Abstract: An FPC connector permits downsizing and not exerting residual stress on terminals irrespective of the pivoting position of an actuator while an FPC is not connected. The FPC connector is provided with biasing beams respectively arranged adjacent contact terminals disposed in an insulative housing. The biasing beams are pivotable about support points at intermediate portions thereof. The biasing beams are pivoted by means of pivotal actuator.

Abstract: A latching system is provided for an electrical connector which includes a connector housing mounting a plurality of conductive terminals in a terminal module for contacting the terminals of an appropriate mating connecting device. At least one elongated latch arm has a front latching end and a rear end. The latch arm has an enlarged integral pivot portion intermediate its opposite ends. The housing includes an elongated groove for receiving the elongated latch arm. The groove has an enlarged journal portion for receiving the pivot portion of the latch arm. The groove has an enlarged cavity portion at one side thereof. A spring independent of the latch arm is located in the enlarged cavity portion of the groove for pivoting the latch arm in a latching direction.

Abstract: An improved termination assembly for multiple grounds of a multi-wire cable is disclosed. The assembly includes a U-shaped retention clip that engages with a termination portion of a ground terminal housed in a connector housing. The clip has at least one notch formed in an edge thereof which is used to locate a drain, or ground, wire in place on the clip in position for soldering the drain wire to the clip. The termination portion may be provided with an opening aligned with one of the notches of the clip so that two drain wires of the cable may be oriented above the signal wires of the cables in similar positions to impose a measure of mechanical uniformity on the termination.

Abstract: A board mounted electrical connector includes a dielectric housing for mounting on a printed circuit board. An elongated solder bar of solderable material is secured at a bottom face of the housing for mechanically fixing the housing to appropriate solder pad on the board. The elongated solder bar has opposite ends and air vent openings spaced between the opposite ends to facilitate air flow during a soldering process.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mounting in an opening in a panel which has an elongated channel having overhanging lips along opposite sides thereof defining a narrowed mouth running longitudinally of the channel. The opening communicates through the channel. A connector housing is insertable into the opening and into the channel in an insertion direction. The housing is rotatable within the opening. At least one locking projection extends outwardly of the housing generally perpendicular to the insertion direction. The locking projection is sized for passing through the narrowed mouth defined by the overhanging lips of the channel and for locking engagement behind one of the lips in response to rotation of the housing within the opening. A latch projection is disposed on the outside of the housing and is latchingly engageable in the narrowed mouth of the channel automatically in response to the rotation of the housing within the opening.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes an inner connector defining a front-to-rear mating axis and mounting a plurality of conductive terminals. An outer shell is disposed about the inner connector and includes a pair of backshell halves. Each backshell half has a latch bar extending radially of the mating axis and a latch arm extending axially of the mating axis. The latch bar and the latch arm are at opposite sides of the backshell half. The latch bar and the latch arm are constructed to be complementarily engageable so that the axially extending latch arm of one backshell half is engaged with the radially extending latch bar of the other backshell half to latch the backshell halves together and form the outer shell about the inner connector.

Abstract: A handheld type electronic device of this invention includes two housings respectively provided with electronic system components, a rotary device, and an electrical connector electrically connecting the electronic system components in the two housings. The invention is characterized in that the rotary device has a pivoting portion disposed on one side of one of the housings to rotatably connect with the other one of the housings, and a receiving portion. The electrical connector is disposed in the receiving portion and is confined in the housing provided with the rotary device such that rotation of the pivoting portion can bring the two housings to open or close while the electrical connector remains immovable.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mounting through an aperture in a panel with floating movement between the connector and the panel. A connector housing includes a mating portion insertable from a first side of the panel, through the aperture, to a position projecting from a second side of the panel. A first projection on the housing is engageable with the first side of the panel. A spring retention cap is positioned about the mating portion on the second side of the panel and includes a second projection for engaging the second side of the panel. An extension spring has opposite ends fixed to the spring retention cap and to the housing for drawing the first projection on the housing and the second projection on the spring retention cap against the first and second sides of the panel.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly is provided for mounting to a first side of a panel and through an opening in the panel. A connector housing is adapted for mounting through the opening in the panel and carries a plurality of terminals. A multi-function mounting/latch component includes at least one mounting boss for mounting the connector housing on a circuit board. The multi-function component includes at least one mounting aperture for receiving a mounting post of the connector housing for mounting the connector housing at the first side of the panel and through the opening in the panel. The multi-function component includes at least one latch arm projecting through the opening to a second side of the panel. A locking plate is engageable with the latch arm at the second side of the panel to hold the connector in assembly through the panel. The latch arm includes a latching aperture to facilitate latching the connector assembly to a complementary mating connector at the second side of the panel.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board and includes an elongated dielectric housing having a front mating end and a rear terminating end. A plurality of signal terminals are mounted on the housing and are spaced longitudinally thereof. Each signal terminal includes a contact portion at the mating end of the housing and a tail portion at the terminating end of the housing. A plurality of ground plates are mounted on the housing between at least some of the signal terminals. Each ground plate includes a body portion, a front portion and a tail portion. The signal terminals are disposed substantially within the longitudinal profiles of the body portions and front portions of the ground plates in a direction longitudinally of the housing, with the tail portions of the ground plates projecting rearwardly of the profiles.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a pair of modular subassemblies each having an outer housing with a mating face defining a mating portion for mating with a complementary connector in a mating direction. The outer housing also has a side face with a cavity. A terminal module includes a dielectric inner housing positioned in the cavity. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the inner housing, with contact portions at the mating portion for engaging appropriate contacts of the complementary mating connector. Therefore, the outer housings of the modular subassemblies can be joined at the side faces thereof to conceal the terminal modules therewithin.

Abstract: A mounting arrangement (1) for connecting an electrical device (2), typically a microphone, within a wireless telephone, is disclosed. The mounting arrangement comprises a housing (3) having an electrical device receiving portion (4). An enveloping portion (5) adapted to envelop the electrical device (2) is also provided, the enveloping portion (5) having at least two outwardly projecting retention tabs (6), the tabs adapted to co-operate and engage with corresponding retention portions (7) within the receiving portion (4). On full insertion of the enveloped electrical device within the receiving portion, the retention tabs engage with the retention portions, thereby securing the enveloping portion and enveloped electrical device within the receiving portion. Both the housing and the electrical device are provided with electrical terminals or connectors such that on securing the enveloped electrical device within the receiving portion electrical engagement between the inserted device and housing is effected.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mating with a complementary connecting device in a mating direction. A non-conductive housing mounts a plurality of conductive terminals. The housing has a channel extending generally parallel to the mating direction with an opening to the channel at a forward mating end of the housing. A flexible latch arm is located in the channel and has a free end with a latch plate for latchingly engaging an appropriate latch of the complementary connecting device inserted into the opening of the channel. The latch arm and latch plate are located substantially entirely within the bounds of the channel. The latch plate is in a plane generally parallel to the mating direction and has side edges confined by opposite side walls of the housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly is provided for mounting on a printed circuit board. The assembly includes a housing having a front mating face, a rear face and a board mounting face. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing and include contact portions extending toward the front mating face and tail portions extending at an angle to the contact portions for connection to the printed circuit board. A tail aligner is mounted on the tail portions of the terminals and is free of the housing spaced rearwardly of the rear face thereof. A cover at least partially encloses the rear face of the housing and the tail portions of the terminals. The cover is secured to the housing and is latched to the tail aligning device.

Abstract: A laminated electrical switch includes an insulative substrate having a lower stamped metal circuit sheet supported thereon. The lower sheet includes a plurality of switch contacts and a plurality of leads for connecting the switch contacts to appropriate conductors. An upper stamped metal sheet is disposed over the insulative substrate and includes a plurality of embossed metal domes in registry with and spaced from respective ones of the switch contacts. Depression of a selected one of the embossed metal domes engages the dome with a respective one of the switch contacts to close a circuit therethrough.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for receiving an electrical plug. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a plug-insertion cavity for receiving the electrical plug in an insertion direction. At least one conductive terminal is mounted on the housing and includes a body portion for fixing the terminal to the housing. A spring contact arm extends from the body portion toward the plug-insertion cavity. A contact portion of the spring contact arm is exposed in the cavity for engaging the electrical plug. The spring contact arm extends generally transversely of the insertion direction, whereby the contact portion is yieldably movable generally perpendicular to the insertion direction. The spring contact arm is bowed outwardly of the plug-insertion cavity near the periphery thereof, whereby only the contact portion is exposed in the cavity.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for a flat cable having an upper surface and a lower surface. The connector includes a dielectric housing having an opening for receiving an end of the flat cable in a cable-insertion slot. A plurality of first terminals are mounted in the housing and each has a generally U-shaped configuration defining a base leg and an upper leg. Both legs are fixed in the housing and define a mouth therebetween coincident with the opening in the housing for receiving the end of the flat cable. A flexible contact arm extends from a distal end of the base leg into the mouth and defines a first contact section. A plurality of second terminals are mounted in the housing and each includes a base fixed in the housing and a bifurcated arm flexibly connected to the base and extending toward the opening in the housing. The bifurcated arm includes an upper arm extension and a lower arm extension having a second contact section.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing electrical terminals and/or a terminal module is disclosed. The method includes the steps of stamping from a sheet of metal material a blank for a plurality of elongated terminals having contact portions at one end and terminal portions at the other end and joining the terminals by a tie bar intermediate the ends. The contact portions of the respective terminals are separated from each other by the stamping step. The terminal portions remain joined in the sheet of metal after the stamping step. The blank then is sheared to separate the terminal portions. The tie bar is cut to separate the terminals. In order to form a terminal module, a dielectric housing is overmolded about the terminals intermediate the ends thereof, with the tie bar being located outside the housing and removed after the overmolding process.

Abstract: A connector panel mounting system includes first and second panels each having a given thickness between respective insertion surfaces and mating surfaces thereof and an opening with a locating notch in an edge of the opening. First and second connectors each include dielectric housings insertable from the insertion surfaces of the respective panels to insertion positions into the respective openings. Each housing has an outwardly extending locating flange for passing through the locating notch of the opening in the respective panel as the housing is inserted thereinto. The housing of each connector is movable from its insertion position to a mounted position whereat the locating flange thereof abuts the mating surface of the respective panel. The housing of each connector has a recess aligned with the locating notch of the opening in the respective panel when the housing is in its mounted position.

Abstract: A shielded floating panel mounted electrical connector includes a dielectric housing having a front mating end and a rear terminating end. The front mating end is designed for mating with a complementary mating connector in a mating direction. A metal shell is mounted about at least the rear terminating end of the dielectric housing. The shell mounts the electrical connector in an opening in and rigidly fixed to a panel. The housing is complementarily engaged within the shell to provide for relative floating movement therebetween in a direction transversely of the mating direction.