Abstract: Electrical connectors capable of being mounted on circuit substrates by BGA techniques and a method for manufacturing such connectors. There is at least one recess on the exterior side of the connector elements. A conductive contact extends from adjacent the interior side of the into the recess on the exterior side of the housing. A controlled volume of solder paste is introduced into the recess. A fusible conductive element, in the form of solder balls is positioned in the recess. The connector is subjected to a reflow process to fuse the solder ball to the portion of the contact extending into the recess. Contacts are secured in the insulative housing of the connector by deformable sections that minimize stress imposed on the housing, thereby reducing warpage. Solder resist areas are formed on central portions of the contacts to promote uniformity of solder volume. As a result of these features, substantial coplanarity of the BGA array along the mounting interface of the connector is achieved.

Abstract: Two cables containing electric wires are electrically connected via a connecting device. The device includes a plurality of electrical connection units arranged in parallel and linked via a flexible linking portion. Each of the electrical connection units includes a groove adapted for stacking an electric wire of a first cable and an electric wire of a second cable to be connected thereto. Each groove is mounted with a cutting element. When the electric wires are received in the groove, the cutting element cuts into the electric wires and contacts a wire core included in the electric wire. Adjacent electrical connection units are connected through a flexible linking portion. By virtue of this connecting device, the cables are easily connected on the installation site and generation of an excess length of the cable is avoided.

Abstract: A pivotable electrical plug assembly includes a pair of elongated blades, such as rod shaped European style blades. A detent mechanism is formed with electrically conductive resilient members for releasably retaining rear portions of the elongated blades, for example, European rod shaped blades. The plug assembly is pivotally mounted to an appliance housing, such as a consumer electronic appliance or device, with the resilient members being mounted in fixed position relative to the appliance housing. The resilient members are adapted to extend into the appliance housing to engage the blades without requiring any modifications to the standard blade design.

Abstract: A connector is moveable between a coupled state and an uncoupled state with respect to a counter connector. Plural contact members of the connector individually contact respective, plural contacts of the counter connector when coupled together. A contact module of the connector has a pair of contacts individually contacting and short circuiting a corresponding pair of respective contacts of the counter connector, in a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states thereof. The contact module may include a pair of output terminals corresponding to the pair of contacts and a switch, actuated between first and second states in accordance with the coupled and uncoupled states of the connector, a selected one of the coupled and uncoupled states producing short circuiting of the pair of output terminals.

Abstract: A compact electrical connector having a reduced packaging or mounting area includes a housing in which a receptor cavity for receiving a counterpart connector is concavely formed, and contacts fixed in the housing. Each contact includes a contact body that extends in the plug-in direction in which the counterpart connector is received or plugged into the receptor cavity of the housing, and a contact leg that extends outwardly on the base side of the housing. The housing is provided with a slit or slits through side walls thereof to expose the contact bodies to the outside. Thereby the contacts are deflectable. The slits also partially or entirely separate upper and lower portions of the housing from each other, so that the upper housing portion may easily be deflected laterally or rotationally relative to the lower housing portion. Thereby a misalignment-compensating function is achieved.

Abstract: A landing type smart card reader 10 is provided having a base 14, a cover 12, and a contact carrier 50. Spring arms 22 formed in the cover 12 cooperate with the contact carrier 50 to bias the contacts 18 away from an inserted smart card 102. Upon insertion of a smart card 102, the spring arms 22 will disengage the contact carrier 50 and the contacts 18 will land on and make electrical connection with pads of the smart card 102.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for manufacturing an insulation displacement contact dimple comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a metal element between a first concave upper die and a first convex lower die having a radius to form a dimple shape in the medial element; (b) positioning the dimple shaped metal element formed in step (a) between a second concave upper die and second convex lower die having a radius smaller than the radius of the first convex lower die to reform the dimple shaped metal element formed in step (a); and (c) positioning the dimple shaped metal element formed in step (b) between a third concave upper die and a third convex lower die having a radius larger than the radius of the second convex lower die. A contact dimple manufactured by the method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a faceplate and a cover plate. The faceplate is provided with at least receptacle having two slots. A rectangular recess is provided on the faceplate outside the slots. A tongue of a length corresponding to that of the slots is provided between the slots. Each slot is provided with a slide groove at an outer side thereof. The cover plate is received in the recess and has a length substantially equivalent to the distance from bottom edges of the slots to a bottom edge of the recess. The cover plate includes an indentation at an upper end shaped to receive the tongue, and two side wings each having a hook extending downwardly from outer edges thereof for engaging the slide grooves. When the cover plate is disposed in the recess of the faceplate, the side wings will contact the tongue. When the cover plate is in a use position, the slots are exposed on the faceplate to allow insertion of a plug.

Abstract: A cable television (CATV) housing having a screwless seizure mechanism for receiving the center conductor of a coaxial cable is disclosed. The mechanism is mounted on a printed circuit board adjacent an entry port of the CATV housing. One end of the seizure mechanism includes a female terminal for receiving the center conductor of a cooperating CATV coaxial cable when the cable is installed on the entry port. An entry guide is provided which insulates the female terminal as well as directs the center conductor of the CATV cable into the female terminal. A second end of the seizure mechanism is securely mounted to, and in electrical communication with, the printed circuit board. A CATV coaxial cable installed onto the entry port of the CATV housing is placed in electrical communication with internal electronics of the housing while still maintaining signal and power integrity without the need to disassemble the housing to secure the center conductor to the circuit board by a seizure screw.

Abstract: A modular telephone plug having an elongated dielectric housing and a clip member attached that is adapted to fit into a standard RJ-type jack. More specifically, one end of the modular plug defines an electrical connector section to which wires from a telephone cord can be attached. For this purpose, the housing includes an internal channel through which the telephone cord can extend. The clip member is secured in a cantilevered manner at an end of the housing remote from the electrical connector section. The housing is also formed with a recess into which extends a free end of the clip member. The modular plug has an associated length of 1.1 to 1.5 inches (approximately 2.8 to 3.8 cm). With this construction, the modular telephone plug can be easily grasped and manipulated.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a body and two or more electrical contacts. The body has a guide member elongated between a first end and a second end along a first axis and has a connector block at the first end. The connector has a very low profile (preferably, less than about 10 mm), and the bottom of the body is surface-mountable on a circuit board. The connector block retains the contacts, which are spaced from one another in the direction of the first axis. The upper portions of contacts nearer the first end of the body extend higher above the circuit board on which the connector is mounted than contacts nearer the second end. In other words, the upper portions of the contacts together present a surface that is generally inclined or angled with respect to the bottom surface of the connector and the surface of the circuit board on which it is mountable.

Abstract: In order to design a plug connector made of a housing (2), housing modules (6, 7) and plug-in modules (33) in such a way that a readily assembled modular system is produced which fulfils the known requirements with regard to the sealing of contact parts and system sealing, the plug-in module (33) sliding along the housing modules (6, 7) can be inserted into hollow spaces (8, 9), wherein in one of their longitudinal walls (14, 15, 34, 35) the modules (6, 7, 33) are constructed with flaps (16, 17, 36, 37) which can be swivelled outwardly in the plug-in direction (S) for locking contact parts (10, 57).

Abstract: A rotary connector apparatus for supplying electric power to an air bag mounted on a steering wheel has a stator housing, a rotor housing, a flexible cable within a space defined by the housings and a slidable sheet temporarily fixed by an engaging claw on the bottom housing until the stator housing is assembled. A bearing over the entire periphery of a lower end of the rotor housing includes a thrust bearing and a radial bearing. Crimp portions protruding from the rotor housing are inserted into a cord cover, and the cord cover is secured by crushing the crimp portions. The cord cover covers an outlet for the cord, and a holder for holding an end of the flexible cable is secured to the rotor housing. The holder has an arc-shaped surface on a side of a space accommodating the cable, and a tongue-shaped elastic piece is secured within a recess on the surface to prevent buckling of the cable.

Abstract: An electric storage battery connector assembly, including a male connector, which includes an elongate, generally cylindrical, electrically-conductive post having a fixed end for being attached to an electrical cable and a free end. A female connector electrically communicates with a terminal of the battery. The female connector is formed of an electrically-conductive material and has a recess therein for receiving therein the post of the male connector. A cam is integrally-formed on the free end of the post of the male connector, and a cam follower is carried in the recess of the female connector for cooperating with the cam on the post of the male connector for relative rotational movement between the unlocked position where the post may be inserted into or removed from the recess in the female connector, and the locked position where the post is locked into the recess of the female connector against removal therefrom.

Abstract: A fluorescent lamp connector for releasable axial engagement with a bi-pin fluorescent lamp is disclosed. The connector comprises a first housing section, a second housing section adapted to be connected to at least a portion of the first housing section, a locking spring, and a release member adapted for axial movement within the first housing section. The locking spring comprises a plurality of pin-receiving apertures adapted to axially receive and grip the pins of the fluorescent lamp. A preferred embodiment has a wedge-shaped release member having at least two rails which guide the release member through channels in the first housing section and into the locking spring upon flexing of the second housing section. In operation, the second housing section is pressed radially to drive the release member axially against the locking spring and flex it.

Abstract: An electrical connector having latch devices is disclosed. The electrical connector comprises an elongated insulating housing defining an elongate, narrow slot for receiving a circuit board, a plurality of conductive contacts received in a plurality of passageways defined along inner surfaces of the circuit board receiving slot for electrical and mechanical connecting the circuit board, and latch devices integrally extending upward from both lateral ends of the insulating housing. Each of the latch devices includes a forward protruding positioning lug for guiding and positioning the insertion of the circuit board into the slot, an inward protruding latching lug for latching the circuit board received in the slot, and a releasing portion for releasing the latching of the latching lug to the circuit board.

Abstract: A cylindrical plug connector is provided for terminating an electrical cable which includes at least first and second inner conductors surrounded by an outer insulating jacket. A generally cylindrical dielectric housing mounts at least an outer cylindrical conductive contact and an inner conductive contact. The inner conductive contact is terminated to one of the first and second inner conductors of the cable. A terminal has a body portion in engagement with the outer cylindrical conductive contact. The terminal includes a first crimp arm projecting from the body portion for crimping termination with the other of the first and second inner conductors of the cable, and a second crimp arm projecting from the body portion for crimping onto the outer insulating jacket of the cable.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved electric connector assembly for use in coupling two printed boards. The height of such assembly is reduced yet a good effective length of contact beam and increased distance between the soldering tails of the opposite terminals is assured. Each female terminal is composed of a horizontal base, a contact beam rising from one end of the horizontal base and having contact near its top end. A transition descends from the other end of the horizontal base, and a soldering tail horizontally extends from the transition. The female terminals are attached to opposite side walls of their housing with their horizontal bases partly embedded in the opposite side walls.

Abstract: A multiple contact wet connector that includes a male connector assembly having a nose portion that removably fits within an axial cavity in a female connector assembly. The connector assemblies are constructed for attachment to equipment and instrumentation in a wet environment. Each of the connector assemblies include a plurality of conductors that are constructed for attachment to conductors in the equipment and instrumentation. Each conductor in the male connector assembly is matched with a conductor in the female connector assembly for transmission of a signal therethrough. Electrical contacts within the connector assemblies provide individual contact of the matching conductors. Insulators separate and insulate the electrical contacts from one another. Seals between the contacts isolate the fluid near one contact from the fluid near the other contacts. Thereby, the seals further insulate the contacts from one another.

Abstract: A wire manager for use with a wiring block assembly. The wire manager has a base portion connected to a retaining portion which together provide an area for wire management. The base portion includes a latching portion which has a lip for affixing the wire manager to the wiring block assembly. The wire manager is preferably made from plastic and is easily mounted to and removed from the wiring block assembly by compressing the base portion.