Allied Corporation

Bunker Ramo Corporation

Alan H Kasper

Istvan Mathe

An electrical connector termination system includes a connector component having a plurality of ribbon contact members mounted within individual cavities, each ribbon contact member including a terminal socket element disposed proximate its mounting cavity's outer end. A termination component is provided having at least one pin contact member. Each pin contact member includes a terminal portion electrically engaged to at least one electrical conductor, and an active pin portion adapted for electrically and mechanically terminating with the socket element of one ribbon contact member. Keying and locking means are also provided for aligning and releasably maintaining the connector and termination components in a fully terminated condition and include a narrowed channel disposed adjacent each cavity's outer end which defines a restrictive guide orifice, at least one neck portion disposed about each pin contact member intermediate its terminal and active pin portions, and means lockingly engaging at least one neck portion of each pin contact member for retaining the pin contact members within the terminated connector.

Electrical connector termination system for quick field service

An electrical connector is disclosed having an insulation-opening contact member with at least one transversely displaceable sidewall that aligns itself parallel to both the opposing sidewall of the contact and the lateral surface of the mounting cavity of the connector. Insulation-opening protuberances extend inwardly from the displaceable sidewalls. The dielectric contact mount of the connector supports these protuberances and minimizes or prevents their lateral spreading during the connection operation.

Electrical connector having displaceable sidewall terminal element

A strain relief system for an electrical connector having a housing with a mounting flange in which a cable clamp is mounted to the flange with a projection engaging the housing to resist bending of the flange.

Cable strain relief for an electrical connector

An electrical connector is provided with a plurality of contacts, each of the contacts having an insulation-opening terminal element of sheet metal construction to electrically contact an insulated conductor. The contact is advantageously constructed for receiving an insulated stranded conductor, but is equally applicable for receiving an insulated solid conductor. Each contact includes an active portion, of either male or female configuration, a terminal element portion, and an intermediate portion connecting the active and terminal element portions. The terminal element portion preferably includes an elongate open channel of U-shaped cross-sectional configuration having side and bottom walls, the sidewalls including opposite portions dimpled in to provide inner detents forming, and separated by, a conductor-receiving notch for opening the insulation of the conductor and electrically engaging the underlying exposed conductor. A plurality of different embodiments of a detent are offered, each of which advantageously includes an enlarged wiping surface, a notch entrance and a smooth portion adjacent the notch entrance to prevent snagging, and possibly severing, of the individual strands of a stranded conductor.

Electrical connector including insulation-opening contact

A keyed high voltage connector of this invention is adapted to prevent connection to a standard connector having a standard shaped shell and which retains a standard contact mounting insert with a standard length contact supporting portion defined by end walls spaced a standard length by contact supporting walls. Typically, the standard connector may be of a low voltage type whereas the keyed connector carries high voltages which must not be directly connected or accidentally arced over to a seemingly mateable low voltage connector. Alternatively, the standard connector may carry a high voltage and the keyed connector a low voltage. The keyed connector of this invention uses the standard shaped shell and has a contact mounting insert with a contact supporting portion retained within the shell. At ends of the contact supporting portion keying portions are provided which begin at points spaced less than ends of the standard length contact supporting portion and terminate at points longer than ends of the standard length contact supporting portion. These keying portions may be provided as slots of reduced width or extended portions of reduced width. The keying portions are also raised to project above the level of a mating insertion end of the contact supporting portion to prevent arc-over of high voltages between a standard connector and a keyed connector. Also, the shell used with the keyed connector may be externally keyed to provide visual identification and to prevent mating with a standard connector.

Keyed connector to prevent intermating with a standard connector

A mounting bracket is carried by an end flange of a first electrical connector and includes projections which slidably engage grooves in a second electrical connector which is supported by the bracket. A hood covers the rear end of the first connector and at least partially covers and embraces the second connector supported by the bracket and includes an internal lateral projection which engages a hook-shaped portion of the bracket. The contact capacity of the first connector is greater than that of the second connector and electrical connections extend, within the hood, to connect the contacts of the second connector to contacts in selected positions of the first connector, so that selected conductors of a multi-conductor cable can be extended to the conductors of another multi-connector cable which has a lesser number of conductors, by way of cooperable connectors which are matable with the first and second connectors.

Growing community of inventors

Cicero, IL, United States of America

Alan H Kasper