Electrical connector and method of making same

An electrical connector for signal conductor means and ground conductor means of electrical cable means for use in transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, comprising:

• an electrical contact assembly including a dielectric contact-carrying member having a plurality of signal contact members disposed on one side of said contact-carrying member at spaced intervals therealong and a ground contact member disposed on the other side thereof, first and second securing means provided by said contact-carrying member respectively securing each said signal contact member and said ground contact member against the respective sides of said contact-carrying member, signal contact sections of said signal contact members and ground contact sections of said ground contact member disposed proximate a front end of said contact-carrying member, and conductor-connecting sections of each said signal contact members and said ground contact member extending along said contact-carrying member;
• electrical cable means having signal conductor means and ground conductor means, a plurality of end portions of said signal conductor means and ground conductor means extending forwardly therefrom with at least one said ground conductor means associated with each said signal conductor means, said signal conductor end portions electrically connected to respective conductor-connecting sections of said signal contact members and said ground conductor end portions electrically connected to said conductor-connecting sections of said ground contact member;
• a dielectric housing molded around said electrical contact assembly, said conductor end portions and section means of said electrical cable means thereby sealing the terminations of said signal and ground conductor means to respective said signal and ground contact members and insulating said conductor end portions;
• and
• means provided by said dielectric housing engaging said section means of said cable means and providing nondistorting strain relief for said cable means whereby the electrical performance characteristics of said cable means are maintained.

An electrical plug connector for electrical cable means for use in transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, comprising:

• an electrical contact assembly including a substantially thin and flat dielectric contact-carrying member substantially disposed in a plane, said contact-carrying member having a front end and a back end and conductor-positioning channels proximate said back end, said electrical contact assembly also having a plurality of signal contact members secured in position by first securing means to one side of said contact-carrying member at spaced intervals therealong forward of said conductor-positioning channels and a ground contact member secured in position by second securing means to the other side forward of said conductor-positioning channels, each of said signal contact members having at least a signal contact section proximate said front end and a conductor-connecting section proximate a respective said conductor-positioning channel and said ground contact member having at least a plurality of ground contact sections proximate said front end and a plurality of conductor-connecting sections proximate respective said conductor-positioning channels, said signal contact sections of said signal contact members and ground contact sections of said ground contact member extending forwardly from said front end of said contact-carrying member, and said conductor-connecting sections of said signal and ground contact members have slots aligned with respective said conductor-positioning channels;
• electrical cable means disposed in the plane of said contact-carrying member rearwardly thereof and having signal conductor means and ground conductor means, stripped end portions of which conductor means extend along respective said conductor-positioning channels substantially parallel to said plane of said contact-carrying member from a rearward end thereof, with said end portions of said signal conductor means disposed along said slots of said signal contact members and welded thereto, and said end portions of said ground conductor means disposed along said slots of said ground contact member and welded thereto, each said slot having a width slightly less than the diameter of a respective said conductor means disposed therealong;
• and
• a dielectric housing molded securely around said electrical contact assembly rearwardly from said signal and ground contact sections and around section means of said electrical cable means, thereby sealing the terminations of said signal and ground conductor means to respective said signal and ground contact members, providing means for nondistorting strain relief for said cable means whereby the electrical performance characteristics of said cable means are maintained.

An electrical connector for three-lead electrical cables for use in transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, comprising:

• an electrical contact assembly including signal contact members having contact sections and terminated to respective end portions of signal conductors of three-lead electrical cables and at least one ground contact member having at least one contact section and terminated to end portions of ground conductors of said electrical cables, said electrical contact assembly further including dielectric means between said signal contact members and said at least one ground contact member, and spaced forwardly from insulated portions of said three-lead electrical cables;
• and
• a dielectric housing molded securely around said electrical contact assembly, said conductor end portions, and section means of said electrical cables thereby sealing the terminations of said signal and ground conductors to respective said signal and ground contact members and insulating said conductor end portions, said housing including a rearward cable-engaging section substantially spaced rearwardly from said electrical contact assembly such that said housing substantially does not engage said three-lead cables between said rearward cable-engaging section and said electrical contact assembly, thereby providing a nondistorting strain relief for said three-lead cables whereby the electrical performance characteristics of said three-lead cables are maintained.

An assembly of electrical connectors for electrical cable means for transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, comprising a connector-receiving means and a plurality of electrical connector means securable therein adjacent each other, each of said electrical connector means comprising a contact assembly means and a dielectric housing means secured on said contact assembly means wherein:

• said contact assembly means includes a dielectric contact-carrying member, a plurality of signal contact members secured in position against one side thereof by first securing means, a ground contact means secured in position against the other side thereof by second securing means, end portions of signal conductor means of said electrical cable means being electrically connected to respective said signal contact members, and end portions of ground conductor means of said electrical cable means being electrically connected to said ground contact means;
• said contact assembly means is substantially thin and flat and disposed in a plane;
• contact sections of said signal contact members and said ground contact means are disposed in the plane of said contact assembly means proximate a front end thereof and are in alignment with and spaced from each other in a preselected arrangement;
• said electrical cable means extend outward from a rearward end of said contact assembly means and disposed in said plane of said contact assembly;
• and
• said dielectric housing means is molded securely around said contact assembly means, said conductor end portions, and section means of said electrical cable means thereby sealing the terminations of said signal and ground conductors to respective said signal members and said ground contact means and insulating said conductor end portions, said housing means including a means engaging said section means of said electrical cable means and providing nondistorting strain relief for said cable means whereby the electrical performance characteristics of said cable means are maintained;
• said housing means is thin, flat and planar whereby each said connector means is therefor substantially thin, flat and disposed in a plane forwardly of said electrical cable means enabling close spacing of said connector means in said assembly to form a matrix of said signal and ground contact sections of forward ends thereof;
• and
• said dielectric housing means and said connector-receiving means have cooperating securing means thereon.

A method of assembling an electrical connector for electrical cable means for use in transmitting electrical signals with high reliability and uniformity, comprising the steps of:

• placing planar central sections of signal contact members in adjacent recesses on one side of a dielectric contact-carrying member with signal contact sections of said signal contact members disposed proximate a front end of said contact-carrying member;
• securing said signal contact members in position against said contact-carrying member by first securing means on said contact-carrying member;
• placing a planar section of a ground contact member adjacent the other side of said contact-carrying member with ground contact sections of said ground contact member disposed proximate said front end of said contact-carrying member;
• securing said ground contact member in position against said contact-carrying member by second securing means in said contact-carrying member;
• terminating stripped end portions of signal and ground conductors of electrical cable means to conductor-connecting sections of said signal contact members and said ground contact member respectively rearward of said planar central sections and said planar section respectively;
• and
• molding a dielectric housing sealingly around said contact-carrying member, said planar central sections of said signal contact members, said planar section of said ground contact member, said conductor-connecting sections thereof, said terminations, said conductor end portions, and section means of said electrical cable means to provide nondistorting strain relief therefor, whereby the electrical performance characteristics of the electrical cable means are maintained.