Abstract: An electrical ribbon connector is disclosed having a protective hood which is assembled to or disassembled from a locked position on the connector insert member by either a sliding or pivoting technique. The hood is also automatically locked or secured in its final assembled position, and the locked or latched structure may be easily disengaged using a simple prying device such as a screwdriver. The connector body or insert member also includes retent structure for maintaining the plug and receptacle connectors in fully mated assembly but which also prevents contaminants from reaching the interior of the fully mated connectors.

Abstract: An assembly is disclosed for mounting and for connectorizing an electronic switching device containing a heat generating semiconductor to an associated heat sink, wherein the switching device includes a body portion containing the semiconductor, a plurality of leads protruding from the body portion and a metallic heat conductive mounting tab carried by the body portion and protruding in a direction opposite to the leads. The assembly comprises a housing of dielectric material. The housing has a body cavity for receiving the body portion of the switching device and for preventing lateral movement thereof relative to the housing. The depth of the body cavity is slightly greater than the thickness of the body portion of the switching device to receive the complete body portion therein. The housing has a tab cavity for receiving the mounting tab of the switching device, and bias means formed integrally with the tab cavity for biasing the mounting tab outwardly from the housing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of automatically assembling and mounting contacts in plug-type connectors. The plug-type connector consists of a housing and a strip made of insulating material, which can be joined with the housing and which supports the contacts. In addition, the present invention relates to connectors produced according to the method.