Electrical connector for terminating a flat conductor cable

Claim 1

An electrical connector for terminating a flat conductor cable comprising: a plurality of terminal pins, each having a post portion and a socket portion; a carrier made of non-electrically conductive material including (1) an elongated bar member having a plurality of parallel apertures extending therethrough for receiving a parallel array of said terminal pins, with the post portion of each terminal pin extending from one side of the bar member while the socket portion thereof extends from the opposite side of the bar member, and (2) two, generally planar cable support members formed unitary with the bar member and hingedly connected thereto, said planar support members being respectively disposed on opposite sides of the array of socket portions of the terminal pins such that after the conductors of the flat conductor cable are connected to said socket portions, the planar support members may be folded over so as to engage the opposed sides of the flat conductor cable, with the side of each said planar cable support member which engages the flat conductor cable including a plurality of elongated parallel grooves, the cross-sections of which are smaller than the cross-sections of the conductor portions of the flat conductor cable such that strain relief is provided by the interference fit between the planar cable support members and the flat conductor cable, and wherein ribs extending transverse to the longitudinal axes of said parallel grooves are provided in said grooves, the ribs in the opposed generally planar cable support members being located for engaging the individual conductors of the flat conductor cable in staggered relationship to thereby provide strain relief; and means for securing said two generally planar cable support members in folded-over position against the opposite surface of said flat conductor cable, said means including in one cable support member a plurality of holes, while the other planar support member includes a plurality of projections, said projections upon assembly of the electrical connector extending through the insulation carrier material intermediate the conductors of said flat conductor cable and into said holes to engage the opposed planar support member thereby providing strain relief to the connector.