High density ribbon cable connector and dual transition contact therefor

An electrical terminal for insertion into a passage in a dielectric housing comprising:

• a mating section,
• an intermediate section,
• and an insulation displacement section,
• a first transition section, said first transition section between the mating section and the intermediate section, said first transition section displacing the mating section from the intermediate section in a first direction,
• a second transition section, said second transition section between the intermediate section and the insulation displacement section, said second transition section displacing the insulation displacement section from the intermediate section in a second, opposite direction from said first direction.

A high density ribbon cable connector for terminating ribbon cable having close, uniformly spaced conductors surrounded by insulation, said connector comprising:

• an insulative housing having a cable receiving face and a plurality of passages extending into the housing from said cable receiving face, each said passage having a stop shoulder facing said cable receiving face;
• each of said passages having an electrical terminal secured therein, said terminal comprising a mating section defining a plane, an intermediate section having forwardly facing stop means and rearwardly facing stop means, an insulation displacement section defining a plane, a first transition section and a second transition section, said first transition section between said mating section and said intermediate section to position said forwardly facing stop means out of the plane of the mating section to engage said stop shoulder, said second transition section between said intermediate section and said insulation displacement section to position said rearwardly facing stop means out of the plane of said insulation displacement section;
• and
• a termination cover securable to said housing, whereby when the termination cover is positioned in a pretermination position with a ribbon cable between the cover and the insulation displacement section of the terminals, pressing on the termination cover will terminate conductors of the ribbon cable to respective insulation displacement sections of said terminals.

A connector for terminating to a ribbon cable having close, uniformly spaced conductors surrounded by insulation, said connector comprising:

• an insulative housing defining a cable receiving face, a first mating face and a first row of terminal receiving passages extending therebetween, each of said passages having an electrical terminal secured therein, each terminal comprising a mating section defining an axis, and wall means facing adjacent terminals in said row of terminals defining a predetermined distance therebetween, an intermediate section, an insulation displacement section, a first transition section, and a second transition section, said first transition section between the mating section and the intermediate section, said first transition section displacing the mating section from the plane of the intermediate section in an first direction normal to said row of terminal receiving passages, said second transition section between the intermediate section and the insulation displacement section, said second transition section displacing the insulation displacement section from the intermediate section in a second, opposite direction from the first direction, such that the insulation displacement section is offset from the axis of the mating portion, at least a portion of each insulation displacement section extending beyond said cable receiving face for termination thereto of the ribbon cable, alternate terminals in said row having the insulation displacement sections thereof offset from the axis of the mating portions in opposite directions normal to the row.