EP0070392A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Modular electrical connector and system for molding contact supporting modules
Assignee: Honeywell International Inc
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Filing: 1982-06-18
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-06-18
Abstract
Abstract A modular electrical telephone connector for mating with a complementary connector having a plurality of contact elements. The connector includes a molded plastic common housing and a set of contact-supporting modules. Each module defines a different termination configuration for the connector and is interchangeably nestable in the housing. The modules of the set thereof each supports a plurality of contact elements different from the contact elements of other modules of the set. The contact elements each includes an identical mating portion at one end of the housing when the respective module is nested therein for mating with a contact element of the complementary connector, and a termination portion at the other end of the housing forming a termination configuration defined by the selected module. A system and method of molding all plastic contact-supporting modules or connector bodies is provided and includes providing at a first location mold means for molding common housings, and providing at each of a plurality of different locations mold means for molding different contact-supporting modules. A system and method is provided for fabricating connector bodies having a mating part and a terminating part in one piece or in two pieces.
Inventors
- 👤 Dennis J. Krob
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 19:42
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/46; H01R13/516; H01R43/00; H01R43/18
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
159 words
A modular telephone connector, for mating with a complementary connector, having a plurality of contact elements, comprising: molded plastic common housing means defining a mating portion of said modular electrical connector and including a generally open-ended cavity; molded plastic insert means including a set of contact-supporting modules, each of said modules supporting a plurality of said contact elements and defining a different termination configuration of said modular electrical connector and being interchangeably nestable in said cavity of said housing means; mounting means for mounting said modules in said cavity; and said plurality of contact elements having identical mating portions at one end of said cavity when the respective module is nested in said cavity and termination portions at the other end of said cavity forming a termination configuration defined by the selected module, whereby the modular electrical connector is adapted for mating with said complementary connector and terminating with different arrangements and types of conductors by interchanging said modules.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
159 words
A modular telephone connector, for mating with a complementary connector, having a plurality of contact elements, comprising: molded plastic common housing means defining a mating portion of said modular electrical connector and including a generally open-ended cavity; molded plastic insert means including a set of contact-supporting modules, each of said modules supporting a plurality of said contact elements and defining a different termination configuration of said modular electrical connector and being interchangeably nestable in said cavity of said housing means; mounting means for mounting said modules in said cavity; and said plurality of contact elements having identical mating portions at one end of said cavity when the respective module is nested in said cavity and termination portions at the other end of said cavity forming a termination configuration defined by the selected module, whereby the modular electrical connector is adapted for mating with said complementary connector and terminating with different arrangements and types of conductors by interchanging said modules.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1 wherein one of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for piercing the insulation and establishing electrical connection with a conductor of a single insulated wire conductor of a multi-conductor cable.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
44 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1 wherein one of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for piercing the insulation and establishing electrical connection with a conductor of a multi-conductor flat cable.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
40 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1 wherein one of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for establishing electrical connection with a conductor of a printed circuit board.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
116 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1 wherein one of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for piercing the insulation and establishing electrical connection with the conductor of a single insulated wire conductor; a second of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for piercing the insulation and establishing electrical connection with a conductor of a multi-conductor flat cable; and a third of said set of contact-supporting modules supports a plurality of contact elements each of which includes a termination portion for establishing electrical connection with a conductor of a printed circuit board.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1, including molded plastic hood means for covering said other end of said cavity and protecting the termination portions of said contact elements and the conductors terminated thereto, and complementarily engageable mounting means on said hood means and said housing means for mounting the hood means on the housing means from any one of a plurality of different directions.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 6 wherein said housing means has a configuration elongated generally transversely of said cavity means defining two opposite housing ends, and the complementary mounting means on said housing means is disposed at said opposite housing ends for mounting said hood means onto either end of said housing means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
59 words
The modular electrical connector of claim 1 wherein said contact elements are adapted for terminating individual conductors of a multi-conductor cable, and including cable clamp means and complementarily engageable mounting means on said cable clamp means and said housing means for mounting the cable clamp means on the housing means from any one of a plurality of different directions.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
108 words
A system of molding all plastic contact-supporting bodies of an electrical connector, comprising: providing mold means for molding a one-piece contact-supporting body, including a first mold portion for molding a common mating portion of said body and a complementary second mold portion for molding a termination portion of said body integral with said mating portion; providing a third mold portion which is complementary to and cooperable with said first mold portion for selectively molding only said mating portion of said body; and providing a fourth mold portion which is complementary to and cooperable with said second mold portion for selectively molding only said termination portion of said body.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
108 words
A system of molding all plastic contact-supporting bodies of an electrical connector, comprising: providing mold means for molding a one-piece contact-supporting body, including a first mold portion for molding a common mating portion of said body and a complementary second mold portion for molding a termination portion of said body integral with said mating portion; providing a third mold portion which is complementary to and cooperable with said first mold portion for selectively molding only said mating portion of said body; and providing a fourth mold portion which is complementary to and cooperable with said second mold portion for selectively molding only said termination portion of said body.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of fabricating all plastic contact-supporting connector bodies having a mating part and a terminating part in one piece or in two pieces comprising the steps of: fabricating the one-piece body in a two-piece mold having a first portion for molding said mating part and a complementary second portion for molding said termination part integral with said mating part; fabricating the mating part of said two-piece connector in a mold consisting of said first portion and a third portion complementary to and cooperable with said first portion; fabricating the termination part of said two-piece connector body in a mold consisting of said second portion and a fourth portion complementary to and cooperable with said second portion; and affixing parts fabricated by said last two steps, respectively, to each other.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
130 words
A method of fabricating all plastic contact-supporting connector bodies having a mating part and a terminating part in one piece or in two pieces comprising the steps of: fabricating the one-piece body in a two-piece mold having a first portion for molding said mating part and a complementary second portion for molding said termination part integral with said mating part; fabricating the mating part of said two-piece connector in a mold consisting of said first portion and a third portion complementary to and cooperable with said first portion; fabricating the termination part of said two-piece connector body in a mold consisting of said second portion and a fourth portion complementary to and cooperable with said second portion; and affixing parts fabricated by said last two steps, respectively, to each other.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
123 words
A system for molding all plastic contact-supporting modules of a modular electrical connector, comprising: providing at a first location mold means for molding common housings for mating with complementary electrical connectors having a plurality of contact elements; providing at each of a plurality of different locations mold means for molding different contact-supporting modules which are similarly configured in part for interchangeable nesting within said common housings but which are differently configured in part for supporting a plurality of contact elements having different termination configurations, whereby the modular electrical connector can be adapted at said different locations for terminating with different selected conductors by utilizing said common housings molded at said first location and interchanging said contact supporting modules at said respective different locations.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
123 words
A system for molding all plastic contact-supporting modules of a modular electrical connector, comprising: providing at a first location mold means for molding common housings for mating with complementary electrical connectors having a plurality of contact elements; providing at each of a plurality of different locations mold means for molding different contact-supporting modules which are similarly configured in part for interchangeable nesting within said common housings but which are differently configured in part for supporting a plurality of contact elements having different termination configurations, whereby the modular electrical connector can be adapted at said different locations for terminating with different selected conductors by utilizing said common housings molded at said first location and interchanging said contact supporting modules at said respective different locations.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of efficiently producing, at different locations, limited quantities of all plastic connector bodies in a set of connector bodies having identical mating ends and different termination ends, comprising the steps of: molding the mating ends of said connector bodies at a first location in high throughput molds; molding the termination ends of said connector bodies at remote locations in low throughput molds; each said low throughput mold producing termination ends complementary to and cooperable with any mating end from said high throughput mold, such that when joined together a connector body in said set is produced; and joining any of said termination ends to any of said mating ends to form a connector body.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of efficiently producing, at different locations, limited quantities of all plastic connector bodies in a set of connector bodies having identical mating ends and different termination ends, comprising the steps of: molding the mating ends of said connector bodies at a first location in high throughput molds; molding the termination ends of said connector bodies at remote locations in low throughput molds; each said low throughput mold producing termination ends complementary to and cooperable with any mating end from said high throughput mold, such that when joined together a connector body in said set is produced; and joining any of said termination ends to any of said mating ends to form a connector body.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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