Abstract: An electrical connector (10) includes a first housing part (20) fixed to a circuit board and a second housing part (30) fitted within the first housing part and spaced therefrom to alow limited X, Y, and Z movement between such parts, contacts (40) are provided including solder post portions (42) mounted in the first housing part and contact portions (41) in the second housing part adapted to engage the contacts of a mating housing. The contact portions (41) and (42) are interconnected by an integral S-shaped spring (43) to facilitate limited and resilient movement of the contact portions and housing parts to relieve stresses and strains caused by mating and unmating of components, including further connectors to a circuit board through the connector. An alternative embodiment (10') includes legs (42') and a J-shaped contact portions (40') in the second housing part (30') with the connector (10') being adapted to be surface mounted and soldered on a circuit board.

Abstract: A cable termination member (10) having improved strain relief features for isolating optical fiber members (21,22) in a terminated optical fiber cable (20) from external stresses.

Abstract: An electrical contact (10) includes a central retention portion (16) adapted for insertion in a printed circuit board hole (38). The retention portion (16) includes first and second beam members (22, 24) and first and second collar sections (18, 20) which are rolled into a substantially cylindrical shape about an axis parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam members. The length of the beam members is at least as great as the thickness of the printed circuit board (40). The unstressed diameter of the substantially cylindrical retention portion is greater than the diameter of the circuit board hole (38). The retention portion (16) is formed with gaps (42, 44) so that it can be compressed for insertion into the hole (38). Since the spacing between the collar sections (18, 20) is at least as great as the thickness of the circuit board (40), the collar sections are on opposite sides of the circuit board outside the hole when the retention portion is inserted in the hole.

Abstract: An electrical connector has first terminals which are surface mounted to respective sides of a substrate and second terminals which extend through an edge surface of the substrate to make electrical connection to an opening provided in the substrate. As the connector is mated to the edge of the substrate, the connector occupies a minimal space on the substrate.

Abstract: A surface mounted connector (25) for interconnecting closely centered circuits such as those carried by circuit boards (12, 18) includes plug and receptacle housings (24, 90) which internest to interconnect edge mounted, thin stamped contacts (50, 116) on centers complementary those of said circuits which include a contact configuration producing a series of point contacts (70, 128) and solder wells (70, 130) to provide an improved solder joint between respective contacts and boards. The contacts extend outside the side walls of the housings (64, 164) to facilitate heat application for solder reflow and inspection of solder joints. The contacts further have barbs (66, 126) engaging the said housings to hold the contacts against displacement upon separation of the plug from the receptacle.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly has a frame member which is positioned on a housing and is movable between an terminal insertion position and a terminal lock position. The frame member has resilient fingers with extend into terminal receiving cavities of the housing to properly position and maintain the terminals in the terminal receiving cavities when the frame member is in the terminal lock position. The frame member has anti-rattle projections which cooperate with a panel when the assembly is mounted therein. The anti-rattle projections ensure that a positive electrical connection will be effected and maintained over time.

Abstract: An electrical connector (4) terminated to signal wires (SW) of a shielded electrical cable (C) having a drain wire (DW), has an insulating housing (8) containing electrical terminals having contacts (40) electrically connected to the signal wires of the shielded electrical cable (C). A metal shield (14) covering the lower part of the housing (8) has a grounding clip (48) connected to the rear wall (28) of the shield (14) by means of a strap (62). The grounding clip receives an end portion of the cable (C) from which the signal wires (SW) extend to the contacts (40) of the connector (4). The drain wire (DW) is wound in a circuitous path about tabs (58) of the grounding clip (48). The grounding clip can be bent about the strap (62) to line in a channel (36) between two rows of the contacts (40) of the connector (4), after the grounding clip has been wound about with insulative tape (T).

Abstract: A shroud (50) for an electrical connector (12) of the type including a housing having opposed mating and exit faces (16, 20) and a mounting face (18) extending rearwardly in a plane perpendicular to that of the mating face (16) and a plurality of terminal members (42) secured in respective terminal-receiving apertures (26) of the housing (14). The terminal members (42) extend from first contact sections (44) exposed for mating at the mating face to elongate tails extending from the exit face through right angle bends and to second contact sections (48) beyond the plane of the mounting face (18). The dielectric shroud (50) includes opposed bottom and top walls (54, 60) and opposed end walls (66) extending from housing-proximate edges adapted to be fitted against the exit face (20) thereof and a sidewall (52) extending between the top and bottom walls (60, 54).

Abstract: A cable making machine for making and electrically testing a cable assembly is disclosed. The machine includes a test circuit for effecting the electrical tests and a unique probe means for electrically connecting the test circuit to the contacts of the connectors being terminated to the cable. The probe means includes a plurality of relatively thin elongated metal probe members having a substantially rectangular cross section that slide in slots formed in an insulated block. Spring members bias the metal probe members toward the connector contacts. A cam, actuated by the ram of the machine causes the insulated block to move the metal robe members away from the connector contacts during the actual termination operation.

Abstract: An electrical connector (10) wherein the contacts (32, 34) have tail portions (40, 46) extending into respective holes (18) of a printed circuit board (16). The tail portions are gently curved, which provides a centering of the distal ends (48, 56) of the tail portions over the respective circuit board holes and also results in a low insertion force. Retention is provided by friction of the tail portions against the walls of the holes. The gentle curve of the tail portions keeps them close to the walls of the respective holes so that when a surface mount solder process is utilized, each tail portion provides a wicking action to concentrate the small amount of solder which is available in the region where the tail portion is close to the wall, resulting in a strong mechanical and electrical solder joint without requiring the hole to filled with solder.

Abstract: A solder cup (24) adapted to be secured to the shank (44) of a contact (22) received in a connector (20) has a generally cylindrical body sized to receive the shank (44) of the contact (22) therein. The body has at least one retention feature (108) proximate a first end (92) that defines an effective diameter (132) within the bore (90) that is less than the cross section measurement of the shank (44) of a contact (22) to be received therein. Upon insertion of the shank (44) of a contact (22) into the bore (90) of the solder cup (24), an interference fit is achieved between the shank (44) and retention features (108) of the solder cup (24) to provide electrical engagement therebetween and to secure the solder cup (24) on the shank (44).

Abstract: Component package (10) includes component (24) having conductive pads (26) attached to the lid (20) of a housing (30) containing wires (14) of a cable (12) positioned therewithin to be engaged by an elastomeric connector (42) having a resilient core (44) with a thin, dielectric film (46) carrying conductive traces (48) extending over a tab (50) with the housing and lid driving the pads against the connector to interconnect the pads to the traces to the wires upon closure. In one embodiment, the wires (14) are solder coated (16) with a solder reflow effecting a tab to wire connection and in another embodiment, precious metal coatings are employed to allow pressure connection between wire and traces. Alternatively, coatings of conductive inks or conductive adhesives may be used. The conductive traces may be placed on centers appropriate to the particular centers in the array of conductive pads and in the array of wires, such centers being selectively varied.

Abstract: A tool (10) and a jig (70) include intermating surfaces to facilitate mounting of the jig in reverse relationship to facilitate wiring of different sizes of connectors (160) having top and bottom rows of terminals (176, 177) with the jig having projections (100-114) precisely positioning terminals and connectors relative to index projections (74) which engage index means (60) on the tool and clamp means to hold cable (140) and wire in appropriate positions for different connectors and a wedge shaped adjustment (42) affixed to the tool to vary inserter movement for different size wires.

Abstract: A board stiffener (50) of rigid construction of high heat resistance material having recesses (62) to be secured to a large circuit board (10) over a plurality of electrical articles having contacts (24) soldered to the board, such as electrical connectors (20). The board stiffener (50) is mounted firmly to the board at locations near each recess (62) in abutment with top surfaces (34) of connectors (20) and provides resistance against warping by the board (10) during high temperature soldering operations. The board stiffener (50) can have channels (68,70) along the bottom surface (52) and the recess surfaces (72,74) to enable flow of solvent during flux cleaning following soldering operations.

Abstract: A bulkhead connector (100,200) includes an array of bus bars (150,250) extending from a first face to a second face for interconnecting associated power cables (20,30) on opposing sides of the bulkhead (10). Embedded within the connector is a substrate (b 130,230) of fire resistant material extending transversely completely across the bulkhead opening (12), with apertures (144,244) through which extend the bus bars. Exposed contact sections (152,154;252,254) of the bus bars permit terminals (24,34) to be fastened thereto, and the connector is adapted to prevent rotation of the fastened terminals during in-service use.

Abstract: A sealing electrical assembly (32) of a type mated with a further connector (11) along a given axis includes first and second housings (1, 2) that telescope together to hold a one-piece seal (3) therebetween. The seal (3) has apertures (10) receiving wires (7) passed through openings (8) in the second housing joining contacts (5) retained in cavities (4) in the first housing and a peripheral surface including ribs (12) engaged by surfaces on a housing (2) of the further connector (11) to be compressed peripherally in a sense transverse to the mating axis of the connectors to effect a seal of the connector interior. One invention embodiment features a seal surface oriented outwardly (12) to be compressed inwardly, and a second embodiment includes a seal surface oriented inwardly (12') to be compressed outwardly against interior surfaces of a second housing to effect a seal of the connector interior.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of determining the quality of a crimped electrical connection by collecting force and displacement data during the crimping cycle and comparing that data with data that represents standard crimped connections of known high quality. Of the collected data, selected portions are related to corresponding portions of the standard data and, if a deviation exists of more than a specific amount, a reject signal is generated and displayed to the machine operator. The standard data is continually updated to account for slowly changing environmental conditions that occur over a relatively long period of operation.

Abstract: An electrical connector (10) includes a plastic housing (12) of a configuration to fit through an aperture (32) of a printed circuit board (30) having circuits (34) on the undersurface (33) thereof with the connector housing having wing portions (14) carrying contact portions (26) adapted to engage the circuits of the underside of the printed circuit board and be soldered thereto to minimize the overall height of the assembly formed of the connector and board.

Abstract: The electrical connector (4) is mounted to float in a back panel (P2) of a drawer containing a power supply distribution module. The panel has a T-shaped cut out (178) therein, the cut out having a transverse part (182) and a perpendicular part (180). The housing (100) of the connector (4) has upper flanges (144) projecting from opposite sides thereof, lower flanges (146) also projecting from opposite sides thereof, and a top flange (150). The upper flanges (144) disposed forwardly of the lower flanges (146) and the top flange (150).

Abstract: An electrical connector (20) for terminating to conductors (220) of a shielded cable (222) is prepared with an exposed cable shield (224). An insulated housing member (30) has a cavity (64) therein with a cable exit (66) extending between the cavity (64) and an exterior surface of the housing member (30). A shield member (26) is receivable in the cavity (64). The shield member (26) has a flange (190) extending into the cable exit (66). A staple (32) is adapted to be received and secured in the cable exit (66). The staple (32) is further adapted to be moved into the cable exit (66) to compress a cable (222) passing therethrough such that the shield member flange (190) is pressed into engagement with the exposed cable shield (224) on the cable (222). Strain relief is thereby provided and simultaneously electrical continuity is achieved between the cable shield (222) and the flange (190 ).