Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a mating end and a board end. The housing has a plurality of contact cavities extending along a longitudinal axis between the mating and board ends. A plurality of contacts are received within the contact cavities. The contacts have a mating end and a mounting end, and the contacts have a flexible tail at the mounting end. The tail has a first portion extending along the longitudinal axis and a second portion angled with respect to the first portion with the second portion having a board mounting surface configured to mount to a circuit board. The tail includes a slot open along the board mounting surface.

Abstract: A connector system is provided that includes electrical connectors, a substrate and a vibration dampening shell. The connectors each have first and second sides. The substrate has an upper surface with the connectors mounted thereon. The shell limits movement of the connectors with respect to one another and is coupled to the first sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors toward and away from the upper substrate. The shell also is coupled to the second sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors in directions transverse to the upper substrate surface.

Abstract: A connector system is provided that includes electrical connectors, a substrate and a vibration dampening shell. The connectors each have first and second sides. The substrate has an upper surface with the connectors mounted thereon. The shell limits movement of the connectors with respect to one another and is coupled to the first sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors toward and away from the upper substrate. The shell also is coupled to the second sides of the connectors to limit the movement of the connectors in directions transverse to the upper substrate surface.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a mating end and a board end. The housing has a plurality of contact cavities extending along a longitudinal axis between the mating and board ends. A plurality of contacts are received within the contact cavities. The contacts have a mating end and a mounting end, and the contacts have a flexible tail at the mounting end. The tail has a first portion extending along the longitudinal axis and a second portion angled with respect to the first portion with the second portion having a board mounting surface configured to mount to a circuit board. The tail includes a slot open along the board mounting surface.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a housing having a mating end and a connector cavity extending from the mating end along a cavity axis. The housing has a panel wall including first and second sides with an opening extending therebetween and open to the connector cavity. An electrical connector is received in the connector cavity and includes a shell extending along a longitudinal axis. The shell has a flange extending radially outward therefrom that engages the first side of the panel wall. The shell has a groove extending at least partially circumferentially around the shell. A washer is held within the groove of the shell and has a washer engagement surface. A spring concentrically surrounds a portion of the shell. The spring has a front end and a rear end with the front end engaging the washer engagement surface. The rear end faces the flange engagement surface and engages the second side of the panel wall such that the panel wall is captured between the flange and the spring.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for connection to a high speed cable, such as of quad cable construction. The connector includes a tubular outer shell having a cavity formed therethrough that extends between loading and mating ends of the shell. A unitary dielectric member is inserted into the cavity and provided with a plurality of contact passages formed therethrough, each of which receives a rear loaded contact. The dielectric member includes a flared section having collets about the perimeter of the dielectric material and extending along a portion of the length of the dielectric material. The collets permit the flared section to collapse onto the contact passages to positively and firmly grip the contacts inserted within the contact passages. The unitary dielectric member affords an easily manufactured connector that maintains the contacts and wires within a predefined geometry with respect to the axis of the connector and at a predefined position along the length of the connector.

Abstract: A low profile switch having a receptacle assembly and a plug assembly mounted to surfaces which are movable with respect to each other. The receptacle assembly includes a housing with a defined recess into which extend a pair of contact members resiliently biased into engagement with each other. The plug assembly includes a housing having an elongated extension with a pair of contact members disposed on opposed sides thereof so that the extension can be moved into the recess of the receptacle assembly, separate the contact members of the receptacle assembly, and engage the contact member of the receptacle assembly with respective ones of the contact members of the plug assembly. Thus, when the receptacle and plug assemblies are unmated, the receptacle assembly provides a shunted circuit condition and when the receptacle and plug assemblies are mated, two circuit paths are established between the receptacle and plug assemblies.

Abstract: A connector assembly for a heating unit (10) on an aircraft sensor or indicator (or other product application) includes a plug ring (16) having an annular periphery (72) provided with a plurality of circumferentially-spaced plug contacts (40), and a receptacle ring (17) having an annular periphery (42) provided with a corresponding plurality of circumferentially-spaced receptacle contacts (27) receiving the plug contacts (40) on the plug ring (16). The receptacle ring (17) has a pair of adjacent segments each having a plurality of circumferentially-spaced receptacle contacts (27), such that the plug contacts (40) on the plug ring (16) may be received in either plurality of receptacle contacts (27) on the receptacle ring (17).

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly for a portable apparatus (42) such as a cellular telephone having a base unit. A first connector (10) on the portable apparatus (42) includes an array of contacts (18) along a mating face, engageable with an array of contacts (104) on a second connector (100) of the base unit. Certain contacts (50) of the first connector (10) are adapted to extend laterally therefrom to electrically engage electrodes (82,84) of an electrical component such as a battery (80) mounted within the portable apparatus (42), and have spring arm sections (54) exposed laterally of the mating face. The second connector (100) includes protuberances (130) extending forwardly of its mating face associated with the certain contacts (50) of the first connector and upon mating engage and deflect the spring arm sections (54) to disengage the certain contacts (50) from the battery electrodes (82,84).

Abstract: A coaxial connector (50) float-mounted in a panel aperture (58) for mating with a mating coaxial connector (10) fixedly mounted in a second panel (12) and spring biased to adapted to a range of axial positions of the mating coaxial connector upon full mating. A subassembly (60) is movably mounted within an outer shell (56) of connector (50) and contains a contact member (68) within a dielectric sleeve (70) all within an intermediate conductive housing (62). An annular spring (94) of minimal axial dimension is disposed between a rearwardly facing abutment surface (100) of the intermediate housing and a flange of the outer shell (56) rearwardly thereof, biasing the subassembly forwardly. Annular spring (94) permits radial movement of subassembly (60) within outer shell (56) to adjust to an offset mating coaxial connector, and also permits incremental axial movement resulting from mating.

Abstract: Electrical connectors (1,2) attach to the top and bottom surfaces (22,23) of a circuit board (PCB) (3) and thereby form a sandwich connector (4) such as for board-to-board interconnection. The electrical connectors (1,2) include on their bottom surface (13) a fastener (14) and a recess (15). A first electrical connector (1) attaches to the top surface (22) of the PCB (3) by inserting its latching means (14) into a first aperture (18) of the PCB (3). The second electrical connector (2) attaches to the bottom surface (23) of the PCB (3) through a second aperture (19) of the PCB (3). The leading end of the fastener (14) of each connector (1,2) projects beyond a surface of a PCB (3) for latch (16) to latch, and is received in a recess (15) of the other connector (2,1). Surface mount leads (8) project from the front surface (7 ) of both connectors (1,2) and are soldered to pads (11,12) on the surfaces (22,23) of the PCB (3).

Abstract: An assembly of matable connectors includes first and second connectors (10,100) each including housings (16,116) having a respective plurality of signal contacts (24,124) each having a front contact section (46,146) extending transversely of the connector's mating face (12,112) to a free end (52,152) from a bend section (44,144) adjoining the contact's body section (40,140). The front contact sections (46,146) of each associated pair extend forwardly of the respective mating faces to engage each other proximate their free ends and deflect each other rearwardly about bend sections (44,144), which results in low mating force and high cycle life. The connector housings (16,116) can include a durable latching system comprising a latch arm (18) of one connector (10) having a spaced apart pair of beams (208) having pairs of latches (210) and each being received into latching slots (252) of the other connector (100) near both lateral ends of the connectors, latching proximate both lateral ends.

Abstract: An assembly of matable connectors includes first and second connectors (10,100) each including housings (16,116) having a respective plurality of signal contacts (24,124) each having a front contact section (46,146) extending transversely of the connector's mating face (12,112) to a free end (52,152) from a bend section (44,144) adjoining the contact's body section (40,140). The front contact sections (46,146) of each associated pair extend forwardly of the respective mating faces to engage each other proximate their free ends and deflect each other rearwardly about bend sections (44,144), which results in low mating force and high cycle life. The connector housings (16,116) can include a durable latching system comprising a latch arm (18) of one connector (10) having a spaced apart pair of beams (208) having pairs of latches (210) and each being received into latching slots (252) of the other connector (100) near both lateral ends of the connectors, latching proximate both lateral ends.

Abstract: A shunt connector 20 is disclosed for use in a system 30 including a mother board 32 having a plurality of electrical connectors 46 connected in series thereon for electrical interconnection with an array of daughter boards 62 wherein at least one of the mother board connectors 46 is not interconnected to a respective daughter board. Shunt connector 20 comprises a dielectric housing member 22 adapted to be mated with a mother board connector 46 and a plurality of shunt terminal members 28 secured in housing member 22. The shunt terminal members 28 are selectively shaped and selectively positioned in housing member 22 to correspond to open circuits desired to be closed in the art least one unmated mother board connector 46. Upon inserting the shunt connector 20 to the unmated mother board connector 46, open circuits are closed by said shunt terminal members 28, thus allowing signals to be transmitted between adjacent daughter boards 62 and through the system 30.

Abstract: A pair of small diameter lead assemblies as a complete electrically and environmentally sealed matable high voltage connection suitable for use under rugged environmental conditions, have a plug element and a receptacle conditions, have a plug element and a receptacle element physically matable therewith. The lead assemblies can each include annular retention clips therearound enabling insertion into and retention within passageways of matable housings of a multi-terminal hybrid connector assembly, to enable certain existing connectors to be converted into use as high voltage connector assemblies for rugged conditions without housing modification. The plug has a small diameter dielectric annular shell with a socket terminal in an internal passageway; and the receptacle has a small diameter dielectric annular shell having a pin terminal in its internal passageway which is matable with the socket terminal.

Abstract: An operating mechanism has dual action control in both the axial and normal directions described for a plugboard system or the like to connect and disconnect selective electrical terminals in housing modules of a front bay with respective electrical terminals in housing modules of a rear bay. The dual action operating mechanism moves the front bay relative to the rear bay in a straight inward direction thereby electrically connecting selective electrical terminals of the front and rear bays together; and a subframe of the rear bay is moved a preselected distance by the mechanism in a normal direction to apply a contact force to connect other selective electrical terminals of the front and rear bay.

Abstract: An electrical terminal machined from a cylindrical body to have a socket contact section defined by a pair of opposed beams. A method of forming the socket contact section includes forming a bore into an end of the cylindrical body and then machining opposing sides of the end of the body to form chordal surfaces therealong intersecting the bore.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) includes a receptacle (12) and a plug (14) engageable with the receptacle (12) to form electrical connections between terminals (42,20) carried by the receptacle and plug. A shunt (52) in the plug (14) is in engagement with a pair of socket terminals (42) when the plug is at least partially disengaged from the receptacle; but when the connectors are fully mated, a cam post (90) on the receptacle (12) enters the plug (14) and moves and holds the shunt (52) out of engagement with the socket terminals (42). The commoning connection is broken when the plug is fully mated with the receptacle, and will become reestablished when plug (14) is or begins to become disconnected from receptacle (12).

Abstract: A retention clip for use in a one-piece housing is stamped and formed to have a plurality of spaced pairs of locking lances located around the circumference proximate the middle to engage an annulus along a housing passageway to retain the clip therein. Lance-like latching projections extend forwardly from a rear end of the clip and radially inwardly to engage behind a rear stop surface of a terminal inserted thereinto, with the latching projection deflectable outwardly by the terminal during insertion and also deflectable outwardly by a removal tool inserted along the terminal to permit same face terminal removal. Short radially inward tabs at the front end of the clip provide forward stops to engage a forward stop surface of the terminal. The clip thus retains a terminal having a simple larger diameter central section, within a housing passageway having only a single annulus, in a manner permitting easy terminal removal.