Abstract:
An electrical connector, electrical connection assembly implementing at least one such electrical connector, and method of making such an electrical connector are disclosed. The method includes attaching a wire to a conductive component that includes at least one of a pin and a socket, positioning the conductive component into a supporting structure, and positioning a retaining component in relation to the supporting structure, where the retaining component serves to substantially prevent relative movement of the conductive component relative to the supporting structure. The method further includes overmolding at least portions of the supporting structure and the wire.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/684,931 filed on May 25, 2005, the teachings and disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to connectors and connector assemblies, and particularly, connector assemblies used in electrical applications such as electrical power distribution and electrical communications networks.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Electrical connector assemblies, which allow for the connection of one or more electrical nodes or lines with one or more other electrical nodes or lines, are ubiquitous in a variety of electronics applications. Among these are applications involving electrical power distribution as well as applications involving electronic communications such as computer networks.  
         [0004]     Commonly, electrical connector assemblies include male and female connectors, the former having pins and the latter having complementary sockets. Further, one known manner of manufacturing such male and female connectors involves the fitting of metallic pins or sockets into plastic support structures or “inserts,” where the plastic inserts have complementary holes for receiving the pins/sockets. When the pins/sockets are fully assembled into the plastic inserts, the pins/sockets extend beyond their complementary holes and outward from one or more surfaces of the plastic inserts such that contacting ends of the pins/sockets can receive/be received by complementary sockets/pins.  
         [0005]     Also, typically extending from the ends of the pins/sockets opposite to their contacting ends are leads or wires, which often are crimped within recesses of the pins/sockets so as to affix the wires to the pins/sockets. Thus, the final positioning of the pins/sockets and wires on a connector typically is such that pins/sockets extend from a surface proximate one end of the connector and wires (or a cable) extend from a surface proximate the other end, where the pins/sockets and portions of the wires are generally supported by and positioned within the plastic inserts.  
         [0006]     When the pins/sockets and wires are in place with respect to an insert, an overmolding step typically is performed upon a large portion of the insert so as to more fully and permanently lock the pins/sockets and corresponding wires in place with respect to the plastic insert. The overmolding step often involves encapsulating the end of the insert from which the wires extend in a plastic or rubber-type material.  
         [0007]     One difficulty in manufacturing connector assemblies in this manner involves the tendency of the pins/sockets and corresponding wires to fall out of the complementary holes within the plastic inserts prior to the application of the overmolding. This tendency conventionally is overcome in one of two manners. One manner involves forcibly locking the pins/sockets into place within their complementary holes within the plastic inserts. A second manner involves, prior to the application of the overmolding, the application of a glue-type material often termed “hot melt” to lock the pins/sockets in place with respect to the plastic inserts.  
         [0008]     Each of these conventional manners of securing the pins/sockets and corresponding wires in place with respect to the plastic inserts is disadvantageous. The first manner involving forcible insertion of the pins/sockets is undesirable at least insofar as the insertion process is difficult to standardize and often must be done by hand. As a result, the process can be time-consuming and costly to perform. The second manner involving the application of hot melt is undesirable at least insofar as it requires an additional manufacturing step that takes additional time to perform and also can be messy.  
         [0009]     For at least these reasons, therefore, it would be desirable if a new type of connector (and/or connector assembly) was developed that could be manufactured without the need for either manual insertion of pins/sockets into plastic inserts or the application of hot melt. Further, it would be desirable if the new type of connector had the same external capabilities as conventional connectors, both in terms of its connectability with other connectors (and/or other complementary terminals), and also in terms of its robustness.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0010]     The present inventors have recognized the need for an improved connector/connector assembly and related manufacturing process, and have further realized that an improved connector could be manufactured through the use of one or more locking rings or similar components that slipped over (or otherwise around) the pins/sockets and/or corresponding wires in relation to the plastic insert and locked the pins/sockets and/or wires in relation to the plastic insert.  
         [0011]     More particularly, the present invention relates to an electrical connector capable of being coupled to another connection device. The electrical connector includes an insert having a first end and a second end, where the insert is configured to interface the other connection device at the first end. The electrical connector further includes a conductive component that is at least partly supported by the insert, where the conductive component includes a portion that is exposed proximate the first end such that the portion is capable of being coupled to another portion of the other connection device, and where the conductive component extends outward out of and away from the second end of the insert. The electrical connector additionally includes a retaining component that extends between the insert and the conductive component and substantially prevents relative movement of the insert and at least a part of the conductive component. The electrical connector further includes overmolding material that encapsulates at least portions of the conductive component and the insert, so as to further substantially prevent relative movement of the insert and the part of the conductive component.  
         [0012]     Additionally, the present invention relates to a connection assembly that includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector includes a support portion, a conductive portion, means for substantially preventing relative movement of the support portion and the conductive portion, and overmolding material surrounding at least a portion of the first connector. Also, the second connector is coupled to the first connector, and one of the first and second connectors is a male connector and the other of the first and second connectors is a female connector.  
         [0013]     Further, the present invention relates to a method of making a connector. The method includes attaching a wire to a conductive component that includes at least one of a pin and a socket, positioning the conductive component into a supporting structure, and positioning a retaining component in relation to the supporting structure, where the retaining component serves to substantially prevent relative movement of the conductive component relative to the supporting structure. The method additionally includes overmolding at least portions of the supporting structure and the wire. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an assembly of exemplary male and female connectors, where the male and female connectors are shown in a partially-formed state, prior to overmolding of the connectors;  
         [0015]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a portion of the exemplary male connector of  FIG. 1  in partial cutaway to reveal in more detail an interrelationship between a plastic insert, pins, wires and a locking ring of the connector;  
         [0016]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the exemplary female connector of  FIG. 1  in partial cutaway to reveal in more detail an interrelationship between a plastic insert, sockets, wires and a locking ring of the connector;  
         [0017]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary male connector of  FIGS. 1 and 2 ;  
         [0018]      FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary female connector of  FIGS. 1 and 3 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 6  is a front elevation, partial cross-sectional, view of a connector assembly formed by exemplary male and female connectors, where the connectors are completely formed in contrast to those of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0020]      FIG. 7  is a flow chart showing steps of an exemplary process for making connectors, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a partially-completed connector assembly  2  having a male connector  10  and a female connector  60  is shown. As will be discussed in further detail below, the connector assembly  2 , and the connectors  10 ,  60 , are only partially-assembled insofar as neither of the connectors  10 ,  60  have been “overmolded.” Nevertheless, notwithstanding the lack of overmolding, the partially-completed male and female connectors  10 ,  60 , which are complementary, can still be coupled together as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0022]     Further as shown in  FIG. 1 , each of the male and female connectors  10 ,  60  includes a respective plastic insert  12 ,  62 . When coupled to one another, the male and female connectors  10 ,  60  interface one another along a junction  4  between the plastic inserts  12 ,  62 . Although the inserts  12 ,  62  in the present embodiment are described as being plastic, in alternate embodiments the inserts  12 ,  62  could be made from other materials, preferably electrically insulating materials.  
         [0023]     The connectors  10  and  60  respectively serve to connect two sets of wires  14  and  64 , respectively, which extend outward from the male and female inserts  12  and  62 , respectively. In the present embodiment, the sets of wires  14 ,  64  each include four wires, although in alternate embodiments any number of wires could extend outward away from the connectors  10 ,  60 . Also as shown, and as will be described in further detail below, each of the male and female connectors  10 ,  60  includes a non-metallic molded part shown as rings  16 . The respective ring  16  of each of the connectors  10 , 60  extends around the respective wires  14 , 64  of the respective connector, proximate outer ends  18  and  68  of the inserts  12  and  62 , respectively. In alternate embodiments, the rings  16  (or other parts in place of such rings, as discussed further below) need not be molded, but rather could be, for example, stamped or machined.  
         [0024]     Turning to  FIGS. 2-5 , the partially-completed male and female connectors  10  and  60  are shown in further detail. In particular,  FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a portion of the male connector  10  with approximately a quarter of the connector removed so as to reveal certain internal components of the male connector, and  FIG. 4  further shows an additional cross-sectional view of the male connector  10 . Similarly,  FIG. 3  provides a perspective view of the female connector  60  with approximately a quarter of the connector removed so as to reveal certain internal components of the female connector, and  FIG. 5  provides an additional cross-sectional view of the female connector.  
         [0025]     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , in the male connector  10 , the wires  14  extend inward into the insert  12  so as to penetrate and rest within respective pins such as a first pin  20 . Each of the pins  20  (only one being visible in  FIGS. 2 and 4 ) includes a receiving hole  22  (see  FIG. 4 ) that receives the respective wire  14  at one end of the pin  20  and, at a second end of the pin, includes a protruding portion  24 . While most of the pin  20  including the receiving hole  22  is surrounded by and supported within the insert  12 , the protruding portion  24  extends through a hole  26  in the insert  12  and subsequently extends outward within a receiving atrium  28  of the insert toward an interfacing end  30  that helps to form the junction  4  of  FIG. 1 . The wires  14  are locked in place in relation to their respective pins  20  due to crimping of the pins once the wires have been placed within the receiving holes  22  of the pins.  
         [0026]     Similarly, referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the female connector  60  includes multiple sockets such as a socket  70  that is supported within the insert  62 . As shown, the socket  70  (like each of the other sockets, which are not visible) also includes a receiving hole  72  that receives a respective one of the wires  64 . At the end of the socket  70  opposite the end at which the receiving hole  72  is located, the socket includes a receiving portion  74  having an inner diameter that is complementary to an outer diameter of the protruding portion  24  of the pin  20 , such that the protruding portion  24  can fit snugly within the receiving portion  74 . The wires  64  are locked in place in relation to their respective sockets  70  due to crimping of the sockets once the wires have been placed within the corresponding receiving holes  72  of the sockets.  
         [0027]     The plastic insert  62  at an end  76  includes a filling portion  78  that can fit at least partly within the atrium  28  of the insert  12 . Thus, during assembly of the male connector  10  with the female connector  60 , the protruding portion  24  of the pin  26  extends into the receiving portion  74  of the socket  70 , and also the filling portion  78  of the insert  62  extends into the atrium  28  of the insert  12 . Further, upon such assembly of the connectors  10 , 60 , the interfacing end  30  of the male connector  10  interfaces an additional interfacing edge  79  of the female connector  60 , thereby forming the junction  4 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  in contrast to  FIG. 1  shows a connector assembly  6  that is formed from a fully-completed male connector  40  and a fully-completed female connector  80 , where the fully-completed connectors are simply the partially-completed connectors  10  and  60  that additionally include overmolding  8  and male and female locking nuts  42  and  82 , respectively, as shown. The overmolding  8  is typically a plasticized or rubberized material that has been placed around the connectors  10 , 60  so as to result in the connectors  40 , 80 , but it should be understood that overmolding can include other materials as well. Application of the overmolding  8  results in connectors that are more stable and robust, particularly in terms of maintaining the positions of the wires  14 , 64  and pins/sockets  20 / 70  in relation to the inserts  12 , 62 .  
         [0029]     In particular, the overmolding  8  typically encapsulates at least portions of the connectors  10 , 60  proximate the outer ends  18 , 68  of the inserts  12 , 62  and portions of the wires  14 , 64  extending therefrom. More specifically, in the embodiment shown, the wires  14 ,  64  extending away from the inserts  12 , 62  are contained within cable sheaths  9 , and consequently the overmolding  8  actually is in contact with cable sheaths  9  that surround the multiple wires  14 , 64  in addition to being in contact with portions of the inserts  12 , 62 .  
         [0030]     Also as shown in  FIG. 6 , the male and female locking nuts  42 , 82  are designed such that, when the connectors  40 ,  80  are assembled to one another, a protruding portion of the male locking nut that is threaded along its outer diameter can be rotated with respect to a complementary receiving portion of the female locking nut that is threaded along its inner diameter, so as to lock together the connectors  40 , 80 . The locking nuts  42 , 82  can be made from a number of materials, such as various plastics or metals.  
         [0031]      FIG. 6  shows the connectors  40 , 80  again in partial cutaway so as to reveal one entire electrical linkage that is formed when the connectors are assembled to one another. As shown, the electrical linkage begins with one of the wires  14  that extends into one of the pins  20  of the male connector  40 . The protruding portion  24  of the pin  20  in turn protrudes into the complementary receiving portion  74  of the corresponding socket  70  of the connector  80 , where the socket  70  in turn is coupled to one of the wires  64 .  
         [0032]     Although  FIGS. 2-6  show in particular only one of the pins  20  and/or one of the sockets  70 , it will be understood that the connectors  10 ,  40 ,  60  and  80  each actually includes four pins  20  or four sockets  70  corresponding to the respective four wires  14  and  64 , respectively. In alternate embodiments, each of the connectors could instead be designed to have any number of pins or sockets corresponding to any number of wires, ranging from one to a number considerably greater than four (e.g., nine or more).  
         [0033]     Further referring to  FIGS. 2-6 , and as discussed above with respect to  FIG. 1 , the connectors  10  and  60  (as well as the connectors  40  and  80 ) each include a non-metallic molded part or ring  16  that, upon assembly with respect to its respective connector, extends circumferentially around its respective insert  12 , 62  and also around its respective wires  14 , 64 , at a location proximate the outer ends  18 , 68 . The rings  16  serve to lock the wires  14 , 64 , pins  20  and sockets  70  in place with respect to the plastic inserts  12  and  62 , respectively.  
         [0034]     In the present embodiment, the rings  16  are positioned in relation to the inserts  12 , 62  after the pins  20  and sockets  70  (with their respective wires attached thereto) are positioned within the respective inserts  12 ,  62 . Once the pins  20 /sockets  70  are in place, the rings  16  (which are initially positioned somewhere along the wires  14 , 64 ) are then slid toward the inserts  12 , 62  toward and inward slightly past the outer ends  18 , 68  of the inserts.  
         [0035]     As shown particularly in  FIG. 2  as well as in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the inserts  12 , 62  proximate the outer ends  18 , 68  include outwardly extending protrusions  50  over which the rings  16  slide as they move slightly past the outer ends  18 ,  68 . In the embodiment shown, the protrusions  50  generally take the form of an X when viewed axially inwardly towards the outer ends  18 , 68 , such that the four wires  14 , 64  extending into the respective insert  12 , 62  are separated from one another by the protrusions  50  into four quadrants determined by those protrusions.  
         [0036]     Further, each of the four protrusions  50  has an increasing radius  52  (see  FIG. 2 ) as one proceeds farther inward, up to a respective indentation  54  in which the radius then abruptly decreases again. Consequently, as the ring  16  is slid inward over its respective insert  12 , 62 , the ring first encounters progressively increased resistance causing the ring to be deformed slightly outwards and then slips into place around the indentations  54  of the protrusions  50 , allowing the ring  16  to substantially return to its undeformed shape. The rings  16  thus can be thought of as snap rings that snap into place around the indentations  54 .  
         [0037]     Once the ring  16  is in this resting position, and consequently is locked into/onto the inserts  12 , 62 , it not only rests within the indentations  54 , but also applies pressure to the wires  14 , 64  so as to lock the wires and their corresponding pins  20 /sockets  70  in place with respect to the insert  12 ,  62 . Thus, because of the rings  16 , it is not necessary for the pins  20  and sockets  70  to be sized so as to establish interference fits with respect to the complementary holes in the inserts  12 , 62  in order to lock those pins/sockets in place, nor is it necessary to lock those pins/sockets in place using hot melt or other adhesive.  
         [0038]     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2-6 , at least portions of the rings  16  rest along insulative portions  56  of the wires  14 , 64 , such that the pressure of the rings  16  is applied to the insulation portions of the wires. Because the insulative portions  56  have larger outer diameters than conductive portions  58  surrounded by those insulative portions  56 , the rings tend to apply greater force to the wires  14 , 64  to hold those wires in place than would be the case if the rings only encountered the conductive portions  58 .  
         [0039]     Nevertheless, in alternate embodiments, the relative positioning of the rings  16  and the wires  14 , 64  would be such that the rings would not interface the insulative portions  56  but rather would be positioned merely alongside exposed conductive portions  58  of the wires that exist between the ends of the insulative portions and the pins  20 /sockets  70  into which those wires are crimped. In such embodiments, the rings  16  would apply less (or no) pressure to the wires  14 , 64 . Nevertheless, the rings  16  would still serve the purpose of locking the pins  20 /sockets  70  and their corresponding wires  14 , 64  in place insofar as the rings would still prevent backsliding of the pins/sockets (given their larger diameter relative to the conductive portions of the wires) and also prevent backsliding of the wires due to the crimping of the wires within the pins/sockets.  
         [0040]     Turning to  FIG. 7 , a flowchart  90  shows exemplary steps of a process for forming a connector such as the connectors  40 , 80  discussed above. Starting at a step  92 , the process of manufacturing the connectors first involves crimping wires within their respective pins/sockets at a step  94 . Then, the pin/sockets are positioned into an appropriate insert, at a step  96 . Further, at a step  97 , the retainer rings  16  are slid from over the wires and onto the insert so as to lock the pins/sockets and their corresponding wires in place with respect to the insert.  
         [0041]     Finally, at a step  98 , overmolding is then applied to completely lock the pins/sockets and wires (and the rings) in place permanently, where the overmolding in particular is applied proximate the junction of the inserts and the wires. The process is then completed at a step  99 . Although not shown in  FIG. 7 , the male and female locking nuts shown in  FIG. 6  would typically be positioned onto the inserts prior to the positioning of the pins/sockets in step  96  (or, alternately, prior to or as part of step  97 ).  
         [0042]     Although certain embodiments of the present invention are shown and discussed with reference to  FIGS. 1-7 , the present invention is intended to encompass a variety of other embodiments in addition to those shown and discussed above. For example, while in the above embodiments it is intended that the pins/sockets be slip fit into the inserts  12 , 62 , in alternate embodiments the pins/sockets could be press fit into those inserts. Also, while the present embodiment each connector has only pins or sockets, in some alternate embodiments it is possible that a given connector could have both one or more pins and one or more sockets.  
         [0043]     Also, while in the above-described embodiments the rings  16  are slid onto the inserts to lock the pins/sockets and wires after the pins/sockets and wires are positioned onto the inserts, in alternate embodiments the rings could be assembled to the inserts prior to the introduction of the pins/sockets and wires. In such embodiments, introduction of the pins/sockets and wires would cause deformation of the rings as the pins/sockets/wires were introduced, and yet the rings would still serve to lock in place the pins/sockets/wires after those components were positioned into the inserts.  
         [0044]     Further, although in the embodiments described above the rings  16  are locked into position when the rings pass into the indentations  54 , in alternate embodiments the rings could be affixed in place in relation to the inserts in alternate manners, for example, by way of adhesives, ultrasonics, heat or pressure. To the extent that the rings do snap into indentations such as those discussed above, the indentations need not always be in the insert, but also instead (or additionally) could be positioned on the pins/sockets or even the wires.  
         [0045]     Also, while the above-described process envisions the assembly and formation (including overmolding) of connectors on an individual basis (e.g., one male connector or one female connector at a time), the present invention also in other embodiments encompasses process in which pairs of connectors (e.g., a male and a female connector) or even greater numbers of connectors are assembled simultaneously. For example, a pair of complementary male and female connectors as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , respectively, could be assembled together as shown in  FIG. 1  and then overmolding could be applied to both connectors simultaneously.  
         [0046]     Also, while in the present embodiment the non-metallic molded parts used to lock the pins/sockets and wires in place relative to the inserts is in the form of the rings  16 , in alternate embodiments the rings could be replaced with locking components that had other shapes, for example, oval shapes, rectangular shapes, C-shapes (e.g., a C-clip), hexagonal shapes (e.g., a hex shaped ring), or a molded cap with holes. Additionally, any of these locking devices could have axial lengths or thicknesses that varied from that of the rings  16  shown in the FIGS. Further, where the locking devices are designed to snap into place due to interactions with indentations such as the indentations  54 , those indentations and, indeed the various structural formations of the inserts  12 , 62  could vary from those shown.  
         [0047]     Further, other shapes of the components of the connectors could vary from those shown. In some embodiments, the overmolding will be applied in such a manner that the wires (and cables containing the wires) would be diverted from the generally axial paths away from the inserts  12 , 62  shown in the FIGS. For example, the overmolding could be applied so as to result in wires that extended away from the inserts at approximately 90 degree angles relative to the directions shown in the FIGS. Additionally, a variety of different materials can be used for the components of the connectors in place of those discussed above, albeit the materials used should generally be electrically insulative in the case of the inserts  12 , 62 .  
         [0048]     Also, while overmolding is used in the above-discussed embodiments, other techniques could also be used to encase/encapsulate/seal the connectors (and, more particularly, to encase/encapsulate/seal the inserts  12 , 62  with respect to their respective wires  14 , 64 /cables) so as to improve the robustness of the connectors. For example, in some other embodiments, other known types of sealants or even a shrinkwrap-like material could be utilized. In other embodiments, a hard shell could be placed around the appropriate portions of the connectors and wires extending therefrom, and then the space within the shell between the shell and the connectors/wires could be filled with a potting material or other filler. Additionally, in some other embodiments, terminal chambers as are known in the art could be utilized.  
         [0049]     Finally, while the present invention relates to electrical connectors and connector assemblies for use in applications such as electrical power distribution applications and electronic forms of communication such as computer networks, the present invention also in some other embodiments could be employed in relation to other types of connectors. For example, the present invention could also be implemented in relation to connectors for optical systems (e.g., connecting fiber optical cables).  
         [0050]     It is specifically intended that the present invention not be limited to the embodiments and illustrations contained herein, but include modified forms of those embodiments including portions of the embodiments and combinations of elements of different embodiments as come within the scope of the following claims.