Abstract: An insulation-piercing connector includes a connector body made of an insulating material, and a plurality of contacts made of a resilient conductive metal. Each of the contacts consists of a contact element to be connected to a contact of a mating connector, a fixing element carried by the connector body and a U-shaped piercing terminal element extending from a surface of the connector body and embracing a wire between legs of the U-shaped element. The contacts are arranged staggered in at least two rows. A cover is maade of an insulating material and formed with terminal element receiving grooves for receiving the U-shaped elements of the contacts. When the cover is covered onto the connector body, the cover forces wire into the U-shaped elements and embraces the wires between the cover and the connector body.

Abstract: A locking device serves to prevent connected receptacle and plug connectors from disconnecting due to external forces. The receptacle and plug connectors have substantially insulating blocks respectively supporting contacts to be connected when the receptacle and plug connectors are connected. The locking device includes anchoring recesses outwardly opening formed in outer surfaces of ends of one of the shells positioned inwardly of the other shell when connected, notches formed in ends of the other shell and positioned correspondingly to the anchoring recesses, locking pieces fixed in a hood of the other shell and extending toward the other shell, and engaging hook-shaped projections formed on the locking pieces and extending inwardly of the shell. The connected receptacle and plug connectors are to be locked so as to be prevented from disconnecting by fitting the engaging hook-shaped projections in the anchoring recesses. Miniaturization of the connector including the locking device is accomplished.

Abstract: When an electronic card is inserted into the device, a first reject plate is pressed to elongate first and second coil springs to anchor the card. When no writing or reading ROM and RAM of the card, electric current instantaneously flows through a solenoid to cause a stopper stopping a second reject plate to rotate through a slight angle so as to disengage the stopper from a front end of the second reject plate. As a result, the second reject plate is depressed by the second coil spring. At the same time, a reject arm provided on the second reject plate moves a reject oblique surface of a card latch to move the card latch through a slight angle to lower a card guide, so that the card is pushed by the first coil spring out of the device. In this manner, the card is not pushed out during writing or reading and hence contents of the card are not damaged. A solenoid requires only a force for moving the stopper through a small distance. The small solenoid and a little power are sufficient to operate the device.

Abstract: A distributing connector includes a collective receptacle having a plurality of unit receptacle connectors, and plug connectors to be fitted in the unit receptacle connectors, respectively. The distributing connector includes a U-shaped plug connector receiving cover for receiving bases of the plug connectors, and a U-shaped back cover for receiving wires. The receiving cover has openings for receiving fitting portions of the plug connectors arranged correspondingly to the unit receptacle connectors of the collective receptacle and back cover mounting ribs along outer edges of an opening of the U-shaped cover. The back cover has grooves along outer edges of an opening of the U-shaped back cover for receiving said back cover mounting ribs of the plug connector receiving cover and plug connector retaining ribs along inner edges of said opening of the U-shaped back cover.

Abstract: A spring locking device prevents any disconnection of connected female and male connector members of a connector. The locking device includes two pairs of bearings provided on both ends of a mounting flange of one connector member and locking members having support pins rotatably supported in the bearings. Each of the locking members is made of a springy wire and includes two parallel legs having lower ends outwardly bent, and support pins continuous to the lower ends to provide bent corners therebetween. When the locking members are mounted in the bearings, the bent corners are positioned inside of the bearings and in contact with bottoms of the bearings, and the support pins are in contact with semicircular edges of the bearings and extend therefrom out of the bearings on sides opposite to those of the legs. The locking device can prevent the support pins from removing from the bearings in a reliable manner with the aid of the particularly formed locking members without using removal preventing members.

Abstract: A locking device for a connector includes latch springs and latch supports for pivotally supporting the latch springs on a plate of connector. The latch support has an end face consisting of a series of a flat face perpendicular to a rotating axis of each of bent ends of the latch spring, a width differential face continuous to the flat face and obliquely protruding in an axial direction of the bent end of the latch spring away from the flat face, and a gently inclined face continuous to the width differential face on opposite side of the flat face and obliquely depressing in an axial direction of the bent end of the latch spring away from the width differential face. Base portions of the latch spring are in contact with the flat faces, in contact with the width differential faces and in contact with the gently inclined faces, when the latch spring is in a vertical, a predetermined inclined and a horizontal position, respectively.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes contacts to be connected to lead wires and a housing having apertures for receiving the contacts. The lead wires are connected to the contacts when the contacts are forced into the apertures of the housing. Each of the contacts comprises at one end a contact element to be in contact with an external terminal and at the other end a connection portion formed with a lead aperture through which a lead wire passes and with a slit continuous with the lead aperture. Edges of the slit pierce into an insulating coating of the lead wire and connect with a core of the lead wire under pressure.

Abstract: An electronic card receiving device includes a card holder forming a card receiving space in the device for receiving an electronic card, a card latching mechanism for holding the electronic card in position in the card receiving space formed by the card holder, a contacting mechanism for electrically connecting the device to contacts of the electronic card held in position, and a card pushing mechanism for disconnecting the device from the electronic card and pushing it out of the device. The card pushing mechanism comprises a first ejecting plate and a second ejecting plate slidable in directions of inserting and removing the electronic card. The first ejecting plate comprises an abutting portion for applying a force to an inserted electronic card to push it in the direction of removing the card.

Abstract: A drip-proof connector is used in connection between electric cables or the like and electric and electronic appliances such as cameras for televisions, servomotors for machine tools and the like. An insert of the connector is adapted to abut against an inwardly extending annular flange provided on an inside of a connector shell. With this arrangement, the drip-proof connector is simply and easily assembled or disassembled in fields without using particular tools and has a sufficient drip-proof property.

Abstract: A shuttered card-edge type IC card including a base having springs therein and a circuit board, a shutter and a cover provided in succession on at least one surface of the base. The base is formed with guide grooves and guide and spring receiving grooves. The springs are located in the guide and spring receiving grooves to close the shutter. The shutter is provided with pawls to be fitted in the guide grooves, respectively, for guiding the pawls in the guide grooves. The shutter is further provided with spring bias plates to be fitted in the guide and spring receiving grooves, respectively, for guiding the spring bias plates in the guide and spring receiving grooves and biasing the spring bias plates by the springs located therein. The connector comprises ridges located corresponding to the guide grooves of the base of the IC card and to be fitted in the guide grooves. The shutter of this IC card is not easily opened even if any member contacts the card in carrying or using it.

Abstract: A fiber sensor for measuring temperature or strain comprises a first polarization-maintaining fiber and a second polarization-maintaining fiber. In case of a temperature fiber sensor, the first and second fibers are selected to be unequal in change in phase difference caused by change in temperature but equal in change in phase difference caused by strain. In case of a strain fiber sensor, the first and second fibers are selected to be unequal in change in phase difference caused by strain but equal in change in phase difference caused by change in temperature. Axes of polarization of the first and second fibers are shifted by 90.degree. at a junction of the fibers. With this arrangement, the temperature fiber sensor can measure the change in temperature with high accuracy without being affected by strain, while the strain fiber sensor can measure the strain with high accuracy without being affected by the change in temperature.

Abstract: A locked connector for use in electric connectors, optical fiber connectors and the like, includes receptacle means having a receptacle shell, coupling means engaging the receptacle means with relative rotations, plug shell means having a plug shell engaging the receptacle shell with relative movements in their axial directions but against relative rotation, back-up means permitting the coupling means and the plug shell means to rotatably engage with each other, and detent means for holding said receptacle means and the plug shell means in their fitted position and permitting the receptacle means and the plug shell means to disengage from the fitted position by rotating the coupling means relative to the plug shell means with a force. The detent means comprises a detent ring encircling the plug shell and having a springiness.

Abstract: A contact for a connector, which includes two opposed contact elements for receiving therebetween a male contact of a mating connector. Each the contact element is provided with one or more protrusions on an opposed surface for embracing the male contact. Protrusions of the two opposed contact elements extend to that portions of the opposed contact elements which are devoid of the protrusions so as to overlap each other before the male contact is inserted between the contact elements. With this arrangement, even if the male contact is very thin, pressing force required to securely pressing the male contact by the contact elements is certainly obtained. The contact and the male contact are securely contacted without any torsional force and other forces which would otherwise be caused on these contacts.

Abstract: A multi contact connector includes a ground terminal block and signal and power source terminals connected with tape wires. Bare wires of the tape wires connected to the signal and power source terminals are provided with roundabout portions respectively to form slacks in the bare wires. With this arrangement, when external tensile forces act upon the connector, the slacks prevent disconnection of bare wires for signal and power source terminals indispensable for operation of the connector, even if a few bare wires among a number of bare wires connected to the ground terminal block are disconnected.

Abstract: An electronic card connecting circuit comprises a first contact pin for earthing a ground terminal of an electronic card, a second contact pin for electrically contacting the ground terminal to detect the ground terminal being earthed by the first contact pin, and detection control means including an active element which detects the second contact means being connected through the ground terminal to the first contact pin and controls a power source circuit to supply power to the electronic card. With this arrangement, when the first and second contact pins are in contact with the ground terminal of the electronic card, the detection control means detects the second contact pin being earthed to produce a control signal to apply power of source to the electronic card. In this manner, before the ground terminal of the card is earthed, the power source is prevented from being connected to the electronic card.

Abstract: A ferrule holding device is used for holding a ferrule accommodating optical fibers therein. Two ferrules are inserted in a sleeve extending in two connector bodies of the connector to bring the optical fibers to be in aligned and close contact with each other by spring means urging the ferrules toward each other. According to the invention, the device comprises a spring urged sleeve consisting of a cylindrical body having an outer diameter somewhat smaller than an inner diameter of each the connector body. The cylindrical body is provided at plural locations with resilient curved pieces having hooks outwardly extending but depressible inwardly of an outer periphery of the cylindrical body. The connector body is formed with anchoring apertures into which the hooks of the resilient curved pieces extend so as to hold the spring urged sleeve in the connector to support the spring means urging the ferrule.

Abstract: A connector is provided with lock means for locking a plug connector and a receptacle connector constituting the connector, which lock means includes a holding aperture having insert slot formed in locking ear located at each end of the plug connector and a locking member having a loop lock portion larger than the holding aperture and secured to a mounting lug at each end of a shield of the receptacle connector. The lock means comprises upstanding brackets being integrally formed with a mounting ear of each end of the shield, each the upstanding bracket having an insert aperture in opposition to that of the mating upstanding bracket for a mounting leg of the locking member and upper corners, on both sides of the insert aperture, being bent to oppose to similarly bent upper corners of the mating upstanding bracket to form a V-shaped recess.

Abstract: A material for forming contacts for use in connectors, switches and the like for electronic appliances. The material comprises a first metal layer having a conductivity, a second metal layer having a springiness and a plastic layer interposed between these metal layers. With this arrangement, the contacts according to the invention can be miniaturized to a far greater extent and far more inexpensively in comparison with prior art contacts made of copper alloys while maintaining the same current capacity and contact pressure. Moreover, the contacts according to the invention can eliminate disadvantages of prior art contacts made of two directly contacted metals, such as separation between them and elongation due to difference in coefficient of thermal expansion, deterioration of the contacts due to diffusion therebetween, and disintegration of the contacts due to electrochemical corrosion resulting from difference in electric potential between two metals.

Abstract: A contact of a connector made of an elongated resilient material and having an inner end fixed to a connector housing and a midway to be in contact with a mating contact of another connector. According to the invention, the contact comprises a substantially straight portion extending from a contacting portion of the midway with the mating contact to the fixed inner end, and an outer portion being bent in zigzag extending from the contacting portion to the distal end abutting against a surface of the connector housing, thereby obtaining a sufficient contacting resilient pressure to realize stable and reliable connecting condition with the mating contact and simultaneously achieving small-sized connectors and high speed signal transmission.

Abstract: A connector for memory cards includes a connector housing having an opening for receiving the memory card and at least one contact which contacts a connecting portion of the memory card inserted in the opening to connect the card to a computer circuit. According to the invention, the contact is arranged so as not to be in contact with the connecting portion of the memory card and there is provided a contact operating plate slidably movable in the connector housing to bring the contact into contact with the connecting portion of the memory card when the contact operating plate has moved toward said contact. The housing further comprises an operating lever pivotally connected thereto and having one end inserted into an aperture formed in the contact operating plate such that upon pivotally moving the operating lever, the contact operating plate is slidably moved in the housing.