The invention disclosed herein pertains generally to the field of the electrical connectors, and more particularly to those types of connectors for establishing electrical connections between the conductors of flexible cables and terminal posts.
The widespread use of multiconductor flexible cables has encouraged the development of a multitude of connector assemblies to interface the cable conductors to terminal parts. The popularity of such cables is due in part to the ease and reliability with which a large number of connections can be made. The cables, being flat, are easily stacked or folded to conserve valuable space. In addition, the fixed position of the conductors embedded within the insulating material provides a cable with constant electrical characteristics.
Ribbon cables having stranded wire or solid round conductors are widely used, however the trend is toward the use of the flat conductor type of cable which is more flexible and has better heat dissipating characteristics. It is the latter type of cable, although not exclusively, to which the present invention is well suited.
The ribbon cable advancement has brought with it a plethora of connector assemblies for mating the cable conductors to the terminal posts of printed circuit boards, backplanes and other similar apparatus. A common aspect to most of these connectors is that the termination requires soldering, brazing or crimping the connector terminals to the cable conductors. One economical method, yet requiring special tools, is the insulation displacement style of connection where a knife-edge part of the connector terminal is crimped into the metallic cable conductor.
Irrespective of the manner in which the connectors are joined to the cable conductors, a major cost of the installation is attributed to the connector itself which includes as one element a nonconductive contact housing. The contact housing, generally of some plastic composition, rigidly houses the contacts in a variety of spaced arrangements to accommodate a corresponding variety of terminal post configurations.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a simple connecting element for connecting each flexible conductor path to an associated terminal post.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a one-piece connecting element for terminating flat flexible conductor paths to terminal posts which element requires no crimping, soldering or special tools to complete the installation.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a connecting element which is installed on the terminal post rather than affixed to the ribbon cable.
The foregoing as well as other objects and advantages will become apparent by referring to the detailed description of the preferred embodiment, which follows hereinafter together with the appended drawings.