Abstract: A pressure-connection connector (1) comprises a terminal (3) having a pair of pressure-connection blade members (12) displaced in opposite directions in a direction of terminal thickness and guided by escape channels (6A) extending vertically in opposite face of a pressure-insertion slot (6). The terminal further comprises at least one pair of permanent latch members (13) and temporary latch members (14) for engagement with side walls of the pressure-insertion slot. The permanent latch members interfere with the pressue-insertion slot greater that the temporary latch.

Abstract: A modular plug includes a dielectric housing, a plurality of terminals, and a signal transmission cable. The dielectric housing has a cable insertion end, a mating end opposite to the cable insertion end, a lower body portion, and an upper lid portion connected to the lower body portion. The lower body portion extends from the cable insertion end to the mating end. The lower body portion has a plurality of terminal grooves formed adjacent to the mating end, and a cable receiving space extending from the cable insertion end adjacent to the terminal grooves. The upper lid portion is operable relative to the lower body portion to expose the cable receiving space. The terminals are inserted into the cable receiving space through the terminal grooves. The signal transmission cable is received in the cable receiving space, and has a plurality of conductive wires that extend adjacent to the terminal grooves, respectively, and that are connected electrically to the terminals.

Abstract: A modular plug electrical connector includes a housing and a circuit board having an array of circuit holes. Terminals in the housing have legs that extend into the circuit holes for electrical connection with the circuit board and mechanical retention of the circuit board to the housing. The circuit board carries contacts for terminating wires in a communications system. A stuffer cap has wire channels that receive the wires, and the stuffer cap is pivotable to urge the wires into engagement with the contacts. The wire channels are arranged in siamesed pairs that each receive a twisted wire pair.

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 RJ style plug is provided including a plug body and a contact supported by the body. The contact includes a plug portion with a plug contact surface and an insulation displacement contact portion with a wire receiving contact slot. The device may also include an attaching body. The plug body may include connection surfaces for connecting the attaching body to the plug body. The attaching body has a wire positioning surface for positioning a wire in the contact slot and attaching the attaching body to the plug body via the connection surfaces. The wire positioning surfaces may include surfaces defining a bore for receiving a wire end and an opening extending from a plug side surface of the attaching body to the bore, the opening being sized to receive an end of the insulation displacement contact portion when the attaching body is connected to the plug body.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a connector body with a cable cavity at its cable connection end and a strain relief coupled to the connector body adjacent the cable connection end. The strain relief extends into the cable cavity. A wire spacer is mounted in the cable cavity adjacent to strain relief. This spacer has a central core and four radially outwardly projecting flanges. The flanges are angular spaced from one another by angles of substantially 90 degrees. The spacer maintains separation of twisted wired pairs in a cable which is secured to the connector by the strain relief to enhance the electrical performance of the connector.

Abstract: A connector including a plug, and outlet and a connecting block each of which provides enhanced performance by reducing crosstalk. The plug includes contacts having a reduced amount of adjacent area between neighboring contacts and a load bar that staggers the wires to be terminated to the contacts. An outlet which mates with the plug includes contacts positioned in a contact carrier so that adjacent area between neighboring contacts is reduced. A connecting block includes pairs of contacts wherein the distance between contacts in a pair is smaller than the distance between sets of pairs. The connecting block also includes an improved tip that reduces untwisting of wire coupled to the connecting block.

Abstract: A connector for communication systems includes a housing, a plurality of insulation displacement contacts, and front and rear sleds. The housing has front and rear ends and an internal chamber opening on the rear end and defined by housing walls. A plurality of slots extend through one housing wall adjacent its front end. The insulation displacement contacts are mounted in the slots for movement between retracted positions spaced from the chamber and inserted positions extending into the chamber. The front sled is located in the internal chamber adjacent the front end, and has front sled walls defining axial passages through it. Lateral openings extend through one of the front sled walls into the axial passages and are aligned with the slots and the contacts in the housing.

Abstract: A PCMCIA card includes a support, circuit components for providing faxmodem functions with respect to the support, a housing containing at least part of the support, a retractable cord mechanism at least partly contained in the housing for connecting the electronic component with an external device for communications therewith, the retractable cord mechanism including a cord and a storage mechanism for storing at least part of the cord in the housing, and a foldable connector coupled to the cord for storage in the card and for pulling from the card for connecting to the external device. The foldable connector includes a main body portion and a supplemental body portion which releasably and pivotably attach to one another. Alternate embodiments use optical or radio signal coupling from the PCMCIA card and all embodiments do not require a separate telephone connector to a telephone wall jack.

Abstract: Electrical apparatus for connecting insulated wires of a multi-pair electrical cable to an outlet, including a connector having an opening which receives a plurality of insulated wires in an essentially flat parallel configuration and extends through the connector to allow the ends of the insulated wires to protrude from its remote end, the connector also having a plurality of metal contacts supported in a movable relation perpendicular to the insulated wires; a crimping tool having jaws closable both for crimping the connector to support the insulated wires against longitudinal stress and also for causing the metal contacts to pierce insulation coverings of and conductively engage respective wires in the connector; and a cutting blade supported on the crimping tool and operable during the closing action of the jaws for cutting off the protruding ends of the wires.

Abstract: A modular plug having an insulative housing comprising a front wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a bottom wall and a pair of lateral walls perpendicularly interposed between the top two bottom walls. There are a number of longitudinal terminal receiving slots in the front and top wall. There is a cable receiving cavity in the rear wall. A number of conductors means extend from the rear wall of the jack to adjacent to a different one of the said pin receiving slots. There are also a number of metallic contacts, and each of the contacts is adjacent to a different one of the terminal receiving slots and is connected to a different one of the conductors. At least one of the contacts has a different shape from at least one of the other contacts. A surprising and unexpected reduction in cross talk is achieved.

Abstract: A telecommunications connector includes a body having a first end to mate with a mating connector and a second end having an aperture. A plurality of connector elements have a connection portion to make electrical contact with individual wires from wire cables. In an exemplary embodiment, the individual wires are in the form of twisted pair cables. The connector elements also include a terminating portion to make electrical contact with the mating connector, and an elongated intermediate portion coupling the corresponding connection and terminating portions. The elongated intermediate portion minimizes the overall surface area of the electrical contacts thereby reducing the capacitance between individual ones of the connector elements. In addition, the connector elements are mounted in a low dielectric constant material to further reduce capacitance between individual ones of the connector elements.

Abstract: A tunable blade structure for use in a communication plug terminating a cable carrying a plurality of conductors. One end of the blades is designed as an insulation displacement connector (IDC) for electrical communication with the conductors from the cable. The other end of the blades is designed as a jack contact region for electrical communication with jack springs. Between these two ends are three regions for manipulating the electrical characteristics of the blades: a capacitive coupling region, an inductive coupling region and an isolation region. By appropriately designing these three regions, electrical interference (i.e., crosstalk) between the conductors can be optimized.

Abstract: A modular telephone plug comprises a one piece insulation housing having a hollow body with two portions, and plural contacts mounted at one end or tip thereof. A first portion accommodates a cable having an outer insulation jacket enclosing a number of individual conductors. A second portion is directly beneath the contacts. A sleeve accommodates untwisted ends of individual conductors extending from the outer insulation jacket. The sleeve is configured to be placed into the second portion to facilitate successful electrical termination of the contacts with the individual conductors accommodated within the sleeve. The sleeve enables shortening of untwisted conductor length used in the connector to a short length, such as in a range below 8 mm and preferably approximately 5 mm, to reduce Near End Cross Talk (NEXT) when data is transmitted by means of the telephone plug, particularly for connectors of Category 5 and higher.

Abstract: A modular plug comprises an insulative housing having a plurality of contacts that have a mating portion and an insulation piercing portion similar to that of conventional modular plugs where the terminals are further provided with capacitor plate portions that are connected to the mating portions via linking portions which cross-over that of an adjacent contact, for at least some of the terminals, in order to provide capacitive coupling between certain contacts to reduce cross-talk.

Abstract: An electrical connector generally comprising a housing, a terminal member and a clamping member. The housing has a first open end, a generally closed second end including a conductor passage, and an internal cavity extending between the ends. The terminal member has a first end which includes an IDC mating contact, a second end which includes a planar electrical contact, and a middle portion extending therebetween. The terminal member is positioned in the housing with the first end adjacent the first housing open end and the middle portion extending through the housing cavity. The second end is positioned within the clamping means conductor receiving area. A conductor is connected to the second end of the terminal member by passing it through the conductor passage into the conductor receiving area and actuating the clamping member which moves the planar electrical contact into contact with the conductor.

Abstract: A modular plug connector that achieves category 5 cross talk performance is constructed with substantially parallel conductor positioning channels situated in a pair of spaced apart planar arrays to position individual conductors for termination by a plurality of flat insulation displacement contacts. A plurality of conductor guide ramps are formed such that upon insertion of the individual conductors, alternating conductors will be guided into their respective spaced apart array.

Abstract: A modular plug for directing a plurality of twist pairs of core wires into an opening of a modular jack (500) for electrical connection, includes a guide member (140) for separating and arranging the twist pairs for each twist pair; a housing (110) for positioning and holding each twist pair for each core wire; and a plurality of contact terminals (120), each connected to each core wire. The contact terminals are arranged such that adjacent contact terminals are not substantially overlapped each other or overlapped only in part. The modular jack includes a plurality of contact terminals (520) arranged such that adjacent contact terminals are not substantially overlapped each other.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing body (1) having an arranging section (5) in which a cable with a core wire (C1) consisting of a plurality of strands is placed; a retainer body (2) having contact elements (3) with a blade-like press contact section (12) so that when the retainer body is fitted in the housing body,.the press contact section cuts into the core wire for making press connection; a stepped-down portion (7) provided in the arranging section of the housing body near a position of the press connection; and a press section (10) extending as downwardly from the retainer body to a level less than a tip of the press contact section to press the cable so that the cable is bent along the stepped-down portion.

Abstract: A connector device includes a main body having a plug section. The main body accommodates therein two contact members, a bidirectional diode-thyristor, and a distal end portion of a signal-transmission cable connected with an external electronic equipment. The two contact members are connected with two terminals of the thyristor and two conductor wires of the signal-transmission cable, to thereby obtain a modular plug with overvoltage protection. By inserting the modular plug into a modular jack, the external electronic equipment is connected with a communication line. If an overvoltage is applied to the communication line, the thyristor is rendered conductive to absorb the overvoltage, so that the electronic equipment is protected from the overvoltage.

Abstract: A modular guide plate for a modular plug having an insulation housing with a receiving cavity includes an organizing section having a plurality of organizing apertures in which core wires of a cable are arranged and held closely in parallel and a plurality of terminal slits through which contact terminals are press-connected to the core wires and an introducing section extending rearwardly from the organizing section and having bottom and side walls for introducing the core wires into the organizing apertures.

Abstract: An electrical contact with an insulated wire conductor is established by defining a wire passage in a connector housing to receive an insulated wire conductor, and capturing a contact member having an electrically conductive hook portion in the housing. An end of the hook portion projects into the wire passage. When an insulated wire conductor is fed into the passage, insulation on the conductor slides along the hook portion of the contact member. Upon withdrawing or displacing the conductor a certain distance relative to the hook portion, an end of the hook portion engages and pierces the insulation on the conductor to make electrical contact with the conductor.

Abstract: A connector is provided for connecting contacts on the surface of a smart card to a read/write device, which includes an insulative housing (11) that holds a plurality of electrical contacts (32) that have card-engaging blades (34) for engaging pads on a smart card (C). Each contact has a wire-engaging end with an insulation displacement fork (54) for penetrating insulation of an electrical flat cable (66) to connect to a cable wire (70) that connects to a read/write device (D). In one connector, a support part (14) of the housing clamps a fixing part (42) of each contact against a cover (20), while a deflectable linking branch (50) of the contact extends at an upward incline to a bend (82) that extends to the fork (54). A tool T moved down through an opening (80) in the cover can deflect the linking branch to a deflected position, with the fork then projecting down through a cable. A shoulder (84) on the housing then resists upward fork movement.

Abstract: An electrical box is pre-wired with a duplex receptacle, a light switch, a junction or the like. The box has a number of connectors, each having electrical contacts. The connectors receive complementary plugs having terminals which make an electrical connection between the pre-wired box and the conductors of the electrical cable. The plug is attached to an unstripped end of an electrical cable, preferably by crimping to engage through the sheathing and conductor insulation. The connectors are pre-wired for a range of functions and are labeled with indica symbolizing the function assigned to the connector. During construction, preferably prior to installation of a wall panel, electrical cables are run from a power source to locations designated to receive an electrical box. A hole is made in the wall and the previously installed cable is located and pulled out through the hole.

Abstract: A connector includes a body having an interior space for receiving de-twisted wires of a cable therein. The body has a plurality of channels for the insertion of the wires. The channels have openings formed on a front end face of the body so as to allow a portion of the wires to expose outside the front end face of the body to be pulled by an operator's hand to the desired position. The body also has a plurality of slots each receiving a metal contact therein. The metal contacts have piercing ends to penetrate into the wires for holding them in position. The exposed portions of wires are then cut off after being held by the metal contacts and a retainer for retaining the connector to a counterpart connector is removably attached to the body. The body has an open bottom defined by two opposite side walls, each having a reduced height defined by an arc connecting segment so as to allow the operator's finger to insert therein for temporarily holding the wires in position.

Abstract: A metal contact plate for a module plug, having two lateral contact legs and an intermediate contact leg adapted for cutting in the insulator of an electrical wire to contact the conductor from two opposite sides at three contact points, the lateral contact legs having a respective transversely disposed back groove at the top and the intermediate contact leg having a transversely disposed front groove at the top, the grooves of the contact legs permitting the contact legs to expanded outwards and clamped on the conductor of the electrical wire when stamped.

Abstract: A PCMCIA card includes a support, circuit components for providing faxmodem functions with respect to the support, a housing containing at least part of the support, a retractable cord mechanism at least partly contained in the housing for connecting the electronic component with an external device for communications therewith, the retractable cord mechanism including a cord and a storage mechanism for storing at least part of the cord in the housing, and a foldable connector coupled to the cord for storage in the card and for pulling from the card for connecting to the external device. A foldable electrical connector is disclosed. Alternate embodiments use optical or radio signal coupling from the PCMCIA card and all embodiments do not require a separate telephone connector to a telephone wall jack.

Abstract: This invention relates to an electrical connector, such as a modular plug, which offers improved transmission performance, particularly reduced crosstalk and decreased insertion loss. The connector, in its preferred embodiment, comprises a dielectric housing having a central cavity therein extending from a conductor receiving end to a conductor termination end. The termination end includes a plurality of individual staggered slots, each slot receiving an insulated conductor, and means communicating with each slot for receiving a single insulation piercing blade to electrically engage a conductor within the slot. The blades are arranged in plural longitudinally aligned planes and consist of an insulation piercing end and an opposite end for electrically engaging complementary terminals in a matable connector. The blades are further aligned in staggered relationship in two transverse planes while the respective insulation piercing ends are transversely staggered.

Abstract: A terminal block for interconnecting conductors in telecommunications circuits is disclosed. The terminal block allows a plurality of telecommunication wires to be progressively connected to a connector member. The terminal block includes a conductor transporting driver module having passageways that customer wires and service wires are inserted into and a connector chamber housing two insulation displacing connector members for the tip and ring lines. Wires are connected to the connector member progressively through a cyclical motion of the driver module relative to the connector members along a path of travel having an angle relative to a mounting surface which facilitates easy access to both wires and a threaded fastener actuating the driver module even in the most demanding telecommunications housing environments.

Abstract: An insulation displacement connector is provided that has two housings. The first housing encloses surge protection. Terminals extend from the first housing. The second housing has insulation displacement terminals with first ends for connection with insulated wires and with second ends for connection to the terminals extending from the first housing. The two housings are to be joined together to complete an electrical line from one insulation displacement terminal to the other via the surge protection. Thus, surge protection is in one sub assembly protected from the environment, and the insulation displacement terminals are in another subassembly protected from the environment. The housings have a detent assembled condition enabling relative positional adjustment before joining of the housings. Electrical testing for the line circuit and for the surge protection may be performed upon the closed assembly.

Abstract: A connector for interconnecting first and second electrical conductors, comprising(a) a first part;(b) a second part; the first and/or second parts forming a housing;(c) a first contact attached to the first part and capable of making contact with the first conductor; and(d) a second contact temporarily attached to the first part and capable of making contact with the second conductor; the second part having means for receiving the second contact when the first and second parts are brought together such that the second contact remains thus received on subsequent separation of the first and second parts.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a termination module comprising multiple contacts for the termination of cable wires at an insulation displacement contact and comprising a pressure piece with a screw, an intermediate piece and a base plate. The object of the invention, is to develop a termination module of the type in which cable wires having different wire diameters can be terminated in a wide range. It is achieved by a closed bifurcated contact connected as one piece over a connection plate 21 with insulation displacement contact 7 and a tapping 18, insulation displacement contact 7 being disposed inclinedly behind bifurcated contact 6.

Abstract: A rotary actuated connection device has, within a case, a crankshaft having an axis of rotation and first and second eccentric throws. Insulation displacement blades are movably mounted on the throws and move in translation into and out of a wire engaging or connection region upon rotation of the crankshaft. Wires to be connected are passed through an insulating gel within the case and into and through the engaging region to be engaged by the blades upon rotation of the crankshaft, with a stop arrangement for limiting the rotation of the crankshaft. A protective device is mounted within the case and is electrically connected to the wires when the blades are in the engaging position. The region in the case where the protective device is mounted is filled with a potting compound.

Abstract: A festoon lamp holder has a base provided with recesses either side of probes. A cap permanently fits to the base to provide a water-tight seal with an electrical cable passing in use through the holder. Power is provided from the cable conductors via feed-throughs for a bulb. A globe surrounds the bulb and provided with seals forms a gas-tight chanber for the bulb.

Abstract: A connector of the plug and socket type comprises a housing (3) having a chamber (4) into which extend, one or more conductive pins (5). A second housing (8) is adapted to be received in the chamber (4). When the housing (8) is fully inserted in the chamber (4) the pins (5) pass through a first aperture (24) and a second aperture (25). Between these apertures, the pins are deformed by a projection (18) and retained thereby. The projection (18) forms part of a contact element (15) which is provided with tines (17) engaging the conductors of an inserted cable (12).

Abstract: Lead terminations are provided for terminating the opposite ends of a multimeter test lead to contact devices, including a right angle banana plug contact device and an in-line test probe contact device. The test lead includes a wire having a conductor surrounded by soft easily displaced wire insulation such as silicone. Each termination includes a conductive element with a penetrating portion (such as pin portion 38 in FIG. 3, or prong 110 in FIG. 8) which is advanced into one side of the wire and which moves the wire conductor until the wire conductor moves through the opposite side of the insulation. In a right angle banana plug termination (14, FIG. 3), the contact device (20) has a pin portion (38) which penetrates through a first side of the wire insulation (32) and presses the wire conductor (30) out of an opposite second side of the insulation and against a wall of a bore in an insulative body (40). In an in-line termination (16, FIG.

Abstract: A conducting terminal of a telephone cord plug, which has two claws with a pair of opposite inclined surfaces capable of closely clamping the inner copper wire of the telephone cord jack for current-conduction with minimum damage to the copper wire when inserted into the telephone cord jack, is disclosed. A middle projecting tang or member is also provided between the above two claws so as to only pierce through the outer cover of the telephone cord for enhancing the association of the conducting terminal with the telephone cord jack. A plurality of projecting detents are also defined upon the conducting terminal so as to engage the guide plates of the jack, thereby preventing seperation of the conducting terminal from the jack.

Abstract: A solderless electrical connector formed of a polyolefin is formed with the same integrity as with harder polymeric materials when used with a connecting member of ductile material having a clearance slot between the wire receiving grooves and when formed to force the supporting cap into tight engagement with the inside surfaces of walls forming the base cap receiving cavity. The connecting member includes a passage for encapsulant to pass through the plate members.

Abstract: An improved modular plug which permits a normal 6-position plug to accommodate 8 conductors, and a normal 8-position plug to accommodate 10 conductors, without increasing the overall outer width thereby remaining in compliance with FCC regulations. A pair of grooves are formed into the side walls of the cable-receiving cavity to accommodate the extra conductors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a plug with an integral fuse which is to be inserted into a conventional outlet of a power supply, e.g., an A.C. outlet having openings to accept the two plug's two terminals. It has heretofore been known to provide plugs of this type with a fuse connected in series with one of the lead wires and the corresponding plug terminal which is to be inserted into the outlet. Such fused plugs usually comprise a housing with a replaceable cartridge type fuse therein which is held between a generally U-shaped pair of spring contacts. The housing can be opened to replace the fuse if it blows.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a stacked linear array of an alternating sequence of terminals and resiliently compressible insulator portions. The array is linearly compressed in an accordian-like fashion and is inserted in a housing having a cavity of length less than the uncompressed length of the array. The array is inserted in the housing and allowed to expand against opposing walls of the housing thereby maintaining the terminals in a self-compensating floating arrangement. A method for forming the connector assembly includes the steps of arranging resiliently compressible dielectric material between terminals to form a stacked linear array, linearly compressing the stacked linear array in an accordian-like fashion, inserting the compressed array in a housing, and thereafter maintaining the array in linear compression within the housing.

Abstract: A cable termination assembly for in line emulation function includes plural pairs of electrical IDC (insulation displacement connection) contacts that face opposite directions on opposite sides of a multiconductor cable and a strain relief for holding together the cable and the contacts for use such that electrical connection is provided among each pair of contacts and a respective conductor of the cable. Desirably the IDC connections of contacts to the cable conductors are made simultaneously by contacts on both sides of the cable. A method and a machine for making the assembly provide for such simultaneous IDC connections and subsequent direct molding of the strain relief.

Abstract: A multi-layer flat cable electrical connector for terminating flat cables in a plurality of layers, which comprises a plurality of contacts having a contacting portion for contact with a contact of the mating connector and a press-fit portion for connection with a conductor of said flat cable; an insulating housing for supporting said contacts so that said press-fit portions may project upward from its top surface in at least a pair of rows; a cable retainer with a retention channel for holding the end portions of said flat cables laminated one upon another, a plurality of termination grooves for receiving each conductor of said flat cable on either side, and a plurality of recesses for receiving said press-fit portions projecting from said housing, said cable retainer adapted to join to said insulating housing to complete said multi-layer flat cable electrical connector.

Abstract: An insulation displacement type connector for terminating a plurality of insulated conductors. The connector has a housing defined by a generally cylindrical open ended configuration. Insulation displacement type terminals are mounted on the housing around the periphery thereof. The terminals are radially directed such that they are moveable into the interior of the housing. A conductor carrier is telescopically received in the interior of the housing. The carrier has a conductor-receiving surface which aligns the conductors adjacent the terminals when received in the housing. Also disclosed is a method of assembling the connector.

Abstract: In a general-purpose connector for flat electric cables and pairs of separate conductors, an insulating connector body has two ducts for receiving the cables to be connected and two connecting-strips which are capable of displacement opposite to both edge walls of the ducts. An end-cap engaged on the connector body serves to press the two connecting-strips into the insulating sheath of the two cables in order to effect the desired connections. Two detachable supporting-bars of insulating material are placed within the ducts and are provided with edge channels. The connector can be employed for connecting two pairs of separate conductors placed within the edge channels or for connecting two flat cables engaged directly within the ducts after withdrawal of the supporting-bars.