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EP0102156A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Insulation displacement terminal for an electrical connector and environmental sealing means therefor

Assignee: Molex LLC
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Filing: 1983-07-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-07-06
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Abstract

Abstract A collapsible insulation displacement terminal (10a or 10b), responsive to an actuating force directed along the length of a wire (39) received in the terminal, includes a metallic body with a pair of side portions (19) positionable on opposite sides of an insulation covered wire (39). Each side portion includes a weakened intermediate region with an aperture (20 see Figure 1 ) defined therein. When the terminal is compressed by a force applied generally parallel to the length of the wire, the intermediate regions (19) collapse inwardly of the terminal body toward one another. In the process, a contact edge defined by the apertures (20) severs the insulation covering the wire and produces an electrical connection between the central core of the wire and the terminal. In a further embodiment, the positions of the intermediate regions (19) of the side portions may be offset with respect to one another so that the two intermediate portions do not interfere with one another during their inward severing action. The terminal may be adapted for use with a coaxial cable wherein the intermediate portions (19) produce an electrical connection only with the shielding conductor of the cable. A dielectric housing (30 see also Figure 2) for the terminal may include pre-assembled sealing means (32, 33) through which the wire (39) is inserted prior to application of the collapsing force to the terminal.

Inventors

  • 👤 Helen Dechelette

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-08 23:46
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R9/00; H01R9/03; H01R9/05; H01R9/053; H01R2103/00; H01R24/00; H01R24/38; H01R24/40

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 132 words
An insulation displacement terminal (10 or 60 or 80) including a body (11, 12, 13 or 61, 62, 63 or 86, 87, 88) positionable about an insulation covered wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81), said body including an insulation displacing edge (of aperture 20 or 69 or 94) characterised by means (15, 17, 18 or 65, 66, 67 or 90, 91, 92) for causing said displacing edge to move into said insulation covering (43 or 85) in a direction generally transverse to the length of said wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81) in response to an actuating force applied to said body (11, 12, 13 or 61, 62, 63 or 86, 87, 88) generally parallel to the length of said wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81).
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 132 words
An insulation displacement terminal (10 or 60 or 80) including a body (11, 12, 13 or 61, 62, 63 or 86, 87, 88) positionable about an insulation covered wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81), said body including an insulation displacing edge (of aperture 20 or 69 or 94) characterised by means (15, 17, 18 or 65, 66, 67 or 90, 91, 92) for causing said displacing edge to move into said insulation covering (43 or 85) in a direction generally transverse to the length of said wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81) in response to an actuating force applied to said body (11, 12, 13 or 61, 62, 63 or 86, 87, 88) generally parallel to the length of said wire (39 or 71 or 72 or 81).
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The terminal of claim 1 wherein said body includes a pair of weakened, generally opposed wall portions (15 or 65 or 90) at least one of which includes said insulation displacement edge.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 66 words
The terminal of claim 2 wherein each of said wall portions (15 or 65 or 90) is deflectable inwardly toward the other in response to a force applied axially of said terminal and said deflection occurs as a result of the weakening of each wall portion (15 or 65 or 90) along a fold line (19 or 68 or 93) running generally transverse to the terminal.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The terminal of claim 3 wherein said fold line is defined by notches (l8 or 67 or 92) in said wall portions.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 48 words
The terminal of claim 3 or 4 wherein said body further includes tab means (24) interactable with said wall portions for bowing the wall portions as they are deflected inwardly toward one another, thereby altering the angle of incidence of said displacing edge with respect to said conductor.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 37 words
The terminal of any preceding claim 2 to 5 wherein said body (61, 62, 63 or 86, 87, 88) is generally U-shaped in cross-section to each side of said weakened, generally opposed wall portions (65 or. 91).
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 34 words
The terminal of any preceding claim 2 to 5 wherein said body is generally box-like towards each end (11, 13), the box-like end portions being interconnected by said weakened, generally opposed wall portions (15).
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 36 words
The terminal of claim 6 or 7 including an aperture (69 or 94) located on each of said generally opposed wall portions (65 or 90), said apertures being arranged to weaken said generally opposed wall portions.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 19 words
The terminal of claim 8 wherein said insulation displacement edge is defined by an edge portion of said apertures.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 25 words
The terminal of claim 8 or 9 wherein said apertures co-operate to cradle said wire upon movement of said insulation displacing edge into said wire.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 32 words
The terminal of claim 8, 9 or 10 wherein the aperture in one portion is offset along the longitudinal centerline of the terminal with respect to the aperture in the other portion.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 32 words
A connector assembly for terminating an insulated electrical conductor including a dielectric housing (31, 32, 33 or 70 or 101) fitted with an electrically conductive terminal as claimed in any preceding claim.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 30 words
The connector assembly of claim 12 including tabs (46, 47 or 73) formed integrally with said housing for securing said conductor in said housing after its termination to the connector.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 40 words
The connector assembly of claim 13 wherein said tabs (46, 47) are interactable with said wall portions (15) such that upon deflection of the wall portions the tab means deflect into said conductor to secure the conductor in said connector.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 28 words
The connector assembly of daim 12, 13 or 14 including sealing means (32, 33) for sealing said conductor in said housing (31) upon insertion of the conductor therein.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 28 words
The connector assembly of daim 12, 13 or 14 including sealing means (32, 33) for sealing said conductor in said housing (31) upon insertion of the conductor therein.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 32 words
The connector assembly of claim 15 wherein said sealing means comprises a gasket (32) having a resiliently deformable collar (50) for creating a seal with a conductor (39) inserted through said gasket.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 32 words
The connector assembly of claim 15 or 16 wherein said sealing means is operable to seal said conductor in the housing prior to deflection of said terminal wall portion into said conductor.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 82 words
An electrical connector assembly for terminating a coaxial cable (81), said cable including a core conductor (82) and a coaxially arranged shield conductor (84) separated one from another by a layer of insulation (83), said assembly having a shield contacting terminal as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11 for making electrical contact with said shield conductor external to the cable and a core contacting terminal (107, 110) for making electrical contact with said core conductor external to the cable.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 23 words
The electrical connector assembly of claim 18 wherein said core contacting terminal establishes contact with said core conductor by piercing an end thereof.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 47 words
The electrical connector assembly of claim 18 or 19 including a dielectric housing (101) into which an end of said cable is insertable and having means (106) for supporting said core contacting terminal in alignment with said cable end upon insertion of the cable into said housing.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 43 words
The electrical connector assembly of claim 18, 19 or 20 including interengaging means (99) operable between said shield contacting terminal and said housing for restraining said cable end against relative movement with respect to the housing upon insertion of the cable end therein.
Claim 24
Independent Claim 58 words
A method of terminating an insulation covered electrical wire or cable by insulation displacement comprising inserting the wire or cable lengthwise into said body of. an insulation displacement terminal as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 11 and then applying an actuating force to said body generally parallel to the length of said wire.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 52 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the terminal forms part of a connector assembly as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 17, said wire is inserted into said body at one end of the body and said actuating force is applied to said body at its opposite end.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 53 words
A method as claimed in claim 22 wherein the terminal forms part of a connector assembly as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 21, said wire is inserted into said body at one end of the body and said actuating force is applied to said body at the same end thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method as claimed in claim 24 in which said wire is inserted into said body and said actuating force is applied to said body in a single motion.

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