Abstract: An electrical connector for mating with a mating electrical connector. The electrical connector has a surface having a first reference member and a latch having a second reference member. The first reference member and the second reference member are positioned to indicate when the electrical connector is fully mated to the mating electrical connector.

Abstract: A header connector includes a housing configured to be mounted to a mounting surface of the circuit board and header contacts held by the housing. The header contacts have mating portions and mounting portions. The mounting portions are configured to be surface mounted to corresponding pads on the circuit board. A spring clip is coupled to the housing. The spring clip has a spring finger extending through the circuit board to engage a bottom side of the circuit board opposite the mounting surface of the circuit board. The spring clip pulls the housing and header contacts toward the mounting surface.

Abstract: A conveyor belt monitoring system is disclosed that uses sensors to measure magnetic disruptions (“events”) in a conveyor belt which are indicative of one or more splice joints, rip panels and reinforcing cord damage. The system may comprise a plurality of sensing components, including coils or Hall Effect sensors for sensing rip panels, splices and generalized reinforcing cord damage. The system may also have RFID-based rip panels and may use RFID chips to identify various belt components. A PLC-based control system may communicate with the aforementioned components via an Ethernet link. Data received by the control system is used to chart belt wear and damage trends and to provide user alarms when signal levels exceed predetermined norms. The system may stop the belt when imminent belt failure is predicted. The PLC-based control system is highly scalable and will integrate easily into existing conveyor control systems and facility-wide monitoring systems.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling a conveyor belt condition monitoring system, and for automatically providing user alarms and system trips when sensed conditions exceed acceptable values. The system may use sensors to measure magnetic disruptions (“events”) in belt components and an algorithm may be used to monitor changes in these disruptions over time. The magnitude of these changes can then be used to predict when belt failures will occur. The system may also be used to sense when imminent failure of the belt will occur and to automatically stop the belt before failure occurs. An integrated display provides detailed information on the measured belt events and enables the user to customize alarm/trip levels and to assess problem as conditions via a virtual private network or the Internet while the belt is operating. The system is modular so that its features may be selectively integrated into existing facility-wide monitoring systems.

Abstract: A harness connector having a header assembly that includes a header housing that extends between a plug end and a mounting end. The header housing holds header contacts. Optionally, the header housing may be mounted to a printed circuit board at the mounting end with the header contacts being electrically connected to the printed circuit board. One or more plug assemblies are received in the plug end of the header housing along a plug axis. The plug assembly includes a plug housing holding receptacle terminals. The receptacle terminals extend along terminal axes parallel to the plug axis between mating ends and terminating ends. The mating ends are mated with corresponding header contacts. The terminating ends have insulation displacement contacts configured to receive, and be electrically connected to, corresponding wires. The wires extend from the insulation displacement contacts along wire axes that are generally perpendicular to the terminal axes.

Abstract: Systems and methods for providing movement to seating including theater seating generate complex motion responses in the seating by automatically analyzing an audio component of media being consumed for one or more aspects of the audio information contained in the audio component at certain frequencies or frequency ranges. The aspects analyzed include aspects relating to frequencies and frequency ranges substantially higher than the low-frequency signals used to drive motion of theater seating. From the analysis of the audio aspects contained in the audio component, a plurality of independent low-frequency output signals is generated. The plurality of independent low-frequency output signals is directed to a plurality of individual actuators incorporated into different locations in a seat to provide sensations of motion at different locations of the seat, such as at a seat location, at a lower back location, and at an upper back location.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a housing that includes a carrier and a shield matable to define the housing. The carrier has terminal channels and terminal latches extending into the terminal channels. The shield having lead-in channels through a face of the shield. Terminals are received in corresponding terminal channels. The terminals are held in the terminal channels by the terminal latches. The carrier and the shield are molded as a single piece with a bridge connecting the carrier and the shield. The bridge is broken during assembly to allow coupling of the shield to the carrier. The lead-in channels are aligned with, and positioned forward of, the terminal channels when the shield is mated with the carrier. The lead-in channels guide mating contacts for mating with the terminals held in the terminal channels.

Abstract: A ground terminal is provided for a vehicle. The ground terminal includes a hub having an opening extending therethrough. The opening is configured to receive a fastener for attaching the hub to the vehicle. A plurality of electrical contacts extend radially outward from the hub. Each electrical contact extends outwardly from the hub to a free end portion. The free end portions of the electrical contacts are arranged in an arcuate pattern.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a housing that includes a carrier and a shield matable to define the housing. The carrier has terminal channels and terminal latches extending into the terminal channels. The shield having lead-in channels through a face of the shield. Terminals are received in corresponding terminal channels. The terminals are held in the terminal channels by the terminal latches. The carrier and the shield are molded as a single piece with a bridge connecting the carrier and the shield. The bridge is broken during assembly to allow coupling of the shield to the carrier. The lead-in channels are aligned with, and positioned forward of, the terminal channels when the shield is mated with the carrier. The lead-in channels guide mating contacts for mating with the terminals held in the terminal channels.

Abstract: A receptacle contact for receipt of a mating contact and a method therefore. The receptacle contact has side walls, each of the side walls has an opening provide therein. A resilient contact arm extends between the side walls. Projections extend from the resilient contact arm and extend through the openings of the side walls. A weak area is provided on the resilient contact arm, the weak area positioned between the fixed end and the projections. The projections engage a wall of the opening as the mating contact is inserted into the receptacle contact, causing the at least one contact area to become fixed and allowing the weak area to move into engagement with the mating contact, thereby providing multiple areas of contact between the resilient contact arm and the mating contact.

Abstract: A ground terminal is provided for a vehicle. The ground terminal includes a hub having an opening extending therethrough. The opening is configured to receive a fastener for attaching the hub to the vehicle. A plurality of electrical contacts extend radially outward from the hub. Each electrical contact extends outwardly from the hub to a free end portion. The free end portions of the electrical contacts are arranged in an arcuate pattern.

Abstract: A contact having a contact body that has a front, a rear and opposite sides that extend between the front and the rear. The contact body extends between a mating end and a mounting end. The mating end is configured to be mated with a corresponding mating contact. The mounting end is configured to be through-hole mounted to a printed circuit board. The mounting end has a profiled section that defines a compliant pin. The profiled section has a necked-down portion being thinner between the front and the rear than adjacent portions of the contact body. The profiled section has an opening through the necked-down portion. The profiled section has a compliant portion at the opening. The compliant portion is wider between the sides than adjacent portions of the contact body.

Abstract: An electrical connector has a housing that includes a carrier and a shield matable to define the housing. The carrier has terminal channels and terminal latches extending into the terminal channels. The shield having lead-in channels through a face of the shield. Terminals are received in corresponding terminal channels. The terminals are held in the terminal channels by the terminal latches. The carrier and the shield are molded as a single piece with a bridge connecting the carrier and the shield. The bridge is broken during assembly to allow coupling of the shield to the carrier. The lead-in channels are aligned with, and positioned forward of, the terminal channels when the shield is mated with the carrier. The lead-in channels guide mating contacts for mating with the terminals held in the terminal channels.

Abstract: A harness connector having a header assembly that includes a header housing that extends between a plug end and a mounting end. The header housing holds header contacts. Optionally, the header housing may be mounted to a printed circuit board at the mounting end with the header contacts being electrically connected to the printed circuit board. One or more plug assemblies are received in the plug end of the header housing along a plug axis. The plug assembly includes a plug housing holding receptacle terminals. The receptacle terminals extend along terminal axes parallel to the plug axis between mating ends and terminating ends. The mating ends are mated with corresponding header contacts. The terminating ends have insulation displacement contacts configured to receive, and be electrically connected to, corresponding wires. The wires extend from the insulation displacement contacts along wire axes that are generally perpendicular to the terminal axes.

Abstract: A conveyor belt rip monitoring system is disclosed. The system includes at least one rip panel having a conductive loop positioned in or on a conveyor belt so that the loop extends substantially across the width of the belt. The conductive loops may be formed from metallic or non-metallic materials. An RFDD chip is electrically coupled to the loop and provides a signal to an RFID interrogation unit positioned on the conveyor structure indicative of the health of the conductive loop. If a break is sensed in the loop, the RFID chip sends an appropriate signal to the interrogation unit which passes the information to a processing system. A unique resistor or diode may be included in the circuit between the chip(s) and the legs of the loop so that the interrogation unit can distinguish one leg or loop from another. If the break in the loop is determined to be due to a rip in the conveyor belt, the processing system alerts a user of the rip condition via an attached display device.

Abstract: A conveyor belt monitoring system is disclosed that uses sensors to measure magnetic disruptions (“events”) in a conveyor belt which are indicative of one or more splice joints, rip panels and reinforcing cord damage. The system may comprise a plurality of sensing components, including coils or Hall Effect sensors for sensing rip panels, splices and generalized reinforcing cord damage. The system may also have RFID-based rip panels and may use RFID chips to identify various belt components. A PLC-based control system may communicate with the aforementioned components via an Ethernet link Data received by the control system is used to chart belt wear and damage trends and to provide user alarms when signal levels exceed predetermined norms. The system may stop the belt when imminent belt failure is predicted. The PLC-based control system is highly scalable and will integrate easily into existing conveyor control systems and facility-wide monitoring systems.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which a single physical storage device such as a USB flash memory device is able to boot different computing devices via corresponding different operating systems. The storage device includes a selection mechanism that determines which virtual disk (corresponding to a LUN) is seen by the host as the currently active LUN having sector 0, and therefore is the boot disk. The selection mechanism also may select which (if any) other LUNs are visible to the host. The selection mechanism and accompanying indicator may be operated when the storage device is disconnected, e.g., via manual switches and/or LEDs, buttons and/or a display (e.g., via internal power). Also described is allowing each LUN to have a user-friendly name.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for controlling a conveyor belt condition monitoring system, and for automatically providing user alarms and system trips when sensed conditions exceed acceptable values. The system may use sensors to measure magnetic disruptions (“events”) in belt components and an algorithm may be used to monitor changes in these disruptions over time. The magnitude of these changes can then be used to predict when belt failures will occur. The system may also be used to sense when imminent failure of the belt will occur and to automatically stop the belt before failure occurs. An integrated display provides detailed information on the measured belt events and enables the user to customize alarm/trip levels and to assess problem as conditions via a virtual private network or the Internet while the belt is operating. The system is modular so that its features may be selectively integrated into existing facility-wide monitoring systems.

Abstract: A connector assembly includes a housing that includes one or more slots for inserting a component defined in a top side of the connector housing. Each slot includes a first and a second interior surface separated by a distance. Channels are defined in each surface and are adapted to receive a portion of a terminal. Openings for receiving a terminal are defined in a bottom surface of the housing. When the terminal is fully inserted into the opening the terminal portion is substantially adjacent to a surface within the channel and a contact region of the terminal is substantially centered between the first and second interior surfaces of the slot so as to enable lateral movement of the contact portion between the first and second surfaces when the component is inserted.

Abstract: A socket contact having a mating portion, a crimp portion, and a transition region connecting the mating portion with the crimp portion. The mating portion includes a first contact beam and a second contact beam. The first contact beam has a cantilevered portion with at least one first contact finger with a first contact point. The first contact beam also has an inflexible first fixed contact point which is positioned on the surface of the first contact beam. As a mating pin is inserted through the front aperture of the mating portion, the mating pin engages the first finger contact point causing the first contact beam to deflect. The mating pin then engages the inflexible first fixed contact point at a shallow mating angle and a reduced normal force, resulting in the first contact beam of the mating portion of the socket contacting the mating pin at multiple points of contact.