Electrical connector for flat power cable

A connector for use with a plurality of flat cables each including at least one flat conductor of substantial width and incremental thickness, the connector being suitable for housing terminations to respective ones of the cable conductors for transmission of electrical power at substantial levels of current and voltage across a mating interface, the terminations extending laterally across the width of respective ones of the flat cable, comprising:

• a shell member including at least one housing-receiving cavity extending from a rearward shell face to a front face through a transverse body section of substantial bulk material having good heat transfer properties, each said housing-receiving cavity being defined by wall sections of said shell member;
• dielectric means including respective cavity means to house an end of each said flat cable to which is terminated a respective terminal means defining a termination, each said terminal means including contact sections extending forwardly into forward cavity means of said dielectric means for mating with a corresponding contact means of a mating electrical article, each said termination extending laterally across the width of the respective said flat cable and having major upper and lower surfaces, and each said dielectric means including an outwardly facing wall of limited thickness along one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination therein;
• each said dielectric means containing said at least one termination being disposed within a respective said housing-receiving cavity such that at least one said cavity wall section coextends along and adjacent said wall of said dielectric means along said one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination such that said wall section of said shell members is proximate said one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination and defines a heat transfer system for dissipating heat from each said termination during in-service use;
• and
• a strain relief assembly adapted to be securable along said rearward shell face behind rearward ends of said dielectric means after assembly into said shell member and surround said plurality of flat cables, said strain relief assembly retaining said housing within said shell member and including means for clamping said flat cables to a support section of one of said shell and said strain relief assembly, whereby said terminations of said terminal means to respective said flat cables are protected from stress otherwise transmittable thereto by said flat cables.

An assembly of mating connectors for use with pluralities of flat cables to define interconnections between corresponding ones thereof, each flat cable including at least one flat conductor of substantial width and incremental thickness, each connector being suitable for housing terminations to respective ones of the cable conductors for transmission of electrical power at substantial levels of current and voltage across a mating interface, the terminations extending laterally across the width of respective ones of the flat cables, comprising:

• a plug connector and receptacle connector matable to and unmatable from each other, each said connector including:
• a shell member including at least one housing-receiving cavity extending from a rearward shell face to a front face through a transverse body section of substantial bulk material having good heat transfer properties, each said housing-receiving cavity being defined by wall sections of said shell member;
• dielectric means including respective cavity means to house an end of each said flat cable to which is terminated a respective terminal means defining a termination, each said terminal means including contact sections extending forwardly into forward cavity means of said dielectric means for mating with a corresponding contact means of a mating electrical article, each said termination extending laterally across the width of the respective said flat cable and having major upper and lower surfaces, and each said dielectric means including an outwardly facing wall of limited thickness along one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination therein;
• and
• each said dielectric means containing said at least one termination being disposed within a respective said housing-receiving cavity such that at least one said cavity wall section coextends along and adjacent said wall of said dielectric means along said one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination such that said wall section of said shell member is proximate said one of said major upper and lower surfaces of each said termination and defines a heat transfer system for dissipating heat from each said termination during in-service use;
• said shell members being adapted to be matable to each other in a close fitting relationship, said dielectric means of one said connector being matable to said dielectric means of the other, and said terminal means of one said connector being matable to said terminal means of the other to define electrical connections therebetween suitable for transmission of electrical power at substantial current and voltage levels.