阅读说明：本技术 用于护套绝缘电缆的绝缘位移连接器 (Insulation displacement connector for sheathed insulated cables ) 是由 D.格拉齐亚诺 A.拉马基亚 里卡多.F.罗布内 于 2020-03-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于护套绝缘电缆的绝缘位移连接器(10),其配置为使得将至少一个电缆连接到所述连接器(10),所述连接器(10)包括：端子,其配置为允许电缆和所述连接器(10)之间的电连接,以及外壳(11,12),配置为将所述端子容纳在其内部,并相对于外部隔离所述端子。在该连接器(10)中,所述外壳(11,12)包括第一部分(11)和配置为与所述第一部分(11)机械接合的第二部分(12),其中所述第一部分(11)由与所述第二部分(12)不同的材料制成。(The invention relates to an insulation displacement connector (10) for sheathing an insulated cable, configured such that at least one cable is connected to the connector (10), the connector (10) comprising: a terminal configured to allow electrical connection between a cable and the connector (10), and a housing (11, 12) configured to accommodate the terminal inside thereof and to isolate the terminal from the outside. In this connector (10), the housing (11, 12) comprises a first portion (11) and a second portion (12) configured to mechanically engage with the first portion (11), wherein the first portion (11) is made of a different material than the second portion (12).)

1. An insulation displacement connector (10) for sheathing an insulated cable, configured such that at least one cable is connected to the connector (10), the connector (10) comprising:

a terminal configured to allow electrical connection between a cable and the connector (10);

a housing (11, 12) configured to accommodate the terminal inside thereof and to isolate the terminal from the outside,

the connector (10) is characterized in that:

the housing (11, 12) comprises a first portion (11) and a second portion (12) configured to mechanically engage with the first portion (11), wherein the first portion (11) is made of a different material than the second portion (12).

2. Connector (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first part (11) is made of a material having a higher flame resistance than the flame resistance of the second part (12).

3. The connector (10) according to any of claims 1 or 2, wherein the first portion (11) comprises at least one of the following components: polyurethane with 30% glass fibers, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate and polyphenylene sulfide with 30% glass fibers.

4. The connector (10) of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second portion (12) comprises at least one of polyurethane, polyolefin, or polybutylene terephthalate.

5. Connector (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first and second parts (11, 12) comprise a coupling system (112, 121-122, 121a-122a) configured to allow coupling between the first part (11) and the second part (12).

6. Connector according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second part (12) comprises a male coupling system comprising at least one engagement protrusion (121) 122, 121a-122a) configured to engage the first part (11) with the second part (12) by elastic deformation of the engagement protrusion (121) 122, 121a-122 a).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of insulation displacement connection systems for sheathed insulated cables. In particular, the present invention relates to an insulation displacement connector for sheathing an insulated cable.

Background

In recent decades, a new solderless connection technology, IDC (insulation displacement connection), has been developed.

This technology has been widely developed in the field of household appliances as well as in electronic devices, and more generally in the field of electrical signal transmission. This type of connection is mainly used for electrical connections not exceeding 25A and effectively reduces production costs and makes the connection easier during production.

In this application, there is no need to perform a preliminary operation on the wire or cable that must be handled, such as stripping the insulation from the cable, so that the production speed can be effectively increased and the production cost can be reduced.

Due to this technology, various types of connection systems have been developed over the years, which allow to electrically connect an electric wire or cable to a connector, which generally comprises an electric terminal and a housing containing the electric terminal.

These connectors are commonly referred to as RAST connectors (from german "Raster Anschluss steck technik") (even in italy). The connector is based on a standard (RAST standard) which indicates the type of connection based on multiple connectors characterized by a certain "pitch". Often, the abbreviations are followed by numbers, which represent a certain pitch between different interconnect lines. For example, RAST 5 interconnects include connectors with 5mm pitch contacts.

The RAST standard involves a number of connector features including external dimensions, color coding on the housing, polarization mechanisms to prevent incorrect assembly, and locking mechanisms to improve interconnect stability.

These connectors must be able to pass certain tests that simulate the extreme conditions that these connectors may encounter. Over time, these tests are becoming more and more selective in order to obtain connectors that are more and more secure and able to meet the latest standards.

For example, new household dishwashers are required to have components of defined flammability ratings, as described in the UL 749 standard, or must pass the "nichrome wire test" before 2020. During this test, the connector was used as a trigger point to energize a nichrome coil inserted into one of the contacts and energized at 11A for 20 minutes. Most connectors on the market today generate a flame in the surrounding area when such tests are performed. Therefore, in many cases, the connector must be made flameproof to pass tests in the device.

It is therefore an object of the present invention, inter alia, to provide a connection system which has a high flame resistance and which is therefore capable of passing the various tests required to meet the current safety parameters.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is based on the following idea: a connection system is provided that includes a first portion and a second portion mechanically connected to each other and made of different materials.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an insulation displacement connector for sheathing an insulated electrical cable, configured to connect at least one electrical cable to the connector. The connector includes: the connector includes a terminal configured to allow electrical connection between an electrical cable and the connector, and a housing configured to accommodate the terminal inside thereof and to isolate the terminal from the outside. In the connector, the housing includes a first portion and a second portion configured to mechanically engage the first portion, wherein the first portion is made of a different material than the second portion. This embodiment is particularly advantageous because it makes it possible to provide a connector having different characteristics in different parts of the connector. For example, different portions may have different heat resistance. In fact, if a connector capable of reaching a high temperature at a certain portion for a long time is required, the connector can be constructed by mechanically coupling together a plurality of portions having different characteristics. In this way, instead of making the entire connector of an extremely expensive and high temperature resistant material, it can be limited to only the portion where high thermal stresses are expected, thereby reducing the cost of the connector. Due to the mechanical engagement between the first part and the second part, the two parts can be mechanically connected with great ease, providing a connector with the same geometry as a connector with a uniform body (as known in the art), but with different properties.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a connector, wherein the first portion is made of a material having higher flame resistance than that of the second portion. This solution is particularly advantageous as it provides a connector comprising two parts having different flame retardancy. The portion where higher thermal stresses are expected will have a more flame resistant material than the rest of the connector.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a connector, wherein the first part includes at least one of the following components: polyurethane with 30% glass fibers, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate and polyphenylene sulfide with 30% glass fibers, which are essentially liquid crystalline polymers or another type of self-extinguishing polymer. This solution is particularly advantageous since it provides a connector that can withstand very high thermal stresses and therefore can be tested to meet the latest standard requirements, thus providing a particularly safe connector.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a connector is provided wherein the second portion comprises at least one of polyurethane, polyolefin, or polybutylene terephthalate.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a connector is provided wherein the first and second portions comprise a coupling system configured to allow coupling between the first and second portions. Thanks to this system, the first part can be mechanically connected to the second part by mechanical systems known in the art.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a connector, wherein the second part includes at least one male coupling system including at least one engaging protrusion that engages the first part with the second part by elastic deformation of the engaging protrusion. This solution is particularly effective because it mechanically couples the first portion to the second portion by elastic deformation, thereby reversibly coupling the two elements. In addition, the elastic deformation ensures the connection between the two parts.

Drawings

The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals and/or reference numerals designate like and/or similar and/or corresponding parts of the system.

Fig. 1 schematically shows a three-dimensional view of an insulation displacement connection system for sheathing an insulated cable according to the prior art.

Fig. 2 schematically illustrates a three-dimensional view of an insulation displacement connection system for sheathing an insulated electrical cable according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 schematically shows a three-dimensional view of a first part of an insulation displacement connection system for jacketed insulated cables according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 schematically shows a three-dimensional view of a second part of an insulation displacement connection system for jacketed insulated cables according to the present invention.

Detailed Description

The invention is described below with reference to specific embodiments, as described in the following figures. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described in the following detailed description and illustrated in the drawings, but the described embodiments merely exemplify various aspects of the present invention, the purpose of which is defined by the claims. Further variations relating to the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Fig. 1 shows a RAST type connector 100 having a 5mm pitch as known in the prior art. In particular, the CONNECTOR shown in the figures is commonly referred to as "AMP multifitting mark II", the technical characteristics of which can be found in the catalog "RAST CONNECTOR SYSTEM IDC & CRIMP CONNECTOR SYSTEM AND RAST TAB HEADER" (catalog number 1-1773727-3, revision number 4-14) of Theaceae electronics. The connector 100 has four interconnect lines.

However, it will be apparent from the remainder of the description that, although a particular shape of connector is shown in the figures ("shape of AMP multifitting mark II"), it is clear that the same inventive concept presented herein can be applied to any other type of connector having a different shape and characteristics than those described in the figures; for example, to any connector in the above list.

It can be seen that the connector comprises a single body and comprises an upper part 101 (where the cable is connected to the connector 100) and a lower part 102 (where the connector 100 is electrically connected to an external element).

Although not shown, it is clear that there are terminals inside the connector 100 configured to allow electrical connection between the connector 100 and at least one cable to which the connector is connected.

The cable preferably comprises a conductive inner part and an insulating cover, commonly referred to as a sheath. The inner conductive portion may comprise a single wire or a plurality of twisted wires (litz wires) to allow for a uniform distribution of current density through the cable.

Further technical details of the connectors will be omitted here, as they are not necessary for the description of the invention, as will be clarified later, and are not limited to the specific connectors shown in the figures ("AMP multifitting mark II connectors"), but can be applied to any type of connector.

The present invention is based on the following findings: the thermal stresses experienced by the connector are not uniform and therefore some portions of the connector must be subjected to higher loads while other portions are subjected to lower loads.

Fig. 2 illustrates a connector 10 having an external geometry similar to the connector 100 shown in fig. 1, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present invention.

As shown, the connector 10 includes a first upper portion 11 and a second lower portion 12. In this way, the connector 10 is formed by a mechanical coupling between two distinct elements, represented by the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.

The fact that the connector 10 is formed by two distinct mechanical coupling portions makes it possible to make the connector 10 formed by two bodies of different materials, and therefore having different mechanical and chemical properties.

For example, if it has been determined that higher thermal stresses occur in a particular region of the connector 10, one portion may be made to have higher flame resistance while another portion has lower flame resistance.

For example, as previously mentioned, in the particular example shown in the figure, the inventors have determined, by conducting a particular test, that the upper portion 101 of the connector 100 shown in the figure is ignited when subjected to the "nichrome wire test". Thus, the inventors contemplate making the first portion 11 from a material that is more flame retardant than the second portion 12.

This is achieved by dividing the connector 10 into two parts and inserting a particularly flame resistant material into the first part 11.

For example, without being limited to a particular selection of materials listed herein, the first portion 11 may include at least one of the following components: polyurethane with 30% glass fibers, polybutylene terephthalate, polyethylene terephthalate and polyphenylene sulfide with 30% glass fibers, which are liquid crystal polymers, or another type of polymer that is self-extinguishing in nature.

The second part 12 is preferably made of polyurethane, polyolefin or polybutylene terephthalate.

The geometrical characteristics of the first and second portions 11, 12, which enable coupling between these portions, will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 3 and 4.

In particular, fig. 3 shows a first portion 11, which, as mentioned above, is preferably made of a material having a higher flame resistance than the flame resistance of the second portion 12.

As shown, the first portion 11 has a female coupling system at its lower portion that can mechanically connect the first portion 11 to the second portion 12, as will be described in detail below.

In particular, in the example shown in the figures, the coupling system comprises a plurality of contact surfaces 112, against which contact surfaces 112 a projection on the second portion 12 can be fixed, as will be described later. Although not shown in the figures because they are hidden in the first part 11, it will be clear from the rest of the description that the additional contact surfaces 112 on the first part 11 are located in different planes in order to provide an effective mechanical fixation between the first part 11 and the second part 12.

It is also clear that the coupling system can be made in any other way equivalent to what is shown in the present description and known to a person skilled in the art.

For example, the first part 11 may comprise a female coupling system having one or more engagement holes allowing one or more ends of the second part 12 to be inserted into these holes, so that the first part 11 may be mechanically fixed to the second part 12. Obviously, these holes (e.g., on the inner or outer sidewall of section 11) may be used in combination with or instead of the contact surface 112.

In particular, the term "side surfaces" refers to all those surfaces which are perpendicular to the front surface (front view in fig. 3) and which extend along the coupling direction between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12.

In addition, as shown in fig. 3, the first portion 11 includes two grooves 199 configured to receive the external coupling elements 123 shown in fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 3, the second portion 12 comprises a male coupling system comprising a plurality of protruding elements 121 and 122, the plurality of protruding elements 121 and 122 extending from the body of the second portion 12 in the direction in which the second portion 12 is mechanically coupled to the first portion 11. These protruding elements 121 and 122 thus enable the second portion 12 to be mechanically coupled to the female coupling system of the first portion 11.

In particular, a plurality of protruding elements 121-122 extend perpendicularly from the body of the second part 12 and have catch portions 121a-122a, represented by protrusions, configured to contact the contact surface 112 of the female coupling system of the first part 11.

It is thus clear that the protrusion elements 121-122 can be deformed in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the protrusion elements 121-122, so that the catch portions 121a-122a can contact the contact surface 112 of the first portion 11.

Indeed, during the coupling operation, the catch portions 121a-122a will contact the surface of the first portion 11, so that once the catch portions 121a-122a contact the contact surface 112, the protruding elements 121-122 bend and return to their vertical position, essentially providing a snap-in fastening system. Thus, the protruding elements 121-122 are able to prevent relative movement between the first and second portions 11-12 by their terminal portions including the catches 121a-122 a.

Thus, when finally positioned between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12, the protrusions 121a-122a will be correctly positioned at predetermined positions along the contact surface 112.

Obviously, the number of protrusion elements 121-122 may be varied as desired. The protruding elements may also be located in different planes to ensure a better mechanical coupling.

Furthermore, the second portion 12 comprises second protruding elements 124 and 125.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the above embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications, variations and improvements of the present invention can be made in the light of the above teachings and within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the subject and scope of the invention.

For example, although it has been shown that the first part 11 has a female coupling system and the second part 12 has a male coupling system, the coupling system can be made in the opposite way, even if the first part 11 has a male coupling system and the second part 12 has a female coupling system.

For example, although a particular mechanical connection between the first portion 11 and the second portion 12 has been described, it is clear that the mechanical connection is not limited to the particular embodiment described in the figures, but may be any mechanical connection known to a person skilled in the art.

Finally, it is apparent that the example shown in the figures describes a multiple connector configured to allow coupling to four cables (and therefore four interconnection lines), but the invention can be applied to larger or smaller connectors with more or fewer interconnection lines. Similarly, if the connector is larger or smaller than the connector shown in the figures, the number of its protrusions on the second part may be larger or smaller than the protrusions described in the figures.

Furthermore, it is apparent that although the connector 10 has been shown to be made by a mechanical connection between two elements (the first portion 11 and the second portion 12), the connector may also contain more than two elements having different flame resistance.

Finally, those areas of skill in the art that are known are not described in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the described invention.

The invention is therefore not limited to the embodiments described above, but only by the scope of protection of the appended claims.

List of reference numerals

100: connector with a locking member

101: upper part

102: lower part

10: connector with a locking member

11: the first part

12: the second part

112: contact surface

121-122: protrusion element

121A-122 a: fastening part

124, 125: second protrusion element