Abstract: An electrical connector (10) has a housing (14) with at least one terminal receiving cavity (24) provided therein. A terminal (18) is positioned in the terminal receiving cavity (24) and at least one terminal retention member (16) is secured in the terminal receiving cavity (24). The terminal retention member (16) is a separate resilient member which is not integrally molded with the housing (14). A rib (68) may be provided in the terminal receiving cavity (24) to cooperate with the terminal retention member (16) to prevent the overstress of the terminal retention member (16).

Abstract: Two-piece socket contact assemblies and methods for manufacturing these assemblies are provided. The manufacturing process includes providing a blank strip of indefinite length, piercing the strip to provide a plurality of apertures, profiling a contact body shape along at least an edge portion of the blank to form precursors of a contact body, forming the precursors into a predetermined configuration, plating these precursors, and thereafter assembling them with a coaxially disposed sleeve.

Abstract: A filter insert (40) includes filters (43) having electrodes (48, 60) and contacts (54, 64) axially, mechanically engaging contact post members (28) of a connector (20) to provide filtering extending between signal and ground conductors in the form of connector contacts to filter unwanted signal frequencies. An alternative insert (68) includes filters (69) having slotted beam elements (78) that engage post members (28) from a side thereof with a common ground bus (90) tying the filters to ground. A further alternative insert (108) provides contact elements (116) connecting filters (103) to signal and ground conductors in the form of the wires (104) of a cable (102). The contact elements (54, 64, 78, 116) of the inserts (40, 68, 108) bite into the signal and ground conductors or contacts of a connector or a cable to provide a solderless interconnection of the insert. Filters, including dielectric elements (56, 86, 126,) and inductive elements (44) are contemplated to provide C, LC and pi-filters.

Abstract: A system for attaching a wire shield and a cover cap to the rear of an electrical plug. The plug is provided with four U-shaped members extending outwardly from the periphery of the plug casing, two on each of the opposite sides of the casing, near its corners. Four latching prongs extend forwardly from the shield, in alignment with the U-shaped members, each of which when advanced into a U-shaped member engages a detent shoulder on the inside of the top of the U-shaped member, to accomplish the desired latching. The cap, if used, has four forwardly-extending latching prongs each positioned to slide into a U-shaped member, just below the shield-latching prongs, until it engages a detent shoulder on the casing below the shield prong. Support structure integral with the U-shaped member preferably provides support to hold the shield latches in place even if the cap prongs are not present, as when a cap is not used.

Abstract: A receptacle contact is provided in which small, noble-metal contacts are provide on the distal end portions of one or more cantilevered resilient beams located within a receptacle shell, by forming openings in the shell wall adjacent to the distal end portions of the beams and depositing the noble-metal on the thus-exposed distal end portions of the beams. The receptacle is made by providing a flat starting blank with a projection for each beam; the projections are folded inwardly, over the blank, and the main body of the blank then folded up to form the shell which surrounds the bent-up beams. The openings are formed in the blank at positions on the blank such that, after the bending operation is completed, they confront the distal end portions of the beams, as desired. Only then is the noble-metal deposit formed on the thus-exposed distal end portions of the beams.

Abstract: Seals (20, 102) for an electrical connector (130) comprising a receptacle (10) and a pin header (122) has been disclosed. The first seal (20) includes grooves (50) in a body portion (30) which cooperate with ribs (b 52) on an end cap (22) to provide proper assembly orientation. A rim portion (106) on a second seal (102) includes an outwardly facing mating surface (114) for compression sealing and an inwardly facing surface (116) for peripheral sealing.

Abstract: A pin and socket connector using pin and socket terminals formed into a highly conductive material and using a separate contact band member less resistant to stress relaxation than the material used to form a stamped and formed pin and socket terminals is disclosed. These pin and socket terminals are suitable for use in both sealed and unsealed electrical connectors, employing a secondary lock. The secondary lock has at least one cylindrical projection engaging the corresponding terminals within the cavities from the rear. At least one curved concentric opening radially spaced from a central wire and terminal receiving opening in a rear conductor seal, is configured to receive a corresponding cylindrical secondary lock projections and establish sealing integrity therewith.

Abstract: A connector (10) having a terminal position assurance member (12) for insuring the proper positioning of terminals (18) in the connector housing (14) is disclosed. The assurance member (12) in cooperation with cantilever beams (30) located in the terminal cavities (24) cannot be fully seated in the housing (14) if improperly positioned terminals (18) are holding the beams (30) in a blocking position relative to the assurance member (12). The assurance member (12) further includes latching arms (60) which must be depressed before the assurance member (12) can be fully seated.

Abstract: A method of making electrical contacts (10) for either tin or gold-plating without changing the overall dimensional shape of the contact (10) has been disclosed. The method includes the step of providing a given spring rate for a pair of cantilever beams (26) by cutting the beam (26) to a predetermined width without changing the length thereof.

Abstract: A small metal member (50) is secured to a surface (32) of a plastic member (30) by lock tabs (54) bent into a recess (34) in the surface (32), and the plastic material of a central boss (38) in the recess (34) is bulk deformed over ends (68) of the lock tabs (54) forming a recessed joint (70).

Abstract: A connector assembly comprises one electrical connector having at least two terminals shunted in the unmated configuration and a second pull to seat connector. The shunt in the first connector comprises a longitudinally extending beam having laterally extending contact arms which engage adjacent terminals in the unmated configuration. A cap, which can be secured to the mating face of the second connector after terminals are withdrawn into the connector through the mating face, contains a ramp surface which engages the longitudinally extending beam of the deflectable shunt when the two connectors are mated. Clearance is provided on the mating face of the pull to seat connector so that the deflectable shunt is maintained out of engagement with the pins and receptacle terminals in the first and second connectors.

Abstract: A small metal member (50) is secured to a surface (32) of a plastic member (30) by lock tabs (54) bent into a recess (34) in the surface (32), and the plastic material of a central boss (38) in the recess (34) is bulk deformed over ends (68) of the lock tabs (54) forming a recessed joint (70).

Abstract: An electrical connector for interconnecting a plurality of signals comprises an assembly of a plug and receptacle. The plug includes a housing member having a cavity at its forward end defined by a peripheral wall and a cavity wall, and a rear wall. The housing further includes contact receiving apertures extending between the cavity wall and the rear wall. An insert is locked in place in the forward cavity, the adjacent wall of the insert having standoff feet to define a gap between the cavity wall and insert wall. The insert has apertures in alignment with the apertures in the housing. The apertures within the insert include a shoulder facing the rear wall of the insert. A contact insertable into the apertures in the housing and insert has a lance which is locatable in the gap between the cavity wall and insert wall to lock the contact in place. The receptacle has a right-angled configuration having pins extending from a mounting face for interconnection to a printed circuit board.

Abstract: A high density receptacle has a right-angled configuration having pins extending from a mounting face for interconnection to a printed circuit board. A second face is mountable to a bulkhead and has three rows of pins mounted in a cavity recessed from the second mounting face for interconnection to a matable plug having socket contacts. The contacts within the receptacle are disposed in three tiers, the contacts being bent around mandrels to form the right-angled bend. Below the mandrels is a contact locating plate having contact receiving slots in line with the contacts. The upper and lower row of contacts are laterally aligned with each other and with a first contact receiving slot. The first slot has two widths, and has a rib extending down along the edges of the slot. When the contacts are placed in the slot, the ribs interferingly hold the contacts in place.

Abstract: A plug header includes a plurality of tab receptacle contact terminals in two rows of passageways to receive blade sections of male terminals of a mating connector thereinto without stubbing. Lead-in surfaces at forward ends of the passageways cooperate with coplanar tapered forward portions of the opposing spring contact arms to provide continuous lead-in means. One of the spring contact arms is a dual beam for two points of contact engagement with the blade terminal. An axial rib segment of the adjacent passageway wall juts into the slot between the diverging front portions of the dual beam and has a tapered lead-in surface coplanar with the forward surfaces of the diverging front portions. And the slot has stop surfaces engageable with the rib segment if the dual beam spring contact arm is substantially stressed outwardly to minimize overstressing thereof.

Abstract: An integral elastomeric sealing member for an electrical connector assembly mountable to a panel has a transverse gasket section and an axial seal section extending rearwardly from an aperture through the gasket section. The gasket section is compressed between a mounting face of the receptacle and the panel, and the axial seal section extends along the inside of the plug-receiving cavity thereof and has an inner dimension just less than the outer dimension of the plug section of the plug connector which it seals around when the plug is in mating engagement with the receptacle. A tapered portion around the plug section acts as a camming surface to gently deform the axial seal section outwardly against the cavity wall, while the gasket section is held firmly between the panel and the receptacle connector.