Abstract: An insulation displacement connector is described for making contact to the wires of a flat multiconductor insulation cable wherein the wires are spaced by 0.050 inch or less, and may be as low as 0.025 inch. An insulation housing contains two rows of identical contacts which are easily loaded into the openings of the housing. The contacts have cable insulating shearing tines extending beyond one surface of the housing and nose ends for receiving header pins or other mating members at the outer surface of the housing. The tines of the contacts in one row of openings are staggered from those of the adjacent row by the distance between wires in the connecting cable. A metal latch secures a cover to the insulator base and a special metal strain relief strap is fixed to the cover to hold the cable in position against strain forces which would tend to pull the cable away from its connection with the tines.

Abstract: A connector structure for making electrical connection to a plurality of individual conductors contained within a flat wire cable has a plurality of fixed length flexible contact members assembled in parallel relationship in an insulation base. Each of the contact members has a nose portion at one end extending through the base and a piercing tail at the other end extending above the base and contained in a slot formed in a side extending from the base. A flexible connection region connects the piercing tail to the nose. Each of the flexible connection regions of all contacts are pre-bent in the same direction to accommodate a variable lateral spacing between the piercing and nose portions of each contact element. Alternatively, the contacts may be designed to bend in the same direction during installation. The central region of each contact is engaged by a contact locking plug which is frictionally held in the base.

Abstract: A flat cable connector which receives a flat cable having a conductive sheath is completely enclosed in a metallic casing which electrostatically and electromagnetically shields the electrical conductors within the connector. The casing is formed of stamped metal parts including two end cups and two side plates which are clamped over the edges of the end cups. The side plates have inwardly turned serrated sections which bite into and securely clamp the flat cable as it extends out of the flat cable connector housing. The side plate bottoms hook into slots in the bottoms of the end cups. The tops of the side plates have projections which latch into openings in the tops of the end cups to hold the housing together. In another embodiment, bifurcated clamping pins having tapered legs enter aligned slots on the side plates and end cups in order to hold them together.

Abstract: A tray having a plurality of parallel troughs is made from vacuum-formed polystyrene. Each of the troughs contains a pair of side walls, with adjacent walls of adjacent troughs connected together by respective flat, elongated ledges. The periphery of the tray is surrounded by a flat flange which is parallel to the ledges. The length of the troughs is greater than the length of two or more individual conductors which are side-mounted within the troughs. The width of the troughs corresponds to the combined height of a connector with its flat cover loosely fitted thereon and not fully latched to the body of the connector. The depth of the tray corresponds approximately to the width of the connector. Embossment projections are formed in the flat bottoms of the troughs and project into the space between the body of the connector and its loosely mounted cover.

Abstract: A connector structure for making electrical connection to a plurality of individual conductors contained within a flat wire cable has a plurality of fixed length flexible contact members assembled in parallel relationship in an insulation base. Each of the contact members has a nose portion at one end extending through the base and a piercing tail at the other end extending above the base and contained in a slot formed in a side extending from the base. A flexible connection region connects the piercing tail to the nose. The flexible connection region of each contact is pre-bent to accommodate a variable lateral spacing between the piercing and nose portions of each contact element. Alternatively, the contacts may be designed to bend in the same direction during installation. A rib is provided adjacent each contact member to align it with the corresponding slot. The central region of each contact is engaged by a contact locking plug which is frictionally held in the base.

Abstract: A switch terminal board of insulation material has spaced contacts fixed on one surface thereof which recieve a sliding switch member. The housing body also contains a sliding contact, a bias spring for pressing the sliding contact toward the fixed contacts, and an operating handle. Parallel longitudinal edges of the terminal board are fitted into corresponding parallel, elongated slots in the housing to securely fix the terminal board against accidental displacement and dislodgement due to forces which tend to pull the board away from the housing. Central portions of the edges of the switch terminal board may be notched, and the housing material below the slots can be deformed into the notches to improve the securement of the terminal board within the housing.

Abstract: A thin, flat conductive terminal strap is rigidly fastened to an insulation support board. The support board has two spaced, parallel slots into which a U-shaped end of the strap is dropped. A portion of one leg of the U near its base has a length slightly longer than the distance between the slots. When the later leg is bent upwardly to wrap the strap around the material between the slots, its end, which has an extension region, engages a frangible region in the opposite leg just beneath the support board and distorts the frangible region beyond the edge of the slot which receives the leg with the frangible region. The extension is slightly narrower than the frangible region. Thus, the entire strap is securely staked to the terminal board. The opposite surface of the terminal strap may serve as a contact which makes sliding contact with a sliding wiper. An array of a plurality of such terminals may be formed on a common insulation board.

Abstract: A multiple contact connector header has a frangible section carrying a rib which extends laterally from a wall of the header to interfere with the body of a socket which engages the header unless the socket has a groove to receive the rib, thereby to polarize the socket and header combination. The rib can be removed from the header by breaking away the frangible section to enable the header to be used with a socket not containing polarizing grooves.