Electrical Connector

The present invention relates to an electrical connector.

The connector is particularly intended for a coaxial cable of the type having an outer conductor formed of a plurality of parallel strands surrounding a central conductor covered with an insulating sheath.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical connector comprising a plurality of first connector parts each adapted to receive and be connected to one of a number of component groups into which the individual conductors of the outer sheath of a coaxial cable are split and a plurality of second connector parts complementary to the first connector part and surrounding a connector for the central conductor of the coaxial cable.

A preferred embodiment of the invention may comprise any one or more of the following advantageous features:

(a) There are three first connector parts and three second connector parts.

(b) Each of the three first and second parts of (a) are arranged around the sides of a triangle.

(c) There are four first connector parts and four second connector parts.

(d) Each of the four first and second parts of (c) are arranged around the sides of a square.

(e) The first connector parts are formed by a single stamping.

(f) The single stamping of (e) defines a central aperture through which, in use, the central conductor of the coaxial cable extends.

(g) Each first connector part comprises spring clip portions to retain corresponding second connector parts.

(h) Each first connector part comprises wings which may, in use, be folded over a corresponding group of conductors.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of connecting a coaxial cable having a sheath comprised of a plurality of parallel extending conductors comprising the steps of splitting the conductors into a plurality of groups, advancing the groups to the respective connector parts of a connector, positively connecting the connector parts to the respective groups and bending the parts so that they extend substantially parallel to the central conductor of the cable.

In order that the present invention may be more clearly understood, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective exploded view of one part of a connector,

FIG. 2 shows an exploded complete connector, and

FIG. 3 shows end elevational view of an alternative to the connector parts shown in FIG. 1 but in a different, closed position.

Referring to FIG. 1, the connector is a stamping of electrically conductive material having four equally spaced branches 1 to 4 and defining a central aperture. Each branch is formed with spring clip portions 6 which are operative to receive spade portions of a complementary connector part 10 (FIG. 2). After being stamped out, a coaxial cable, referenced 7, is specially formed and advanced to the connector. The special forming involves stripping the outer conductor, which consists of a plurality of parallel strands 11 of copper or other electrical conductive material, and grouping them into four groups. As the central conductor 12 with its insulating sheath 13 is pushed through the aperture 5, the four groups 11 are laid into the branches 1 to 4. The wing portions 8, formed in the stamping process on each branch 1 to 4, are folded over to grip the respective groups 11, thus positively connecting the outer conductor to the connector part. The branches are then folded through 90.degree. into a box like shape shown in FIG. 2. Pointed flaps 9 defining the central aperture 5 permit the central conductor 12 with its insulating sheath 13 to pass through the aperture 5 but severely inhibit its withdrawal.

Referring to FIG. 2, the complementary part 10 of the connector may, for example, be the end of an edge connector on a printed circuit board 19. This end is formed with four spade connectors 20 one on each side of a square and in positions to be received into respective branches 1 to 4 of the box formed out of the first mentioned connector part. The four spade connectors surround a central tubular connector 21.

To connect the two connector parts together they are simply pushed into one another so that respective spade connectors are resiliently received by the spring clip portions 6 of the branches 1 to 4, the central conductor 12 simultaneously being received by the tubular connector 21.

The branched connector part of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is, as described, a one piece stamping. It is, however, possible to perform the invention with a connector part which has separate individual branches. Such an arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 3, three individual connectors 30 to 32 are shown arranged along respective sides of an equilateral triangle. These connectors are coventional and are equivalent to the branches of the connector part shown in FIG. 1. Each connector 30 to 32 therefore has spring clip portions 36 and wings (not shown). In forming the connection, the strands 11 of the outer conductor of the coaxial cable are divided into three groups which are then positively connected to respective connectors 30 to 32 by folding the wings over the strands as described previously. A complementary connector comprising three spade connectors arranged along respective sides of an equlateral triangle is also provided, and the three connectors 30 to 32 are pushed onto these spade connectors while the central conductor 12 of the coaxial cable is pushed into a tubular connector within the triangle of the three spade connectors to complete the connections. This second embodiment has the advantage that parts which are already readily available are used thus decreasing the capital cost necessary to support manufacture.

It will be appreciated that the invention has been described by way of example only and that many variations are possible without departing from the invention. For example, although three and four branch connectors have been specifically described, other numbers of such connectors could equally well be used.