Abstract:
A connector which allows wave soldering of terminals followed by the application of potting material over the terminals, including a base holding the terminals and wall segments hingedly secured to the base surrounding the terminals. For the wave soldering operation, the wall segments are pivoted away from the terminals to be substantially parallel to the base. After the wave soldering operation, the wall segments are pivoted toward the terminals to form a wall surrounding the terminals for containing potting material.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a connector particularly suitable for use in a building entrance box and, more particularly, to such a connector having collapsible walls to allow a wave soldering operation without damaging the connector plastic and to thereafter allow a potting operation. 
     Where telephone wires enter a building, there is usually provided a building entrance box. The incoming wires, which are typically contained within one or more multi-wire cables, enter a splice chamber in the box, where they are connected to wires which go to a protector field, in a connector chamber of the box, providing protection against lightning, high voltage and high current, and then connections are made within the connector chamber to an output wire connector field. At the connector field, connections are made to wires which extend through the building to output jacks at various locations in the building. Accordingly, a connector is provided within the connector chamber. 
     When such a box is us in an outdoor environment, moisture can enter the box through openings provided for the incoming cables. This moisture can pass from the splice chamber to the connector chamber and can condense on the underside of the connector field, where it can short out terminals. To prevent such problems, in the past the underside of the connector field has been potted. Such potting requires a wall surrounding the region being potted in order to contain the potting material. However, connectors designed for wave soldering of their terminals must have the terminal tails fully exposed. The plastic housing of the connector must be isolated from the tails in order to prevent molten solder from touching and burning the plastic. However, this conflicts with the requirement that there be a wall around the terminal tails for containing the potting material. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a connector which can be used in a wave solder procedure and which allows the terminals to be potted after the wave solder procedure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, there is provided a connector having a substantially planar and rectangular insulative base adapted to hold a plurality of elongated two-ended conductive terminals in a parallel spaced array with the axes of the terminals orthogonal to the base and with the first ends of all of the terminals extending outwardly from a first side of the base and the second ends of all of the terminals extending outwardly from a second side of the base. Four insulative wall segments are hingedly secured to the first side of the base. Each wall segment is movable between a first orientation substantially parallel to the first side of the base and a second orientation substantially orthogonal to the first side of the base. When the four wall segments are in their second orientations, they form a wall surrounding the first ends of all of the terminals. Each wall segment terminates in a respective distal edge which is further from the first side of the base than the first ends of all of the terminals when the wall segments are in their second orientations. 
     In accordance with an aspect of this invention, each of the wall segments is coupled to the first side of the base through a respective living hinge. 
     In accordance with another aspect of this invention, adjacent wall segments are formed with complementary snap-fit features to retain the wall segments in their second orientations. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The foregoing will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description in conjunction with the drawings in which like elements in different figures thereof are identified by the same reference numeral and wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of an illustrative embodiment of a connector constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention showing the wall segments in their first orientation; 
     FIG. 2 is an end view, partially cut away, of the connector shown in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a plan view of the connector shown in FIG. 1 with the addition of a printing wiring board; 
     FIG. 4 is an end view, partially cut away, of the connector shown in FIG. 3; 
     FIG. 5 is a plan view of the connector shown in FIG. 3 with the wall segments in their second orientations; 
     FIG. 6 is an end view, partially cut away, of the connector shown in FIG.  5 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring to the drawings, the inventive connector, designated generally by the reference numeral  10 , includes a substantially planar and rectangular insulative base  12  which is adapted to hold a plurality of elongated two-ended conductive terminals  14  in a parallel spaced array. Each of the terminals has a first end  16  and a second end  18  along a longitudinal axis of the terminal. The base  12  holds the terminals  14  with the axes of the terminals  14  orthogonal to the base  12  and with the first ends  16  of all of the terminals  14  extending outwardly from a first side of the base  12  and the second ends  18  of all of the terminals  14  extending outwardly from a second side of the base  12 . 
     The connector  10  further includes four wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  which are hingedly secured to the first side of the base  12 , preferably by a respective living hinge  27 . Each wall segment  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  is movable between a first orientation substantially parallel to the first side of the base  12 , as shown in FIGS. 1-4, and a second orientation substantially orthogonal to the first side of the base  12 , as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are in their second orientations, they form a wall surrounding the first ends  16  of all of the terminals  14 . Each of the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  terminates in a respective distal edge  28 ,  30 ,  32 ,  34  which is further from the first side of the base  12  than the first ends  16  of all of the terminals  14 , as best seen in FIG.  6 . To retain the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  in their second orientations, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, adjacent wall segments are formed with complementary snap-fit features. Thus, the wall segments  20 ,  24  have dimples  36  on their edges and the adjacent wall segments  22 ,  26  have knobs  38  which snap-fit into respective dimples  36 . 
     The connector  10  further comprises a plurality of support members  40  which extend outwardly from the base  12  and beyond the second ends  18  of all of the terminals  14 , as best seen in FIGS. 2,  4  and  6 . To retain the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  in their first orientations, the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and selected ones of the support members  40  are formed with complementary snap-fit features. Thus, for example, selected ones of the support members  40  are formed with dimples  42  and the wall segments  22 ,  24  are formed on their sides with knobs  44  which snap-fit into respective dimples  42 . 
     In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the base  12  includes an insulative fixed wall  46  at the periphery of the first side of the base  12  and extending substantially orthogonally to the first side of the base  12  to surround the first ends  16  of all of the terminals  14 . The fixed wall  46  terminates in a distal edge lying in a plane parallel to the first side of the base  12  and closer to the first side of the base  12  than the first ends  16  of all of the terminals  14 . Each of the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  is hingedly secured, preferably by the living hinge  27 , to the distal edge of the fixed wall  46 . 
     In use, the terminals  14  are installed in the base  12 , in suitable openings provided therefor. Then a printed wiring board  48 , having plated through-holes  50  is placed over the first ends  16  of the terminals  14 . With the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  in their first orientation, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a wave soldering operation is performed to solder the terminals  14  to respective ones of the plated through-holes  50 . As best shown in FIG. 4, the first ends  16  of the terminals  14  and the printed wiring board  48  are spaced from the plastic of the connector  10 , so that the wave soldering operation is isolated from the plastic of the connector  10 . If the connector  10  is being used in an outdoor environment, the printed wiring board  48  can fail unless it gets additional protection by being covered by potting material. In this case, the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  are pivoted to their second orientations, as best shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and potting material is applied to cover the printed wiring board  48  and the first ends  16  of the terminals  14 , with the wall segments  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  capturing the potting material so that it can cure. 
     Although the connector  10  was designed to solve a problem associated with the conflict between wave soldering and potting, the disclosed connector can also be used where the first ends  16  of the terminals  14  are wire wrapped, without requiring a redesign of the connector  10 . 
     Accordingly, there has been disclosed an improved connector which is usable for potting after a wave soldering operation. While an illustrative embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed herein, it is understood that various adaptations and modifications to the disclosed embodiment are possible and it is intended that this invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.