Abstract: Membrane switch assembly comprises a substrate, a flexible membrane, and a separator between the substrate and the membrane. The substrate has circuit conductors thereon and has an integral tail onto which the conductors extend. The separator is a flexible film and has an integral tail insulator which extends over the surface of the tail in insulating relationship to the conductors on the tail. The tail insulator has an opening adjacent to its end through which the tail extends so that the end portions of the conductors are exposed and can be connected to external circuitry. In alternative embodiments, the tail insulator may extend from the membrane or from an additional layer or covering panel which is positioned in covering relationship to the membrane. Also, the tail may extend from the membrane in which case the tail insulator can extend from either the separator or the substrate.

Abstract: Key switch assembly comprises a frame and a plunger in the frame which is movable from an extended position to a depressed position to close a switch. A one piece member is provided which serves as both a return spring for the plunger and an actuator for closing the switch when the plunger is depressed. The one piece member has a force-receiving portion which is against the end of the plunger. The return spring and the actuator are integral with, and extend from, the force-receiving portion.

Abstract: Multi-contact connector for connecting wires to terminal pads on a circuit board comprises a housing having a trough-like opening extending into its circuit board receiving face. Terminal receiving cavities extend into the circuit board receiving face at spaced-apart intervals. The terminals are U-shaped and have wire-receiving slots extending inwardly from one end. A leaf spring is provided at the other end for contacting a terminal pad. Wire-admitting slots are provided in the housing and extend into the circuit board receiving face and the adjacent sidewalls. In use, a wire is positioned in the wire-admitting slots and the terminal is then inserted into the cavity. The wire is received in the wire-receiving slots and thereby connected to the terminal. When the circuit board is inserted into the trough-like opening, a spring contact on the terminal will engage a terminal pad.

Abstract: Strip feeding apparatus comprises a feed screw having a feeding thread on its surface. The thread is received in notches in one edge of the strip so that rotation of the screw advances the strip. Guides are provided for guiding the strip along the feed path and maintaining the strip in engagement with the thread. The thread may have a portion of each turn which causes no feeding during each revolution so that strip is fed intermittently. The feeding apparatus may be used under a wide variety of circumstances and is disclosed in conjunction with a stamping and forming or similar machine.

Abstract: Membrane switch assembly comprises a substrate, a separator, and a flexible membrane which is opposed to the substrate. Pairs of switch electrodes are provided on the substrate and commoning conductors are provided on the membrane so that flexure of the membrane against the substrate electrically commons the switch electrodes and closes the switch. The commoning conductor comprises two separate commoning pads which are connected by a bridging conductor on the membrane that extends circuitously between the commoning pads. There is a passageway between the commoning pads which is opposed to the passageway between the switch electrodes on the substrate. A circuit conductor can be provided on the substrate extending between the switch electrodes and this circuit conductor will not be contacted by the commoning conductor on the membrane when the switch is closed.

Abstract: An electrical connector part is disclosed of the type comprising a cylindrical housing having contact terminals therein which are mated with complementary terminals in a complementary connector part when the two parts are coupled. A cylindrical coupling ring is rotatably mounted on the housing and has on its internal surface coupling means, such as helical slots, for cooperation with a pin on the complementary connector part. The coupling ring is a composite member comprising an outer metallic cylindrical portion and a relatively thick inner metallic cylindrical portion adjacent to the leading edge of the coupling ring. The slots are provided in the inner cylindrical portion of the coupling ring and are produced by stamping slots in a flat blank, forming the blank into a cylindrical shape, and then assembling it to the outer cylindrical portion of the coupling ring. The invention eliminates the need for a separate metallic shell in surrounding relationship to the housing.

Abstract: An electrical edge connector suitable for Liquid Crystal Displays has contacts arranged at a housing slot with contact tails extending in a row, transversely of the slot, the tails being connected to the contacts by resilient bight portions of U-form arranged in a row to allow for resilient flexure between the tails and the contacts.

Abstract: Membrane switch assembly comprises a substrate, a membrane, and a separator between the opposed surfaces of the substrate and membrane. Opposed switch electrodes are provided on the opposed surfaces and circuit conductors are provided which extend between and among the electrodes. The assembly has a composite tail made up of a substrate tail section and a membrane tail section. The two tail sections are co-extensive and parallel. Substrate leads extend from the substrate onto the substrate tail section and membrane leads extend from the membrane onto the membrane tail section, the leads being parallel and offset from each other. Portions of the substrate tail section extend through slots in the membrane tail section and portions of the membrane tail section extend through slots in the substrate tail section.

Abstract: Zero insertion force connector has a housing containing contact terminals which are moved into, and out of, engagement with terminal pads on circuit board by cams. The terminals have end portions which partially surround the cams and which are remote from the locations at which the terminals are gripped in the housing. The cams can be actuated with reduced forces by virtue of the long lever arms of the terminals.

Abstract: Wire insertion apparatus for inserting wires in a flat cable into cavities of an electrical connector comprises a connector jig and a wire locating jig adjacent to the connector jig. The wire locating jig comprises a stack of side-by-side cable spreading and wire locating fingers. The cable, having its wires on closely spaced centers, is located adjacent to the connector and the stack of fingers is moved relatively towards the cable. The free ends of the fingers move relatively between the wires of the cable and spread the wires until they are in alignment with the cavities in the connector. Thereafter, the wires can be pushed into the cavities and inserted into slots in the terminals in the connector.

Abstract: An electrical switch for use as a coding device comprises a plurality of pairs of associated contacts (2, 3) carried in a circular array by a base (1) and enclosed by a cover (5), and a coding key (11) receivable in holes (20, 21) in the base (1) and cover (5) and having removable actuator surfaces (32) the presence or absence of each of which determines the closed or open state of an associated pair of contacts (2, 3).

Abstract: Keyboard switch assembly comprises first and second insulating supports having opposed spaced-apart first and second surfaces. The first support is a flexible film and has circuit conductors on the first surface thereof which extend to switch sites. Each switch site has a pair of spaced-apart switch electrodes. The second support is a rigid one piece molding having a bezel which surrounds a sunken surface. The first surface of the first support is disposed against the sunken surface. The sunken surface has recesses therein at the switch sites and the floors of the recesses are covered with conductive material such as conductive ink. The floors of the recesses are the second surface. A switch at a switch site is closed by pressing on the first support so that spaced-apart electrodes both contact the conductive material on the floor of the associated recess in the sunken surface of the second support.

Abstract: Electrical connector assembly comprises a plug and a receptacle which has a plug receiving opening extending into its mating face. The plug has latch arms extending from its endwalls adjacent to the leading end of the plug. The latch arms extend divergently and have rearwardly facing shoulders intermediate the ends and handle portions extending from the shoulders to the free ends. Ears extend from the free ends towards the endwalls and are offset from the adjacent plug sidewall so that the latch arms can be flexed towards the plug endwalls for unlatching. The receptacle opening has shoulders therein for engagement with the plug shoulders.

Abstract: A shielded and keyed electrical connector assembly comprises a shielded plug and a shielded receptacle. Forward portions of the plug are received in the plug-receiving opening of the receptacle. The shielding on the receptacle has integral shield contact members which extend into the opening and which engage the shielding on the plug when the parts are mated. Keying is achieved by at least one key in the plug-receiving opening and a keyway in the forward portion of the plug. The key and the shielding contacts are located such that they do not interfere with each others' functions.

Abstract: Encoded keyboard switch comprises a single sheet of flexible film which has switch electrodes and circuit conductors applied to one surface. The sheet of film is folded to form four sections. After folding, the switch electrodes of the two upper sections are opposed to each other and the electrodes of the remaining two sections are opposed to each other so that when the folded film is pressed at a switch site, the two switches formed by the opposed electrodes are sequentially closed. The switch electrodes are interconnected in accordance with an improved encoding scheme which results in a reduced requirement in the number of circuit conductors, the elimination of some switch electrodes, and other advantages.

Abstract: The contact positioning apparatus comprises a plurality of contact holding portions (11, 11') adapted to receive a series of contacts at a first pitch and to deliver the contacts to a second, different pitch. The portions (11, 11') are arranged in spaced parallel coplanar relation and are supported from a carriage (19) on respective cranks (13, 14) individually rotatable by respective pinions (16, 16'). Arms (13, 13') of the cranks are of progressively increased length and elements (55, 23) provide for bringing the pinions (16, 16') into engagement with a common rack (27), traversable to rotate the cranks and bring the contact holding portions to the desired different pitch. The carriage is suitably supported on an XYZ positioning mechanism to move the contacts between receiving and discharge stations.

Abstract: A connector housing (1) has a row of cavities (4) bordering a slot (2) for receipt of a flat cable. Contacts (3) are mounted in the cavities with rearwardly inclined contact springs (7) penetrating the slot (2). An integrally hinged flap (11) on the housing is of L-section, with one limb (14) bordering the slot (2) and providing a cam surface (15) engaging the contact spring (7). Manual depression of the flap (11) deflects the contact spring (7) out of the slot (2) to permit low force insertion of the cable.

Abstract: Key switch assembly comprises a frame having a column in which a plunger is contained. The plunger is biased to an extended position by a spring and is movable to its depressed position. A bell crank is mounted adjacent to the column and has a camming arm which extends alongside the plunger and a switch closing arm. The plunger has a stiffly flexible camming rod and the column has a cam which flexes the camming rod during depression of the plunger so that it engages the camming arm and causes the switch closing arm to close the switch associated with the plunger and frame. The switch is closed for only a brief interval during depression of the plunger and the switch closing lever returns to its normal position after the camming rod moves past the cam.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly comprises receptacle housing and plug housing. The receptacle housing has a latch arm hinged to one sidewall thereof. The latch arm extends forwardly beyond the mating face of the receptacle. Keyways are provided on the sidewall beneath the latch arm and are covered by the latch arm. Inspection slots are provided in the latch arm in alignment with the keyways. The plug part has removable keys integral therewith which are received in the keyways. The parts can be keyed to each other by removing one of the keys from the plug and placing a key plug in the corresponding keyway. The latching and keying features occupy a minimum amount of space on the connector housings.

Abstract: A two-part electrical connector assembly (11, 12) has a channel-shaped latching arm (26) mounted with its limbs (27) straddling one connector (11) and slidable in a slot (25) between walls (16, 33) of the connectors (11, 12). Ends of the limbs (27) are formed with apertures (31) adapted to engage resilient detents (35) on the other connector (12) when the latching member (26) is retracted about the connector (11) to latch the connectors together. The limbs (27) having slots (28) engaging projections (23) on the one connector (11) to permit movement of the latching member (26) from the retracted latching condition to an extended position, remote from the detents (35) where it serves as a handle for manual disengagement of the connectors (11, 12).