Abstract: A rightangle board mount electrical connector of high contact density includes a diecast metal housing having a front wall and rearwardly projecting side walls. The front wall has upper and lower through openings therein each receiving a drawn metal shell which in turn receives an insulating header having cavities containing mating portions of electrical terminals. Each terminal has projecting obliquely and rearwardly from the respective header a terminal leg terminating in a soldering tail. The terminal legs are so dimensioned that the solder tails are arranged in four rows for insertion through holes in a spacer plate. A shield can be inserted downwardly between the housing side walls for retention in the housing. A downwardly inclined rearwall of the shield covers the terminal legs for complete shielding of the terminals. In use of the connector the housing is grounded to a circuit board in which the connector is mounted and the shield is similarly grounded.

Abstract: A stackable connector (20) formed by positioning connector housings (22,24) back-to-back and securing them together with terminating covers (26,28). Opposing terminating covers (26,28) have leg means (86,88,90,92) that complement leg means on the other terminating cover to substantially fill apertures (52). Either a short segment of cable or conductors of a cable are terminated on corresponding ones of contacts in the two housings (22,24). The terminating covers (26,28) are secured to housings (22,24) in a pretermination position in which corners (98,100) of leg means (86,88,90,92) engage side walls (126) of apertures (52) in a first interference fit. As termination of the conductors is completed, leg means (86,88,90,92) of terminating cover (86) enter apertures (104,106,108,110) on terminating cover (28) and engage a protrusion (112,114,116,118) in a second interference fit.

Abstract: A high density electrical connector for terminating to conductors of a ribbon cable has an insulative housing defining a cable receiving face, a mating face and at least one row of terminal receiving passages extending therebetween with terminals secured therein. The terminal receiving passages open into opposing channels near the cable receiving face. Each terminal includes a mating portion, an intermediate section and an insulation displacement plate. The intermediate section is defined by a pair of sheared edges extending toward the insulation displacement plate from the mating section. The intermediate section includes a notched region defining a first shoulder and an insert sheared edge. The intermediate section further includes a lateral offset formed such that the mating portion is perpendicular to the insulation displacement plate. The first shoulder, a portion of the intermediate section and the insulation displacement plate are received in a channel near the cable receiving face.

Abstract: There is disclosed a connector (20) for terminating to a plurality of conductors (64). The connector includes a housing (24) having conductor terminating contacts (26) secured therein and defining an axis. First and second terminating covers (28,30) are adapted to be secured to the housing (24) from opposed directions, transverse to the axis of the contacts in a terminating position in which the conductors (64) are terminated to respective ones of the contacts (26), with the terminated conductors extending rearwardly of the housing (24) substantially parallel to the axis. A strain relief member (22) adapted to be secured to the housing (24) includes a transverse member (126) and cover retention means (138,140). The transverse member (126) intersects the rearwardly extending conductors (64) when the strain relief member (22) is secured to a housing (24) terminated to conductors (64) and causes the conductors to extend transverse to the contact axis to pass beyond the transverse member (126).

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly comprising a pair of complementary connectors (10a, 12) incorporating "pin saver" structure for preventing pin contacts (16) from being bent when the connectors (10a, 12) are mated or separated in a careless fashion. The "pin saver" structure comprises a plurality of projections or ledges (42, 43, 44, 45) on one of the connectors (10a) for defining extended fulcrums around which the other connector (12) will rotate or turn if the connectors (10a, 12) are mated or separated from one another by relative movement in which the longitudinal axes (31) of the pin contacts (16) in one connector are not maintained substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes (32) of the receptacle contacts (14) in the other connector (10a) during mating or separation.

Abstract: An electrical connector (10) for terminating a multi-conductor cable (100) has a housing (12) including a cable terminating face (18), an opposed mating face (16) and opposed end walls (24,26) having latch means (58,60) thereon. The cable terminating face (18) has major edges and minor edges, with the minor edges contiguous with the end walls (24,26). The major edges extend laterally beyond the profile of the mating face (16). The cable terminating face (18) has a rib (44,46) extending along the major edges, upstanding from the cable terminating face (18). A plurality of contacts (30) are secured in the housing (12) and have respective insulation displacement plates (34) extending from the cable terminating face (18). A terminating cover (14) defines an inner surface (80) and major side edges and has latch arms (86, 88) at opposite ends thereof adapted to engage the latch means (58,60) on the connector housing (12) to retain the terminating cover (14) on the housing (12).

Abstract: An electrical terminal (32) for insertion into a passage (30) in a dielectric housing (22) or a high density ribbon cable connector (20) incorporating the terminal is disclosed. The high density ribbon cable connector (20) has an insulative housing (22) having passages (30) extending therethrough. Each of the passages (30) have an electrical terminal (32) secured therein. Each terminal (32) has a mating section (34), an intermediate section (56) and an insulation displacement section (38). A first transition section (60) is disposed between the mating section (34) and the intermediate section (56); a second transition section (72) is disposed between the intermediate section (56) and the insulation displacement section (38). The intermediate section (56) provides forwardly facing stop shoulders (58) for engagement with stop shoulders (64) in the insulative housing (22) to position the terminal (32) in a passage (30).

Abstract: An electrical connector (20,20') for terminating to conductors of a cable (24,24') and for mounting through an aperture (150) in a panel (152) has an electrically conductive die cast housing (26) having an aperture (52) therein. The connector (20,20') is adapted to be mounted to the panel (152) proximate the aperture (150) in the panel. A drawn shell (28) having an aperture therein is received in the die cast housing aperture (52) such that the drawn shell (28) and die cast housing (26) are electrically commoned. The drawn shell (28) is adapted to extend through the aperture (150) in the panel (152). An insulative insert having terminals (32) secured therein is received and secured in the drawn shell aperture. The terminals (32) have a cable conductor engaging portion (94,170) adapted to be terminated to respective conductors of the cable (24,24').

Abstract: A connector (12) or a pair of connectors (10,12) having a removable post (105) for reception in a channel (51) in an electrical connector (12) wherein the channel (51) has a wider first region (54) and a narrower second region (56), with the narrower second region (56) opening both onto the wider first region (54) and an exterior surface (57) of the connector (12). The post (105) has an elongate body section (106) that is an enlarged retaining portion adapted to be slidingly received in the wider first region (54) of channel (51). Elongate body section (107) has a first portion (108) and an extended portion (110). First portion (108) is typically narrower than extended portion (110), is adjacent to and extends from the enlarged body section (106) and is adapted to extend through the narrower region (56) of channel (51) to interconnect the enlarged body section (106) with extended portion (110).

Abstract: A connector (10;12) with removable latch block (24) or a removable latch block (24) for reception in a channel (28) in an electrical connector (10;12) wherein the channel (28) has a wider first region (36) and a narrower second region (38) with the narrower second region (38) opening both onto the wider first region (36) and an exterior surface (40) of the connector (10;12). The latching block (24) has a latching section (54) and a retaining section (52). The latching section (54) includes a latching shoulder (60) to engage latching means on a complementary connector. The retaining section (52) has an enlarged first retaining portion (56) adapted to be slidingly received in the wider first region (36) of channel (28) and a narrower second retaining portion (58) extending from the first retaining portion (56) and adapted to extend through the narrower second region (38) of the channel to interconnect the enlarged first retaining portion (56) with the latching section (54).

Abstract: A cable terminating cover retention system having two terminating covers (68, 70), each having leg means (72, 74) proximate the endwalls (90, 92) thereof, cooperate with an aperture (45) in a terminal support block (44) of connector housing (28). As conductors (56) are terminated on insulation displacement contacts (20) by moving the terminating covers (68, 70) toward the terminal support block (44), the leg means (72, 74) complement each other to substantially fill the aperture (45) and engage the sidewalls (102) of the apertures (45) in a first interference fit. As termination of the conductors (56) is completed, each leg means (72, 74) enters a recess or aperture (124, 126) in the other cable terminating cover (70, 68) and engages a protrusion (128, 130) therein in a second interference fit.

Abstract: An electronic key assembly comprising an insulating plug body having a front mating end for receipt in a jack and a rearwardly spaced, chip carrier receiving cavity. A series of contacts having first contact portions are mounted in body recesses at the mating end for engagement with spring contacts of a complementary jack and second spring contact portions which extend into the cavity are for engagement with respective leads of a chip carrier received therein. Releasable latch arms extend rearwardly from the mating end and, in some examples, a sleeve-form shield moulded or latched in the fingerpiece is received on the body to surround a rear end and the chip carrier. Anti-overstress hooks or eyes extending from the fingerpiece hook over the latch arms to prevent excessive movement of the latch arms away from the body.

Abstract: An electronic key assembly (10) comprising an insulating plug body (11) having a front mating end (17) for receipt in a jack and a rearwardly spaced, chip carrier receiving cavity (19). A series of contacts (12) having first contact portions (34) are mounted in body recesses (32) at the mating end for engagement with spring contacts of a complementary jack and second spring contact portions (36) which extend into the cavity (19) are for engagement with respective leads of a chip carrier (15) received therein. Releasable latch arms (41) extend rearwardly from the mating end (17) and a sleeve-form shield (12) moulded in the fingerpiece (14) is received on the body (11) to surround a rear end and the chip carrier (15). Anti-overstress arms (64) extending from the fingerpiece (14) hook over the latch arms (41) to prevent excessive movement of the latch arms (41) away from the body (11).

Abstract: An electronic key assembly (10) comprising an insulating plug body (11) having a front mating end (17) for receipt in a jack and a rearwardly spaced, chip carrier receiving cavity (19). A series of contacts (12) having first contact portions (34) are mounted in body recesses (32) at the mating end for engagement with spring contacts of a complementary jack and second spring contact portions (36) which extend into the cavity (19) are for engagement with respective leads of a chip carrier (15) received therein. Releasable latch arms (41) extend rearwardly from the mating end (17) and a sleeve-form shield (12) moulded in the fingerpiece (14) is received on the body (11) to surround a rear end and the chip carrier (15). Anti-overstress arms (64) extending from the fingerpiece (14) hook over the latch arms (41) to prevent excessive movement of the latch arms (41) away from the body (11).

Abstract: Discrete wires are unraveled from a bundle of wires and assembled in respective passageways (12) in an electrical connector housing (11) by preloading the wires into a wire holder (21) which locates the leading ends of the wires at the same pitch as the passageways (12) but in staggered relation. The wire holder (21), supported by the wires, is then inserted into and along a mouth (14) of the housing (11) until it abuts a tapering throat (13) at the entrance to the passageways (12). Further advance of the bundle feeds the discrete wires through the wire holder (21) into the respective passageways (12) guided by the throat (13).

Abstract: A shielded and keyed electrical connector assembly comprises a shielded plug and a shielded receptacle. Forward portions of the plug are received in the plug-receiving opening of the receptacle. The shielding on the receptacle has integral shield contact members which extend into the opening and which engage the shielding on the plug when the parts are mated. Keying is achieved by at least one key in the plug-receiving opening and a keyway in the forward portion of the plug. The key and the shielding contacts are located such that they do not interfere with each others' functions.