Abstract: A surface mount carrier device which permits an electrical component having wire leads to be converted for surface mounting on a printed circuit board is disclosed. The carrier device comprises a body member fabricated from an electrical insulating material which includes a pair of upwardly extending, U-shaped lead supports. The lead supports define a pair of vertically opposed, symmetrical notches wherein the wire leads of the component are attached to the carrier device. In one embodiment the carrier device includes a pair of electrically conductive tabs which are secured within the notches and bent around the end faces of the carrier device and extend to a bottom surface thereof so as to provide an electrical pathway from the component to the printed circuit board whereon it will be fused. The wire leads are soldered to the conductive tabs and cut off at the end faces of the carrier device.

Abstract: An underwater electrical connector includes a plug shell, a receptacle shell, and removeable inserts. A substantially water tight seal is provided between the plug and receptacle shells when engaged, and preferably the plug shell and the socket shell have a maximum diameter of less than approximately 0.75 inches. In some embodiments, the plug and receptacle inserts are held in place with retaining rings comprising a shape-memory alloy. A low profile key having one portion flush with a shell surface may be provided, as well as an optional insert mounted oil valve.

Abstract: An electrical connection construction for connecting conductive members of an internal circuit of an electrical connection box and wires of a wiring harness, in which the wires of the wiring harness are inserted into the electrical connection box through openings formed on the electrical connection box such that conductors of the wires of the wiring harness are connected to the conductive members of the internal circuit of the electrical connection box, respectively by a joining member.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is provided for electrically interconnecting a circuit pattern with an adjacent circuit on a substrate. The circuit pattern is positioned in direct physical contact with the adjacent circuit to create a single electrical interface between the circuit pattern and the adjacent circuit. A compliant spring member is supported by the substrate for creating a normal force at the single electrical interface for holding the circuit pattern and adjacent circuit together. The compliant spring member is sufficiently flexible to facilitate electrical interconnection of the circuits along a non-planar substrate. Various embodiments are described.

Abstract: The invention comprises a pin contact having a main body with a top contact section, two side edges, and a bottom surface. The two side edges being juxtaposed to form a seam. Solder tails extend from the bottom surface of the main body to be received through holes. An orientation member is formed along the main body and along the seam. The orientation member provides the proper orientation to the main body so that the solder tails are properly aligned with the holes.

Abstract: An electrical connector for securing an electrical connection between a conductor and a wire or cable, comprises a first plate, a second plate below the first plate, a hinge attaching the rear portion of the first plate to the rear portion of the second plate, and a wire securing means attached to one of the plates. The first and second plates have tabs attached to their forward portions, and each plate has at least one hole therethrough, the holes being sized to receive a conductor. The hinge allows the forward portion of the second plate to be moved relative to the forward portion of the first plate. Means are provided for biasing the two plates to a closed position, where the holes on the first and second plates are not aligned. In the open position, the holes are aligned. When a conductor is extended through the holes in the open position, the bias means biases the plates toward the closed position to firmly retain the conductor.

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed for securing an end of an electrical cord to an electrical device or cord connector. The electrical connector preferably has a pair of housing halves, a contact retainer body with integral front face and a funnel cap. The funnel cap retains the blade assembly or terminals within the contact retainer body and funnels the wiring of the electrical cord into the contact retainer body for connection with the terminals of the electrical connector. The funnel cap is first releasably coupled to the contact retainer body by a tight-fit such as a press-fit or a snap-fit during wiring of the electrical connector, and then positively retained to the contact retainer body by features of the housing of the electrical connector after complete assembly of the electrical connector.

Abstract: A connector housing has a terminal-accommodating chamber (4) and a mount opening (6) for a terminal-locking device, which communicates to the terminal-accommodating chamber (4). A terminal-locking device (2) with a resilient locking member (8) is mounted in the mount opening (6) to cause the resilient locking member (8) to engage with a terminal inserted into the terminal-accommodating chamber to lock the same in place in the chamber. The terminal-locking device, when mounted to the connector housing, reliably prevents the terminal from slipping rearwardly out of the terminal-accommodating chamber.

Abstract: A junction box has a housing mounted directly to a battery. The junction box includes a terminal that mounts to the post of the battery and secures the housing to the battery. Enclosed within the housing is a printed circuit board for receiving outputs from the terminal and distributing electrical power to a second set of outputs, which can communicate with a wiring harness for further distribution of the electrical power.

Abstract: A socket which compensates for non-planarities in a semiconductor device. The socket has a base with an aperture for receiving a semiconductor device and a plurality of bond pads within the aperture. The bond pads are typically electrically connected to external circuitry in some fashion. The socket also includes a lid which has a spring loaded portion for applying a force on a back surface of a semiconductor device when a major surface of the lid is in intimate contact with a major surface of the base such that contacts on the semiconductor device may make electrical contact to the bond pads while compensating for non-planarities in the semiconductor device. This compensation scheme is located in the spring loaded portion of the lid. This compensation scheme may also be aided through the use of a compliant, and perhaps compressible, interposer disposed between the semiconductor device's contacts and the bond pads.

Abstract: The cuboid housing of the printed circuit board coupler is made from conducting material and it can be soldered directly to the printed circuit board. An inner conductor connection member is inserted into and insulated from the housing. The insulation is provided by a plastics part which is partially extrusion-coated on the inner conductor connection member at a region where connecting elements angle off from a plug-in element. The printed circuit board coupler can thus be soldered with the housing itself and with bends of the inner conductor connection member in a horizontal or vertical position on the printed circuit board by surface mounting.

Abstract: A coaxial cable connector including an electrically insulative base having at least one open chamber, and at least one jack respectively mounted in the at least one open chamber of the base and adapted to receive a respective coaxial cable, each jack including a metal cylindrical casing having a rear half mounted inside the base and a front half disposed outside the base, an insulative sleeve coaxially mounted inside the cylindrical casing, a signal terminal coaxially mounted inside the insulative sleeve and prohibited from contacting the cylindrical casing, and a grounding terminal mounted within the cylindrical casing outside the insulative sleeve and disposed in contact with the cylindrical casing.

Abstract: A digital signal cross-connect module has a dielectric faceplate with a plurality of ports. The plurality of ports includes at least two linear arrays of ports each including a monitor jack port and two access ports. The arrays are positioned vertically and parallel to one another. The ports are divided into three transverse fields. All monitor ports are positioned in a first transverse field. The access ports are positioned in second and third transverse fields with the second and third transverse fields vertically offset from each other to increase a horizontal density of ports within the module.

Abstract: A contact element is used for anticipatory earthing of a plug-in module during insertion in guides of a casing or a modular chassis up to plugging in. In order to ensure a reliable and effective protective earthing and a very early conducting away of electrostatic charges during the plugging-in process, a contact element is provided with a clamping area and a holding area. The clamping area is constructed for contact engagement on a circuit board and the holding area is constructed for retaining the contact element on a cross extrusion of the casing or the modular chassis.

Abstract: A high density electrical connector for electrically connecting an exterior mating connector and a circuit board, mainly comprises an insulative housing, a shell, a plurality of contacts and a spacer. The insulative housing receives the contacts therein and has a pair of two-stage locking means which each includes a first stage and a second stage. The spacer forms a pair of latching portions and defines a plurality of cavities therein. By means of gradual cooperation between the two-stage locking means and the latching portions, the contacts are gradually oriented and guided in two stages by the cavities of the spacer to be precisely inserted into a plurality of apertures formed on the circuit board without resulting in a buckling of the contacts.

Abstract: A shied formed by a pair of substantially C-shaped metal shield plates 10,10 that have substantially the same shape and dimensions. Contact parts 13 that contact the other shield plate are defined at both ends of each shield plate. The contact parts 13,13 are edge portions of both shield plates that are accommodated together and caused to contact each other inside grooves 7 that are formed in the end wall surfaces of the housing 2. Housing-engaging projections 13b and 13c are elastically engaged with the inside wall surfaces 7b,7b of grooves 7 at points above and below the contact point embossments 13a with the mating shield plate, so that the shield plates are clamped inside grooves 7.

Abstract: A terminal block assembly including a terminal block portion and a secondary locking member. The terminal block has a plurality of cavities for housing female terminals and circuit protection devices (e.g., fuses and circuit breakers) having mating male blade terminals The terminal block also includes a secondary lock receiving portion for receiving the secondary locking member. The secondary locking member secures the female terminal within a cavity.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly which utilizes a double layered elastomeric for a pressure exertion member wherein the two, individual layers are of different hardness. The first layer is of a relatively low durometer elastomeric material while the second layer is of higher durometer elastomeric material and includes several projections, e.g., for engaging a circuitized substrate such as a flexible circuit. Both layers preferably have the same spring rate, while the projections of the second layer may possess a variety of different configurations, e.g., cylindrical or boxlike. The individual projections may each include extension portions which in turn are positioned within corresponding openings within the substantially solid first layer.

Abstract: An underwater connector assembly includes releasably mateable plug and socket units, each unit having at least one bore for receiving an optical or electrical lead connected to a terminal at a forward end of the bore, the terminals being mated when the units are connected together. A shaft extends from one terminal through the bore to form an annular chamber between the shaft and bore. An annular seal of resilient material is mounted in the annular chamber between the shaft and bore. The seal has an inner diameter less than the outer diameter of the shaft and an outer diameter greater than the bore diameter, and engages over a smooth, continuous outer cylindrical surface of the shaft, allowing the shaft to slide relative to the seal on mating of the plug and receptacle units while maintaining sealing engagement between the seal and shaft.

Abstract: A power supply supplies power from a bus at a hub to a peripheral over a bus which plugs into a connector at the hub, the connector having a plurality of contacts, including at least two power contacts the power supply. When the bus is plugged into the connector, a mated contact is provided in the connector at the hub. When a mating connector on the bus is plugged in, one of the plurality of contacts is shorted to the mated contact. The sensed shorting at the mated contact is used to control the ramping of current on the power lines of connector.