Abstract: A filter connector such as one suitable for suppressing electromagnetic interference, radio frequency interference or both is provided according to an assembly approach that reduces cost. Included is a unitary spring plate that overlies the plug portion of the filter connector and biases the filter components up against the terminals of the connector.

Abstract: A compression connector for connecting the conductor pads of a flat flexible cable to the conductor pads of a printed circuit board. The connector includes a carrier plate which carries a hardboard, the flexible circuit and an interposer through the use of extending peg portions extending from one side of the plate. The peg portions extend beyond the interposer for receipt within positioning openings of the printed circuit board to position the flexible circuit and interposer for electrical connection to the conductor pads of the printed circuit board. A cage structure is secured to the printed circuit board having a top wall covering the positioning openings as well as the conductor pads of the printed circuit board. An actuator having a tension spring mounted thereon is slidably carried on the opposite side of the carrier plate. The actuator is movable between a first position corresponding to a disengaged position and a second position corresponding to an engaged position.

Abstract: A memory card connector system includes a connector having a rear terminal-mounting section mounting a plurality of terminals for engaging appropriate contacts on a memory card. The rear section defines at least part of a receptacle for receiving a mating end of the memory card. A pair of shaped side wall sections extend forwardly from opposite ends of the rear section for guiding the memory card into the receptacle. Each side wall section includes a card stabilizing notch. A memory card has a mating end insertable into the receptacle and a stabilizing protrusion engageable in each of the card stabilizing notches to prevent the card from shifting relative to the connector.

Abstract: A lever type electrical connector (1) comprising a connector housing (10) having an annular interfacial seal (4) which extends around the connector housing (10). An annular protecting shroud (5) is arranged surrounding the connector housing (10) without increasing the connector overall dimensions and for being moved in overlapping relationship with said interfacial seal (4) to protect same.

Abstract: A lever-type electrical connector assembly is provided that includes first and second electrical connectors having an actuating lever movably mounted thereon for movement between a release position with the connectors un-mated and a lock position with the connectors mated. In one form, a blocking member is provided between the first connector and the actuating lever for holding the actuating lever in the release position. A second connector includes a release member for shifting the blocking member to allow the actuating lever to move from the release position to the lock position. In another form, the electrical connector assembly is configured to precisely maximize the mechanical advantage provided by the actuating lever by including a predetermined force transmitting engagement portion at which the lever actuator engages one of the connectors to transmit a concentrated, predetermined leveraged output force thereto upon pivoting of the lever from the release to the lock position.

Abstract: The invention relates to a connector arrangement for optical wave guides for establishing multimedia connections in motor vehicles, e.g. in accordance with the MOST®-Standard wherein a first and a second fiber section are each enclosed by a sleeve and by connecting it fixedly with the sleeve, both sleeves form an integrally constructed, common fiber holder for the two fiber sections, which can be inserted into the rear fiber receptable of the connector housing.

Abstract: A modular filter connector (10) includes an outer housing (12) having a cavity. A plurality of inner housing modules (16) are positionable in the cavity in a side-by-side array. At least one terminal (28) is mounted in each housing module to define at least one row of terminals along the cavity. A filter (34) is mounted in each housing module electrically coupled to each terminal to define at least one row of filters. A common shorting bar (36) spans the plurality of housing modules and is electrically coupled to the plurality of filters of the modules.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mounting on a circuit board. The connector includes an insulative upright body having a front mating face and a rear terminating face. An engaging plate extends from the mating face of the body in a forward mating direction away from the body. An extension plate extends from the terminating face of the body in a rearward direction away from an upper distal end of the body. A plurality of terminal-receiving passages extend through the body between the front and rear faces thereof. The body is relatively thin in a front-to-rear direction. An upper surface of the distal end of the body and an upper surface of the extension plate are coplanar to define a relatively large suction surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrical contactor for connecting and disconnecting an electrical power source to an electrical device wherein the electrical power source is electrically connected to a line terminal having a line terminal electrical contact and the electrical device is electrically connected to a load terminal electrical contact. The electrical contactor contains a plurality of electrical contacts which contact the line and load terminal electrical contacts.

Abstract: A heater element for use in a circuit breaker whose initial shape can be varied to achieve various trip ratings for different circuit breakers. The material composition of the heater element and the bimetal strip indirectly heated by the heater element are kept the same. The electrical resistance presented to current passed through the heater element is varied by varying the shape of the heater element. The shape of one heater element relative to another heater element varies according to one geometric parameter. The geometric parameter may be surface geometry, thickness, or cross-sectional area.

Abstract: An electrical device, such as a circuit breaker, for interrupting the flow of current, which includes a stationary contact, a blade having a movable contact, a releasably latchable trip lever, a bimetal, and a magnetic armature. The movable contact is movable into and out of engagement with the stationary contact. The trip lever is releasable from a latched position for movement to a tripped position to cause separation of the stationary and movable contacts. The bimetal causes the release of the trip lever from the latched position by having the armature drawn a predetermined distance in response to a predetermined short circuit current. The trip lever is held in the latched positioned by a hardened latch having a minimal surface area, which is positioned near an opening located in the armature. When the predetermined short circuit current flows through the bimetal, the trip lever moves to the tripped position.

Abstract: A zone arc fault detection system for detecting arcing faults in a defined zone of an electrical circuit, such as an aircraft circuit, includes a pair of substantially identical parallel insulated conductors for each zone in which arcing is to be detected. A detection zone is defined by the parallel conductors between end points where the two conductors are coupled together. A current sensor is operatively associated with each pair of parallel conductors. The current sensor and conductors are respectively configured and arranged such that the current sensor produces a signal representative of a difference in current between the two conductors.

Abstract: A circuit breaker for interrupting the flow of current upon the detection of excess current or temperature is provided which comprises a housing, a trip armature plate, a trip armature frame, and a bias spring. The trip armature plate has at least two pivot tabs extending laterally on opposite edges that are inserted into a pivot elongated slot, which is located at an open end of the trip armature frame, and a pivot aperture, which is located at the opposite end of the trip armature frame, respectively. A bias spring is used for securing the pivot tabs into the pivot elongated slot and the pivot aperture, and for urging the trip armature plate pivotably outwardly about the pivot tabs away from the trip armature frame. The circuit breaker also comprises a trip cross bar having at least two fingers that are used to engage optional circuit breaker accessories and that are located asymmetrically to allow the interchangeability of the accessories.

Abstract: The present invention provides diode bridge and a parallel type, capacitor based, phase to phase surge suppressor. The suppressor acts to suppress transient energy as soon as the spike exceeds the prevailing peak of the ac waveform. The system dissipates the spike by drawing current through the system impedance between the suppressor sand the source of the surge.

Abstract: An interface allows for the transfer of real time control data with guaranteed delivery times between devices on a general purpose network and an industrial control system. A proxy server takes the role of a TCP/IP router and is configured to control the rate at which messages are forwarded from the non-real time to the real time portion of the network, keeping the loading of the real time portion stable regardless of the external non-real-time communication demand. Real time data is preconfigured and exchanged in a regular sequence, with the cyclic update period known. The length of any communication message necessary to transmit this information, plus any sequencing and acknowledgment overhead, is calculated in advance and aggregated. Each device with authority to transmit on the shared medium is given a time budget, calculated so that the total transmission quantity in unit time is deliberately limited to some fraction of the maximum transmission capability of the network.

Abstract: Analog input module for a programmable logic controller, the analog input module having an input circuit with terminals for accepting either a single voltage range or a single current range from process control sensors. The analog input module includes an analog-to-digital converter and an input circuit with an output terminal connected to the input of the analog-to-digital converter, a voltage input terminal, a current input terminal, and a common terminal. The input circuit is configured to accept a voltage input between the voltage input terminal and the common terminal, to accept a current input between the current input terminal and the common terminal, and to provide an output voltage at the output terminal dependent upon either the voltage input or the current input, without switching or configuring between them.

Abstract: A system, method and program for calculating a fluid flow volume within a conduit having an operably connected flow meter is disclosed. The system includes a controller having a backplane. A flow meter module is operably connected to the backplane of the controller and to the flow meter. A program embedded within the controller is also operably connected to the flow meter. The program includes a plurality of segments for sensing a characteristic of the fluid for determining the flow volume of the fluid. The controller, in cooperation with the flow meter module, monitors the dynamic fluid density of the fluid in the conduit. The controller utilizes the dynamic density to determine a correction factor to more accurately calculate the fluid flow volume through the conduit.

Abstract: An apparatus and technique are provided for generating a plasma using a power supply circuit and arc detection arrangement. The power supply circuit has a cathode enclosed in a chamber, and is adapted to generate a power-related parameter. The arc detection arrangement is communicatively coupled to the power supply circuit and adapted to assess the severity of arcing in the chamber by comparing the power-related parameter to at least one threshold. According to various implementations, arc occurrences, arcing duration, intensity and/or energy are measured responsive to comparing the power-related parameter to the at least one threshold. According to further implementations, the above-mentioned measured quantities are accumulated and/or further processed.

Abstract: A method and device for filtering an input signal received by an input module in order to produce a filtered input signal, wherein the received input signal is converted such that it has either a HIGH input state or a LOW input state each having a time duration characteristic of the input module, and the filtered input signal is represented by an ON filtered state and an OFF filtered state. The time duration of the HIGH input state and the LOW input state are determined by sampling the converted input signal at a certain sampling rate so as to allow the sampling results to be used by a filtering algorithm to set the filtered input state to ON or OFF based on a set of filter parameters which may vary from one input module to another. The filtering device is adapted to be configurable such that the filter parameters can be electronically selected so that the same filtering algorithm can be used for different input modules having different electrical characteristics.