Latching Part Unitary With Metallic Connector Or Contact Patents (Class 439/746)
  • Patent number: 5266056
    Abstract: An electrical terminal (2,102) is shown having a pin (4) or socket contacts (104) a retaining spring (6) and an insulation crimping barrel (8). The retaining spring (6) is defined as a substantial box section where the upper wall (36) includes a stamped out locking lance (38) having a free end (40) for engaging a locking shoulder within an electrical terminal housing. The free end (40) of the locking lance (38) has an embossed section (42) forming a raised surface on the upper surface (44) of the locking lance and an indentation (50) on the lower surface (46) of the locking lance. The embossed area (42) extends into the free end (40) of the electrical terminal so as to define a discontinuous end edge for engaging the locking shoulder of the electrical terminal housing. Medially positioned within the embossed area (42), and extending from the free end (40) thereof, is a sheared tab (54) defined by sheared slits ( 52).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 30, 1993
    Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation
    Inventors: Kurt P. Baderschneider, Gheorghe Hotea
  • Patent number: 5259769
    Abstract: An electrical connector includes a dielectric body mounting a flexible leaf-type terminal which has a spring contact portion for surface engagement with a contact element of a mating connector component. The body includes a partition-like wall defining oppositely facing sides and an end face thereof. The terminal is fixed adjacent one side of the wall, and the spring contact portion of the terminal is bowed around the end face of the wall and spaced therefrom for flexingly surface engaging the contact element of the mating connector component in a given direction generally perpendicular to the end face of the wall. The terminal has a distal end at the end of the spring contact portion located in a recessed area in the other side of the wall. The distal end thereby preloads the spring contact portion and resists flexing of the spring contact portion if engaged in a direction generally toward the one side of the wall.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 1992
    Date of Patent: November 9, 1993
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Tom Cruise, Mathew Wilhite, Niallo D. Carroll
  • Patent number: 5226839
    Abstract: A connector comprised of a connector housing including first and second chambers, and a terminal which passes through a first aperture provided between the first and second chambers is disclosed. The terminal comprises a base part having a substantially flat bottom, a tab portion extending from an end of the base part so as to be inserted into the first aperture, a first protrusion protruding upwards from the base part, and a second protrusion protruding downwards from the base part, the first chamber having, an upper wall, and a bottom wall, the bottom wall having a groove for receiving the second protrusion of the terminal therein and a step portion defined by the groove, the step portion having a top surface upon which the second protrusion slides so that the tab portion can be guided into the first aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 13, 1993
    Assignee: Yazaki Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Koumatsu, Kimihiro Abe
  • Patent number: 5224879
    Abstract: A panel-mounted electrical power outlet receptacle for receiving a power plug to transfer current from circuitry located at the rear of the panel. The receptacle has a molded plastic body of tubular open-ended configuration, with an integral transverse wall intermediate its ends. A first double-ended metal terminal post is molded into said transverse wall and projects into both open ends of the body, the ends of the post being respectively receivable in sockets of cooperable separable fittings that are receivable in the body ends. There is a second double-ended metal terminal post in the form of a stamping, which is carried by the transverse wall of the plastic body. It also projects into both open ends of the body. The transverse body wall has an opening through which the second terminal post extends, and there is a snap locking construction on the plastic body and the second terminal post, which is activated upon insertion of the second terminal post in the wall opening.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 1992
    Date of Patent: July 6, 1993
    Assignee: Casco Products Corporation
    Inventors: Brian G. Mullins, Ali El-Haj, Francis G. Marshall
  • Patent number: 5190460
    Abstract: A connecting block (20) which includes a plurality of protectors (30,30) to protect a plurality of incoming communications lines includes a rear panel (28) which is stationary with respect to a housing (25) of the connector block. Mounted in cavities (62, 62) of the rear panel is a mass of contact elements (40,40) arranged in rows and columns and each having a rearwardly extending portion which is connected to a conductor which extend from an associated protector and an opposite portion which extends toward a front panel (60). Mounted in cavities (62,62) of the front panel is a mass of trifurcated contact elements (70,70) each having a base portion (72) and a conductor receiving portion. In a disconnected position, the opposite portion of each contact element is aligned with and overlaps a base (72) of an associated trifurcated contact element with a hook-like portion (46) being spaced from the base of the associated trifurcated contact element by a web (96) of dielectric material in each cavity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 1991
    Date of Patent: March 2, 1993
    Assignee: AT&T Bell Laboratories
    Inventor: Sastry V. Emani
  • Patent number: 5186656
    Abstract: In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the miniature coaxial contact terminates a coaxial cable which includes a signal wire, an insulating jacket surrounding the signal wire, ground means surrounding the insulating jacket and an outer insulating sheath surrounding the ground means. The contact includes a signal pin having a contact end for mating with an appropriate receptacle contact and a terminating end having a coined portion for termination to the signal wire. Insulator means is provided about at least a portion of the signal pin. A grounding shield tube is provided about the insulator means. The tube has an inner surface for termination to the ground means of the cable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 1991
    Date of Patent: February 16, 1993
    Assignees: Molex Incorporated, International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frank A. Harwath, Donald J. Brinkman, Glenn A. Landgraf, Hasmukh Shah, Eric Stenstrom, David L. Brunker, Richard A. Johnson
  • Patent number: 5161990
    Abstract: A universal plug is provided for electrical connection with a receptacle having a configuration selected from a plurality of different configurations such that a conventional electric plug that mates properly with a receptacle having a first of the configurations is prevented from mating properly with a receptacle having a second of the configurations. The universal plug is formed with a first plug component and a second plug component, the first and second components being separable from each other so that each can be manipulated independently of the other for electrical connection to the receptacle. The universal plug will thus mate properly with a receptacle of the first configuration and will also mate properly with a receptacle of the second configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 10, 1992
    Assignee: GP Batteries (Malaysia) SDN BHD
    Inventors: Peter P. T. Ling, Andrew S. O. Ng
  • Patent number: 5158468
    Abstract: An electrical contact assembly (10) comprises a housing having a bottom portion (26) and a top portion (24), the top portion having a first inverted wall section (29) and a second inverted wall section (28), the housing having at least one aperture (31 and 32), the aperture extending from the bottom of the first inverted wall section to the bottom of the second inverted wall section. The assembly further comprises a substrate (20) within the housing having at least one contact area (22), and a contact finger (11) for placement in the housing aperture, the contact finger having at least a first portion (12), a second portion (14) and a third portion (16). The first portion protrudes below the aperture and contacts the contact area (22) on the substrate. The second portion (14) clips on to opposing walls of the second inverted wall (28) and the third portion (16) protrudes from the aperture (31) forming an external contact area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 1991
    Date of Patent: October 27, 1992
    Assignee: Motorola, Inc.
    Inventors: James H. Curtis, Jose Villanueva, III, William R. Williams, James T. Davis, II, John M. Miller
  • Patent number: 5131873
    Abstract: A stamped and formed metal female electrical terminal includes a generally cylindrical, formed portion defining a substantially unobstructed pin receiving mating end. The mating end includes a first longitudinal slot defined by opposed edges of the metal from which the terminal is formed and extending inwardly from the mating end. A second longitudinal slot is stamped from the metal of the terminal, diametrically opposed to the first slot. The second slot is completely closed and extends inwardly from a point spaced rearwardly from the pin receiving mating end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 21, 1992
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventors: Fred Gierut, Robert H. Rushton
  • Patent number: 5064389
    Abstract: A slave connector (44,66) for use between a permanently mounted header (32,54) on a printed circuit board (34,56) and a test header (44,66) has been disclosed. The slave contacts (10) have a socket (14) at one end and a pin (16) at another end to permit mating with either plug/pin or cap/receptacle headers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 1991
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: David A. Klein, Daines M. Self, Jr.
  • Patent number: 5030140
    Abstract: The electrical connector in accordance with the present invention may be distributed with the shield frame thereof temporarily mounted on the connector body thereof. While the shield frame is temporarily mounted, a portion of the connector body is restrained between engagement pawls or projections formed on the shield frame. While the shield frame is temporarily mounted, the shield frame is backed up by the connector body, thus preventing the shield frame from being readily deformed. When the shield frame is pushed to the connector body with a force sufficient to resiliently deform the engagement pawls on the shield frame, the shield frame may be moved from a temporary-fitting position to a final-fitting position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 1990
    Date of Patent: July 9, 1991
    Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Keishi Sugiyama
  • Patent number: 5017158
    Abstract: A receptacle for computer mother board connectors with a self-locking and electric shielding mechanism, which includes a rubber core (1) incorporated with a metal ring (2) and received in a metal casing (3). The rubber core (1) is unitarily made of rubber material through a shape molding process, and has a circular slot (13) on its front end, or top, for the insertion therein of the metal ring (2), two recessed holes (14) and two fastening holes (15) at both opposite sides for securing the metal ring and the metal casing to provide good electric shielding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 1990
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1991
    Assignee: Pan-International Industrial Corp.
    Inventors: Yun-Yu Liu, Hsiao-Lei Shih
  • Patent number: 5004434
    Abstract: A printed circuit edge connector having a pluraltiy of electrial terminals, each of which has a compliant contact spring opposed to a relatively more rigid support arm is disclosed. The surface of the contact spring is opposed to an edge of the support arm because the contact spring is bent transversely relative to an arm which is coplanar with the support arm. Each of the terminals is received within aligned channels and cavities and an insulative housing, each of which extend parallel to a board receiving slot opening on the upper face of the housing. The base of the terminals are received within the cavities and include terminal retention means engagable with the housing in the cavities to retain the terminals in the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard E. Aiello, Donald G. Stillie, Christopher L. Allgood
  • Patent number: 4992056
    Abstract: An electrical connector (2) for mounting on a circuit board (4) comprises a housing (8) wiht through passages (10) each receiving an electrical terminal (38) having a transverse lance (76) with a free end (78) lodged in a recess (28) in a side wall (16) of the housing (2). Each terminal (38) has a solder tail (66) for engaging a pad (6) on the board (4), and from which projects a solder tail (66) having a soldering portion (68) outside the housing (2), for soldering to the pad (6) and being flexible about a reduced cross-section part (98). The foot (62) and the tail (66) have sheared edges (94 and 96). Sheared edge (96) engages the pad (6) to provide for high terminal density. The terminals (38) are moved inwardly of their passages (10) against the resilient action of their lances (76) when the connector (2) is applied to the board (4), to urge the sheared edge (96) against the pads (6) while the tails (66) are soldered to the pads (6).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 12, 1991
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: George H. Douty, Timothy L. Kocher, Martha L. Rupert, Robert W. Walker
  • Patent number: 4917634
    Abstract: An electrical connector in which electrical terminals are retained within a connector housing in a simple and reliable manner to withstand expected pulling forces without unwanted release of the terminals from the housing. The housing has one or more passageways for receiving respective terminals, an abutment at the inner end of each passageway to limit the insertion depth of the associated terminal, a V-grooved abutment in each passage cooperative with yieldable tines of an associated terminal to retain the terminal in place after insertion into its passage, and walls defining each passage for maintaining the associated terminal in position after insertion into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: Reed Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Lawrence E. Geib, Herbert C. Naylor
  • Patent number: 4917635
    Abstract: A pin grip terminal is disposed in a connector body for engaging a pin contact. The pin grip terminal comprises an elongated base having a concave contact area and a cantilever spring arm which is integrally attached the elongated base by a reverse bend so that the cantilever spring arm confronts the contact area. the cantilever spring arm has a slit which divides the cantilever spring arm into a contact grip for engaging the pin contact and biasing it against the contact area and an elongated lock tang for retaining the pin grip terminal in the connector body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 1989
    Date of Patent: April 17, 1990
    Assignee: General Motors Corporation
    Inventors: Richard V. Landries, Bradley A. Shattuck
  • Patent number: 4915636
    Abstract: Disclosed is an electrical card guide or edge connector for mechanically and electrically connecting two printed circuit boards. The connector has an elongated body with an insertion slot at the top for receiving a circuit board and having mechanical snap-type fasteners at the bottom for mechanically securing the connector to a base board. Cross slots are provided in the connector body to receive contacts which are exposed in their mounted positions but which lie within the peripheral profile of the connector body in its fastened position. The contacts are configured with a U-shaped base portion permitting the contacts to be assembled by lateral movement onto the connector body for automatic locking action to secure the contacts into assembled position. The profile of the connector body has a height lower than its width. Pins are provided for locking the mechanical fasteners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 1988
    Date of Patent: April 10, 1990
    Assignee: Dynatech Labs, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald L. Knight
  • Patent number: 4891023
    Abstract: An edge connector is provided comprising a housing and a plurality of stamped and formed terminals mounted therein. The housing is constructed to be self-compensating for variations in the thickness of a printed circuit board and the location of mounting apertures therein. The housing includes a plurality of terminal receiving cavities, each of which includes an internally disposed latch wall. The terminals each include a base, a solder tail extending from one side of the base and a contact beam and mounting beam cantilevered from the opposite side of the base. The mounting beam includes a mounting arm and a latch arm cantilevered from the mounting arm and disposed intermediate the mounting arm and the contact beam. The latch arm is resiliently deflectable to lockingly engage the centrally disposed latch wall of the housing, and to thereby minimize outwardly directed pressure on the external walls of the housing that could otherwise bow the housing and minimize the effectiveness of the connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: Molex Incorporated
    Inventor: John E. Lopata
  • Patent number: 4891017
    Abstract: A socket connector having a plurality of socket contacts engagable with pin contacts is disclosed. The socket connector is specifically adapted for mating with an array of pins positioned in a prescribed relationship on the exterior of an electrical component such as a fan motor. Individual sockets are contained within passages extending between the mating end and the rearward end of the housing and at least one of the passages has a constricted pin entry portion adjacent the mating end to align a pin to avoid pin-socket stubbing during mating. A laterally extending opening defined by a side entry mold is used to define this constricted portion and to define an opposed contact retention surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: January 2, 1990
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Brent A. Kuhn, Garold M. Yurko
  • Patent number: 4880401
    Abstract: An electric female connector piece for receiving a pin-shaped male connector piece therein for achieving an electric connection therewith, comprising: a connector piece main body having a C-shaped cross section by being provided with a pair of mutually opposing, elongated strips which are joined together at their long sides by a connecting strip; a contact piece consisting of an elongated strip which is adapted to be disposed between the mutually opposing strips defining a cavity of a substantially rectangular cross section; a fitting hole provided in a middle part of each of the mutually opposing strips for receiving a fitting projection provided in each lateral long edge of the contact piece; engagement portions provided at either lengthwise end of each of the mutually opposing strips for mutual engagement with corresponding projections of the contact piece; and a spring piece bent from the connecting strip for elastically urging the male connector piece against the contact piece.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 1988
    Date of Patent: November 14, 1989
    Assignee: Omron Tateisi Electronics Company
    Inventors: Koichi Shima, Motoyuki Tomizu
  • Patent number: 4875872
    Abstract: Terminals are held in a connector body of an insulating material and the connector body has engaging grooves cut into both sides and extending in its front-to-back direction. A U-shaped metal cover is locked to the connector body, with both side marginal portions of the cover fitted into the engaging grooves of the connector body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 1988
    Date of Patent: October 24, 1989
    Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masanori Tanaka
  • Patent number: 4859197
    Abstract: A pin plug connector is comprised of a pin, a body which will be connected with the pin by insertion, a cover which will attach over circumferential side of the body, a covered shield line which comprises a core line, a shield line and a cover portion, a terminal which will connect the shield line to the cover, a cap which will fit over asembled components noted above, and wherein improvement is introduced in that the terminal is provided with a press fitter to press-fit the shield line and a clamping end to clamp the cover portion of the line, and an engaging end to engage with the cover, thereby external forces which attempt to pull the shield line will be resonably divided to the connections mounted on the terminal and then a break of connection will be avoided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 1988
    Date of Patent: August 22, 1989
    Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisao Toramoto, Tadashi Yagi
  • Patent number: 4801278
    Abstract: A fuse holder for a cylindrical fuse with a tubular body and conductive metal end caps is disclosed where the holder includes a molded base and metal terminals. The base is adapted to carry a pair of terminals in spaced apart alignment to receive at least one fuse, but a plurality of fuses can be carried in parallel rows on a common base between aligned pairs of terminals. Notched lines are positioned between the rows to define lines of weakness for severance of the molded base providing at least one fuse holder and terminal pair. The configuration of one fuse holder is elongated and rectangular with the molded base having a generally flat center and raised ends. The terminals are identical in shape and snap fit to the ends of the base between a pair of upstanding legs which form a channel for alignment with the axis of the fuse. Each terminal has a squat U shape in end profile and includes four spring fingers to hold the fuse end cap against the terminal base which is the flat bottom part of the U.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 31, 1989
    Assignee: Cooper Inductries, Inc.
    Inventor: Gayle L. Sappington
  • Patent number: 4790764
    Abstract: An electrical terminal for connecting a power supply section (35) to a circuit board (50) which requires no tools and utilizes minimal space on the circuit board (50). The terminal having mounting pins (14) which frictionally and electrically engage holes (30 in the circuit board (50) and a contact portion (18) which resiliently contact the power supply section (35), thereby effecting a positive electrical connection between the power supply section (35) and the circuit board (50).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 1987
    Date of Patent: December 13, 1988
    Assignee: AMP Incorporated
    Inventors: Akira Kawaguchi, Takinori Sasaki
  • Patent number: 4774637
    Abstract: The invention relates to a motor vehicle lamp with several light bulbs. The light bulbs are electrically connected by cables with a multiplug connector disposed at the casing of the lamp. The multiple plug connector comprises contact parts produced from sheet metal strips and provided at the center region with an attachment means. The contact parts are formed as flat plugs at one end section while the contact parts are provided at the other end section in each case with a protruding bent off flag. The clamping jaws of a cutter clamping device generated by a slot are set in the flag. The slot runs in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the contact parts. The contact parts are inserted with the flat plugs in slot-shaped openings and are sequentially disposed in a plane with their wide extension at a distance from each other. The neighboring contact parts in a row are rotated by 180 degrees relative to each other about the longitudinal axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1986
    Date of Patent: September 27, 1988
    Assignee: Hella KG Hueck & Co.
    Inventors: Wilhelm Budde, Franz Schmuck, Gunter Stracke, Manfred Vorweg
  • Patent number: 4753614
    Abstract: A connecting system is disclosed for electric connector sockets. These sockets comprise, in a recess of an insulating housing, a supported contact member, the electric conductor elements of which are connectible to a further electric conductor element of a plug inserted from the outside. Several insulating housings can be releasably plugged together into a unit by way of detent means. The detent means of each housing serve simultaneously for fixing the connector socket in the adjoining housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 1987
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1988
    Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Hans Weiner
  • Patent number: 4710139
    Abstract: A jack is composed of a body, a contact piece holder mounted on the body, and a contact piece mounted on the contact piece holder. The body is molded in a single piece by die casting of a conductive material and includes as integral portions of the body a cylindrical portion for receiving a plug, a flange extending from the cylindrical portion, and a terminal and a holding portion provided on the flange. The contact piece holder is carried by the holding portion of the die cast body. The contact piece holder can be mounted on the holding portion with a single operation, and the contact piece can also be mounted on the contact piece holder with a single operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1986
    Date of Patent: December 1, 1987
    Assignee: Hosiden Electronics Co. Ltd.
    Inventor: Akihito Shichida
  • Patent number: 4673239
    Abstract: An electrical contact blade and an electrical terminal are locked together within two intersecting slots provided in a terminal block, and at least one of either the electrical terminal or the electrical contact blade is prevented from axial movement in a predetermined direction by a stop provided in its respective slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 16, 1987
    Assignee: Emhart Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Smith, Ellis P. Lipp
  • Patent number: 4669806
    Abstract: An electrical terminal strip comprises an insulating body having a plurality of connector compartments, a corresponding number of clamp members constructed as compartment liners each having a clamp passage in which an electrical conductor is insertable and a threaded hole for receiving a clamp screw. Each of the clamp members is provided with a clamp bracket having both a conductor engaging element and at least one solder connector pin. The clamp member is insertable through its solder connector end into the connector compartments of the insulating body where it is held undetachably, while the clamp bracket is subsequently inserted through a lateral opening in the insulating body in a direction opposite to the direction the conductor is inserted so that the conductor engaging element is in the clamp space. No other components or assembly steps are required to unite the conductor clamp member and clamp bracket in the insulating body, but a base plate may or may not be a part of the electrical strip.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1985
    Date of Patent: June 2, 1987
    Assignee: Karl Lumberg GmbH & Co.
    Inventor: Helmut Fuchs