Pre-loaded electrical connecting device

Claim 2

An electrical connector intended for use with a pair of associated conductors such as a signal conductor and a grounding conductor, said connector being adapted for engagement with complementary connecting means to disengageably connect said associated conductors to further conductors, said connector comprising: an insulating housing, said housing having a mating face which is proximate, and opposed to, said complementary connecting means when said connector is engaged with said complementary connecting means, said housing having a rearward face on the side thereof which is opposite from said mating face, a pair of electrical contact terminals in said housing, said terminals having contact portions which extend normally of, and beyond, said mating face, each of said contact portions having a free end, said free ends being generally channel-shaped in cross-section and having a web and sidewalls, each of said free ends having a conductor receiving slot extending inwardly from its web at said free end, and conductor-receiving passageway means extending through said housing from said rearward face to said mating face whereby upon positioning said conductors in said conductor-receiving passageway means and locating end portions of said conductors in said conductor-receiving slots, said conductors are electrically connected to said contact terminals adjacent to said free ends, and upon engagement of said connector with said complementary connecting means, said end portions of said conductors are located adjacent to said complementary connecting means.

Claim 3

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, each of said contact terminals having contact spring means on its sidewalls for electrical contact with complementary contact terminals in said compLementary connecting means.

Claim 4

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1 in combination with a pair of associated conductors, one said conductor being in said conductor-receiving slot means of one of said contact terminals and the other one of said conductors being in said conductor-receiving slot means of the other one of said contact terminals.

Claim 5

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, said housing being generally prismatic, said conductor receiving passageway means comprising groove means extending on a side of said housing between mating face and said rearward face.

Claim 6

An electrical connector as set forth in claim 4, said groove means comprising a single groove extending from said rearward face towards said mating face, said single groove having an end which is proximate to said mating face, and two branch grooves extending from said end to said mating face, each of said branch grooves opening onto said mating face at a location proximate to one of said contact terminals.

Claim 7

A connector as set forth in claim 5 in combination with a co-axial electrical cable of the type comprising a center conductor and shielding layer in surrounding relationship to said center conductor, said cable being in said groove, said center conductor extending through one of said branch grooves and being in said conductor-receiving slot of one of said contact terminals, and additional conductor means extending from said shielding through the other one of said branch grooves and being in said conductor-receiving slot of the other one of said contact terminals.

Claim 8

A connector as set forth in claim 6, said additional conductor means comprising a drain wire.

Claim 9

A connector as set forth in claim 5, said housing having said groove means on two opposite sides thereof.

Claim 10

A connector as set forth in claim 8 in combination with a co-axial cable of the type comprising a center conductor, shielding material in surrounding relationship to said center conductor, and a drain wire extending along and against said shielding material, said shielding material being removed from an intermediate portion of said conductor, portions of said cable adjacent to said intermediate portion being in said groove means on said two opposite sides of said mating face, said center conductor being in first corresponding branch grooves on said two sides and extending across said mating face and through said conductor-receiving slot of one of said contact terminals, said drain wire being in second corresponding branch grooves on said two sides and extending across said mating face and through said conductor receiving slot of the other one of said contact terminals.

Claim 11

A connector as set forth in claim 4, and enclosure means in surrounding relationship to said housing.

Claim 12

An electrical connection between two coaxial cables, each of said cables comprising a center conductor, an insulating sheath surrounding said center conductor, and metallic sheilding material in surrounding relationship to said insulating sheath, said connection comprising: a pair of complementary connectors, each of said connectors comprising an insulating housing, said housing having a mating face which is proximate, and opposed to, the mating face of the other one of said connectors when said connectors are mated, two electrical contact terminals in each of said housings, each of said terminals having a contact portion which extends forwardly from the mating face of its associated housing and which has a free end, each of said contact terminals having a conductor-receiving slot extending inwardly from its free end, each of said cables extending to the mating face of one of said housings and having its center conductor extending through the conductor-receiving slot of one of said terminals, and conductor means extending from said shielding material to the other one of said terminals and through the conductor-receiving slot thereof, said connectors being mated with each other with the free ends of the contact terminals of each connector in overlapping engagement with the free ends of the contact terminals of the other whereby, the center conductors of said two cables are connected to each other and the shielding material of each cable is connected to the shielding material of the other, said connection having a short zone of connection and a low impedance mismatch by virtue of the fact that said shielding material and said center conductors are connected to said terminals proximate to said free ends thereof, and said shielding material of each of said cables extends to a location which is proximate to said mating faces and proximate to said free ends of said terminals.

Claim 13

An electrical connection between two coaxial cables, each of said cables comprising a center conductor, an insulating sheath surrounding said center conductor, and metallic sheilding material in surrounding relationship to said insulating sheath, said connection comprising: a pair of complementary connectors, each of said connectors comprising an insulating housing, said housing having a mating face which is proximate, and opposed to, the mating face of the other one of said connectors when said connectors are mated, two electrical contact terminals in each of said housings, each of said terminals having a contact portion which extends forwardly from the mating face of its associated housing and which has a free end, each of said contact terminals having a conductor-receiving slot extending inwardly from its free end, each of said cables extending to the mating face of one of said housings and having its center conductor extending through the conductor-receiving slot of one of said terminals, and conductor means extending from said shielding material to the other one of said terminals and through the conductor-receiving slot thereof, said connectors being mated with each other with the free ends of the contact terminals of each connector in overlapping engagement with the free ends of the contact terminals of the other whereby, the center conductors of said two cables are connected to each other and the shielding material of each cable is connected to the shielding material of the other, said connection having a short zone of connection and a low impedance mismatch by virtue of the fact that said shielding material and said center conductors are connected to said terminals proximate to said free ends thereof, and said shielding material of each of said cables extends to a location which is proximate to said mating faces and proximate to said free ends of said terminals.

Claim 14

An electrical connection as set forth in claim 11, each of said cables having a drain wire extending therealong in contact with said shielding material, said drain wire of each cable extending to the said other one of said terminals and constituting said conductor means extending from said shielding means to the other one of said terminals.

Claim 15

An electrical connection as set forth in claim 11, said free ends of said terminals in one of said connectors comprising terminal blades.

Claim 16

An electrical connection as set forth in claims 13, said free ends of said terminals in the other one of said connectors having a channel shaped cross-section, said terminal blades extending between the sidewalls of said terminals having a channel-shaped cross-section.