US 5,626,491 AGranted

Electrical connector strain relief for cable

AssigneeThe Whitaker Corporation

InventorAlexander W. Hasircoglu

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Abstract

A strain relief for ribbon cable (12) or discrete cables (82,84) in a connector (10). Strain relief insert (32) provides a recess (34) having a narrow entrance (36) into which is urged a fold (44) of cable (12) while the insert portions (42) are temporarily flexed or pivoted apart, or the fold is insertable from an end of the recess; a retention rod (46) is inserted into the fold above the cable from the side, such that a cable loop (50) extends around the rod at bend (44). The assembly is then urged into a shell pocket (24) adjacent the cable exit (20), with the pocket sidewalls (52) preventing the insert portions (42) from spreading apart at the narrow entrance after assembly. Strain from the cable (12,82,84) onto the connector tends to urge the cable loop (50) and rod (46) against the constriction of the narrow recess entrance (36) but they are trapped in the recess. A self-sustaining strain relief member (92) may be secured to a connector at its cable exit.

Claims14

Dependent claims

A strain relief for an electrical connector terminatable onto an end of electrical cable, comprising:

a block at least affixable to a cable exit portion of an electrical connector and having a cable-proximate surface extending along said electrical cable axially and transversely;
a recess into said block having a narrow entrance extending through and transversely across said cable-proximate surface, said narrow entrance having a dimension in the axial direction at least equal to twice the thickness of said cable and said recess having a dimension in the axial direction greater than said narrow entrance dimension;
and
a retention rod insertable into said recess to extend transversely across the cable width and having a diameter greater than the difference between said narrow entrance dimension and two times the thickness of said cable, and said block being adapted to permit receipt of said retention rod into said recess,
whereby a loop of said cable is insertable into said recess with portions of said cable on either side of the loop positioned in the narrow entrance, and the retention rod is insertable substantially through said loop from side to side, and upon complete assembly of the connector said loop of cable is retained in said recess by the retention rod when the cable is subjected to strain.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.