Insulation displacement coaxial cable termination and method

Claim 1

A cable termination connector for mechanical and electrical attachment to the end of a cable assembly (10) of the type including (1) a plurality of co-planar, parallel, laterally spaced signal wires (12), each signal wire being enclosed in a first insulating sheath (14) and having (a) and associated parallel ground wire (16) in the plane of the signal wires outside the first insulating sheath and (b) a conductive sheath (18) surrounding the ground wire and the first insulating sheath, and (2) a second insulating sheath (20) surrounding all of the conductive sheaths (18), the ends of the conductive sheaths (18) being recessed from the ends of the signal wires (12); said cable termination connector comprising a first housing member (50) for receiving the end of the cable assembly (10); means for securing the cable assembly (10) to the first housing member (50); a second housing member (70) having a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced insulation displacement contacts (82) extending from the second housing member in two parallel rows, the insulation displacement contacts (82a) in one row being signal wire contacts for respectively electrically contacting the signal wires (12), and the insulation displacement contacts (82b) in the other row being ground wire contacts for respectively electrically contacting the ground wires (16), the second housing member (70) being connectable to the first housing member (50) along a termination axis transverse to the plane of the signal wires and parallel to the insulation displacement contacts so that each signal wire contact (82a) displaces the insulation (14) surrounding a respective one of the signal wires (12) beyond the recessed end of the associated conductive sheath (18) and makes electrical contact with that signal wire (12), and so that each ground wire contact (82b) displaces the insulation (20) and conductive sheath (18) surrounding a respective one of the ground wires (16) and makes electrical contact with that ground wire (16) and means for holding the first and second housing members together.

Claim 14

A method for mechanically and electrically attaching a cable termination to the end of a cable assembly having (1) a plurality of co-planar, parallel, laterally spaced signal wires (12) being enclosed in a first insulating sheath (14) and having (a) an associated parallel ground wire (16) in the plane of the signal wires (12) outside the first insulating sheath (14) and (b) a conductive sheath (18) surrounding the ground wire and the first insulating sheath (14) and (2) a second insulating sheath (20) surrounding all of the conductive sheaths (18), the ends of the conductive sheaths (18) being recessed from the ends of the signal wires (12), the method comprising the steps of: inserting the end of the cable assembly (10) in a first housing member (30); securing the cable assembly (10) to the first housing member (50); bringing the first housing member (50) together with a second housing member (70) having a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced insulation displacement contacts (82) extending from the second housing member (70) in two parallel rows, the insulation displacement contacts in one row being signal wire contacts (82a) for respectively electrically contacting the signal wires (12) and the insulation displacement contacts in the other row being ground wire contacts (82b) for respectively electrically contacting the signal wires (12) and the insulation displacement contacts in the other row being ground wire contacts (82b) for respectively electrically contacting ground wires (16), the first and second housing members (50, 70) being brought together by relative motion of the housing members along a termination axis transverse to the plane of the signal wires (12) and parallel to the insulation displacement contacts (82) so that each signal wire contact (82a) displaces the insulation (14) surronding a respective one of the signal wires (12) beyond the end of the associated conductive sheath (18) and makes electrical contact with that signal wire (12) and so that each ground wire contact (82b) displaces the insulation (20) and conductive (18) sheath surrounding a respective one of the ground wires (16) and makes electrical contact with that ground wire (16); and securing the first and second housing-members (50, 70) together.

Claim 15

A method for mechanically and electrically attaching a cable termination to the end of a cable assembly having (1) a plurality of co-planar, parallel, laterally spaced signal wires (12) being enclosed in a first insulating sheath (14) and having (a) an associated parallel ground wire (16) in the plane of the signal wires (12) outside the first insulating sheath (14) and (b) a conductive sheath (18) surrounding the ground wire and the first insulating sheath (14) and (2) a second insulating sheath (20) surrounding all of the conductive sheaths (18), the ends of the conductive sheaths (18) being recessed from the ends of the signal wires (12), the method comprising the steps of: inserting the end of the cable assembly (10) in a first housing member (30); securing the cable assembly (10) to the first housing member (50); bringing the first housing member (50) together with a second housing member (70) having a plurality of parallel, laterally spaced insulation displacement contacts (82) extending from the second housing member (70) in two parallel rows, the insulation displacement contacts in one row being signal wire contacts (82a) for respectively electrically contacting the signal wires (12) and the insulation displacement contacts in the other row being ground wire contacts (82b) for respectively electrically contacting the signal wires (12) and the insulation displacement contacts in the other row being ground wire contacts (82b) for respectively electrically contacting ground wires (16), the first and second housing members (50, 70) being brought together by relative motion of the housing members along a termination axis transverse to the plane of the signal wires (12) and parallel to the insulation displacement contacts (82) so that each signal wire contact (82a) displaces the insulation (14) surronding a respective one of the signal wires (12) beyond the end of the associated conductive sheath (18) and makes electrical contact with that signal wire (12) and so that each ground wire contact (82b) displaces the insulation (20) and conductive (18) sheath surrounding a respective one of the ground wires (16) and makes electrical contact with that ground wire (16); and securing the first and second housing-members (50, 70) together.

Claim 20

The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16 wherein the termination axis is perpendicular to the plane of the signal wires (12).

Claim 21

The method according to any one of claims 13 to 16 wherein the termination axis forms an angle of approximately 105° with the plane of the signal wires (12).

Claim 22

The method according to any one of claims 13 to 18 and further comprising the step of applying an adhesive to at least one of the cable assembly (10) and the first housing member (50) prior to the inserting step so that the adhesive joins the cable assembly (10) and the first housing member (50) subsequent to the inserting step, and- so that the cable assembly (10) and the first housing member (50) are secured to one another by allowing the adhesive to cure.