Abstract: An electrical connector for interconnecting a daughter card to a mother board comprises a dielectric housing having a longitudinally elongated slot and a latch cavity. The housing carries a plurality of contacts which are engageable with contact pads on the daughter card when the daughter card is inserted into the slot in a first position and pivoted through an angle to a second position. A latch member which is attached to the housing has a latch tab engageable behind the daughter card to maintain the daughter card in the second position. The latch member has first and second beams. The first beam has a mounting portion which is stabilized in the latch cavity against longitudinal and lateral movement, and the second beam has a locking tab that is engaged with the housing to secure the latch member against withdrawal from the housing.

Abstract: A disconnect module 10 includes printed circuit board subassemblies 12 mounted on a mounting member 70 for connecting shielded twisted pair cables 2A and 2B, and for disconnecting the cables for testing the integrity of the circuits. Each module 10 also includes a ground bus 74 on the mounting member 70 for connecting drain wires 6 in multiple cables 2A and 2B through traces on printed circuit board subassemblies 12 to a ground reference. Each printed circuit board subassembly 12 includes an input electrical connector 30 and an output electrical connector 40, each of which can connect corresponding wire pairs 4 in four single pair shielded or screened cables, such as T1 cables. The connectors 30, 40 are mounted on the front of a printed circuit board 14 for easy access, and each connector includes a pivoting stuffer 36, 46.

Abstract: A panel mount electrical connector has a flange (24) and a locking ramp (40) forward of the flange. The flange and the locking ramp are arranged to be disposed on opposite sides of a mounting panel when the connector is disposed in a cutout of the panel. The locking ramp is inclined with respect to the flange such that the panel will become captured between the locking ramp and the flange when the connector is twisted in the cutout.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing which holds a plurality of terminals and a conductive shell which is mounted on the housing. The housing has a wall and a pocket is formed in the wall. The shell has a locking tab which is interference fitted in the pocket, thereby anchoring the shell to the housing. The shell also has a floating tab which is freely received in the pocket and is resiliently engaged with the locking tab.

Abstract: A connector includes a contact insert (20), first and second contacts (43, 45), and a first plate (30). The contact insert has at least first and second contact channels (58) and at least a first plate receptacle (54) defined therein. The first plate receptacle is proximate the first contact channel and the second contact channel. The first contact is retained in the first contact channel. The second contact is retained in the second contact channel. The first plate (30) is retained in the first plate receptacle (54) to magnetically couple the first contact (43) and the second contact (45).

Abstract: A faceplate for communications equipment includes a plate member having an opening for access to a communications port, and an icon mounting stall associated with the opening. The icon mounting stall includes a cavity in the plate member which is covered by a membrane along the front face of the plate member. The membrane is integrally formed in the plate member and is relatively thinner than the plate member. The membrane is puncturable to permit reception of an icon in the mounting stall.

Abstract: A modular plug electrical connector includes a dielectric housing which holds a plurality of terminals, a cavity which is open to the terminals, and a circuit board which is mountable in the cavity. The circuit board has an edge and an array of contact pads along the edge. Each of the terminals has a groove. The grooves are aligned to receive the edge of the circuit board and are dimensioned such that the terminals engage the contact pads within the grooves when the board is mounted in the cavity.In an alternate embodiment a modular plug electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating end, a plurality of slots which are open at the mating end, a cavity which is open to the slots, and a circuit board which is mountable in the cavity. The circuit board has an edge and a plurality of terminals along the edge.

Abstract: A modular plug electrical connector for terminating a plurality of communications wires which are associated as signal pairs in a communications system includes a dielectric housing having a cavity and a compensating insert which is mountable in the cavity. The compensating insert includes a dielectric substrate which carries conductive traces, and the traces are arranged to be connected to selected ones of the wires. The traces are routed on the substrate to provide capacitive coupling between selected signal pairs so as to compensate for crosstalk between the signal pairs, thereby reducing crosstalk in the connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector for terminating a plurality of wires (4) includes a housing (10) which holds a plurality of insulation displacement contacts (52) that are associated with respective ones of the wires. The contacts are arranged in two spaced-apart rows (55, 56). A fixture (16) is pivotally connected to the housing. The fixture has an array of first slots (82) and an array of second slots (86). The arrays of slots are spaced-apart. The first slots (82) are axially aligned with respective ones of the second slots (86) to define pairs of axially aligned spaced-apart slots. The wires (4) can be laced into respective ones of the pairs of slots (82, 86) when the fixture (16) is in an open position, and the slots are arranged such that the wires become terminated to respective ones of the contacts (52) when the fixture is pivoted to a closed position.

Abstract: An electrical connector for interconnecting a circuit card to a substrate includes a dielectric housing having an elongated slot which is open for receiving an edge portion of the circuit card, and a plurality of contacts which are spaced-apart along a length of the slot. Each of the contacts has a base portion, a lead extending from the housing for connection with a circuit path on the substrate, and a contact arm having a contact surface which extends into the slot for engaging a respective contact pad on the circuit card. An electrical path through each contact is defined from the contact surface to the lead, the electrical path being relatively long when the contact is undeflected. The contact arm has a free end which engages the base portion of the contact during insertion of the circuit card into the slot, wherein a relatively shorter electrical path through the contact is defined from the contact surface to the lead.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprises a dielectric housing having a pair of accessory mounting stations integrally formed with the housing on respective opposite sides of the housing, and a pair of resilient latch arms extending forwardly from respective ones of the accessory mounting stations. In a preferred embodiment, each of the accessory mounting stations includes a lug extending laterally from the housing and a beam extending forwardly from the lug. The lugs are configured to be gripped by an accessory to the connector. The beams flank the housing and are spaced from the housing, thereby defining pockets which are configured to receive portions of the accessory.

Abstract: A crimped terminal (or splice) has a housing (10) including a barrel (11) receiving an insert sleeve (13). The barrel (11) has a lug (12) received in a complementary notch (14) formed in the insert sleeve (13), thereby circumferentially keying the insert sleeve (13) to the barrel (11), preventing relative rotation therebetween, and reinforcing the housing (10) during the crimping process. This eliminates cracking of the housing (10) during crimping while improving heat dissipation.

Abstract: A socket for an electronic package comprises a dielectric housing having contacts each with a surface mount section extending below a bottom surface of the housing for engagement with a respective circuit trace on a circuit board. The surface mount section of each contact has a convex bottom surface with a shape which simulates at least a lower surface portion of a solder ball, whereby the socket imitates the footprint of a ball grid array package.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprises a housing defining a plurality of cavities which extend into the housing through a face thereof, and a seal member mountable on the face of the housing. The seal member is a unitary body which includes a flange and a plurality of plugs extending axially from one side of the flange. The plugs are arrayed in correspondence with the plurality of cavities and are dimensioned for sealing engagement in respective ones of the cavities. The seal member has a plurality of openings extending through the flange and through respective ones of the plugs. The openings are dimensioned to permit insertion of respective conductors through the openings and into the cavities when the seal member is mounted on the housing, and withdrawal of the conductors back out through the openings.

Abstract: An electrical connector (3) for a fluorescent lighting fixture (1) comprises a circuit board (9) having an integral lamp ballast (10), a first bank of sockets (4) and wire connecting ports (11,12). A housing (16) encloses the ballast and the circuit board. The first bank of sockets are exposed from the housing for connection to fluorescent lamps, and the wire connecting ports are exposed from the housing for connection between external wiring from a source of electrical power and wiring extending to a second bank of sockets for the fluorescent lamps.

Abstract: Injection molded insulating strips receive a plurality of contacts. The strips are stacked together to create a multiple row, multiple column contact array. The contact array is adapted for use in an IC socket to separably connect an IC having either an LGA or BGA package lead styles. A cover plate, locator, array frame, and contact array together comprise a manufacturable and low cost separable IC socket.

Abstract: An electrical contact comprises an electrically conductive body which is made from sheet material. The body has opposite major surfaces and a peripheral edge defined by a thickness of the sheet material. The body has first and second arms each with a contact surface arranged to engage a respective opposite side of a circuit card which is inserted between the arms. The contact surface of the first arm is defined on the peripheral edge of the body, and the contact surface of the second arm is defined on one of the major surfaces of the body.

Abstract: A socket having a cover which is slidable on a base between open and closed positions has a detent mechanism comprising an interfitting ridge and groove which holds the cover in the open position.

Abstract: An electrical socket has a slot for receiving an edge of a circuit card and an extractor which is movable for dislodging the circuit card from the slot. The socket has a pair of flexible towers, and the extractor has a pair of lateral projections which are received in notches in the towers for locking the extractor in a closed position. The projections have beveled surfaces, and the towers have complementary ramps which are engaged by the beveled surfaces so that the towers are resiliently deflected without damage to the projections.

Abstract: A socket is disclosed for a tape carrier package (10) having a plurality of leads (6) extending across an aperture (8) in a tape carrier (2). The socket includes a cover (14) having a tape mounting surface (44) and a plurality of ribs (30) protruding from the tape mounting surface. The ribs are arranged to extend through the aperture (8) and to straddle the leads (6) when the tape carrier package (10) is disposed on the tape mounting surface (44). The cover (14) is matable with a housing (12) holding a plurality of contacts (20). The ribs (30) straddle and guide the leads (6) into engagement with respective contacts (20) as the cover is mated with the housing. A socket for a tape carrier package (110) is also disclosed. The socket includes a cover (114) having a tape mounting surface including an undersurface (144) and an inclined surface (148).