Flat cable connector

Claim 2

An electrical plug connector member for a flat strip cable having conductive tracks comprising: a generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of the body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body, said finger-like portions being parallel to said two slots, and two hooked arms one on each of the other two sides of said body and extending forwardly from said front face of said body, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through each of said slots and is wrapped around each of said finger-like portions with the tracks of the cable bared at least on the outside of each said finer-like portion, a retainer being placed between said finger-like portions to urge the cable against the inner faces of the finger-like portions, the resilience of the finger-like portions holding the cable in place, and wherein in use the finger-like portions are adapted to be forced between two generally parallel portions of a receptacle connector member with said hooked arms engaged in lugs on the receptacle.

Claim 3

A plug connector member as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said finger-like portions has parallel recesses formed on its outer surface parallel to said arms, a spring member in each said recess, and each said spring member is a metal strip bowed outwardly so that when a flat cable is in place pressure is exerted on its tracks.

Claim 4

An electrical receptacle connector member for a flat strip cable having conductive tracks comprising: a first generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of said body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body, said finger-like portions being parallel to said two slots, outwardly-projecting tines on the narrow sides of said finger-like portions, a generally rectangular frame formed with two parallel slots each of which slidably receives one of said finger-like portions when a flat cable is mounted on it, and two lugs one on each of the other two sides of said body, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through said slots on said body and wrapped around each said finger-like portions, the ends of the flat cable then being adjacent to said front face of said body between said finger-like portions, the tracks on the cables being bared at least on the portions thereof on the inner faces of said finger-like portions, said frame being fitted over said two finger-like portions and urged against said body to hold said flat cables in place, said frame being held in place by said tines, and wherein when in use the conductor-bearing portions of a plug connector member are urged between said finger-like portions and two hooked portions on the plug connector member are received in said lugs.

Claim 5

An electrical receptacle connector member for a flat strip cable having conductive tracks comprising: a first generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of said body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body, said finger-like portions being parallel to said two slots, outwardly-projecting tines on the narrow sides of said finger-like portions, a generally rectangular frame formed with two parallel slots each of which slidably receives one of said finger-like portions when a flat cable is mounted on it, and two lugs one on each of the other two sides of said body, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through said slots on said body and wrapped around each said finger-like portions, the ends of the flat cable then being adjacent to said front face of said body between said finger-like portions, the tracks on the cables being bared at least on the portions thereof on the inner faces of said finger-like portions, said frame being fitted over said two finger-like portions and urged against said body to hold said flat cables in place, said frame being held in place by said tines, and wherein when in use the conductor-bearing portions of a plug connector member are urged between said finger-like portions and two hooked portions on the plug connector member are received in said lugs.

Claim 6

An electrical connector for flat cable having conductive tracks comprising: a. plug and receptacle connector members; b. said plug connector member comprising a generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of the body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body toward said receptacle connector member, said fingerlike portions being parallel to said two slots, and two hooked arms one on each of the other two sides of said body and extending forwardly from said front face of said body toward said receptacle connector member, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through each of said slots and is wrapped around each of said finger-like portions with the tracks of the cable bared at least on the outside of each said finger-like portion, a retainer being placed between said finger-like portions to urge the cable against the inner faces of the finger-like portions, the resilience of the finger-like portions holding the cable in place; c. said receptacle connector member comprising a generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of said body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body toward said plug connector member, said finger-like portions being parallel to said two slots and being spaced apart slightly greater than the distance between the opposite facing surfaces of said plug connector member fingerlike portions, outwardly-projecting tines on the narrow sides of said finger-like portions, a generally rectangular frame formed with two parallel slots each of which slidably receives one of said finger-like portions when a flat cable is mounted on it, and two lugs one on each of the other two sides of said body, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through said slots on said body and wrapped around each said finger-like portions, the ends of the flat cable then being adjacent to said front face of said body between said finger-like portions, the tracks on the cables being bared at least on the portions thereof on the inner faces of said finger-like portions, said frame being fitted over said two finger-like portions and urged against said body to hold said flat cables in place, said frame being held in place by said tines; and d. said finger-like portions of said plug connector member are forced between said finger-like portions of said receptacle connector member with said hooked arms engaged in said lugs on said receptacle connector member.

Claim 7

An electrical connector for flat cable having conductive tracks comprising: a. plug and receptacle connector members; b. said plug connector member comprising a generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of the body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body toward said receptacle connector member, said fingerlike portions being parallel to said two slots, and two hooked arms one on each of the other two sides of said body and extending forwardly from said front face of said body toward said receptacle connector member, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through each of said slots and is wrapped around each of said finger-like portions with the tracks of the cable bared at least on the outside of each said finger-like portion, a retainer being placed between said finger-like portions to urge the cable against the inner faces of the finger-like portions, the resilience of the finger-like portions holding the cable in place; c. said receptacle connector member comprising a generally rectangular one-piece body of an electrically insulating material having a front face and a rear face with two elongated slots extending from said front face to said rear face, each slot being parallel to a first pair of parallel sides of said body, two parallel finger-like portions each having its base between said slots and each projecting forwardly from said front face of said body toward said plug connector member, said finger-like portions being parallel to said two slots and being spaced apart slightly greater than the distance between the opposite facing surfaces of said plug connector member fingerlike portions, outwardly-projecting tines on the narrow sides of said finger-like portions, a generally rectangular frame formed with two parallel slots each of which slidably receives one of said finger-like portions when a flat cable is mounted on it, and two lugs one on each of the other two sides of said body, wherein in use flat cable is threaded through said slots on said body and wrapped around each said finger-like portions, the ends of the flat cable then being adjacent to said front face of said body between said finger-like portions, the tracks on the cables being bared at least on the portions thereof on the inner faces of said finger-like portions, said frame being fitted over said two finger-like portions and urged against said body to hold said flat cables in place, said frame being held in place by said tines; and d. said finger-like portions of said plug connector member are forced between said finger-like portions of said receptacle connector member with said hooked arms engaged in said lugs on said receptacle connector member.

Claim 8

A plug connector member as set forth in claim 2 wherein: said recesses extend to said rear face of said body; and said spring members are integrally joined to a plate lying adjacent to said rear face of said body.