Abstract: A connector assembly (11) for providing electricity to an electroluminescent display (12) that is mounted on an outer face of a carrier plate (10), includes a first connector (13) that has an insulative body (21) with a rearwardly-opening slit (24) that receives an edge of the carrier plate, the body having inner and outer body arms (25, 26) on opposite sides of the slot. The first connector also has a plurality of U-shaped contact elements (28) with parallel inner and outer ends (32, 31) that lie in the different body arms. The outer end of each contact element engages a conductive pad (16) on the carrier plate but the rest of the outer end is surrounded by the outer body to safeguard against a person touching the contact element outer end. The inner end of each contact element is held spaced from the inner face of the carrier plate by the body inner arm that surrounds the inner end.

Abstract: A contact assembly (11) for providing electricity to an electroluminescent display (12) that is mounted on an outer face of a carrier plate (10). The contact assembly includes contact pads (16) on the outer face of the carrier plate and a first connector (13) that has an insulative body (21) and a pair of contact elements (28) with outer ends (32, 31) that each engages one of the conductive pads (16). The outer end of each contact element and the contact pads, are surrounded by an outer body portion to safeguard against a person touching the contact element outer end.

Abstract: A circuit board (14) is installed and locked in place in a connector housing (12) which has a board-receiving slot (24) defined by side guides (44, 46) that closely engage upper and lower surfaces of the board during its forward insertion into the slot. The front portion of the board has a through aperture (50), and the housing has a ramp (52) that can fit into the aperture. As the forwardly-sliding board approaches a fully installed position, the ramp bends the front portion of the board as it rides up the ramp, until the aperture walls snap around the ramp and the board front portion unbends. The board can be slid backward out of the slot, only by bending up the board front portion and sliding it rearward.

Abstract: A casing (1); a first conductive track (31) and a second conductive track (27); a first conductive dome (3) which is resiliently deformable so as to be able to pass to a configuration, in which it forms an electrical contact between the first track (31) and second track (27); and an activation device comprising an operation element (9) which is mounted in the casing so as to slide in an orthogonal manner (X) relative to the axis of deformation (Z).

Abstract: An alignment assembly (20) is provided for holding alignment sleeves that each aligns the ends of a pair of optic fiber ferrules (22, 26) projecting from two mating connectors (12, 14), which assures that the mating connectors will always be mated in their proper relative orientations to avoid unacceptable insertion losses and the connection of the wrong pairs of fibers. The alignment assembly includes a housing (34) formed by two identical housing halves, and includes two identical locating pins (40, 42) mounted on the housing at opposite sides of the housing axis, each pin having having a pin end (91–94) projecting from each face of the housing. One pin has a large diameter end (94) projecting from a front housing face (100) into a large diameter locating hole (52) in a connector and the other pin has a small diameter end (93) projecting from the same front housing face into a small locating hole (51), to assure proper orientation of the two mating connectors.

Abstract: A trackball device in which the exposed top of a trackball (30) can be moved to pivot a pair of coding shafts (32L, 32T) about perpendicular axes, with control signal generators that detect such pivoting used to control a function such as a cursor on a screen. The control signal generator associated with each coding shaft includes a multi-toothed pinion (44L, 44T) fixed to the coding shaft and a deflectable rod (70L, 70T) lying between a pair of teeth of the pinion. When the coding shaft and pinion turn, the deflectable rod is deflected until the pinion tooth passes by it and the rod springs back to its original vertical position, where the next tooth can again deflect it. A rod deflection sensor detects every rod deflection and its direction to provide signals indicating the direction and extent of turning of the trackball. The trackball, coding shafts and other parts lie in a housing (22). A flat flexible cable (28) projects through a slit in the housing and lies on the bottom wall of the housing.

Abstract: A connector (10) is connected to the front end of a cable (11) in a compact connection that provides electrical shielding and a water-tight seal. The connector has a metal main sleeve (30) with a rear end (64) having circular crimps (38,39). One crimp (39) is made against the cable insulator (16) to provide a water-tight seal and the other (38) is made to the cable shielding braid (35) to ground the main sleeve. The main sleeve has a front portion with a crimp (37) that crimps against an elastic seal ring (25) lying in a groove (23) in an insulative body (20) that has contact-holding passages (60).

Abstract: A self-contained fiber optic cartridge (300) includes a body (310) with a bore (342) that receives a fiber optic cable (30) and which is then bonded by epoxy (340) to the cable, with the body then installed in a passage (343) of a frame (304). The body has a rear part that forms fingers (314) with flanges (324) that are inwardly compressed during rearward (R) insertion and then spring out to abut a rearwardly-facing shoulder (326) of the frame, to prevent the body from falling forwardly (F) out of the frame.

Abstract: A sheet metal cover (11) for a PC card, or electronic card, includes identical top and bottom sheet metal cover parts (13, 12) with opposite sides constructed to allow the cover parts to be joined together by merely pushing the sides of the top cover part forcefully down against the sides of the bottom cover part. One side (23) of each cover part is bent and cut to form a plurality of latching lugs (37), and the other side (24) of each cover part is bent and cut to form a plurality of slots leading to recesses that each receives a lug and then resists movement of the lug out of the recess. Each lug has outer and inner legs (38, 39) that are joined in a fold of less than 90°. The slots each receives a lug only when the inner and outer legs of the lug are deflected closer together.

Abstract: A smart card connector with a signal blade contact (22a, FIG. 5) and a ground blade contact (22b), wherein the signal blade contact has a signal tail (34a) at the rear end of the connector frame, and wherein the connector is provided with a shield structure (110) that prevents a person from fraudulently contacting the signal tail during use of the connector. The shield structure includes an insulative barrier (60) with a hole (76) through which the signal tail extends, and also includes a sheet metal shield (40) with a rear portion that extends largely around the signal tail to ground any conductor that is fraudulently inserted against the signal tail. The sheet metal shield has a transverse tongue (54) that extends to and engages the ground blade contact. The insulative barrier has a slot that extends largely around the signal tail, and the sheet metal rear shield portion lies in the slot.

Abstract: A smart card connector with a slot into which a smart card can be inserted, includes a slide assembly (251) that initially receives the smart card and moves the card forward to a fully installed operating position, and that can be moved to move the smart card a distance rearward to a retracted position and allows the rear card end to be easily pulled out of the connector. The slide assembly includes a card holding slider (500) that includes a sheet metal plate that lies under the card, and a retention bar (524) at the rear end of the plate that abuts the rear edge of the card. When the slider has been moved rearward to a retracted position, the retention bar can be lowered by bending the sheet metal plate, so the card can be grasped and pulled out.

Abstract: A miniature switching device has an operating member (14) with an upstanding button (26) that can be rapidly slid in any one of four horizontal directions to close any one of four switches in a casing (12). A sheet metal conducting member (28) has a flat base portion (60) that lies in the casing under said operating member, and has four upstanding plates (62) that extend from bends (63) at the periphery of the base portion. Each plate has an upper end (81) that lies against a side of the operating member so horizontal movement of the operating member tilts a plate about a corresponding bend. Each plate has a finger (83) that extends largely horizontally from the plate and that engages a corresponding contact (56) on a bottom wall of the casing.

Abstract: A plurality of connectors (12, 14) of the type that has a primary latch with a handle (50) that can be depressed so the connector can be pulled out of a receiver passage (20, 22), and a secondary latch with a sleeve (60, 62) that can be slid forward to wedge a part under the handle so it cannot be depressed. The same slidable sleeve is used to normally connect a pair of connectors, while allowing a connector-to-be-serviced of the pair to be disconnected from the other one while said other one continues to lie in a receiver passage and carry signals. The sleeves are identical and each has a tongue and groove (74, 76) at its opposite sides, and also has engaged detents at its opposite sides. The groove is open at its front and rear ends.

Abstract: A connector with a cover element (80) lying in a forward position over an insulative support (40), allows a smart card to be inserted despite obstructions lying closely behind the connector. The card is initially inserted at a downward-forward incline and then its rear is pushed down so the card is horizontal. Then the cover element is slid to a rearward position to prevent card tilt. Contact blades (70) have upwardly biased contact ends (72) that lie substantially in a single transverse plane (Pv) and engage a single row of card contact pads at the front of the card. This allows the cover element rear position to lie only a short distance rearward of its front position so the support supports less than half the card length, thereby allowing a short support to be used. The cover element has a rear portion (85) bent at a rearward-upward incline and forming a convex lower rear face part (A).

Abstract: A smart card connector that includes an insulative support (52) with a card-supporting face (62), and a sheet metal cover (54) mounted on the support to form a card-receiving cavity (58) between the support and cover, for receiving SD and MICROSIM smart cards. A card-detecting switch blade (144) is mounted at one side of the support and has a blade part (150) that projects into the path of the card so the card deflects the blade against a side (116) of the sheet metal cover to close a circuit. The cover can be mounted on the support by sliding the cover rearwardly until projections (121, 123) at the front end of the cover each snaps into a notch (127, 129) near the front end of the support. The connector contacts have tails (104) for soldering to traces on a circuit board CB, the tails lying at a rear edge (84) of the support and the cover having tabs (132, 134) at the front end of the cover.

Abstract: An optical fiber connector includes a housing (12) with a terminus-holding housing (14) portion that holds a plurality of optical fiber termini (24) with optical cables trailing therefrom. A pair of metal sleeves are crimped to the strength member of each optical cable to form a crimp sleeve assembly (26). The housing including a holder (16) with a plurality of channels (32) that each removably holds one of the sleeve assemblies. This arrangement enables a selected one of a plurality of optical fiber cables with termini fixed thereto, to be easily removed from the rest of the housing, and to allow a new optical fiber cable with a terminus and crimp sleeve assembly thereon to be installed in its place.

Abstract: A compact smart card connector that can hold and connect to two smart cards (Cs, Ci) includes a base plate (42) that holds base contacts (46) and a cover plate (44) that holds cover contacts (54) and that is pivotally connected to the base plate. An intermediate plate device (36) holds first and second smart cards (Cs, Ci) respectively against its upper and lower surfaces (35, 39) with contact pads (Ps) of the cards facing away from the plate. The intermediate plate lies between the base and cover, so when the cover is pushed down, this pushes the cards against the base and cover contacts. The intermediate plate device has coupling plates (130) with slots that allow the intermediate plate device to slide to lock the cover in its lowered position.

Abstract: A filtered connector is provided of the type that includes an inductor (40) and capacitors (51, 52) connected in a pi filter arrangement to each contact (20) of the connector to attenuate high frequency noise, is enhanced to better block very high frequency noise. Each of applicant's filters that are connected to a contact have at least two capacitors (51, 53 and 52, 54) on either side of the inductor, the two capacitors being connected to contact locations that are spaced apart.

Abstract: A smart card connector has a housing (11) formed by an insulative contact holder (12) and a sheet metal cover (14) that has an upper plate (46) lying above an upper face of the contact holder, to form a card-receiving cavity (30) between them. A wire spring (16) has a spiral wound planar main portion (141) that is mounted to lie on the upper surface of the sheet metal upper plate (46). The wire spring has a first end portion (144) fixed to the cover and has a second end portion (158) with a right angle bend (160) leading to a downwardly-extending ejection spring part (162). The ejection spring part extends though a slot (66) in the cover upper plate portion and into the cavity to lie in the path of the card leading edge.

Abstract: A connector includes sheet metal contacts (40, 42) with termination ends (60, 62) for terminating to wires and with mating ends (70, 72) for mating to other contact devices such as circuit board pads. Each terminating end includes a wide groove part (90) with a groove bottom (94) that receives the wire insulation and with a pair of wide groove part wings (96, 98) that are crimped around the insulation. Each termination end also includes a narrow groove part (100) for receiving a bared conductor of the wire, the narrow groove part having a bottom (104) that is offset from the wide groove part bottom (94), and the narrow groove part having a pair of narrow groove part wings (106, 108) that are crimped around the wire conductor.