GB2260654A

GB2260654A - Electrical connector cover

Info

Publication number: GB2260654A
Application number: GB9121120A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Bruff; Alexander William Logie
Original assignee: Unisys Corp
Current assignee: Unisys Corp
Priority date: 1991-10-04
Filing date: 1991-10-04
Publication date: 1993-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-04
Also published as: GB9121120D0; GB2260654B

Abstract

A cover for an electrical connector 10, 12 comprises a hinged lid 20A comprising one or more fastener portions 24A which engage a first wall of the connector to hold the cover closed. When a plug 22 is inserted into the connector 10 the fastener 24A instead engages and holds the plug 22 in position. Fasteners 24C, 24D are provided at different positions to engage differently sized plugs. The lid 20A is preferably dividable to expose selected terminals of the connector 10. The cover is held in place on the connector by adhesive, rivets 32 or clips 33. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR COVER The present invention relates to electrical connectors for terminating a plurality of wires for connection to be made to a corresponding plurality of other conductors. It particularly relates to connectors where only selected groups of wires from among the plurality of wires on the connector are to have a further connection made thereto.

It is common, in electrical equipment, that a plurality of electrical wires will be terminated in a common connector. The wires may be individual wires, or may be held together, as in the manner of a ribbon cable. The common connector terminates each of the wires in an individual pin which can then be used to provide contact with a further electrical conductor.

This is usually achieved by appending the electrical connector to a mating plug providing possible contact to each of the pins in the connector. In certain circumstances, a plug may not be used. A terminating connector may be provided simply as an option, not necessarily used, to allow the wires, if required to be connected to equipment, boards, or other plugs, as desired. It is a problem that a plug, if connected, can be pulled outby strain and tension in the wires and impair the function of the equipment of which it is a part. An "unplugged" connector provides a risk of some of the pins in the connector shorting against other portions of the equipment. The present invention seeks to overcome these problems.

The present invention consists in a cover for an electrical connector, said cover comprising: a lid for covering an electrical contact area on said connector; a hinge for supporting an edge of said lid; means for supporting said hinge in association with the connector; and a fastener for securing said lid in a closed position wherein said electrical contact area is covered; where said lid is openable to adopt an open position wherein said electrical contact area is not covered; and wherein, when said lid is in said open position, said fastener is operative to retain an electrical plug in engagement with said electrical contact area.

It may not always be desired to utilize all of the pins in the connector. Often, selected adjacent groups of pins are the subject of connection using a plug. It is often confusing to identify which pins are the subject of connection and to locate the plug only over those pins. To overcome this problem, the present invention further provides that the lid comprises a plurality of separately openable and closeable lid portions, each operative to cover a respective portion of the contact area of the connector; each lid portion having a respective hinge portion and a respective fastener portion; and each respective fastener portion being adapted such that, when its respective lid portion is in said open position, said respective fastener portion is operative to retain, in the connector, an electrical plug operative to engage only that portion of the electrical contact area of the connector coverable by the respective lid portion.

In order that the lid may be properly attached, the present invention provides that the means for supporting hinge comprises a fixing panel for attaching the hinge onto a connector. The fixing panel is variously fixable by adhesive onto the connector, clipped onto the connector, or pinned to the connector.

Where the lid is divided into lid portions, each lid portion is identified by a predetermined, unique respective marking which identifies a position for a plug.

Lastly, the lid or lid portion is provided with a plurality of fasteners, only one of which is operative to hold the lid shut against the connector, and all of which are operative to retain an electrical plug of a different respective size.

The present invention is further described, by way of an example, by the following description, taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a connector and partial plug according to the prior art.

Figure 2 shows the connector cover according to the present invention.

Figure 3 shows the cover, of the Figure 2, in place on a connector of the style of Figure 1, with a partial plug in place.

Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional view of Figure 3, taken along the line X X', looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of Figure 3 taken along the line Y Y', and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 1 shows a projected view of a connector and plug, according to the prior art, of the type to which the present invention is applicable. A connector moulding 10, made from insulating resin, supports a plurality of electrical contact pins 12 which are held in parallel, regular array therein. While Figure 1 shows only one end of the connector moulding 10, it is to be understood that it is symmetrical, can be of any length, can have 1, 3, or any number of rows of pins 12, and can terminate, at its far end, as shown in Figure 1, or otherwise as is known in the art.

The connector moulding 10 comprises, in this example, a screw fixing 14 which allows the connector to be fixed to any convenient surface.

Figure 2 shows a connector cover, according to the present invention, suitable for use with the connector of Figure 1. A fixing panel 16 supports a hinge 18 which in turn supports and permits rotation of the lid 20 which, in this example, is divided into individual lid portions 20A. Each lid portion 20A has its own hinge portion 18A which permits, uniquely, that lid portion alone selectably to be opened or closed.

Figure 3 more clearly shows the cover of Figure 2 in place on the connector of Figure 1. In particular, a plug 22 provides connection to just some of the pins 12.

Each of the lid portions 20A is indicated to the user by a number or character which is applied during moulding, or is subsequently heat embossed, or is printed, or is simply a label adhesively applied both to the respective lid portion and to the respective portion of the fixing panel 16 adjacent thereto. In the example given in Figure 3, the plug 22 is intended to engage those pins 12 which would be covered by the lid portion 20A designated by the letter "C".

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 3 taken along the line X X and looking in the direction of the arrows.

When the lid portion 20A is closed, a fastener 24 comprising a retainer 24A and a lug 24B engages the top of a first wall 26 of the connector moulding 10. The fixing panel 16 is attached to a second wall 28 of the moulding 10 by means of a layer of adhesive 30, or by means of rivets 32, shown in phantom outline, or by means of clips 33 shown in phantom outline on Figure 3.

Any combination of means of attachment can be applied.

The retainer 24A comprises a hook end 34 which engages the outer surface of the first wall 26 of the moulding 10.

The hinge 18, for preference, is made in a manner, well known in the art, by chamfering the cross-section of the moulding to provide a thin section along a hinge line, thinner portion allowed bending where it is intended. Any other hinge means, known in the art, may be used in its place.

Figure 5 shows the combination of the connector and cover of Figure 3, in cross-section, cut along the lines Y Y' and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The plug 22 has been inserted into the connector 10 for electrical contact sleeves 36 to make contact with the pins 12. The lid portion 20A has been swung from a closed position, like that shown in Figure 4, to an open position, shown in Figure 5, where the hook end 34 of the retainer 24A engages and holds the distal tip 38 of one side of the plug 22. The lug 24B assists, in this position, to hold the plug 22 hard against the hook end 34 of the retainer 24.

Also shown in Figure 5, in phantom outline, is a further fastener having a retainer 24C and a lug 24D.

The further fastener 24C 24D can engage and hold plugs 22 of a different height. The lid portion 20A may be provided with a plurality of fasteners, only one of which engages the first wall 26 of the connector 10 and each of which is adapted to accommodate a plug of a different height. The closer a further fastener 24C 24D is to the hinge 18, the shorter its length to avoid obstructing access to the plug 22 of a fastener 24A 24B further from the hinge 18.

While the present invention has been described with a lid 20 divided into lid portions 20A, it is to be understood that all of the lid portions 20A can be connected together to form a single lid 20 which accommodates a single plug 22.

The cover, of the present invention, can be fabricated in length which may be snapped off and used as required. The individual lid portions 20A may be snapped, or cut from a common length to be individually hingeable. The fastener 24 may be made as a series of ridges extending along the entire length of the cover.

The cover is adapted to fabrication by moulding, or by extrusion.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A cover for an electrical connector, said cover comprising: a lid for covering an electrical contact area on said connector; a hinge for supporting an edge of said lid; means for supporting said hinge in association with the connector; and a fastner for securing said lid in a closed position wherein said electrical contact area is covered; where said lid is openable to adopt an open position wherein said electrical contact area is not covered; and wherein, when said lid is in said open position, said fastener is operative to retain an electrical plug in engagement with said electrical contact area.

2. A cover, according to claim 1, wherein said lid comprises a plurality of separately openable and closeable lid portions, each operative to cover a respective portion of the contact area of the connector; each lid portion having a respective hinge portion and a respective fastener portion; and each respective fastener portion being adapted such that, when its respective lid portion is in said open position, said respective fastener portion is operative to retain, in the connector, an electrical plug operative to engage only that portion of the electrical contact area of the connector coverable by the respective lid portion.

3. A cover, according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said means for supporting said hinge comprisees a fixing panel for attaching said hinge onto a connector.

4. A cover, according to claim 3, wherein said fixing panel is fixable, by adhesive, onto a connector for said hinge to lie along the length of the connector.

5. A cover, according to claim 3, wherein said fixing panel comprises clips for attachement of said panel onto a connector for said hinge to lie along the length of the connector.

6. A cover, according to claim 3, wherein said fixing panel comprises pins for attachement of said panel onto a connector for said hinge to lie along the length of the connector.

7. A cover, according to claim 2, or according to any of claims 3, 4, 5 or 6 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein each lid portion is identified by a predetermined, unique respective marking.

8. A cover, according to any of the preceeding claims, wherein said lid comprises a plurality of fasteners, only one of which is operative to engage the connector to hold closed said lid; each of said plurality of' fasteners being operative to retain an electrical plug of a different, respective size.

9. A cover, substantially as described, with reference to the appended drawings.