Abstract: An electrical connector assembly comprises a header having a plurality of pins, the pin header being interconnectable with a receptacle header having a plurality of receptacle contacts. A selected pair of adjacent passageways has a space between the adjacent passageways and these selected passageways contain shunting terminals positioned therein. The shunting contacts include opposed contact portions for making contact with the pins and have laterally extending shunt contact portions receivable in the space and which is profiled for making contact with a like shunt contact in the adjacent cavity.

Abstract: A multi color wire marker comprises a base, a slideway, a carriage housing to which are mounted rollers for respectively feeding and gathering hot foil colored tape, a main ram housing and an anvil against which a wire to be marked is supported. A plurality of rollers carrying different colored tapes are mounted on the carriage housing whereby anyone of the colored tapes can be chosen to mark the wire by indexably moving the carriage housing until the appropriate tape is lying between the ram and the anvil. The ram which is heated to an adjustable temperature is then pressed against the tape which presses the wire against the anvil, the heat and pressure making colored products mounted on the tape melt off and color mark the wire.

Abstract: A fibre optics connector comprises a moulded plastic housing with a through bore. The bore has a first bore portion of small cross-section, opening into a forward end of the housing and communicating with a larger cross-section bore portion. An intermediate fibre is bonded into the smaller cross-section bore portion, a length of the intermediate fibre projecting into the larger cross-section bore portion. The intermediate fibre has at its forward end a first optically polished end face and at its rear end a second optically polished end face. A longitudinally split, fibre alignment sleeve is expansible radially and is positioned in the larger cross-section bore portion. The sleeve receives the projecting length of the intermediate fibre and grips it. The rear optically polished end face of the intermediate fibre is covered by a refractive index matching material which has been injected into the sleeve.

Abstract: A terminating sleeve for optical waveguides, having disposed at its distal end an optical waveguide insertion opening leading into an optical waveguide receiving channel disposed in the longitudinal direction in the terminating sleeve, the terminating sleeve being formed integrally with a coupling means disposed at the proximal end and serving for coupling and uncoupling light, the optical waveguide receiving channel extending from the optical waveguide insertion opening up to the coupling means and the terminating sleeve inclusive of the coupling means being made from an optically transparent material.

Abstract: An airbag connector includes an insulating housing having a plurality of electrical terminals where the terminals include mating sections and wire terminating sections at, where the sections form a right angle with respect to one another. The terminals further include a lead receiving slot for a suppression device, such as a capacitor or resistor. A housing can be connected directly with the igniter and has a shunt which shunts the igniter pins when in the unmated version.

Abstract: An electrical terminal assembly comprising an electrical terminal has an insulation displacement contact having a base portion from which extend a pair of coplanar arms defining a slot for receiving an insulated lead. A restraining flange projecting from the top of each arm at right-angles to its plane terminates in a foot which is received in a well in a housing having a cavity receiving the terminal assembly. The well is dimensioned to allow the foot to move parallel to the plane of the arms but not at the right angles thereto. The arms cannot, therefor, twist about their longitudinal axes under the lead insertion force, but can move in their own planes to accommodate the metal cone of the lead as it is forced into the slot.

Abstract: An electrical connector is shown for terminating both signal and coaxial cable. To maintain the same interface pattern, the signal pins for the coaxial cable include contact portions with angled connection sections and ground contacts for contacting the shielding braid of a cable are laterally offset. The housing includes channels to arrange the coaxial cables with the signal contact termination portions and with the ground contact termination portions.

Abstract: A terminal receptacle for receiving a pin or tab therein has a resilient contact portion which prevents the terminal from experiencing frictional corrosion. The receptacle (11) has a receiving portion (17), a mounting portion (19), and a central portion (21). Spring slots (23,25,27) are provided on the central portion (19) thereby allowing the central portion to move resiliently in directions parallel and perpendicular to the axis of the receptacle.

Abstract: An optical connector (2) includes housing halves (4A) and (4B) having Y-shaped contours (6A, 6B, 8A, 8B) in the abutting faces of the housing halves (4A, 4B). A Y-shaped member (30) is inserted into the housing halves and sandwiched between the two housing halves. An optically transparent gel (20) is inserted into the housing adjacent to the end faces of the Y-piece, such that upon insertion of the optical fibers into the openings created by the Y-shaped contours, the unfinished fiber ends are in optical connection with the gel (20) and split into separate signals.

Abstract: An optical coupling device comprises a pair or connectors each receiving a bundle of optical fibers. Each connector is received in a housing which also receives an optical end of an optical mixing rod. A selected optical fiber of one of the bundles, when emissive, luminates the optical ends of all of the fibers in the other connector. The mixing rod has a central curved portion connecting rectilinear portions each of which is received in a respective one of the connectors. The arc of curvature of the curved portion of the mixing rod is such that light emitted by the emitting fibers is substantially equally distributed amongst the receiving fibers.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprises as shown in FIGS. 23 to 25, an insulating housing defining a socket for an electrical lamp bulb and first and second cavities and for receiving a first terminal and a second terminal respectively. The first terminal has a contact spring in the socket, the second terminal having a contact spring in the socket. An electric lamp bulb can be inserted into the socket so that contacts of the bulb are resiliently engaged by the respective contact springs. Each terminal also has a slotted plate portion for connection to an insulated electrical lead. The top wall of the housing is formed with two spaced holes for receiving lead wires of a diode. The first terminal has, a spring socket aligned with each of the holes and. Between the spring sockets, the first terminal has a reduced cross section severable portion, which is accessible to be sheared by shearing tooling, by way of an opening in the top wall and an opening in the opposite wall of the housing.

Abstract: An electrical terminal is shown having a contacting section, a locking section, a slidable sleeve and a wire connecting section. The locking section is defined as a cylindrical base out of which are stamped locking lances from the cavity area. The terminal is inserted into the cavity of an associated electrical connector housing. Prior to insertion, a slidable sleeve encompasses the locking lances thereby resiliently biasing them into the cavities, the locking lances therefore flush with the base of the locking section.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes passageways for receiving electrical terminal contacts. The electrical terminals are primarily locked in their cavities by way of locking lances on electrical terminals engaging with locking shoulders in respective passageways. The electrical terminals are secondarily locked in their passageways by way of a locking member which has first and second latching elements positioned along straps, the latching elements providing a first latching position on rails and the second elements providing a second fully locked position. The locking member is axially slidable rearwardly to a position where locking members are positioned above respective openings and the secondary lock member can be pushed downwardly such that the locking members are positioned behind the electrical terminals for secondary locking.

Abstract: An electrical connector having an improved seal for sealing a terminal area of the electrical connector. The seal has an engaging surface having a groove extending around the perimeter of the seal, thereby defining a first and second wall. The seal is slidably mounted on a cable, and the cable and seal are inserted in an end of the electrical connector so that a channel is formed by the groove and an inner wall of the electrical connector housing. A sealing material is introduced into the end of the electrical connector until it penetrates the seal between the first wall and the inner wall, thereby causing the channel to become filled with the sealing material. The seal provides a heat sink so that the sealing material solidifies in the channel without penetrating the seal between the second wall and the inner wall, thereby sealing the terminal area of the electrical connector from unwanted moisture.

Abstract: A backplane assembly includes a backplane board having a plurality of connector assemblies connected thereto for electrical connection with a header mounted on a backplane. The header includes a plurality of pins defining a pin field on the opposite side of the backplane. The pins extend through a mounting rail providing support for a plurality of cable connectors. The mounting rail is stamped and formed to include alignment slots whereas the cable connector is moulded to define alignment ribs. The cable connector housing includes latching arms on opposite sides thereof having locking lugs which lock in place within apertures in the mounting rail. A release mechanism is positioned between the latching arms such that outward movement of the mechanism moves the latching arms together disconnecting the cable connectors from the mounting rail. A twinaxial cable connector inner housing can also be positioned in the cable connector housing, where the inner housing is comprised of outer housings and an inner insert.

Abstract: An electrical shielded data connector includes an inner terminal support housing carrying a plurality of electrical terminals such as where the terminal support housing includes a shielded assembly surrounding the terminal support housing. The shielded sub-assembly is insertable into an outer housing and is latchably attached therein and a rear support plate and cable support member are barred by part tide in nature and can be assembled around the cable after the termination of the multi conductor cable. The cable clamp portion can be positioned in one of two orientations to provide for either a straight through or an angled cable exit.

Abstract: An electrical receptacle terminal is comprised of an outer spring member and an inner spring member. The inner spring member is axially movable within the outer spring member to compensate for vibration. A base wall of the upper spring portion is provided with a slot which defines spring strap portions which act as a secondary spring to the spring contact arms.

Abstract: An optical connector for coupling an optical fiber cable to another optical fiber cable or optical device. The optical fiber cable has an optical fiber for carrying an optical signal, and it also has a plurality of strain relief members. The optical connector comprises a barrel and ferrule having an optical fiber pre-mounted therein. The optical fiber from the optical fiber cable and the optical fiber are butt-spliced in a central part of the barrel. The optical connector further comprises a connector housing and a cylindrical sleeve member which is slidably mounted over a cable receiving end of the connector housing. The plurality of strain relief members are distributed around the cable receiving end, and the cylindrical sleeve member is guided therearound and then crimped thereon. The cylindrical sleeve member secures the plurality of strain relief members of the optical fiber cable directly to the connector housing.

Abstract: An electronic control assembly has a control box, a control module insertable into the control box and an electrical connector which is pivotally mounted within the box, between a position where the control module can be inserted into the box adjacent to the connector and between a position where the electrical connector is in electrical engagement with the electronic module. The electrical connector is pivotally mounted in the control box and includes a lower mounting leg having outer pinion portions which are positioned in a trunnion located in adjacent side walls forming a channel for the receipt of the connector and the module. The electronic module is in precise registration with the connector member, such that when the connector is pivoted into place, the electrical elements within the connector and the electronic module are in precise alignment.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a first housing half having an opened end face formed by upstanding side walls where inner surfaces of the side walls have camming grooves formed on the inner surfaces thereof. The grooves emanate from the opened end face and one groove has a laterally extending slot portion in communication with an inclined slot portion whereas a second camming slot is comprised of an inclined slot portion only. The housing portion includes a camming slide which is slidable moveable within a slot portion of the housing portion. The camming slide includes side arms having camming spigots positioned thereon. The housing portion is insertable through the open end face and movement of the camming slide positions the spigots in the inclined portion of the slot and the spigot portion and the inclined slot portion whereby the connector halves are drawn together in mated relation.