Abstract: A modular wiring system includes a junction box having a plurality of ports and a programmable wiring board carrying electrically conductive elements. A plurality of cable receiving connectors are each insertable into a corresponding one of the plurality of ports of the junction box and each provides electrical coupling between wires of a cable and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board. At least one electrical device receiving connector is coupled to the programmable wiring board. The at least one electrical device receiving connector releasably receives an electrical device and provides electrical coupling between the electrical device and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board.

Abstract: A modular wiring system includes a junction box having a plurality of ports and a programmable wiring board carrying electrically conductive elements. A plurality of cable receiving connectors are each insertable into a corresponding one of the plurality of ports of the junction box and each provides electrical coupling between wires of a cable and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board. At least one electrical device receiving connector is coupled to the programmable wiring board. The at least one electrical device receiving connector releasably receives an electrical device and provides electrical coupling between the electrical device and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board.

Abstract: A modular wiring system includes a junction box having a plurality of ports and a programmable wiring board carrying electrically conductive elements. A plurality of cable receiving connectors are each insertable into a corresponding one of the plurality of ports of the junction box and each provides electrical coupling between wires of a cable and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board. At least one electrical device receiving connector is coupled to the programmable wiring board. The at least one electrical device receiving connector releasably receives an electrical device and provides electrical coupling between the electrical device and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board.

Abstract: A modular wiring system includes a junction box having a plurality of ports and a programmable wiring board carrying electrically conductive elements. A plurality of cable receiving connectors are each insertable into a corresponding one of the plurality of ports of the junction box and each provides electrical coupling between wires of a cable and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board. At least one electrical device receiving connector is coupled to the programmable wiring board. The at least one electrical device receiving connector releasably receives an electrical device and provides electrical coupling between the electrical device and the electrically conductive elements of the programmable wiring board.

Abstract: This is a one-piece conductive clip for use with push-in wire connectors. The one-piece conductive clip retains electrical conductors within the connector and provides electrical connection between two or more conductors. The clip has terminal blocks which include a spring and a busbar. The spring and the busbar are arranged so that the spring clamps a wire inserted between the spring and the busbar. The terminal blocks are arranged in two separate rows where each row is located along a plane generally parallel to the other row. This allows both vertically-stacked and horizontally-adjacent electrical connections between the electrical conductors.

Abstract: A wire connector has an enclosure including a housing and a cap and one or more contacts supported in the enclosure. The contacts each have outer ends opposite wire ports in the cap to receive a stripped end of a wire in a push-in engagement. One set of contacts has a male blade and the other set of contacts has a female socket at the inner or forward ends thereof. The housings are arranged so that two housings are releasably engagable with one another. When two housings are engaged the male contacts electrically engages the female contacts of the other housing. The female contacts include a sacrificial tine that is always first to make and last to break engagement with the male contact so that any degradation due to arcing always occurs at the sacrificial tine.

Abstract: This is a one-piece conductive clip for use with push-in wire connectors. The one-piece conductive clip retains electrical conductors within the connector and provides electrical connection between two or more conductors. The clip has terminal blocks which include a spring and a busbar. The spring and the busbar are arranged so that the spring clamps a wire inserted between the spring and the busbar. The terminal blocks are arranged in two separate rows where each row is located along a plane generally parallel to the other row. This allows both vertically-stacked and horizontally-adjacent electrical connections between the electrical conductors.

Abstract: A wire connector has an enclosure including a housing and a cap and one or more contacts supported in the enclosure. The contacts each have outer ends opposite wire ports in the cap to receive a stripped end of a wire in a push-in engagement. One set of contacts has a male blade and the other set of contacts has a female socket at the inner or forward ends thereof. The housings are arranged so that two housings are releasably engagable with one another. When two housings are engaged the male contacts electrically engages the female contacts of the other housing. The female contacts include a sacrificial tine that is always first to make and last to break engagement with the male contact so that any degradation due to arcing always occurs at the sacrificial tine.

Abstract: An electrical disconnect has a pair of selectably engageable enclosures each including a housing and one or more terminals supported therein. The terminals each have a spring finger at an outer end opposite wire ports in the cap to receive a stripped end of a wire in a push-in engagement. The terminals are releasably engageable in overlapping relation in an engagement zone. The housings have wire receiving receptacles therein which reside in the engagement zone when the enclosures are joined.

Abstract: An electrical disconnect has first and second female contacts mounted in a power connector housing and first and second male contacts in a load connector housing. The male contacts each have a male blade contact finger. The female contacts each have a socket for removably receiving a male blade contact finger. At the rear ends of both the male and female contacts there are integrally formed push-in connector elements for receiving a conductor or wire. The disconnect is particularly suited for use in connecting power wires to a load device in a circuit, such as a fluorescent light ballast.

Abstract: An electrical disconnect has first and second female contacts mounted in a power connector housing and first and second male contacts in a load connector housing. The male contacts each have a male blade contact finger. The female contacts each have a socket for removably receiving a male blade contact finger. At the rear ends of both the male and female contacts there are integrally formed push-in connector elements for receiving a conductor or wire. The disconnect is particularly suited for use in connecting power wires to a load device in a circuit, such as a fluorescent light ballast.

Abstract: An electrical disconnect has first and second female contacts mounted in a power connector housing and first and second male contacts in a load connector housing. The male contacts each have a male blade contact finger. The female contacts each have a socket for removably receiving a male blade contact finger. At the rear ends of both the male and female contacts there are integrally formed push-in connector elements for receiving a conductor or wire. The disconnect is particularly suited for use in connecting power wires to a load device in a circuit, such as a fluorescent light ballast.

Abstract: An electrical disconnect has first and second female contacts mounted in a power connector housing and first and second male contacts in a load connector housing. The male contacts each have a male blade contact finger. The female contacts each have a socket for removably receiving a male blade contact finger. At the rear ends of both the male and female contacts there are integrally formed push-in connector elements for receiving a conductor or wire. The disconnect is particularly suited for use in connecting power wires to a load device in a circuit, such as a fluorescent light ballast.

Abstract: A wire connector has an enclosure including a housing and a cap and one or more contacts supported in the enclosure. The contacts each have outer ends opposite wire ports in the cap to receive a stripped end of a wire in a push-in engagement. One set of contacts has a male blade and the other set of contacts has a female socket at the inner or forward ends thereof. The housings are arranged so that two housings are releasably engagable with one another. When two housings are engaged the male contacts electrically engages the female contacts of the other housing. The female contacts include a sacrificial tine that is always first to make and last to break engagement with the male contact so that any degradation due to arcing always occurs at the sacrificial tine.

Abstract: A releasable wire connector has a housing and a cap slidably engaging one another and enclosing an electrical contact. The contact has inner and outer flexible fingers disposed opposite wire ports in the housing and cap. The fingers engage conductors inserted into the connector to retain the connectors therein and electrically connect them. The cap carries a release block which will engage some of the fingers and urge them out of engagement with the conductors to allow disengagement of a wire from the connector. One of the fingers may be split into sacrificial and main tines which are arranged so that the sacrificial tine will always be the first to make and the last to break contact with a conductor. Any arcing that may occur will then always be on the sacrificial tine so the main tine will not be degraded by arcing.

Abstract: A connector is described, of the type that has rows of contacts at each of its opposite mating face, with each contact at one face connected to a contact at the other face. In a connector that has at least three rows of contacts at each face, the contacts are connected through a flexible circuit board arrangement that has circuit board conductors. First and second groups of conductors (70, 76 in FIG. 4) that connect rows at the opposite faces extend in a zig-zag pattern along a first face of the flexible circuit board. A third group of conductors (84, FIG. 5) extend along a second face of the circuit board. The flexible circuit board has first and second end portions connected to the contacts and has a middle therebetween, with the middle (114, FIG. 2) curved along substantially half a cylinder around one side (110) of a spacer (66).

Abstract: An IC card is provided which can be constructed at low cost and which allows adjustment of circuit board position. The circuit board (30, FIG. 2) has forward and rearward end portions (34, 36) which are mounted directly on forward and rearward connectors (12, 14), without a separate frame to mechanically hold them together. A cover (60) with upper and lower parts (66, 68), is mechanically mounted to the connectors and is coupled to the circuit board only in an electrical ground. Each connector is mounted to a circuit board end by pegs (90, 92) that lie on laterally opposite sides of the row of connector contacts (46), with each peg being received in a hole (100, 102) of the circuit board. The pegs can be separate parts (270, FIG. 12) that project through holes (254) in the board and into holes (250) in the connector, and washers (262) can lie between the board and each connector at locations adjacent to the pegs.

Abstract: An IC card is provided which can be constructed at low cost and which allows adjustment of circuit board position. The circuit board (30, FIG. 2) has forward and rearward end portions (34, 36) which are mounted directly on forward and rearward connectors (12, 14), without a separate frame to mechanically hold them together. A cover (60) with upper and lower parts (66, 68), is mechanically mounted to the connectors and is coupled to the circuit board only in an electrical ground. Each-connector is mounted to a circuit board end by pegs (90, 92) that lie on laterally opposite sides of the row of connector contacts (46), with each peg being received in a hole (100, 102) of the circuit board. The pegs can be separate parts (270, FIG. 12) that project through holes (254) in the board and into holes (250) in the connector, and washers (262) can lie between the board and each connector at locations adjacent to the pegs.

Abstract: A plug connector is provided that has a latching mechanism for locking to a receptacle connector at the rear of an IC card, wherein the latching mechanism occupies a minimum of space which otherwise could be occupied by additional contacts. The latch mechanism includes a pin-shaped latch (40, FIG. 3) which is rotatable about a latch axis (80) and which has a pair of radial projections (84, 86) at its forward end, so when the projections are inserted into the receptacle housing and turned 90.degree., the projections prevent withdrawal of the latch and therefore prevent withdrawal of the plug connector. An actuator (44) for operating the latch, includes a pair of handles (46, 48) at opposite side edges of the plug connector and a crossbar (104) that connects them and that has a pin (106) which extends into a helical groove (102) at the rear of the latch. The hole (116, FIG.

Abstract: A cover assembly for an IC card includes top and bottom covers (52, 54) with overlapping side rails (70, 80). At each side of the card, a downwardly-extending top side rail (70) lies facewise adjacent to an upwardly extending bottom side rail (80), and a layer (90) of solder is sandwiched between the rails and is bonded to each of them. The solder layer extends along most of the height of each cover side, so the two rails and the solder layer between them serve as a single rigid beam. The cover assembly can be, instead, spot welded at a plurality of locations at each side of the card, to weld the two rails facewise together.