Abstract: An ice maker for a refrigerator/freezer having a control module for more reliably driving a rotatable ice ejector for removing ice bodies from a mold of the ice maker and for refilling mold cavities with water. The control module has an ice ejector drive with a drive coupling that includes a gear wheel and an ejector shaft section, both made of hard plastic material, preferably a polymide resin, for transmitting higher torque to the rotary ice ejector without failure of the plastic drive components. In one embodiment, a drive sleeve on the gear wheel and a drive shaft section have a spline coupling for more effectively distributing driving forces in the drive coupling. In another embodiment, a metallic collar is tightly positioned over the gear wheel sleeve for enhancing torque transmission in the drive coupling.

Abstract: A kick start switch modification kit and method for modifying an electric starter system on a motorcycle to a foot-operated electric starter simulating the classic foot operated kick start mechanism. Novel components which are contained in the modification kit include a foot pedal assembly, a rotating shaft, a switch engaging cam, a limit switch and a cover body having screw holes through which fasteners can pass which fasteners are in turn screwed into the cycle body where the classic kick start mechanism would be located.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a two-part housing comprising a non-conductive first housing part and a non-conductive second housing part with a conductive layer. A plurality of conductive terminals are mounted on the non-conductive first housing part. The terminals have contact portions for engaging appropriate contacts of a complementary mating connector. A conductive latch member is mounted on the housing in engagement with the conductive layer of the second housing part. The latch member has a latch portion for engaging an appropriate latch of the complementary mating connector.

Abstract: A shielded electrical connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing for mounting on the circuit board and including a front mating end and a rear terminating end. A plurality of conductive terminals are mounted on the housing. A metal shield surrounds the dielectric housing. The shield has an opening at the rear of the housing to afford visual inspection of the connections between the tail portions of the terminals and the circuit traces on the circuit board. A shield cover is slidably mounted at the rear of the housing and the shield to slidably close the opening in the metal shield in a direction generally perpendicular to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for terminating a flat electrical circuit. The connector includes a dielectric housing having an opening for receiving an end of a flat circuit. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing and have contact portions exposed in the opening. An actuator is movably mounted on the housing for movement between an open position and a closed position. In the open position, the actuator allows the flat circuit to be inserted into the opening. In the closed position, the actuator biases the flat circuit against the contact portions of the terminals. The actuator is magnetized, and a second magnetic component is mounted for drawing the actuator to its closed position due to magnetic attraction forces between the magnetized actuator and the magnetic component.

Abstract: A coaxial electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a front mating face and a rear face. A first, central terminal-receiving passage extends in a direction between the faces, along with at least one second, auxiliary terminal-receiving passage. At least one auxiliary terminal is received in the second passage. A center terminal is received in the first passage and includes an elongated mating portion projecting toward the mating face of the housing and defining a center axis. The elongated mating portion has a front mating end and a rear end. A terminating portion is spaced radially of the mating portion. A connecting portion joins the mating portion and the terminating portion. The connecting portion includes a stabilizing section which extends rearwardly along the axis from the rear end of the mating portion. The stabilizing section bears against a section of the first passage in the housing to stabilize the elongated mating portion of the center terminal.

Abstract: A circuit board mounted electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a top face, a bottom board-mounting face and a front mating portion extending generally parallel to the circuit board. A set of first terminals are mounted in the housing through the top face thereof. The first terminals have tail portions for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the circuit board. The first terminals have contact portions on a top side of the mating portion of the housing for engaging appropriate contacts of a complementary mating connecting device. A set of second terminals are mounted on the housing through the bottom board-mounting face thereof. The second terminals have tail portions for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the circuit board. The second terminals have contact portions on a bottom side of the mating portion of the housing for engaging appropriate contacts on the mating connecting device.

Abstract: A laminated terminal is provided for an electrical connector and includes a plurality of flat metal layers juxtaposed to form a laminated structure. Each metal layer includes a joining section, a contact section and a terminating section. A plurality of projections on the joining sections of the layers are interengaged within a respective plurality of recesses in adjacent layers to align the layers and provide a strong mechanical and good electrical joint between the layers. Solder tails extend linearly along the bottom edge of each joining section to form a plurality of rows of solder tails, and the terminating portions of the metal layers are bent outwardly to separate the rows of solder tails from each other. The contact section of one metal layer may include a generally planar finger which is coplanar with a planar finger of another of the metal layers.

Abstract: A memory card connector assembly is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a first memory card connector for mounting on the circuit board and including a housing defining a bottom card-receiving space for receiving a first memory card. A plurality of terminals are provided for electrically connecting appropriate contacts on the first memory card to the circuit board. A second memory card connector is provided for mounting over the top of the first connector. The second connector includes a housing defining a top card-receiving space for receiving a second memory card, along with a plurality of terminals for electrically connecting appropriate contacts on the second memory card to the circuit board.

Abstract: A combined connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals. The insulative housing has a mating face and a rear face connecting with two opposite top face and bottom faces, and defines a plurality of terminal insertion slots. Each terminal comprises a mounting portion and a soldering portion. The mounting portions are received in the terminal insertion slots, and the soldering portions are exposed out of the terminal insertion slots and separately located below the bottom face. The housing further having a hollow portion extending through the top face to the bottom face and corresponding to the soldering portions below the bottom face. The hollow portion allows for the easy inspection of the solder joint quality of the terminals under the housing. The terminals are fixed only by the base portions of the mounting portions thereof to reduce the overall dimension of the connector.

Abstract: A sealed electrical connector assembly is provided for mounting between a pair of printed circuit boards. The assembly includes a first electrical connector having a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals which have tail portions connected to appropriate circuit traces on a first printed circuit board. A second electrical connector is mateable with the first connector and has a dielectric housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals which have tail portions connected to appropriate circuit traces on a second printed circuit board which is spaced from and generally parallel to the first printed circuit board when the connectors are mated. An open-ended, generally hollow shroud is provided independent of and surrounding the mated connectors between the parallel printed circuit boards.

Abstract: A shielded electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a front mating end, a rear terminating end and a plug-receiving cavity extending into the housing from the front mating end thereof. A conductive shield substantially surrounds the housing and has a front end, a rear end and at least one flexible arm extending from the rear end toward the front end of the shield. The flexible arm has a flared distal end for engaging a mating plug inserted into the cavity. The shield has an aperture aligned with the distal end of the flexible arm and into which the distal end can flex to increase the flexure range of the arm. A terminal is mounted on the housing and extends forwardly into the cavity for engaging an appropriate terminal of the mating plug.

Abstract: An electrical connector system includes a connector mounted on a printed circuit board and mateable with a mating connector in a mating direction at an acute angle to the circuit board. A connector housing mounts at least two sets of first and second terminals. The connector housing is mountable on the circuit board in a mounting direction generally perpendicular to the board. The first terminals have tail portions extending in the mounting direction generally perpendicular to the circuit board. The second terminals have tail portions extending at an acute angle to the mounting direction. The printed circuit board has holes for receiving the tail portions of the first terminals and elongated slots for receiving the angled tail portions of the second terminals. The slots are sufficiently long to accommodate distal ends of the angled tail portions which extend at the acute angle to the mounting direction.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided with a latching system for latching the connector to a mating connector. The electrical connector includes an interior terminal module having a dielectric body which mounts a plurality of conductive terminals and a pair of latch arms for latching engagement with the mating connector. A pair of hermaphroditic housing halves at least partially surround the terminal module. Each housing half includes a latch actuator engageable with a respective one of the latch arms to move the latch arm out of engagement with the mating connector.

Abstract: A modular jack is mountable in a panel and to a circuit board. The modular jack includes a non-conductive housing having a front mating end and a rear terminating end. The front end has a receptacle for receiving a mating jack plug. The rear end has a slot for receiving an edge of the printed circuit board. A plurality of conductive terminals are mounted in the housing and have contact portions projecting into the receptacle for engaging contacts on the mating jack plug. The terminals have tail portions exposed at the slot for engaging circuit traces on the printed circuit board. Interengaging retaining components are provided between the housing and the panel to hold the modular jack in an opening in the panel.

Abstract: A memory card connector includes a lower dielectric housing part having a terminal-mounting base and a pair of side wall sections extending forwardly from opposite sides of the base. An upper dielectric housing part is mounted on top of the lower housing part and has a terminal-mounting roof. A card locating plate is connected at opposite sides thereof to the side wall sections of the lower housing part and combines therewith to define a first card-receiving space beneath the plate. The card locating plate is spaced from the roof of the upper housing part and combines therewith to define a second card-receiving space above the plate.

Abstract: An electrical connector and cable assembly includes a flat flexible cable having a plurality of parallel conductors with insulation around and between the conductor. The insulation has at least one opening therethrough between a pair of adjacent conductors. A plurality of conductive terminals having terminating portions are respectively terminated to the distal ends of the conductors. A dielectric housing has a receptacle for receiving the one end of the cable and including at least one projection extending into the opening in the web of the cable to provide strain relief therefor. A plurality of stub walls extend between the terminating portions of the terminals to electrically isolate the terminating portions of adjacent terminals.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle connector (24) having a first non-conductive housing (51) for mounting on a printed circuit board (28) and including a mating receptacle (54). A plurality of board terminals (52) are mounted on the first housing and have tail portions (62) for connection to appropriate circuit traces on the circuit board and contact portions (58,58a) extending into the mating receptacle. A plug connector (22) has a second non-conductive housing (30) including a mating plug portion (30b) for insertion into the mating receptacle of the receptacle connector. A plurality of signal terminals (32) are mounted on the second housing and have contact portions (32b) on the mating plug portion thereof for engaging the contact portions of the board terminals in the mating receptacle when the connectors are mated. The signal terminals include terminating portions (32a) for termination to a plurality of discrete signal conductors (26a).