Abstract: An improved yoke socket for use with separate leads and plugs such as those used with electrocardiogram devices provides detents to guard against accidental disconnection of plugs from the socket. A first surface of the yoke socket bears a row of apertures into which can be inserted connectors born by the individual lead plugs. A groove penetrates a second surface of the yoke socket to expose the inserted connectors. Each connector has a notch that acts in concert with a retaining rod placed within the groove to retain the plug against accidental detaching. The retaining rod comprises a series of expanded or bead-like portions connected by thinner rod portions. The expanded portion is sized to protrude into each aperture from the groove to serve as a detent by interacting with the notch of an inserted connector. The entire retaining rod is backed by a layer of compressed elastomer such as rubber which acts to bias the retaining rod into contact with the connector.

Abstract: A biomedical electrical connector that includes a lower body member and an upper actuator member is provided. The body member has a front end of a curvilinear configuration and a rear platform component. The platform component has guide ribs disposed on either side that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. An actuator member has downwardly-projecting guide flanges on either side of a coupling portion that extend parallel to its longitudinal axis. Each flange includes a groove in its interior side of a complementary configuration to the guide ribs for slidably coupling the actuator substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. The actuator has a front end of a curvilinear configuration cantilevered from the coupling portion. A sinusoidal interface is defined between the actuator's curvilinear front end and the body's curvilinear front end when the actuator is slid generally forwardly in relation to the body to an overcenter position.

Abstract: A biomedical electrical connector that includes a lower body member and an upper actuator member is provided. The body member has a front end of a curvilinear configuration and a rear platform component. The platform component has guide ribs disposed on either side that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. An actuator member has downwardly-projecting guide flanges on either side of a coupling portion that extend parallel to its longitudinal axis. Each flange includes a groove in its interior side of a complementary configuration to the guide ribs for slidably coupling the actuator substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body. The actuator has a front end of a curvilinear configuration cantilevered from the coupling portion. A sinusoidal interface is defined between the actuator's curvilinear front end and the body'curvilinear front end when the actuator is slid generally forwardly in relation to the body to an overcenter position.

Abstract: An improved electrical connector for connecting a medical electrode terminal on a patient with a lead wire is provided and comprises an electrical contact member that is embedded in a resilient insulating body member. The body member includes first and second cantilevered arms having circuitous arc segments with their concave surfaces facing towards each other to form an open jaw for receiving therebetween the electrode terminal. The electrical contact member includes a pair of open ended gripping appendages that extend into the open jaw and have respective concave gripping surfaces that face towards each other and are capable of contacting an electrode terminal. The end of the circuitous arc segments are capable of not only closing the body member jaw opening, but also of further locking the respective cantilevered arms to provide additional strength.