1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrical cable assemblies and is concerned more particularly with an electrical cable assembly having adaptor means for terminating a round cable in a flat cable connector.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In a telecommunication system, a modular unit, such as a telephone, for example, may be provided with an externally accessible connector of the receptacle type having a row of laterally spaced contact tangs which are connected electrically to internal circuitry of the unit. Thus, electrical connections may be made to internal circuitry of the unit through a flat cable terminating in a modular telecom plug which is insertable into the receptacle type connector on the modular unit. The modular telecom plug is provided with a row of laterally spaced contact blades which electrically engage respective contact tangs in the receptacle type connector and are electrically connected to respective conductors in the flat cable.
Each of the contact blades has an edge portion protruding from a respective slot in a dielectric body of the modular telecom plug and has an opposing edge portion pressed into electrical engagement with an aligned end portion of a respective conductor in the flat cable. The conductors in the flat cable are disposed in predetermined side-by-side positional relationship with one another and have respective end portions inserted into the proper slots by simply feeding the flat cable through a conformingly configured aperture in the dielectric body of the modular telecom connector. Thus, the flat cable provides means for avoiding any confusion as to which of the conductors in the cable is connected electrically to which of the contacts laterally spaced apart in a row.
In some instances, it may be necessary to make electrical connections to internal circuitry of the modular unit through a round cable, such as a coiled cord, for example. However, the round cable generally does not have the proper size or configuration for terminating in a modular telecom plug suitable for insertion into the receptacle type connector on the unit. Furthermore, the conductors in the round cable are not disposed in predetermined side-by-side positional relationship for being electrically connected to respective contacts in the row of laterally spaced contacts. Consequently, the round cable generally is routed directly into the modular unit for electrically attaching end portions of the conductors in the cable to respective portions of the internal circuitry of the unit. As a result, the round cable cannot be as readily connected to and disconnected from the modular unit as compared to the flat cable terminating in the modular telecom plug.