Abstract: An electrical connector having a housing, quick release latches, and a hood. The hood allows an electrical cable to exit the hood in three different directions. The quick release latches are located on opposite ends of the housing and allow the connector to be easily snap-lock connected to a second connector and easily released from the second connector by depressing the latches. The use of the hood, the size and shape of the housing, and the simplicity of the latches combine to provide a lightweight connector that can be used in aircrafts for entertainment systems.

Abstract: An electrical connection system is provided with two electrical connectors and a mounting track. The mounting track is adapted to be connected to a frame. The connectors are slidingly mounted onto the mounting track and into electrical connection with each other.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided with a housing, electrical contacts mounted to the housing, and ejectors pivotally mounted to the housing. The ejectors have pivot posts that extend in the same direction and spaced ejecting fingers. The pivot posts are axially slid into pivot holes at the edge of the housing along a first direction. The ejectors are then rotated in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction with the fingers being received in finger holes in the housing to thereby prevent the ejectors being inadvertently disconnected from the housing. The fingers and finger holes extend, at least partially, between adjacent contact receiving holes in the housing. Detent locating of the ejectors is provided at an open position and a closed position. The housing includes blocking projections to prevent connection of an integrated circuit chip other than in a predetermined position.

Abstract: An electrical terminal block includes a housing top, a housing bottom, and a plurality of electrical contact terminals. The housing top has a pattern of grooves extending into its bottom. The housing bottom has a pattern of tongues extending from its top. The housing top and bottom are ultrasonically welded to each other with the tongues located in at least some of the grooves. Different housing bottoms having different patterns of tongues can be selected to configure the terminal block to accommodate different types of electrical contact terminals having different numbers of contacts. The tongue and groove patterns can electrically isolate bases of contact terminals from each other.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided with a housing, female contacts, retainer clips, and contact spacers. The contact spacers surround the female contacts, have cantilevered flared legs, and have a top shelf. The legs are deflected when the spacer and female contact are inserted into the housing to form a friction grip between the spacer and the housing and, between the spacer and the female contact. The top shelf has an aperture to limit the size of male contacts to be passed therethrough and, support the bottom of the retainer clips.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly including a grounding-mounting track and at least one ground module fixedly connected to the track. The track is adapted to have a plurality of signal modules modularly connected to it. The ground module has a housing with at least one electrical terminal therein. The electrical terminal is fixedly electrically connected to the track.

Abstract: A tap connector provided with upper and lower body portions, each of the body portions including opposed concave seating surfaces adapted to hold a conductor having a first diameter. The upper and lower portions are provided with a tongue and groove combination parallel to the concave seating surfaces to hold a conductor having a second diameter less in size than the first diameter. This tongue and groove combination provides an anti-rotating feature.

Abstract: A tool for connecting an electrical connector to a conductor includes a drive mechanism and a compression head. The drive mechanism has a housing, a first ram and a firing mechanism to ignite a powder cartridge that moves the first ram relative to the housing. The compression head is adjustably connected to the housing and includes a frame, a second ram movably mounted to the frame and an adaptor adjustably connecting the frame to the housing. The adaptor has an aperture such that the first ram can extend through the adaptor and move the second ram.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided with a housing and a plurality of electrical contacts. The housing has a plurality of contact receiving channels having preload shelves. The contacts each have two opposing cantilever arms and means for biasing a distal end of one of the arms towards the other arm. The distal ends of the arms have preload tabs that contact each other during insertion of the contact into the housing, and are used to preload the arms at their final position in the housing.

Abstract: A dual beam electrical contact is provided with a first connection section, a middle section, and a second connection section. The first connection section has opposing substantially parallel first and second arms. Each arm has a bottom end and a cantilevered top end. The middle section connects the bottom ends of the arms to each other. The middle section has a general "S" shape with a first end of the middle section connected to the bottom end of the first arm and an opposite end of the middle section connected to the bottom end of the second arm.

Abstract: A system for connecting electrical connectors to a mounting track. The track can have signal connectors snap-lock connected to it. The track can also have grounding connectors connected to it. The track has a snap-lock ledge, a cam surface located proximate the ledge, and a toe ledge. The signal connector has a toe located on one side of the connector adapted to be positioned under the toe ledge, a spring ledge adapted to cooperate with the cam surface to bias the connector towards the toe ledge, and a snap-lock latch adapted to keep the signal connector retained with the track. The connector can include a key to prevent connection of the signal connector to the track unless the signal connector is located at a predetermined position relative to the track.

Abstract: A system to connect and retain a first member with a second member. The first member has a mounting section with two arms and a bridge between the arms. The arms are canted towards each other in a general cantilever fashion and are deflectable outward from each other. The bridge extends between middle sections of the two arms and is deflectable as the arms are moved outward. The bridge can be collapsed to retain the arms in their outward position.

Abstract: A grounding block electrical connector is provided with a housing, electrical contact terminals, a housing insert, retainer clips, and a top cap. The housing is a one-piece metal member with a receiving cavity, top rivet posts, bottom rivet posts, and drainage holes. The contact terminals have contacts located in the receiving cavity and an integral busing strip. The busing strip is electrically and mechanically connected to the housing by the bottom rivet posts. The housing insert is located in the receiving cavity and has holes with the contacts located in the holes. The top cap is fixedly connected to the top of the housing over the receiving cavity by the top rivet posts. The housing insert has posts extending from its top surfaces that are located in post apertures of the top cap to thereby hold the insert at a stationary position in the receiving cavity.

Abstract: A packaging container for elongate electrical connectors includes a base and a cover. The base has a plurality of parallel connector receiving channels. Each channel has a width suitably sized and shaped to receive a row of connectors in an adjacent side-by-side orientation and a length suitably sized and shaped to receive a column of rows of connectors in an adjacent end-by-end orientation. A spacing section between each connector receiving channel and at the outsides of exterior connector channels are provided to allow an unloader's thumb and fingers to be inserted at two of the spacing sections to grasp a row of the connectors with one grasping operation to remove the row of connectors.

Abstract: An electrical connector shield is provided that includes a metal shield member, a dielectric spacer, and a fastener for fastening the shield member to a first connector. The shield member has a first section adapted to be connected to the first connector and a second section offset from the first section and spaced from the first connector to thereby form a second connector receiving area. The shield member is suitably sized and shaped to shield at least one substantially entire side of both of the first and second connectors when connected to each other.

Abstract: An electrical connector crimping tool has a head with a stationary anvil and a movable ram. The anvil has two angled contact surfaces for contacting a connector. The ram has a front with a pyramid and angled side portions. The pyramid is suitably sized and shaped such that the angled side portions of the ram can contact the anvil angled contact surfaces to stop forward advancement of the ram without the pyramid contacting the anvil.

Abstract: A fixture for welding a grounding connector to a structural steel member is disclosed. Such fixture is formed of a magnetic material so that the fixture is attracted to, and retained upon, the steel member. A chamber is defined within the rectangular body of the fixture, and an inlet passage in the front of the fixture receives one end of the grounding connector. Thermite powder is introduced into the chamber, and an igniter cap delivers a spark to the powder, to ignite same, thereby producing a molten mass of metal. The metal flows the fixture and bonds the grounding connector and the fixture to the structural steel member. The method of utilizing such single-use fixture is also disclosed.

Abstract: A grounding clamp for permitting the grounding of an electrical cable provided with a 2-hole compression connector allowing the grounding of this cable to a metallic pipe. A mechanical clamp provided with a saddle portion and one or more U-bolts is mounted to the pipe. The mechanical clamp is provided with a mounting pad onto which the compression conductor is also mounted. A connection system is provided between the mounting pad and the compression lug allowing the electrical cable to be angled at different directions with respect to the metallic pipe.