Electrical connector with shunt
AssigneeAMP Incorporated
InventorsHoward R. Shaffer, Brent D. Yohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly (10) includes a receptacle (12) and a plug (14) engageable with the receptacle (12) to form electrical connections between terminals (42,20) carried by the receptacle and plug. A shunt (52) in the plug (14) is in engagement with a pair of socket terminals (42) when the plug is at least partially disengaged from the receptacle; but when the connectors are fully mated, a cam post (90) on the receptacle (12) enters the plug (14) and moves and holds the shunt (52) out of engagement with the socket terminals (42). The commoning connection is broken when the plug is fully mated with the receptacle, and will become reestablished when plug (14) is or begins to become disconnected from receptacle (12).
Claims19
An electrical connector assembly comprising first and second connector members, comprising a plug and a receptacle, the first connector member including:
- a. first housing means including a mating end,
- b. a group of first terminals mounted in said first housing means and including at least one pair of first terminals selected to be commoned, and
- c. at least one shunt disposed within said first housing means and including a fixed portion and means securing said fixed portion with in said first housing means at least after assembly of said first connector member along an opening associated therewith extending inwardly from said housing mating end and extending to a said pair of first terminals to be commoned, said at least one shunt associated with a respective said pair of first terminals, each said shunt having a leg section extending into a cam-receiving opening of said first housing means from said fixed shunt portion and including a cam-engageable portion, each said shunt further having a bridging member on said leg section spring biased into engagement with said pair of first terminals across said associated opening to form an electrical commoning connection between the terminals of said pair when said first connector member is at least partially disengaged from said second connector member;
- the second connector member including:
- d. second housing means adapted to receive said first connector member thereinto during mating,
- e. a group of second terminals mounted in said second housing means and engageable with respective said first terminals to form electrical connections when said first and second connector members are mated, and
- f. a cam surface associated with each said shunt and adapted to engage during connector mating a said cam-engageable portion of a respective said shunt of said first connector member, whereby upon movement of said first and second connector members together, said first and second terminals engage each other to form electrical connections and said cam surface engages a respective said shunt to deflect said bridging member away from said respective pair of first terminals and break the electrical commoning connection therewith.
An electrical connector assembly comprising first and second connector member, comprising a plug and a receptacle, the first connector member including:
- a. first housing means having terminal-receiving passageways extending rearwardly from a mating end thereof and including an aperture extending inwardly from said mating end, and further including at least one cam post-receiving opening extending inwardly from said mating end and in communication with said aperture,
- b. a group of first terminals mounted in respective said passageways and including a pair of first terminals selected to be commoned adjacent each said at least one cam post-receiving opening and disposed in respective said passageways in communication with a respective said cam post-receiving opening, and
- c. a shunt associated with each said pair of terminals selected to be commoned and mounted at a fixed portion to an insert member adapted to be received into said aperture, each said shunt being so positioned that upon insertion of said insert member into said aperture each said shunt extends into each said at least one cam post-receiving opening form said fixed portion and toward a respective said selected pair of first terminals, each said shunt including a bridging member on a leg section in spring biased engagement with said respective selected pair of first terminals to form an electrical commoning connection between the terminals of said pair when said first connector member is at least partially disengaged from said second connector member;
- the second connector member including:
- d. second housing means having a mating end adapted to receive said first connector member thereinto during mating,
- e. a group of second terminals mounted on said second housing means and extending to said mating end and adapted to be engageable with respective said first terminals to form electrical connections when said first and second connector members are mated, and
- f. an elongate cam post associated with each said shunt of said first connector member in said second housing means adjacent ones of said second terminals and extending toward said mating end, each said cam post being substantially aligned with a respective said cam post-receiving opening of said first housing means,
- whereby upon movement of said first connector member into said second connector member, said first and second terminals engage each other to form electrical connections and each said cam post moves into a respective said cam post-receiving opening and engages a respective said shunt leg section to lift said bridging member away from a respective said pair of first terminals and break the electrical commoning connection therewith.
A shunting insert assembly for an electrical connector having a plurality of terminals at least an adjacent pair of which are disposed along an insert-receiving aperture of the connector to be commoned when the connector is not fully mated with a mating connector, comprising:
- a dielectric insert adapted to be received into and secured within an insert-receiving aperture of a connector along at least one selected pair of terminals desired to be commoned;
- and
- a shunt associated with each said at least one pair of terminals to be commoned and secured along a surface of said dielectric insert at a location proximate said pair of terminals after assembly of the connector, said shunt including a fixed end joined to said dielectric insert and an opposed end not fixed to said dielectric insert, and said shunt including a deflectable section between said fixed end and said opposed end extending outwardly from said dielectric insert, said deflectable section including a bridging member spring biased after connector assembly against portions of the terminals of said selected pair of terminals to establish an electrical commoning connection therebetween.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.