Abstract: A memory module electrical connector is comprised of an insulative housing and a plurality of electrical terminals. The terminals are stamped and formed from conductive material to include resilient contact portions for interconnection to the module, and compliant pin portions for interconnection to the printed circuit board. The compliant pin portions of the connector are laterally staggered, with some compliant pin portions being positioned adjacent to a slot in the housing for receiving the memory module, and alternate contacts are positioned distant from the slot, thereby staggering the compliant pin portions. The compliant pin sections include an upstanding, rigidifying section to rigidify the compliant pin portion during the insertion of the electrical connector and the plurality of compliant pin portions into the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric housing (10) having a mating face (12) and a pocket (32) in the mating face (12). The housing carries an electrical contact (20) having a mounting surface (54) which is disposed within the pocket (32). Walls (33, 34, 35, 36) of the pocket (32) are configured to closely encompass at least a portion of a solderball (60) which is attached to the mounting surface (54). The pocket (32) facilitates attachment of a solderball (60) to the sheared edge of a narrow edge-stamped contact, and reduces the overall height of the connector.

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 plastic connector housing (50) having a plurality of contacts secured therewithin is securable to and within a protective metal shell (12) without a bead of liquid adhesive placed therebetween during assembly, by forming a shallow peripheral channel (76) in a housing flange forward surface (74) and a shallow recess (30) in an abutting rearward surface (24) of a corresponding shell flange (18), the channel and recess defining a confined seal seat (80) extending around the housing body section (70). Lengths of solid sealant preforms (90) such as of epoxy are disposed along the channel during assembly, and the shell (12) and housing (50) held together and heated, thereby melting the sealant to flow and bond to the surfaces of the channel and recess, both joining the housing (50) to the shell (12) and forming a hermetic seal (92) along the interface therebetween, recessed from outer surfaces of the connector (10).

Abstract: An electrical assembly removably and blindly matable to a second assembly includes upper and lower subassemblies and an electrical subassembly connected therewith. Each of the upper and lower subassemblies has a cover and a circuit board with an electrical connector mounted thereto for releasably connecting to respective first and second ends of the electrical subassembly. The electrical subassembly includes first and second flexible connection means extending from the first and second ends to respective connections with a third electrical connector, the first and second flexible connection means interconnecting selected electrical contact means of the third connector to corresponding contact means in respective connectors of the upper and lower subassemblies.

Abstract: A cable assembly 40 having integral strain relief means includes a housing 42 having a plurality of terminal members 28 secured in a cable terminating cavity 60 therein, an electrical cable 30 having a plurality of discrete conductors 36 therein terminated to respective terminal members 28 and potting material 23 disposed in the cavity 60. The inner surface of a sidewall 59 of the housing 42 extends at an oblique angle between front 48 and rear walls 54 thereof. The front wall 48 has an inwardly directed peninsula shaped protrusion 52 extending into the cable terminating cavity 60, the protrusion 52 and the obliquely extending sidewall 59 defining a cable receiving channel 62 therebetween. The electrical cable 30 including an insulating cover portion 32 is inserted into a cable receiving opening 64 in the front housing wall 48 and along the cable receiving channel 62 and about the protrusion 52 .

Abstract: A connector (10) having one or more arrays of elongate arms (22) of contacts (20) having contact sections (26) on free ends (24) thereof to be soldered to respective traces (94) of a circuit element (90), facilitated by securing a soldering component (40) to free ends (24). Component (40) includes a block member (42) along the outer surface of which is secured a lead frame (60) which includes a corresponding plurality of fingers (66) extending transversely from an elongate body section (62). Block (42) is of thermally insulative material having solder resistive surfaces. On the finger ends (68) are affixed preforms (88) of solder; on body section (62) is defined a thin magnetic layer, transforming the brass carrier strip into a Curie point heater.

Abstract: A heater preform comprised of a layer of magnetic material on a layer of nonmagnetic conductive metal comprises a self-regulating heater, and the heater preform is wrapped around or against a solder preform within a length of heat recoverable tubing. A conductor wire is inserted into one end of the tubing and a terminal solder tail into the other end; when radio frequency current is induced in the heater preform by a surrounding coil, the heater generates thermal energy melting the solder within the tubing, terminating the terminal to the wire, or two wires together. With sealant preforms at the ends of the tubing, the sealant preforms melt and the tubing shrinks to conform to the wire and terminal therewithin, sealing the termination simultaneously with forming the solder joint.

Abstract: A tool for use in soldering a single termination of a wire end to a terminal solder tail or other wire end within a dielectric sleeve enclosing a solder preform, and in desoldering a single existing termination needing repair, includes an arcuate tip shaped to be placed against the outside surface of the dielectric sleeve. A substrate of bipartite metal foil is secured along the inner arcuate surface of the formed dielectric tip and has a first layer of conductive metal such as copper and a thin second layer of high resistance second metal having high magnetic permeability such as nickel-iron alloy. When a constant amplitude high frequency alternating current is conducted through the foil, the foil generates thermal energy until achieving a known maximum temperature. For soldering to form a termination, the thermal energy is transmitted to the adjacent sleeve melting the solder of the preform therewithin to join the conductors in the sleeve.

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 plurality of terminals already disposed in a housing of an electrical connector, include solder tails extending rearwardly from the housing each of which has a thin foil-like substrate having a layer of magnetic material bonded intimately onto an outer surface thereof, so that respective wire ends may be placed therealong with solder preforms within lengths of heat recoverable tubing may be placed therearound and a high frequency current induced in the magnetic layer of the substrate which then generates thermal energy sufficient to melt the solder and shrink the tubing forming terminations between the wires and the terminals and simultanously sealing the terminations. The magnetic material of the substrate may be nickel-iron alloy, which may comprise the foil or which may be clad to a brass layer of the foil, which is then soldered to a brass solder tail layer.

Abstract: A band of bipartite metal foil is crimped around a portion of a stripped wire end near the insulation and spaced from the portion to be soldered to a terminal solder tail extending from a housing portion, with a first layer of conductive nonmagnetic metal and a thin second layer of high resistance metal having high magnetic permeability. When the wire end is paired with the solder tail with a solder preform placed therearound within a length of heat recoverable tubing extending between the insulated wire portion and the housing of the terminal, and high frequency alternating current is induced in the bipartite metal foil, thermal energy is generated which is conducted along the wire end and radiates outwardly to melt the solder to join the wire end to the solder tail, and to shrink the tubing to grip the insulated wire portion and housing portion to cover and seal the termination thus formed.

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: A plastic connector housing (50) having a plurality of contacts secured therewithin is securable to and within a protective metal shell (12) without a bead of liquid adhesive placed therebetween during assembly, by forming a shallow peripheral channel (76) in a housing flange forward surface (74) and a shallow recess (30) in an abutting rearward surface (24) of a corresponding shell flange (18), the channel and recess defining a confined seal seat (80) extending around the housing body section (70). Lengths of solid sealant preforms (90) such as of epoxy are disposed along the channel during assembly, and the shell (12) and housing (50) held together and heated, thereby melting the sealant to flow and bond to the surfaces of the channel and recess, both joining the housing (50) to the shell (12) and forming a hermetic seal (92) along the interface therebetween, recessed from outer surfaces of the connector (10).

Abstract: A card edge connector 50 for electrically engaging a first and at least one other array of contact pads 46, 48 on a circuit board 40 comprises a first or inner subassembly 51 including housing member 52 having a first group of terminal members 20 disposed therein and a second or outer subassembly 71 including housing member 72 having at least one other group of terminal members 28 disposed therein. The first group of terminal members 20 is adapted to electrically engage the first array of contact pads 46 and the at least one other group of terminal members 28 is adapted to electrically engage the at least one other array of contact pads 48. The outer housing member 72 further including cavity means 86 adapted to receive the inner housing member 52 therein. In the preferred method of assembling connector 50, outer subassembly 71 is disposed over the inner subassembly 51 after the inner terminal members 20 have been electrically connected to their respective contact pads 46, typically by solder.

Abstract: An electrical contact of the type having a square post contact section at one end and a box-like receptacle contact section at the other end matable with such a post section of a like contact, for use in stackable connectors for interconnecting printed circuit boards of a parallel array, is formed to have a square post with flat side surfaces with an originally square cross-section of dimensions matable with the box-like receptacle contact section, but the contact is modified by having the corners of the square post section smoothly rounded. The diagonal of the cross-section is thereby substantially reduced and is insertable through a through-hole of the board which has a diameter similarly substantially smaller than the diagonal of the original square cross-section, while the post section maintains side surfaces which remain substantially flat for mating with an unmodified box-like receptacle contact section.