This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to electrical connectors having closely spaced contacts.
Adjacent contacts within connectors are typically separated from one another by air and by insulative material. The shortest distance between adjacent contacts measured through the air is known as the xe2x80x9cclearance.xe2x80x9d A minimum clearance distance between adjacent contacts is required to prevent peak voltages between the contacts from breaking down the clearance by arcing through air.
The shortest distance between adjacent contacts measured along the surface of the barrier features of the insulative material is known as the xe2x80x9ccreepage.xe2x80x9d A minimum creepage distance between adjacent contacts is required to prevent peak voltages between the contacts from electrically breaking down the surface film on the insulative material. It is known that breakdown or flashover of insulation will occur between adjacent contacts if the distance between the contacts along the surface of the insulation is not sufficient to prevent such breakdown. For known working voltages and pollution degrees, tables are typically provided in connector specifications setting out the required minimum creepage distance based on the material group of the insulative material used in the connector and the degree of pollution of the insulative material. Typically these tables differentiate between pollution degrees (ranging from pollution degree 1 to pollution degree 3) and the material group from which the insulative material is selected for the connector (material group I, material group II, material group IIIa or material group IIIb). As the pollution degree increases, the minimum creepage distance increases. Similarly, as the material group number increases, the minimum creepage distance increases.
Typically, in known connectors, contacts are embedded or molded within an insulative housing which separates adjacent contacts. The insulative housing typically includes a planar face from which male contacts extend perpendicular to the planar face or the insulative housing is formed to include cavities in which female contacts are received perpendicular to the planar face. For connectors having planar surfaces separating the contacts, the creepage is often the same physical distance as the clearance between the contacts.
Occasionally, contaminant levels on the insulative surfaces dictate creepage distances that are higher than the clearance value. Therefore, contacts are sometimes separated by the specified minimum creepage which places the contacts farther apart from each other than the specified minimum clearance. Under many circumstances, it is desirable to place contacts as close to each other as allowed by the clearance specifications for the connector within which the contacts are incorporated.
According to the present invention, insulative material separating adjacent contacts is formed so that the creepage between the contacts is greater than the clearance between the contacts. An electrical connector includes a first contact, a second contact spaced apart from the given contact by a given distance, and insulative material extending between the first and second contacts. The insulative material extending between the first and second contacts is configured so that creepage between the first and second contacts is greater than the given distance. According to a further aspect of the invention, the insulative material extending between the first and second contacts is configured to form a raised portion between the first and second contacts. According to a yet another aspect of the invention, the given distance is smaller than the minimum creepage specified for the material group of the insulative material and for the degree of pollution of the insulative material.
According to still another aspect of this invention, an IEC 61076-4-101 style A or D connector is modified to include a power connector portion in the region of the connector normally reserved for code keying feature. According to a further aspect of this invention, an IEC 61076-4-101 connector (any style, A through F) is modified to include a power connector portion in the region of the connector normally reserved for multi-purpose center. As referred to in this specification and claims, IEC 61076-4-101 shall mean IEC 61076-4-101:2001.
Additional features of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of the following detailed description of the following embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the invention as presently perceived.