Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

General Patent Counsel/ Amp Inc.

Billy E Olsson

Lit-Yan Kam

Iosif Korsunsky

John Philip Kunkle

James R Kunkle

David W Rupnik

Joseph R Keller

Iosif Korsunksy

Lit-Yam Kam

Lit Y Kam

A miniature electrical connector (10) having two rows of closely spaced signal contacts (40) extending from a board-mounting face (30) to a mating face (32), and having extended height. An insert (100) is assembled within a large cavity (36) of the housing (20) to define inner walls of passageways of the housing containing the contacts (40). A planar metal member (102) of the insert can define a ground bus for preventing crosstalk between the two rows of contacts, or can facilitate assembly and retention of the insert in the housing, or both, providing very thin elongate inner walls for the contact passageways while simplifying molding of the housing.

Electrical connector with ground bus insert

A high density connector (12 ) for connecting to circuitry on a flexible circuit substrate (16). The connector (12 ) includes a stiffener member (14 ) that is attached to the connector housing (36 ) so that the flexible substrate (16) is clamped therebetween. Tails (46) of ground buses (40) within the connector extend through flexible substrate (16 ) and through openings (48) in the stiffener member (14) and are bent over into recesses (58) to hold the stiffener member (14) and connector (12) firmly against the substrate (16) along the entire length of the connector. Pivotal levers (90) are provided to cooperate with the stiffener member (14) to secure connector (12 ) to a mating connector (18 ) in mating engagement when pivoted to a closed position, and to separate the connectors (12,18 ) with minimum bowing of connector (12) when pivoted to an open position.

Electrical connector for flexible circuit substrate

A keying arrangement for electrical connectors is disclosed for preventing the inadvertent mating of a plug to the wrong receptacle. The opposing walls (28,30;18,20) of the mating plug (14) and receptacle (12) have openings (52,53;36,37) formed therein that contain opposing keys (40,51;54,56,58). One key has a projection (44) and the other key (54,56,58) has a groove (62,70). The groove is in alignment with the projection where the plug and receptacle are designated to mate. The keys are used in pairs, one key at each end of the connector to prevent partial mating and the resulting potential damage. The keys are in diagonally opposite positions to prevent inadvertent partial mating along an edge of the connector. The keys are removable and replaceable so that keying configurations can be changed in the field.

Keying system for electrical connectors

A keying arrangement for electrical connectors is disclosed for preventing the inadvertent mating of a plug to the wrong receptacle. The opposing ends of the mating plug (14) and receptacle (12) have polygonal openings (80,94) formed completely through their housings that contain opposing polygonal-shaped keys (100) that are axially aligned. Each of the keys is retained in its respective polygonal opening by a pair of wing-like flanges (116) extending from the key that overlies a first surface (86) formed in the housing adjacent the polygonal opening and a locking tab (122) projecting from the key that underlies another surface (92) spaced from the first surface (86).

Keying system for low profile connector

A high density connector for electrically connecting a high density cable to a matable electrical connector has a housing with a plurality of terminals provided therein. The terminals have sharp outer edges which enable the terminals to cooperate with a portion of the connector to provide the securing force required to retain the terminals in position. The positioning of the terminals in the housing is accurately controlled through the use of an alignment tool which is manufactured from a material which does not expand or contract when exposed to various environmental conditions. Therefore, the precise positioning of the terminals is guaranteed and is repeatable for many connectors.

Tool for positioning terminals in an electrical connector

Method of terminating a cable to a connector

Method of inserting teminals into the housing of an electrical connector

An apparatus for terminating conductors of a ribbon cable to a dielectric housing has a movable frame member and a stationary frame member. The movable frame member has a laminated subassembly and a staking block provided thereon. A support member is positioned on the movable frame member and is movable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the support member cooperates with the staking block to insure that the staking block is not movable relative to the movable frame member. This allows the staking block to coin or deform top walls of recesses of the dielectric housing. Alternatively, when the support member is in the second position, the support member does not cooperate with the staking block, thereby allowing the staking block to move relative to the movable frame.

Apparatus for manipulating a high density flat cable

A high density ribbon cable connector includes bipartite strain relief halves adapted to trap between them a high density ribbon cable. The strain relief halves and ribbon are snap latchable into position within a fixture housing with the cable extending through an elongate slot in the fixture housing, and adjacent to a fixture face having conductor aligning grooves emanating from and fanning out in opposite directions from the elongate slot. The grooves form a template for the positioning of the conductors for accurate alignment prior to termination. The fixture housing also includes terminal clearance slots aligned with each groove, where two rows of clearance slots are provided on each side of the slot. The fixture housing is snap latchable into a terminal housing, where conductor receiving slots of electrical terminals are inserted into the terminal clearance slots, and electrically terminate the conductors to the electrical terminals.

High density electrical connector and method of making a high density

A high density connector for electrically connecting a high density cable to a matable electrical connector has a housing with a plurality of terminals provided therein. The terminals have sharp outer edges which enable the terminals to cooperate with a portion of the connector to provide the securing force required to retain the terminal in position. The positioning of the terminals in the housing is accurately controlled through the use of an alignment tool which is manufactured from a material which does not expand or contract when exposed to various environmental conditions. Therefore, the precise positioning of the terminals is guaranteed and is repeatable for many connectors.

High density flat cable connector

A high density ribbon cable connector includes bipartite strain relief halves adapted to trap between them a high density ribbon cable. The strain relief halves and ribbon are snap latchable into position within a fixture housing with the cable extending through an elongate slot in the fixture housing, and adjacent to a fixture face having conductor aligning grooves emanating from and faning out in opposite directions from the elongate slot. The grooves form a template for the positioning of the conductors for accurate alignment prior to termination. The fixture housing also includes terminal clearance slots aligned with each groove, where two rows of clearance slots are provided on each side of the slot. The fixture housing is snap latchable into a terminal housing, where conductor receiving slots of electrical terminals are inserted into the terminal clearance slots, and electrically terminate the conductors to the electrical terminals.

Latch mechanism for electrical connectors

An active connector assembly (10) for use in acting on electrical signals is disclosed. The assembly (10) includes a receptacle (14) for mounting on a printed circuit board (30), a pin header (12) for receiving signals from other data handling systems and a circuit card (16) attached electrically and mechanically along one edge (16a) to contact elements (26) in the pin header (12) and having an opposing edge (16b) for insertion into the receptacle (14) and electrical engagement with contact elements (28) therein.

Active connector assembly

An electrical connector (2) for electrically connecting a printed circuit board (6) to a cable (8) has terminals (4) which are provided therein. The cable (8) is maintained in the connector (2) in a recess provided between a housing ( 10) and a shroud (12) of the connector (2). An end of the cable extends into a board receiving channel, the end of the cable having exposed conductors provided thereon. An edge of the printed circuit board (6) is inserted into a board receiving channel of the connector (2) under reduced insertion force conditions. The connector is then rotated relative to the board, causing the terminals to resiliently engage the board. The resilient engagement causes the circuit board (6) to be placed in electrical connection with the cable (8). The board is maintained in position relative to the connector by locking projections (32), thereby insuring that a positive, reliable electrical connection will be effected.

Printed circuit board edge connector

A terminal is terminated onto the end of a flat power cable by punching a plurality of holes through an end section of the cable and its conductor means, placing a plate section of the terminal over or under the punched cable end section so that apertures through the plate section are vertically aligned with the punched holes, solid copper inserts are placed in the aligned hole arrangements, and the insert ends protrude above and below the top and bottom surfaces of the stacked package and are staked by punches to enlarge the insert ends into heads securing the package together and enlarging the diameter of the inserts to tightly fill the holes and apertures forming a plurality of gas-tight electrical connections. A pair of terminals is similarly securable to respective conductors of a dual conductor cable. Support members can be formed of strips of cable cut from the end thereof and having holes punched therein, which are placed along the top and bottom of the stacked package prior to staking the insert ends. A tap cable can be interconnected to a main cable, either in a parallel tap or a T-tap, or two cables spliced together, by similarly punching holes through both cables and inserting inserts therethrough and staking them, without using a terminal. Apparatus containing the punches includes a series of cams in the lower die assembly to move both upper and lower punches simultaneously against the insert ends by a single downstroke of the upper die assembly.

Methods and apparatus for terminating and interconnecting flat power

An electrical connector (2) has a series of terminals (14) which extend from a first surface (78) to a second surface (60). The terminals (14) have a cable terminating sections (16) provided proximate the first surface (78), and board engagement sections (20) provided proximate the second surface (60). Transition sections are provided between the cable terminating sections (16) and the board terminating sections (20). The transition sections are provided to compensate for the different centerline spacing of sections (16, 20). The transition sections have shoulders (26) provided thereon, the shoulders (26) cooperate with retention surfaces (68) of the connector (2) to insure that the terminals (14) are maintained in accurate alignment.

Growing community of inventors

New Cumberland, PA, United States of America

Billy E Olsson