Abstract: A sealed electrical connector assembly is provided having a connector position assurance device (CPA) including at least one CPA support rail and a CPA latch finger. A plug housing is provided with a body section having a mating interface on one end thereof that retains a plurality of plug contacts. The plug housing includes a shroud extending about at least a portion of the body section and is spaced apart from the body section by a predefined gap. A header is provided having a base retaining a plurality of header contacts adapted to electrically engage the plug contacts. The header includes walls defining a plug receptacle adapted for receiving the mating interface. The walls are received in the gap between the shroud and the body section of the plug housing. A seal is mounted to one of the plug housing end header to form a hermetic seal between the plug housing and header when fully mated with one another. A CPA retention assembly is mounted to at least one of the plug housing and header.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (2) includes a first connector in the form of a printed circuit board header (10) and a second connector in the form of a plug connector that can be attached to wires in a wiring harness. One of the connectors is mounted in an opening (6) in a panel so that the connector is free to float in an X and a Y direction. A protruding alignment post (30) on one connector is received within an alignment cavity (70) on the other connectors so that the connector positioned in the panel opening (6) will shift laterally so that pin terminals (22) in one connector will be aligned with receptacle terminals (50) in terminal cavities of the other connector will be aligned before they are mated. A mechanical assist member, such as a bolt (90) extends through a central opening (32) in the alignment post (30) and through the mating alignment cavity (70) to increase the force available to mate the two connectors.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a female connector and a male connector, wherein the female connector comprises a first connector piece adapted to retain female terminals therein and a second connector piece having internal camming projections; the first and second connector pieces being disposed for relative movement such that, upon movement of the second connector piece towards the first connector piece by actuation of external camming members, the internal camming projects deflect spring contact members on the female terminals, whereby the force needed to mate or unmate male terminals with the female terminals is reduced.

Abstract: A right angle coaxial connector assembly 2 includes a shell subassembly 10 and a collar subassembly 70 in addition to a center pin contact 50 and a dielectric sleeve 60. The collar subassembly 70 is spring loaded relative to the shell subassembly 10. The collar assembly 70 is formed by two mating hermaphroditic housings 72. The shell subassembly includes a diecast rear shell 30 and a screw machined front shell 12 that includes flexible snap lock fingers 16 that are held in locking engagement with a mating connector by the collar subassembly 70.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly 10 includes a seal 20 including sealing apertures 25 that including glands for sealing a wire extending through the aperture. A sealing unit 24 includes a lead in recess 26, a contact ingress seal gland 28, a core seal gland 30 and a contact egress seal gland 29. The core seal gland 30 establishes the primary seal with a wire extending through the seal, and the ingress seal gland 28 is deformable between the core seal gland 30 and the contact during contact insertion to protect the core seal gland 30 from damage. A pattern 40 of stress relieving recesses 42 et seq. surrounds the seal apertures, and include canted webs 43 et seq. The stress relieving recesses aid flexure of the seals and the seal glands. Other stress relieving recesses 56 located between seal apertures including perpendicular webs 57.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an electrical connector comprising a body having a contact receiving passageway with a retention arm therein for securing contacts within the passageway. A space is disposed behind the retention arm to allow deflection of the retention arm therein. The retention arm has a ramped surface disposed adjacent to the space. A terminal position assurance device has a locking arm to be received within the space to prevent the retention arm from deflecting and to secure the contacts within the passageway. If the contact is not properly seated within the passageway, the retention arm will be deflected into the space, and the locking arm of the terminal position assurance device will be deflected by the ramped surface to engage a wall of the body and prevent the terminal position assurance device from moving to the final position.

Abstract: The electrical connector (2) is a sealed electrical connector including terminals (4) located in two rows in a connector housing (6). In addition to the terminals (4) and the housing (6), the connector (2) also includes a wire seal cap (8) that is mounted on the rear of the housing (6). The cap (8) includes a latch (10). A wire seal (12) is positioned between the rear face of the connector housing (6) and the wire seal cap (8). A ring seal (14) maintains sealing integrity between the sealed electrical connector (2) and a mating connector or tab connector (16). The wire seal (12) engages wires (18) attached to the terminals (4) at the rear of the connector (2). The connector housing also includes a shroud (20) through which the latch (10) extends, and the latch (10) engages the mating connector (16) to latch the two connectors in mating engagement.

Abstract: An electrical connector 2 includes a connector housing 4, terminals 40 positioned in the housing 4 and a rear secondary locking member 50. Both the terminals 40 and the secondary locking member are inserted into the housing 4 through the rear end. In a prelatched configuration, the rear secondary locking member 50 provides clearance for terminal insertion. When moved forward to a latched configuration, deflectable tongues 74 engage the terminals 40 from behind to either move the terminals 40 to a fully inserted position or to prevent removal of properly inserted terminal 40. The deflectable tongues 74 include slots in the tongues into which internal housing wall 12 extend when the tongues 74 are inwardly deflected to provide resistance to extraction forces applied to the terminals 40 through wires. The tongues 74 are joined to a locking member body 52 by a thinner connecting section 86 and the rear secondary locking member 50 can be molded by straight pull mold tooling.

Abstract: An electrical terminal 10 includes a female receptacle 20 and a separate reversely bent leaf spring member 40. The separate spring member 40 is formed from a material, such as stainless steel having a lower stress relaxation rate than materials normally used for electrical terminals. The separate spring member 40 has a stationary section 43 that is affixed to one wall of the female receptacle 20 and a leaf spring section 46 that provides a secondary spring backing up a primary spring 26 that is part of the female receptacle 26. The separate spring member 40 is inserted into the female receptacle 20 through a mating face 29 and is snapped to sidewalls 24. The separate spring member 40 deflects the primary spring 26 during insertion and the primary spring 26 does not return to its unstressed condition unless deflected by insertion of a male pin contact when mated.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an electrical connector having a housing body with a contact receiving passage therein. The contact receiving passage has a contact retention arm for securing a contact within the passage. The contact retention arm forms the outer wall of the body. A terminal position assurance member has an outer wall with an inner shoulder and a locking surface. The outer wall is received around the contact retention arm. The terminal position assurance member has a first position in which the terminal position assurance member forms a space behind the contact retention arm. The terminal position assurance member has a second position wherein the locking surface is received behind the contact retention arm thereby preventing deflection of the contact retention arm.

Abstract: An electrical contact (10) with a receptacle section (20) having a cantilever beam (32), which beam is spring biased by a spring (40). The location of the spring (40) is controlled by spring locking sections (46,47,48) formed thereon, and by complementary locking structures (26,27,28) of receptacle (20) which register with the spring locking sections (46,47,48).

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) comprising a housing (20) with a latch arm (30), a CPA (40) received in the latch arm (30), an inner housing (50) received within the housing (20), a wire seal (60) disposed on the inner housing (50) and retained by a seal retainer (70) and posts (51); a wire cover (80), and a header housing (90). Wire seal (60) includes wire receiving slits (67) therein for advantageously receiving wires (17) during an insulation displacement type wire termination operation. CPA (40) is operative to assure the operator that the header (90) and housing (20) have been fully mated together and to prevent inadvertent separation of the housing (20) from the header (90).

Abstract: The invention comprises an electrical connector having a body with an inner member with contact receiving passages therein. The contact receiving passages have latching arms which can be deflected into channels. The inner member has latching grooves disposed along sides thereof. A secondary locking member has latching arms to be received along the sides of the inner member within the latching grooves. The secondary locking member has cross arms. The secondary locking member has a first latched position wherein contacts can be received within the contact receiving passages and a second latched position wherein the cross arms are received within the channels thereby locking the contacts therein.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (10) comprising a housing (20) with a latch arm (30), a CPA (40) received in the latch arm (30), an inner housing (50) received within the housing (20), a wire seal (60) disposed on the inner housing (50) and retained by a seal retainer (70) and posts (51), a wire cover (80), and a header housing (90). Wire seal (60) includes wire receiving slits (67) therein for advantageously receiving wires (17) during an insulation displacement type wire termination operation, and wire seal (60) includes frusto-conical sections for insuring that wires are sealed against the retainer (70), and inner housing (50).

Abstract: A shielded connector assembly (10) includes a header (20), a shield plate (30), and a pin guide (40). The shield plate (30) is formed of a metallic material and is mounted to header (20) by action of clips (34a) which engage clip engaging surfaces (24a) of header (20). Pin guide (40) is mounted to header (20) by action of dovetailed sections (46) which are slidingly disposed in respective dovetailed recesses (26) formed in header (20).

Abstract: A computer bus includes a first original signal line, a second redundant signal line, circuitry connected to the first original signal line and the second redundant signal line for driving the first original signal line and the second redundant signal line so as to convey on each identical information, circuitry for receiving signals on the first original signal line and the second redundant signal line, and error checking circuitry for comparing the signals on the first original signal line and the second redundant signal line and for indicating an error if the signals differ. By providing redundant signals for each signal that cannot be check with parity (for example wired-OR signals), the potential for single undetected points of failure is eliminated. In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, a computer having multiple modules connected by a backplane bus.

Abstract: A single-line multi-handset telephone is disclosed. The telephone includes a base, a plurality of handset cradles, a jack which receives an external telephone line, a multi-port handset connector, and telephone circuitry which connects the jack and the multi-port connector. A plurality of handsets are positionable in the handset cradles, and each handset includes a handset cord connected to the multi-port handset connector. The telephone may include an amplifier and a power cord for supplying additional power to the system so that the multiple handsets and conventional telephone functions do not exceed the power limit allowed by a conventional telephone line. The telephone may also include an interpretation service selection mechanism for automatic dialing of telephone numbers which call a selected language-specific translator. Once an interpreter is called, different language-speaking people can use the multiple handsets to converse with the interpreter.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly (100) which includes electrical contacts (10) of the insulation displacement type, an inner housing (20), an outer housing (40), and a strain relief member (50). The assembly (100) is assembled by first securely placing the electrical contacts (10) within the inner housing (20) and then inserting the inner housing (20) into the outer housing (40) so that the electrical contacts (10) can be terminated to wires by using the insulation displacement method of wire termination. The inner housing (20) is fully inserted into outer housing (40), and is then in a fully latched position within the outer housing (40). Strain relief member (50) is then mounted to outer housing (40) and includes an abutment flange (55) for ensuring that the inner housing (20) has been fully inserted within outer housing (40).

Abstract: In a connector assembly (10), an improved receptacle housing (12) includes a chute (28), receiving and retaining wires (15), which is integrally molded to a wire side (20) of the receptacle housing (12). A strain relief (14) is removably attached to the receptacle housing (12) above the chute to protect wires (15). Prelatch beams (58, 58') with a bump (61, 61') on each prelatch beam (58, 58') temporary retain the receptacle housing (12) to a module connector (11) when the bump (61, 61') is locked into a respective hole (69, 69') on the module connector (11).

Abstract: A connector assembly (10) includes a plug housing (20) with a housing latch (30) formed thereon that includes grooves (32) for slidably receiving a connector position assurance device (CPA) (40). The CPA (40) is inserted from a mating side face (25) of the housing (20) and is operable to assure that a further matable connector is fully mated to the housing (20). The CPA (40) includes a deflectable beam (41) and an embossment (44). The beam (41) will deflect below projections (34) of latch (30) as the CPA (40) is moved into its final position. When the CPA (40) is in its final position, the operator can readily observe that the housing (20) has been fully mated to the further matable connector.