Abstract: A printed circuit board slide switch in which switch actuation occurs by movement of a slide actuator perpendicular to the printed circuit board on which the switch is mounted is disclosed. Terminals having leads in a zig-zag configuration are inserted molded into an insulative body which has a plurality of individual compartments in which side-by-side contact portions of adjacent terminals comprising switched terminal pairs are located.

Abstract: Cable tap assembly for selectively connecting tap conductors to cable wire conductors comprises a housing having a cable wire locator for locating the cable wires in predetermined coplanar positions. A plurality of bus conductors are provided in the housing and extend parallel to the cable wires with each bus conductor being dedicated to, and associated with, a single cable wire. The bus conductors have receptacle sites which are accessible from the exterior of the housing so that terminals can be mated with the bus conductors. Connecting devices extend from the bus conductors to the cable wires. Connecting devices for use with power wires have parallel legs with quick disconnect ears on the edge of one leg adjacent the center of the terminal and aligned insulation displacement slots in the ends of each leg forming parallel current carrying paths.

Abstract: An insulation displacement terminal having a pair of slotted plates retained in a nest formed by embossments on sidewalls extending past the edges of slotted plates. The sidewalls and the slotted plates are formed orthogonally upward from a common base. Outer ellipsoidal embossments are formed on opposite sides of a cylindrical embossment. The embossments are formed by a shallow drawing process without removal of material from the planar sidewalls. Adjacent edges of the embossments are sheared to form a nest receiving the side edges of the slotted plates.

Abstract: A socket suitable for electrically connecting circuit panels such as single inline memory modules (SIMM) employs a plurality of contacts positioned within cavities in an insulative housing. This socket permits zero force or low force insertion of circuit panels into the socket and is of the type in which the circuit panel is rotated from a first position to a second position where deflection is imparted to the two contact springs. The contact terminals used with this socket are insertable into an insulative housing through the rear of the housing. A cantilever spring extending from the rear of the contact terminal is located on one side of a panel receiving slot and a curved spring is located on the other side of the panel receiving slot.

Abstract: A sealed electrical connector assembly (2) used to interconnect wires (4) with a printed circuit board comprises a receptacle connector (6) matable with a pin header (8). The receptacle connector (6) includes a secondary lock (60) located on the mating face of an insulative housing (30). Integral latches (50) are received within a correspondingly shaped pocket (62) in the secondary lock. A conductor seal cap includes a plurality of projections which can be selectively removed. Remaining projection seal individual seal cavities. A stamped and formed pin is used in the pin header. An integral plug is used to seal the leak path on the interior of the stamped and formed cylindrical pins.

Abstract: Pin grid array has plate-like insulating support having oppositely facing first and second major surfaces. A plurality of first holes extend through the support on a first gird and a plurality of second holes extend through the support on a second grid which is displaced in the X and Y directions from the first grid. Each first hole contains a seamless socket contact and each second hole has mounted therein a post which extends beyond the second surface of the support. Each socket contact in a first hole is associated with a post mounted in an adjacent hole and a surface conductor extends from each socket contact to is associated post. The holes are plated through and the socket contacts are electrically connected to their associated posts by solder connections. A lower profile of the pin grid array when it is mounted on the circuit board is achieved along with other advantages.

Abstract: A touch input device which continuously samples and digitally stores ambient light readings and compares these with previously stored readings is taught. Briefly stated, a phototransistor is turned on before, during and after an LED emitter energization. An ambient value is calculated which is subtracted from the value obtained during LED firing so as to develop a signal indicative of the presence or absence of the LED pulse, irrespective of ambient light fluctuations. The ambient level is stored for comparison purposes during the next sampling of the associated phototransistor.

Abstract: An interconnection system for transferring either electrical energy in the form of power and data signals or both is disclosed. Capacitive coupling devices are shown connected to a memory device such as an erasable programmable read only memory chip, in a form suitable for use in a smart data entry card. The capacitive coupling devices employ a dielectric medium having a relatively high dielectric constant due to the orientation of the crystals of the dielectric medium. Barium Titinate having a dielectric constant of 18,000 in the direction of the crystal axis is used. Only small bearing pressures sufficient to wipe contaminants from the exposed contact pads are required.

Abstract: A two part cylindrical connector having resilient collet fingers on one connector engagable with a cylindrical ridge on the other connector are disclosed. An outer shiftable sleeve secures the collet fingers in engagement with the cylindrical ridge when the shiftable sleeve is in an extended position. The shiftable sleeve is spring loaded relative to an inner core. The shiftable sleeve is assembled to the inner core with the spring between inner core and the shiftable sleeve. The inner core is then rotated relative to the inner core until anti-rotation surfaces on the interior of the shiftable sleeve and the exterior of the inner core engage to prevent further rotation. When these anti-rotation members engage, the springs are positioned so that they are confined between the shiftable sleeve and the inner core.

Abstract: A method and terminal for mass terminating conductors with high reliability combines insulation piercing and solder technology. Terminals are formed with insulation piercing, conductor engaging portions which have a layer of solder integral therewith. Respective conductors are terminated by the terminals in an insulation piercing operation and the solder reflowed to form a permanent bond therebetween. The terminal slot is designed to clean the conductor surface as well as to fixture it for the solder reflow operation.

Abstract: A sealed electrical connector assembly comprising an insert molded header, a sealed connector plug matable in an exterior header cavity and an unsealed connector plug matable in an interior header cavity is disclosed. Each connector plug incorporates a secondary lock and terminal position assurance. An outer housing cover forming a portion of the mating envelope at the forward end of the connector plugs can be secured to the forward section of the insulative housing only when a resilient latch, forming a primary latch, is in a fully seated position. If the latch is in the deflected or not fully seated position, an abutting ledge on the housing cover will engage the deflected latch to prevent assembly of the housing cover to the insulative housing.

Abstract: A burn-in socket adapted for use with plastic quad flat pack packages having gullwing leads is disclosed. The socket comprises an insulative housing base and a reciprocal cap frame located on top of the insulative housing. A plurality of resilient contact terminals are positioned along the sides of the insulative housing around the periphery of a cavity for receiving the PQFP package. Each contact terminal is inwardly deflectable upon movement of the cap so that gullwing leads of the PQFP package will be received between the contact terminal and an inwardly facing ledge. The socket is suitable for use with automatic loading equipment.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly for use with a motherboard and a daughterboard in a backplane configuration is disclosed. The motherboard connector has an insulative housing with a plurality of signal pins and a plurality of power contacts. A ground bus having upstanding posts is located beween rows of signal pins. A daughterboard signal connector is separate from the daughterboard power, and the daughterboard signal connector has a plurality of ground blades which are matable with the ground bus between adjacent upstanding ground posts. Thus, a substantially constant spacing of signal contacts relative to ground can be maintained through the right angle motherboard/daughterboard connector.

Abstract: A surface mount, miniature connector with an integral power or ground bus bar is formed by a pair of mating housing members each defining a mating face and an oppositely-directed surface mount face with a plurality of terminal passages extending between the faces. A like plurality of terminals is provided, each mounted in a respective passage with a mating portion directed towards the mating face and a solder tail extending from the surface mount face. Each housing is provided with an elongated longitudinally extending groove which receives therein an elongated rigid conductive bus bar member having at least one leg which extends beyond the surface mounting face of the respective housing. Each bus bar is of sufficient length to bus at least one connector housing and to provide strength to the underlying circuit board and prevent the connector from being pulled off the mounting surface during connector unmating.

Abstract: An apparatus in the form of an electrical connector which permits electrical programming of circuits, such as an integrated circuit component, and subsequent mechanical reprogramming of the same circuitry is disclosed. The connector includes a plurality of signal terminals and at least one ground terminal adapted to engage printed circuit board traces joining leads of an integrated circuit component. A fusible wire initially joins selected signal terminals to ground. Portions of the wire can be severed by application of an electrical potential between selected signal terminals and ground sufficient to generate a current in excess of the current carrying capacity of the wire. The terminals are held in place by an insulative body and are inserted into an insulative housing where contact can be made with a pin header having detachable pins for mechanically reprogramming the device.

Abstract: A pull to seat electrical connector having a plurality of terminals which are pulled into cavities in an insulative housing through the mating face of the terminal is disclosed. Unterminated wires are first inserted through cavities in the housing and terminals are attached adjacent the housing mating face. When wires are then pulled, the terminals are pulled into the cavities and rotated into alignment with the cavities, so that box-shaped receptacle contact sections are properly oriented. The rear of each cavity conforms generally to the outer contour of the wires, whereas the receptacle enclosing portion of each cavity adjacent the mating face of the connector conforms generally to the receptacle configuration, such as a box-shaped receptacle contact portion. Stop fingers, extending upwardly from the terminal, engage inner shoulders to stop rearward movement of the terminals in the cavities.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a mating receptacle and header. The receptacle includes contacts having beam members integral with and extending between a forward and rearward cylindrical portion. The beam members are formed in opposed pairs with constricted portions at different axial locations. The spacing between the opposed pairs of beams is less than the widths of the beams. The header includes rows of square posts for mating with the socket contacts, the rows of posts being axially offset from each other.

Abstract: A socket connector having a plurality of socket contacts engagable with pin contacts is disclosed. The socket connector is specifically adapted for mating with an array of pins positioned in a prescribed relationship on the exterior of an electrical component such as a fan motor. Individual sockets are contained within passages extending between the mating end and the rearward end of the housing and at least one of the passages has a constricted pin entry portion adjacent the mating end to align a pin to avoid pin-socket stubbing during mating. A laterally extending opening defined by a side entry mold is used to define this constricted portion and to define an opposed contact retention surface.

Abstract: An integrated circuit package socket includes an insulating housing having a plurality of side by side terminals profiled for receipt of a square package with leads extending therefrom. The socket also includes a camming member disposed above the housing which has a camming surface which contacts a portion of each of the terminals to move the terminals into and out of electrical engagement with the leads of the package. The camming member multiplies the force applied directly to the camming member to cause the desired rotation. Relaxation of the camming member causes a reverse rotation of the contacts into electrical engagement with the package leads.

Abstract: A high speed, high density, controlled impedance connector for use between printed circuit boards is disclosed. The connector provides for both power and signal transmission. Closely spaced signal terminals are surrounded by dielectric sleeves positioned in an array, and the plural dielectric sleeves are in turn surrounded by an outer unitary cast conductive housing. The essentially coaxial configuration of the contacts permits minimal variations in the impedance along the length of the signal paths in the connector. The connector is fabricated by first positioning the dielectric sleeves in spaced relationship on prescribed centerlines and subsequently casting or molding the conductive outer housing around the sleeve array.