Abstract: A connector includes sheet metal contacts (40, 42) with termination ends (60, 62) for terminating to wires and with mating ends (70, 72) for mating to other contact devices such as circuit board pads. Each terminating end includes a wide groove part (90) with a groove bottom (94) that receives the wire insulation and with a pair of wide groove part wings (96, 98) that are crimped around the insulation. Each termination end also includes a narrow groove part (100) for receiving a bared conductor of the wire, the narrow groove part having a bottom (104) that is offset from the wide groove part bottom (94), and the narrow groove part having a pair of narrow groove part wings (106, 108) that are crimped around the wire conductor.

Abstract: A PC or CF (Compact Flash) card housing has housing halves (32, 34) that each includes a sheet metal shield (50, 70) with a main wall lying in a horizontal plane and with primarily vertical side walls (56, 58, 72, 74), with the side walls of the housing halves overlapping when the housing halves are assembled together. Each shield side wall includes dimples (90, 106) formed by deforming out areas of the sheet metal shield side wall. Each dimple has opposite faces respectively forming a recess and a projection. The recesses (108) of the top housing side walls receive projections (94) of the bottom housing side walls to lock the housing halves together when one is pushed vertically into the other. The dimples have opposite sides (140, 142) connected by bends to surrounding sheet metal, and have lower ends (130, 144) severed from surrounding sheet metal.

Abstract: First and second mateable connectors (12,14) each has a row of very closely spaced contacts mounted in a corresponding insulative frame. Each contact (80) of the first connector includes a piece of sheet metal with a strip portion (84) bent into a loop (86), with the loop projecting forward of the front end (100) of the first connector insulator (96). Each contact (82) of the second connector has a mating end (32) in the form of a vertically-elongated plate that compresses the loop when the connectors mate. Each first contact includes a flat plate portion (90) lying in a vertical plane and in interference fit with the walls of a passage (94) in the first insulator. The first contact also includes a 90° bend (92) that connects the strip portion (84) to the plate portion at the rear of the first insulator.

Abstract: A first connector of the type that has a pair of forwardly-projecting latch arms for locking into a cavity of a second connector, where the latch arms of the first connector have outer sides with slots that hold first auxiliary contacts, and the second connector has slots at opposite sides of its cavity for holding corresponding second auxiliary contacts. Each slot is aligned with a bore in the connector frame, with the bore being of rectangular configuration. Each auxiliary contact includes a plate portion lying in the bore in interference fit with the opposite sides of the bore, a strip portion that extends forward of the plate portion, and a 90.degree. bend that connects one side of the plate portion to an edge of the strip portion.

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed in which a mounting flange, for mounting the connector on a panel, is releasably secured to the connector body while simultaneously providing a seal between the flange and the body. The seal is preferably in the form of an O-ring which cooperates with locking pins on the flange and matching recesses on the connector body to provide a detent mechanism that permits the releasable locking of the flange onto the body.

Abstract: A connector has three connection ports (12A, 12B, 12C) lying in a horizontal port plane (30), with a set of terminals (32) at each port, wherein each set of terminals includes a pair of terminals (41A, 42A) lying in a horizontal row plane (50), which includes sheet metal multi conductors (51-54) that form and connect together one corresponding terminal at each of the ports. Each sheet metal multi conductor forms a corresponding terminal at each port that all lie on the row plane, a middle (60) that lies in a horizontal offset plane (66) that is spaced from the row plane, and ends (62) with inclined parts (64) that extend between the row plane and the offset plane. The first and second terminals at each port are connected by identical multi conductors, where one is turned upside-down from the orientation of the other.

Abstract: A connector assembly which includes a circuit board (18, FIG. 2 and 28, FIG. 3), a connector housing (40, 140), and a pair of flat flexible circuits (20, 22 and 30, 32). The flat flexible circuits have front end portions (50, 52 and 190, 192), where the circuit conductors form two spaced rows of connector contacts, and the circuits have stacked rear portions (60, 62 and 154, 156) where the conductors of the two flat flexible circuits are staggered and soldered to a single row of circuit board traces (80, FIG. 6).