Abstract: A system for distributing electrical power to side edges (108, 112) of a daughter card (102) upon insertion into a card cage (10) includes a pair of source and return bus bars (118, 116) mounted on at least one of the side edges and electrically connected by arrays of terminals (172) to power circuits of the card, insulated by a cover (120) having a rail (126) for following the guide channels (18, 20) of the card cage at each card location. Rearward ends of the bus bars have blades (122, 124) which are received into receptacle contacts (46, 44) mounted in the card cage above and below the backplane (14), which are mounted at each card location and electrically connected to source and return busses (68, 58) of the card cage.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly including integral means for self-alignment and adapted to be used with flat power cable having relatively wide terminals terminated thereonto. A polarizing system is provided complementary to said self-alignment which provides assured mating prevention upon improper connector polarizing orientation. One embodiment is adapted for rack and panel applications where one of the connectors is float mounted. Another embodiment is adapted for delatchably latching together of the connectors with low profile latch arms. A system of polarizing the assembly of terminated dual conductor cables in a housing is provided for control of the electrical connections of the two conductors of each flat cable, by using a polarizing projection on one of the two terminals on each cable, and a corresponding channel along the appropriate one the terminal-receiving cavities of the housing for passing of the projection upon proper cable orientation.

Abstract: An electrical connector with three rows of contacts undergoing right angle bends to form two columns suitable for joining to a printed circuit board. The distal portions of the contacts are retained in a contact receiving wall provided with contact receiving slots equipped with spring back guards. This feature allows the resilience of the contact material to aid in maintaining contact alignment. Provision is made with the connector body to receive an environment sealing compound.

Abstract: A bus bar assembly (110) includes a pair of source and return bus bars (118,116) mounted on at least one of the side edges (108,112) of a daughter card (102) and electrically connected by arrays of terminals (172) to power circuits of the card, for use in a system for distributing electrical power to the daughter card module (100) upon insertion into a card cage (10). The pair of bus bars (118,116) is insulated by a cover (120) having a rail (126) for following the guide channels (18,20) of the card cage at each card location. Rearward ends of the bus bars have blades (122,124) which are received into receptacle contacts (46,44) mounted in the card cage above and below the backplane (14), which are mounted at each card location and electrically connected to source and return busses (68,58) of the card cage, with the receptacle contacts (46,44) preferably being float mounted to be easily incrementally moved upon blade receipt during card module (100) insertion.

Abstract: An assembly (42) includes plurality of receptacle contacts (46,44) mounted to a clevis block (66) between respective pairs of salients (86) and along a shaft (64) extending through the salients. The receptacle contacts (46,44) are incrementally moveable after assembly and thus define a floating separable interface for an array of blade shaped contacts (122,124) when assembly (42) is mounted within a card cage (10) and blade shaped contacts are along rearward ends of bus bars (118,116) mounted on upper and lower edges (108,112) of daughter cards (102) insertable into the card cage, defining a system for distributing electrical power from the card cage to the daughter cards.

Abstract: Upper and lower connecting structures for use with flat power cable by being applied to major surfaces thereof, include arrays of cable-engaging bosses alternating with boss-receiving relief recesses; when pressed together the structures at least press conductor strips out of the cable plane and into opposing recesses of the opposing structures, exposing conductor strip edges for electrical connection and defining an array of interdigitated joints. The upper and lower structures are mechanically locked together by forming pockets in the side walls of the relief recesses of each structure to be disposed beside forwardmost portions of the cable-engaging bosses of the opposing structure upon application to the cable, and then deeply staking each of the interdigitated joints to split axially the forwardmost portion of the cable-engaging bosses and force the split portions laterally into the pockets, so that a portion of each structure is locked behind an associated portion of the other structure.

Abstract: A tap or splice connector especially useful for a pair of dual conductor flat power cables includes two pairs of upper and lower structures which are applied to the stacked in-line cables side-by-side and then enclosed in a housing. The upper and lower structures each have a transverse array of cable-engaging wave-shaped bosses alternating with wave-receiving relief recesses when pressed together, so that the waves press strips of both cables in upper and lower arrays into the opposing recesses thus exposing conductor edges of the strips for electrical connection. Outer surfaces of the structures are then staked to urge the metal thereof laterally and tightly against the conductor edges adjacent thereto.

Abstract: An electrical component is packaged in an insulator housing which has insulation displacement terminals and operating members to facilitate field assembly to insulated conductors. The operating members are integrally connected to a hinged over of the housing by frangible webs and forced down into the body to connect the insulated conductors to the insulation displacement terminals.

Abstract: An insulation displacement terminal comprises a base having a pair of integrally connected side plates and an integrally connected flex arm disposed between the side plates. The side plates have guide grooves formed in part by inwardly staggered legs. The flex arm has laterally spaced plates which bias an insulated conductor received in the guide grooves against the edges of inwardly staggered legs of the side plates to establish a four point electrical contact with the core of the insulated conductor under the constant pressure of the flex arm.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a connector body and an electrical terminal and is adapted to receive the cylindrical metal shell of a vehicle cigarette lighter, which makes electrical contact with one side only of the terminal, without applying undesirable forces to the terminal. The connector assembly includes a connector body with a guide means to direct the cigarette lighter shell along a defined path that is substantially parallel to the axis of the shell. A flat wall of the connector body is oriented generally normal to the defined path of the shell. The ground terminal is designed to have a flat compression that does not generate undesired forces to shift it along the connector body wall. The contact portion also includes an integral, stiffening lead-in flange that cooperates in keeping the terminal compression flat.

Abstract: A cooperating primary and secondary lock means used in combination with a pair of matable electrical connector bodies both assures that the connector bodies have reached the fully mated position, and double locks them together. Keeper projections on a cantilevered primary locking arm of the first connector body are engaged by the camming end of a rotatable secondary locking arm on the second connector body. This pulls the connector bodies together, if they were not fully mated, and as the camming end snaps beneath the keeper projections, full mating is indicated. The secondary locking arm thereby also captures the primary locking arm to provide a double lock.

Abstract: A three-piece fuse block assembly for an automotive vehicle comprises a bracket attached behind the front wall of the vehicle instrument panel, a fuse block hinged to the bracket for movement between a horizontally stored position and a vertically access position, and a manually operable latch attached to the fuse block for releasing the fuse block from the stored position and pulling it down to the access position.