Abstract: A system is provided for mounting an electrical connector in a panel having an opening with at least one locating slot in the opening. A connector includes a housing insertable into the opening in the panel. The housing has at least one outwardly projecting locating flange for passing through the locating slot of the opening as the housing is inserted thereinto. The housing has at least one outwardly projecting stop flange spaced axially from the locating flange for abutting the panel when the housing is in its inserted position. The housing is movable within the opening in the panel to a latched position. A latch arm projects outwardly from the housing for engagement with a latch surface on the panel when the housing is in its latched position. A protective shroud is disposed about a substantial portion of the latch arm to protect the latch arm against breakage.

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a mating portion. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the housing and include tail portions extending therefrom. A conductive shell is mounted on the housing at least about the mating portion thereof. A conductive electrostatic discharge plate is mounted about the tail portions creating a predetermined spark gap between the plate and the tail portions to pass a current when a predetermined voltage exists between the plate and the tail portions. A conductive board lock holds the connector to the printed circuit board and is adapted for connection to a ground circuit on the board. The board lock engages the conductive shell and the conductive electrostatic discharge plate to common the shell and the plate with the ground circuit on the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A system is provided for mounting an electrical connector in a support structure. The connector includes a housing having a forward insertion end and a rearward mating end. The support structure includes an inner opening for receiving the forward insertion end of the housing and an outer opening for embracing the rearward mating end of the housing. A mounting structure provides limited floating movement of the mating end of the housing relative to the support structure to facilitate mating the connector with a complementary connector. The mounting structure at the insertion end of the housing fixed the insertion end of the housing against movement relative to the support structure.

Abstract: An electrical connector for mounting in a cutout in a generally planar panel. The connector includes a dielectric housing having guide projections on the side of the housing for slidably mounting the housing in the cutout in an insertion direction generally parallel to the plane of the panel. At least one latch projection on the housing extends therefrom in the insertion direction generally parallel to the plane of the panel for engaging an appropriate lock projecting from the panel.

Abstract: A circuit assembly is provided for terminating an insulated electrical wire having a central conductive core. A generally rigid dielectric base has circuit-receiving channels formed therein. Stamped and formed conductive circuitry is mounted on the base, with circuit portions located in the channels, and with at least one connecting portion for terminating the insulated electrical wire. The connection portion is a wire trap for receiving and trapping the conductive core of the electrical wire. The base includes a wire guide located adjacent the wire trap to guide the electrical wire for insertion of the conductive core into the wire trap and for providing stress relief for the electrical wire.

Abstract: An electrical connector system is provided for a video display tube yoke. The system includes a header mounted on the yoke and including a header body and a plurality of stiff terminal pins projecting from the body and terminated to appropriate leads from the yoke. A connector mates with the header and includes a dielectric housing having a plurality of terminal-receiving cavities and a plurality of pin-receiving passages communicating with the cavities. A plurality of terminals are received in the cavities. Each terminal includes a terminal portion adapted to be terminated to a wire conductor, and a trap portion aligned with one of the terminal-receiving passages. The trap portion is adapted to receive and trap one of the stiff terminal pins of the header. Latches are provided between the header and the connector to hold the connector in mated condition with the header.

Abstract: A packaging system is disclosed for storing and handling electrical connectors and the like. The system employs a plurality of elongated connector-containing tubes. Each tube has an aperture therethrough near each opposite end thereof. The apertures are spaced longitudinally of the respective tubes so that a pair of assembly rods can be passed through the aligned apertures of a plurality of generally parallel juxtaposed tubes. The assembly rods hold the tubes in a generally stacked array and also act as stop rods to close-off the ends of the tubes. At least one aperture in each tube is enlarged relative to the rod passing therethrough for accommodating any variances in the spacing between the apertures in any particular tubes.

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed with a dielectric housing having a through passage for receiving a female terminal which includes a terminating end for engaging a conductor and a mating end for receiving a male terminal. A resilient locking arm is formed on the housing and is adapted to engage a locking surface on the female terminal for locking the female terminal in the passage. The locking arm is located for engagement by the male terminal upon entering the passage to prevent the locking arm from disengagement with the locking surface.

Abstract: A wire holding device is disclosed for holding a plurality of discrete electrical wires in a side-by-side relationship and to facilitate providing longitudinal strain relief for the wires. The device includes a housing, and a plurality of generally parallel retaining passages through the housing for axially receiving and substantially surrounding the wires to retain the wires in substantially all radial directions. A plurality of access windows extend through the housing transversely of the retaining passages to provide access to the wires in the passages by an appropriate bending tool. Each retaining passage has a cavity opposite each respective window and into which a portion of a respective wire can be bent laterally of its axis so that the bent portion of the wire provides longitudinal strain relief for the wire.

Abstract: A device is disclosed for facilitating insertion of an exposed conductive element, such as an exposed wire end of an electrical cable, into an electrical connector in termination with a terminal in the connector. The device is in the form of a shroud of insulating material secured to an insulating portion of the conductive element and substantially surrounding a conductor portion of the conductive element. The shroud is configured to allow the conductor portion to be inserted into the connector in termination with the terminal therein. In the preferred embodiment, the shroud is insert molded to the insulating portion of the conductive element.

Abstract: A multi-conductor electrical connector for mounting on a printed circuit board which includes two rows of staggered insertion holes. The connector includes a housing having an elongate cavity. A contact strip is formed with a continuous carrier and laterally extending contacts gang-mountable in the elongate cavity of the housing. Each contact includes a conductor receptacle positionable in the cavity, and a pair of laterally spaced terminal tails projecting through the housing from the cavity. The terminal tails are independently severable whereby a terminal tail of any contact can be inserted into a hole in either row of staggered insertion holes in the printed circuit board. The contact receptacle is formed by an anvil portion and a spring finger portion. The terminal tails are stamped and formed out of the anvil portion and the spring finger portion of the contact.

Abstract: A stamped and formed, unitary, metal wire trap speaker terminal used in coupling a speaker wire extending from an audio speaker to a lead wire for an audio system of an entertainment appliance includes a base portion and a wire trap receiving portion. The base portion to which is coupled the speaker wire has wings or arms that are adapted to be wrapped about a thin, rectangularly shaped insulator that is affixed to a frame member of the audio speaker. The wire trap receiving portion extends from one edge of the base portion, preferably at an angle of about 150 degrees, and has a wire receiving cavity so that a stripped end portion of the lead wire may be inserted through a wire receiving or entry port having divergently extending wire guides to aid the assertion of the stripped end portion of the lead wire into the wire receiving cavity. A cam contact beam is formed from one of the walls forming the wire receiving cavity and obliquely extends into the wire receiving cavity.