Terminator for multiple electrical conductors

Claim 2

A terminator for multiple electrical conductors (16,88) comprising: a metallic ground structure (22) formed of a baseplate ((24) with a plurality of upstanding walls (32) thereon cooperating to define a predetermined number of channels (34) arranged in side-by-side relationship across the ground structure; an insulated support structure (44) having a body portion (46) with a plurality of forwardly extending fingers (54) thereon, each of the fingers being received in one of the channels; and an electrical contact element (58) disposed on each of the fingers, each of the contact elements being connectable to one of the conductors (16,88) so that, in use, the ground structure is connectable to a predetermined electrical potential whereby the electrical contact elements are electrically isolated from each other.

Claim 3

A terminator according to claim 1 wherein the tops of the walls (32) are spaced from the baseplate (24) a greater distance than are the contact elements (58) on the fingers (54).

Claim 4

A terminator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the multiple electrical conductors comprise conductive tracings (88) disposed on the surface of a substrate and there is further provided: means (90) disposed at each end of the ground structure for supporting the structure at the edge of the substrate.

Claim 5

A terminator according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the multiple conductors (16) are disposed in a cable (12) and wherein the insulated support structure (44) has a plurality of trenches (48) therein, each of the trenches being adapted to receive one of the conductors of the cable.

Claim 6

A terminator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and further comprising: a housing (100) having an array of lands (106) with alternating grooves (108) disposed between adjacent lands, a contact element (110,112) being disposed on each of the lands and in each of grooves, the contacts on the lands extending from a predetermined datum for a distance different from the distance that the contacts in the grooves extend from same datum, the housing being adapted to receive at least part of the ground structure such that the tops of the walls electrically engage against the contacts in the grooves in the housing while the contacts on the fingers electrically engage against the contacts on the lands.

Claim 7

A terminator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and further comprising: a housing (100) having an array of lands (106) with alternating slots (140) disposed between adjacent lands, a contact element (110) being disposed on each of the lands and a plate (142) on the exterior of the housing overlying at least one of the slots, the housing being adapted to receive at least part of the ground structure such that the tops of the walls electrically engage against the plates while the contacts on the fingers electrically engage against the contacts on the lands.

Claim 8

A terminator according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and further comprising: a casing (64) in which the ground structure (22) is partly disposed with a portion (28) of the ground structure projecting forwardly from the casing and having said plurality of walls and channels (34).

Claim 9

A terminator according to claim 7 wherein the ground structure has one or more posts (40) thereon which engage against the interior of the casing to space the ground structure from the casing.

Claim 10

A terminator according to claim 8 wherein the casing has a conductive surface (76) on the interior thereof and wherein the or each post is fabricated from a conductive material so that the conductive surface on the interior of the casing and the ground structure are in electrical contact with each other.

Claim 11

A terminator according to any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein the insulated support structure has a forward face (44F) coextensive with a forward edge of the casing.

Claim 12

A terminator for multiple electrical conductors comprising: a metallic ground structure (22) formed of a baseplate (24) having an upper and a lower surface (30A,30B) thereon, a plurality of upstanding walls (32) extending from each of the upper and lower surfaces of the baseplate, the walls on each surface cooperating to define a predetermined number of channels (34) arranged in side-by-side relationship across each surface of the ground structure; a first and a second insulated support structure (44) each having a body portion (46) with a plurality of forwardly extending fingers (54) thereon, one of the support structures being disposed on one of the surfaces of the ground structure, each of the fingers on each of the support structures being received in one of the channels on the ground structure; and an electrical contact element (58) disposed on each of the fingers, each of the contact elements being connectable to one of the conductors, the tops of the walls of the ground structure being spaced above the surface thereof to a greater extent than the contact elements on the fingers are spaced thereabove so that, in use, the ground structure is connectable to a predetermined electrical potential whereby the electrical contact elements are electrically isolated from each other.

Claim 13

A terminator for multiple electrical conductors comprising: a metallic ground structure (22) formed of a baseplate (24) having an upper and a lower surface (30A,30B) thereon, a plurality of upstanding walls (32) extending from each of the upper and lower surfaces of the baseplate, the walls on each surface cooperating to define a predetermined number of channels (34) arranged in side-by-side relationship across each surface of the ground structure; a first and a second insulated support structure (44) each having a body portion (46) with a plurality of forwardly extending fingers (54) thereon, one of the support structures being disposed on one of the surfaces of the ground structure, each of the fingers on each of the support structures being received in one of the channels on the ground structure; and an electrical contact element (58) disposed on each of the fingers, each of the contact elements being connectable to one of the conductors, the tops of the walls of the ground structure being spaced above the surface thereof to a greater extent than the contact elements on the fingers are spaced thereabove so that, in use, the ground structure is connectable to a predetermined electrical potential whereby the electrical contact elements are electrically isolated from each other.

Claim 14

A terminator according to claim 11 and further comprising a housing composed of: a body (104) fabricated of an insulating material, the body having an upper and a lower array of lands (106) each separated by an adjacent groove (108) the lands and the grooves extending substantially parallel to each other; and an electrical contact element (110,112) disposed on each of the lands and in each of the grooves such that each of the contact elements on the lands extends a greater distance toward a predetermined reference datum disposed at the center of the housing than does each of the contacts in the grooves, and such that when conjoined with the ground structure the contact elements in the upper and lower grooves respectively electrically engage against the tops of the walls on the upper and lower surfaces of the ground structure and the contact elements on the lands respectively electrically engage against the contact elements on the fingers of the first and second support structures.

Claim 15

A terminator according to claim 11 and further comprising a housing composed of: a body (104) fabricated of an insulating material, the body having an upper and a lower array of lands (106) each separated by an adjacent slot (140), the lands the the slots extending substantially parallel to each other; and an electrical contact element (110) disposed on each of the lands and an array of conductive plates (142) each overlying each of the slots such that each of the contact elements on the lands extends a greater distance toward the center of the housing than does each of the plates, and such that when conjoined with the ground structure the contact elements in the upper and lower lands respectively electrically engage against the contact elements on the fingers of the first and second support structures and the plates electrically engage against the tops of the walls on the first and second support structures.

Claim 16

A housing for a terminator comprising: a body (104) fabricated of an insulating material, the body having an array of lands (106) each separated by an adjacent slot or groove (108,140) with the lands extending substantially parallel to each other; and an electrical contact element (110) disposed on each of the lands and further contacts (112,142) in the grooves or slots or bridging or overlying same such that each of the contact elements on the lands extends a greater distance from a predetermined reference datum than does each of the further contacts.

Claim 17

A housing for a terminator comprising: a body (104) fabricated of an insulating material, the body having an array of lands (106) each separated by an adjacent slot or groove (108,140) with the lands extending substantially parallel to each other; and an electrical contact element (110) disposed on each of the lands and further contacts (112,142) in the grooves or slots or bridging or overlying same such that each of the contact elements on the lands extends a greater distance from a predetermined reference datum than does each of the further contacts.