connector assembly that solves the problems in the prior art. 
         [0006]    Prior art connectors fall into two groups. A first style of connector is illustrated in  FIG. 5  and comprises a seamless tube  60 . A grounding connector is formed by stamping a portion  62  of the connector to form a pad portion  64  and a ferrule portion  66 . During the forming operation a pin (not shown) is inserted in the ferrule portion to maintain its cylindrical shape. It should be noted that, while the ferrule portion is cylindrical, the pad portion has a seam  68  which leads to the ferrule portion. 
         [0007]    Another example of a prior art connector is shown in  FIG. 6 . Such a connector is generally stamped with progressive dies to the shape illustrated. A conductor is placed in a trough  70  and wings  72  are crimped over the conductor to form a seamed ferrule with open ends. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a cable assembly ground connector that reduces the amount of static electricity and withstands larger bending strengths. The cable assembly ground connector can be manufactured from a solid rod using a number of different manufacturing processes. 
         [0009]    According to this invention a grounding connector comprises a ferrule portion, a transition portion, and a pad portion. The ferrule portion has a conductor receiving bore terminating adjacent the transition portion. The transition portion slopes downwardly toward the pad portion to form an obtuse angle with said pad portion. The grounding connector is unitary and seamless and is preferably plated copper, i.e. nickel, silver, gold or tin. 
         [0010]    The connector is manufactured by cutting a solid rod to a predetermined length and is subjected to a turning operation to produce a predetermined diameter for the ferrule portion. The rod is then partially drilled to form the conductor receiving bore of a predetermined depth and diameter. The rod is placed in upper and lower forming dies to form the transitional and pad portions while maintaining the dimensional integrity of the ferrule portion by inserting a rod therein. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]      FIG. 1  is a top view of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a first embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an elevational view of a solid rod embodiment at an intermediate stage in its manufacturing process; 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of a forming die for forming the rod of  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  is a front view of the forming die of  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 7 and 8  are examples of prior art connectors. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION 
       [0018]    It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure. 
         [0019]    The present invention relates to a cable assembly ground connector, comprising a lug terminal that is formed with increased strength and promotes a better connection with the ground to eliminate the presence of static electricity. The terminal is a seamless one-piece unit and is manufactured from a solid rod. The terminal is comprised of a ferrule portion and a pad portion. The pad area is seamless, thicker and heavier than assemblies found in the prior art. The thickness and weight of the pad area provides improved ultra high wire pull out values. The seamless pad also ensures that moisture will not enter a connecting hole provided on the pad and the ferrule and reduces the chance for corrosion. The terminal has a bore which may be drilled in a ferrule portion for insertion of a grounding wire. The aperture allows a grounding wire to be installed by the use of a manual or hydraulic crimping tool. The wire that is installed in the ferrule portion causes the lug terminal to be grounded. The aperture of the ferrule portion contains a wider opening or counterbore to accommodate the insulation sleeve on the conductor. The ferrule of the terminal has a substantial thickness remaining after the drilling or forming operation is complete. 
         [0020]    A transition area connects the ferrule with the pad portion. It is to be appreciated that a pin received in a connecting hole of the pad portion is grounded due to the connectivity of the terminal. The pin that is placed in the connecting hole exerts forces on the terminal, with the forces being especially strong in the transition area between the ferrule and the pad. The transition area contains increased strength properties to withstand various forces that may be applied to it. During testing of the terminal, the transition area and the ferrule showed increased performance for pull-out, vibration, twisting, flexing, weight, thermal shock, and for tensile strength. 
         [0021]    In one embodiment, according to  FIGS. 1-4 , a cable assembly ground connector is comprised of a terminal lug  10 . The terminal lug  10  includes a ferrule  12  on one end of the lug and a pad  14  on the other end of the lug. A transition area  16  connects the ferrule  12  to the pad  14 . The ferrule  12  contains a blind bore  20  that receives a grounding wire (not shown). The grounding wire is placed into the bore  20  in the ferrule  12 . In one embodiment, the ferrule  12  is provided with a counterbore  21  having a diameter greater than the diameter of the blind bore  20 . The counterbore  21  provides space for cable insulation and makes sealing of connection easier. It also provides support for cable insulation to improve vibration performance. A connection hole  18  is formed in the pad portion  14 . A pin (not shown) is provided inside this connection hole  18 , to provide grounding for the structure and the objects that the structure is connected to. It is to be appreciated that the pin placed inside the connecting hole  18  may be a rod, a metallic object, or other suitable object that forms a connection to transfer a grounding effect. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , a shoulder or flange  22  is provided on the ferrule portion  12 . The shoulder  22  is used as a guide for heat shrink sealing to be applied to the ferrule portion  12 . Heat shrink sealing will help to provide additional insulation and provides a secure placement of installation over the ferrule portion  12 . The ferrule portion  12  helps to improve the performance of the lug terminal for the pull out value, vibration, weight testing, humidity, and hydrostatic properties. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the shoulder  22  can be used to form uniform ferrule portion thickness throughout the blind bore. In this embodiment, the shoulder  22  corresponds to the difference in diameter between the counterbore and a narrow bore area  26 . 
         [0023]    The bore  20  is provided inside the middle of the ferrule portion  12 . A solid rod is formed into the terminal  10 . By drilling out the bore  20  from the ferrule portion  12 , a consistent grounding cable insert depth is provided on each terminal  10  that is manufactured. Providing a more consistent inside wire diameter for the terminal  10 , results in increased performance, and a reduced chance of the wire slipping out of the assembly  10  or of reducing the connectivity between the grounding wire and the lug terminal  10 . In  FIG. 2 , the counterbore  21  has a wide entrance area  24 , which leads into a narrow bore  20 . It is to be appreciated that the wide entrance area may become narrower when approaching the pad portion  14 . An end area  28  is provided that culminates in a point. Providing the end area  28  with angled walls helps to ensure proper connection between the grounding wire and the terminal  10 . Proper connection helps to further reduce the existence or buildup of any static electricity that may occur. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  also illustrates the transition area  16  to withstand larger forces applied to the pad portion  14  and the connecting hole  18 . The transition area  16  provides a connection between the ferrule portion  12  and the pad portion  14 . The pad portion  14  has a thickness that is much less than the diameter of the ferrule portion  12 . An angled face  32  is provided in the transition area  16  that slopes from the top of the ferrule portion  12  to the top of the pad portion  14 . The transition area  16  also comprises an angled edge  34  starting from the bottom of the ferrule portion, and leading to the bottom of the pad portion  14 . Providing either one of or both an angled face  32  and an angled edge  34  helps to provide additional stability for the terminal  10  as it is subjected to increased forces. 
         [0025]    The terminal  10  can be manufactured in multiple ways so long as the connector is unitary and seamless. The terminal  10  is manufactured from a solid rod  80  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The solid rod is first cut to the desired length and then turned to the form illustrated in  FIG. 4 . The turning operation results in the creation of a ferrule portion of a predetermined diameter as shown in  FIG. 4 . The turning operation creates a shoulder or a flange  22  on the ferrule portion  12  of the solid rod. The ferrule portion  12  is drilled to produce the bore  20  and the counterbore  21 . 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , the rod  80  is placed between the upper and lower coining dies  82  and  84 , a retaining rod  86  is inserted into the bore  20  and counterbore  21 . The dies  82  and  84  are closed to the position illustrated in  FIGS. 5 and 6  and the terminal  10  is formed or coined to shape. 
         [0027]    The connection hole  18  is punched through the pad portion  14 . The terminal is then deburred and nickel plated. 
         [0028]    Deburring is an important step to ensure that the grounding wire or the structure inserted into the connecting hole is not frayed or damaged in any way. In another embodiment, an additional drilling step can be taken to achieve a better connection. In this step, the inner diameter of the aperture located in the ferrule portion can be re-drilled to an exact, desired wire hole size. 
         [0029]    It is to be appreciated that other manufacturing processes can be used to produce the present invention. For example, the present invention can be manufactured from a casting operation or a permanent mold. Furthermore, the present invention can be cold forged, formed from impact, produced by powder metallurgy, formed from a tube that is brazed or has a soldered seam, or formed from machinery operations and turned. 
         [0030]    It should be evident that this disclosure is by way of example and that various changes may be made by adding, modifying, or eliminating details without departing from the fair scope of the teaching contained in this disclosure.