Plated Filtered Connector

The present invention concerns a filtered electrical connector and, in particular, a connector in which the filters are mounted in a completely solderless manner.

Filter sleeves, filtered terminals, and filtered connectors are well known. A typical coated ferrite RF filter sleeve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,743,978 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,258. The typical use of such filter sleeves is with a pin terminal passing through and soldered to the bore with the sleeve terminal assembly soldered by the outer sleeve surface into a hole in a metal ground plane. Examples of this type of use can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,961,294; 4,215,326 and 4,265,506. While this is the most common type of mounting, it causes a number of manufacturing problems. First, it is labor intensive and not readily adaptable to automation, second, the soldering operation can generate sufficient heat to destroy the filters, third, it is substantially impossible to test the filters and/or the connector until after complete assembly, and finally, it is quite difficult to repair such an assembly. In the case of repair, the malfuncioning filter must first be identified, the solder reheated to remove the bad filter and reheated a second time to insert the replacement. While this type of repair is possible, it requires a highly skilled operator in order to prevent damage to the surrounding filters during the reheating. Clearly this is both labor intensive and not readily adaptable to automation.

Attempts have been made to develop solderless ways in which to mount filter sleeves on pin terminals and in ground planes. These attempts have usually involved the use of inner and/or outer resilient members engaging the respective surfaces of the filter sleeve. Examples of this approach can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,753,168 and 3,961,295. The major drawback of these approaches has been the large number of parts that are involved and the care necessary for assembly. There is also the problem of the filter sleeves breaking from excessive spring and/or assembly forces.

The present invention overcomes the above discussed difficulties of the prior art by providing a totally solderless electrical connector.

The present invention is formed by a multi-part electrical connector having a first housing member formed in insulative material plated with conductive material and defining a plurality of filter passages opening into a forwardly directed cavity, a second housing member of insulative material defining a like plurality of conductor passages opening into a forwardly directed, first housing member receiving cavity, an insert member of insulative material having a like plurality of terminal passages and profiled to be received in the cavity of the first housing member, a metal shell secured to the first housing member, and a like plurality of filtered terminals each received in a respective passage. The filtered terminals are each formed by an elongated conductive terminal pin having a resilient intermediate section which engages the inner conductive surface of a respective filter sleeve, a shoulder adjacent the intermediate section for locating filter sleeves on the terminal pin, and oppositely directed mating ends. The outer conductive surface of each filter sleeve is engaged by the conductive plating on the first housing member, the plating forming a ground plane.

The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal section through one end of the connector of FIG. 1 in the assembled condition; and

FIG. 3 is a transverse section through the subject connector.

The connector 10 is formed by a first housing 12, a second housing 14, an insert 16, a metal shell 18, and a plurality of filtered terminals 20, each formed by an assembly of a pin terminal 22 and a filter sleeve 24.

The first housing 12 is shown as an elongated member of rigid insulative material defining a forwardly directed cavity 26 with a plurality of filter passages 28 opening therein. Each passage 28 has at least two resilient tines 30, 32 forming an extension of the passage 28 in the cavity 26. The housing 12 also includes a pair of laterally directed mounting ears 34, 36 and a pair of outwardly directed mounting lugs 38, 40 adjacent to the rear of the housing. The entire first housing 12 is plated with a layer of conductive material 42.

The second housing 14 is also shown as an elongated member made of rigid insulative material defining a cavity 44 with a pair of inwardly directed elongated grooves 46, 48 spaced from the entrance of the cavity 44 and a plurality of conductor passages 50 entering the cavity from the rear of the housing, each passage 50 being aligned with a respective passage 28 of the first housing 12.

The insert member 16 is formed of insulative material and profiled to be received in the cavity 26 of the first housing 12. The insert member 16 includes a plurality of terminal passages 52 each aligned with a respective passage 28 of the first housing 12.

The shell 18 is a stamped and formed metal member having mounting ears 54, 56 and a forwardly directed integral shroud 58 which encloses and defines a mating face of the subject connector.

Each filtered terminal 20 comprises a terminal 22 and filter sleeeve 24. Each terminal 22 is an elongated member stamped and formed from metal stock to have a first mating end 60, an intermediate filter engaging portion 62 formed by a pair of outwardly bowed legs 64, 66 attached to each other at their end and forming a diamond shaped opening therebetween, an outwardly directed filter positioning shoulder 68, and a second mating end 70. It should be noted that while mating end 60 is shown as a pin, it could likewise be formed as a socket without departing from the invention. Likewise, the second mating end could be formed to mate with a further terminal or with a conductor by any of the well known solder, crimp, or insulation piercing configurations.

The filter sleeves 24 are preferably of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Re. 29,258, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is assembled by first placing the filter sleeves 24 on the respective terminals 22. Each filter 24 is slid over the terminal 22 until it abuts against the shoulder 68. In this position the legs 64, 66 are compressed, as shown in FIG. 2 and make a solid electrical and mechanical engagement against the inner conductive surface of the filter 24. The thus formed filter assemblies 20 are then inserted into the respective filter passages 28 of the front or first housing 12 pushing the tines 30, 32 outwardly to make a good resilient engagement between the plating 42 and the outer conductive surface of the respective filter sleeves 24. The insert 16 is placed over the mating portions 60 of the terminals 20 and forms both a mating face for the connector and a front support for the filters. Depending upon the configuration of the second mating end 70 of the terminals, either respective conductors, not shown, are terminated by the terminals or rear or second housing 14 is applied over the terminals and is snap fitted in place by engagement of the lugs 38, 40 in the respective grooves 46, 48. The shell 18 is secured to the front of the assembly and completes the circuit for the ground plane.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that the present invention completely obviates the need for solder and it creates a connector in which the filtered terminals can be readily replaced by relatively unskilled labor in a both cost and time effective manner. The simplicity of structure and assembly makes this connector suitable for automated assembly.