Two-piece connector and method of press-connecting flat cables together

A method of press-connecting a flat cable, comprising the steps of:

• forming a receptacle body by inserting press-type contacts into a plurality of holes formed in a receptacle insulator having upper and lower faces joined by end faces and projections protruding from the end faces, such that press-contacting portions of said press-type contacts project from said receptacle insulator;
• inserting the press-contacting portions of said press-type contacts into holes made in a first cover, thereby fastening said receptacle body and said first cover together, said first cover having guiding grooves formed on both ends, and cable locating grooves in the surface facing away from said receptacle insulator;
• placing a second cover in grooves formed in a press-contact jig, said cover having engaging frame portions on both end portions, and cable locating grooves in one surface;
• placing a flat cable in said cable locating grooves of said second cover supported on said press-contact jig, said flat cable comprising a layer made of electrically insulating material and a plurality of parallel insulated cores embedded in the layer;
• placing said first cover such that said engaging frame portions of said second cover are fitted in guiding grooves of said first cover fastened to said receptacle body, and that said cable locating grooves of said first cover face the flat cable;
• engaging said engaging frame portions of said second cover with the projections of said receptacle insulator thereby preliminary holding the respective insulated cores of the flat cable in the respective cable locating grooves of both the first and second covers;
• and
• cutting the layer of said flat cable by said press-connecting portions of said press-type contacts by pushing said receptacle body towards said second cover, thereby electrically connecting said cores with the press-contacting portions of said press-type contacts.

An electrical connector for flat cable comprising:

• an insulating housing having an elongate, wire-connecting face and end faces extending away from the wire-connecting face;
• contacts each having a wire-connecting portion comprising a pair of opposed wire engaging arms with insulation penetrating leading ends and defining between them a wire receiving slot extending away from the ends;
• the contacts being mounted in the insulating housing with the respective wire-connecting portions upstanding from the wire-connecting face in a longitudinally extending row at a predetermined pitch with insulation penetrating ends uppermost;
• first and second cover members of insulating material, the first cover member being formed with oppositely directed, elongate cable locating and contact receiving faces, a row of through-holes at said pitch extending therethrough between the faces and a row of insulated wire locating grooves aligned with respective through-holes;
• the second cover member having an elongate cable engaging face formed with a row of contact receiving recesses at the said pitch and a row of insulated wire locating grooves aligned with respective through-holes;
• the first cover member being retainable assembled on the wire connecting face of the housing in a preliminary position by receipt of the wire engaging arms as interference fits in respective through-holes in the first cover member thereby aligning accurately the respective wire connecting portions with corresponding insulated wire locating grooves, the assembly formed and the second cover member being relatively moveable together, cable locating faces adjacent, and with their corresponding wire locating grooves in alignment into clamping and aligning relation with individual insulated wire portions of a flat cable with respective connecting portions and into a final, wire connecting position in which the cable penetrating ends of the wire connecting portions are driven out from the first cover member through the cable into the contact receiving recesses of the second cover member with respective cable wires being received in respective slots establishing permanent electrical connection therewith.

A method of connecting respective insulated wires of a flat cable in a connector having contacts with insulation penetrating, press-connecting portions upstanding in a row at a predetermined pitch from a wire connecting face of the connector comprising the steps of:

• providing a first insulating cover member formed with oppositely directed, elongate, cable locating and contact receiving faces, a row of through-holes at said pitch extending therethrough between the faces ad a row of insulated wire locating grooves aligned with respective through-holes;
• mounting said first cover member on the housing in a preliminary position adjacent the wire connecting face to form a preliminary sub-assembly by engaging the respective press-connecting portions in respective through-holes and thereby accurately aligning the wire connecting portions with corresponding insulated wire locating grooves;
• providing a second cover member comprising an elongate cable engaging face formed with a row of contact receiving recesses at said pitch and a row of insulated wire locating grooves aligned with respective recesses;
• urging the second member and the sub-assembly relatively together with corresponding wire locating grooves in alignment about a flat cable thereby aligning respective insulated cores of the flat cable with respective press connecting portions and subsequently thereby shifting the first cover relatively towards the wire connecting face of the housing to a final position driving the press connecting portions relatively out from the first cover member through the cable into the contact receiving recesses of the second cover member effecting permanent electrical connection with respective wires of the cable.

A method of connecting respective insulated wires of a flat cable to respective insulation displacement contacts each comprising a pair of opposed plates defining between them a wire receiving slot extending away from a leading edge, each plate having at least one coplanar projection extending laterally from a side edge adjacent the leading edge, the contacts being mounted at a predetermined pitch in a row upstanding from a wire connecting face of an insulating housing, comprising the steps of:

• securely mounting a first, elongate insulating cover having transversely extending, insulated wire receiving located grooves at the said pitch on a cable locating face and contact-receiving through-holes extending between respective grooves and an opposite face by receiving the plates concealed therein with the projections providing interference fits with walls of the through-holes;
• supporting a second elongate insulating cover having insulated wire locating grooves extending transversely of an outer cable locating face at the same pitch as the grooves on the first cover on a jig;
• locating the cable on the wire locating grooves of the second cover;
• accurately locating the first cover retained on the contacts on the cable so that the corresponding grooves are on the first and second covers are in precise alignment and pressing the sub-assembly and the second cover together thereby receiving respective insulated wires in respective wire-receiving grooves of both covers in precise alignment with respective through-holes;
• further pressing the jig and connector housing relatively together disengaging the projections from the through-holes of the first cover with the leading edges of the plates piercing the respective insulating sheaths of the cable and receiving the respective wires in the slots.