Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

Other

Daniel E Stahl

William J Rudy, Jr

Howard R Shaffer

William B Long

Suel G Shannon

Lawrence A Hall

Linn Stephen Lightner

John Raymond Shuey

James Paul Scholz

Jeffrey M Norton

Keith R Denlinger

Wilbur A Hamsher, Jr

Bryce W Blair

A connector for a fuel gauge in a fuel cell which has an inner tube (12) and a spaced-apart concentric outer tube (14). A housing assembly (16) is mountable to outer tube (14) and includes a contact (19) electrically connected to the outer tube. A sleeve assembly (25) is slidably mounted in a bore (24) in the housing assembly and extends through an opening (29) through the outer tube, and a first end (32) of a contact assembly (26) within sleeve assembly (25) extends through an opening (35) in the inner tube and self-secures thereto. The contact assembly of the sleeve assembly makes electrical contact with the inner tube (12) at opening (35) and is connected at second end (33) by an electrical lead to the fuel gauge. An electrical lead also connects contact (19) connected to outer tube (14), to the fuel gauge so that an electrical potential between the inner tube and the outer tube may be measured.

Connector for concentric tubes attached to a fuel gauge

An improved current mode coupler comprising a base (100), a housing (300) mountable to a panel. The coupler base (100) includes a pair of wire retainers (200) for securing the wires (230,231) of a twisted pair cable within wire receiving channels (204,205) of a wire nest (202) of the coupler base (100). Each wire retainer (200) has an arm (232), a strut (236) extending from one end thereof to a cylindrical hinge (234) disposed in a pivot region of the coupler base (100), a vertical section (240) proximate the other end including a latch (242), and a wedge (244) on the lower surface of the arm (232). Upon rotation of the wire retainer about hinge (234) to a closed position, wedge (244) is engageable with a lower one of the conductors (230) to urge it fully into a deeper one of the channels (204) adjacent a channel intersection proximate a conductor crossover.

Method for retaining wires in a current mode coupler

An improved current mode coupler comprising a base (100), a housing (300) mountable to a panel. The coupler base (100) includes a pair of wire retainers (200) for securing the wires (230,231) of a twisted pair cable within wire receiving channels (204,205) of a wire nest (202) of the coupler base (100). Each wire retainer (200) has an arm (232), a strut (236) extending from one end thereof to a cylindrical hinge (234) disposed in a pivot region of the coupler base (100), a vertical section (240) proximate the other end including a latch (242), and a wedge (244) on the lower surface of the arm (232). Upon rotation of the wire retainer about hinge (234) to a closed position, wedge (244) is engageable with a lower one of the conductors (230) to urge it fully into a deeper one of the channels (204) adjacent a channel intersect ion proximate a conductor crossover.

Wire retainer for current mode coupler and method for retaining wires

An improved current mode coupler comprising a base (100) and a housing (300) for coupling to conductors (230,231) of a twisted pair cable (22) by at least one pair of opposing E-shaped electromagnets (206,384) mated about the conductors. The coupler base (100) has movable mounting feet (106) and a fixed engaging member (108) and is capable of single-motion mounting to a panel (224). The coupler housing (300) includes an outer shell (314) of thermally conductive material with heat transfer fins (302), a first cavity (316) for securing a pair of E-shaped electromagnets (384) corresponding to E-shaped electromagnets (206) in the coupler base (100), and a second cavity (324) adapted to house therein an electronics package which is connectable to a control unit. Heat transfer fins (302) are oriented diagonally to the housing axes to advantageously utilize ambient air flow for heat dissipation when the coupler is mounted to a panel conventionally parallel to or orthogonal to directions parallel to ambient air currents.

Heat dissipating housing for current

An improved current mode coupler comprising a base (100) and a housing (300) for current mode coupling onto a twisted pair cable (22) of a data bus (20). The coupler base (100) is mountable to a panel (224), having movable mounting body members (106) and a fixed engaging member (108) and is capable of single-motion mounting to the panel, which has a plurality of predetermined apertures (228) with engagement surfaces (226,227) which correspond to the mounting body members (106) and the fixed engaging member (108). The mounting body members (106) are movable within and removable from the coupler base (100) and contain a spring (218) which exerts a force in the direction away from the fixed engaging member (108) ensuring that the coupler base (100) is securely mounted to the panel (224) by engaging a groove (124) on the mounting feet (106) with an engagement surface (226) on the panel (224).

Mounting system for current mode coupler

An input/output interface for a junction box (10) having an array of connectors (80) exposed for mating to corresponding connectors (150) terminated to cables (152). The cable connectors (150) are affixed to a rugged panel member (110) which is mounted to a rack (100) into which the junction box (10) is placed, in a manner permitting float during mating with the array of junction box connectors (80). Backshells (166) are secured to the cable connectors (150) which assures no EMI/RFI leakage within the shells (164) of the connectors when mated.

EMI/RFI protective cable interface for high density junction box

A junction box (10) defining an enclosed card cage and including a backplane assembly (200) for interconnecting circuits of daughter cards (130) with associated conductors extending thereinto at an input/output interface. The junction box (10) includes a front panel (50) removable from the front face to permit insertion and removal of respective daughter cards, and includes an array of interior fins (58) engaged with the daughter cards at thermal junctions (64) and an array of exterior fins (52) for dissipating the thermal energy. The rear wall (14) includes shield sections (214) surrounding input/output connectors (208) joined to the backplane assembly. The junction box (10) prevents EMI/RFI leakage therethrough.

Heat dissipating EMI/RFI protective function box

An integral shell (150) for connectors (102,132) mounted to an edge of a circuit card (100,130). The connectors are secured in cavities (152) of the shell, and the cavities are precisely referenced to a single datum defined by an alignment or datum post (160). A corresponding alignment hole (162) of the circuit card is precisely positioned with reference to the arrays of termini of the circuits, and upon mounting of the shell to the card with the datum post (160) received in the alignment hole (162), the contact sections of the terminals of the several connectors (102,132) remain precisely aligned with the termini and their terminations protected against stress during handling, mating and unmating.

Integral shell for tandem circuit card connectors

An improved current mode coupler comprising a base (100), a housing (300) mountable to a panel. The coupler base (100) includes a pair of wire retainers (200) for securing the wires (230,231) of a twisted pair cable within wire receiving channels (204,205) of a wire nest (202) of the coupler base (100). Each wire retainer (200) has an arm (232), a strut (236) extending from one end thereof to a cylindrical hinge (234) disposed in a pivot region of the coupler base (100), a vertical section (240) proximate the other end including a latch (242), and a wedge (244) on the lower surface of the arm (232). Upon rotation of the wire retainer about hinge (234) to a closed position, wedge (244) is engageable with a lower one of the conductors (230) to urge it fully into a deeper one of the channels (204 ) adjacent a channel intersection proximate a conductor crossover.

Wire retainer for current mode coupler

A backplane assembly (200) for a compact card cage such as a junction box (10) having a forward wall section (202) and a rearward wall section (14) with interconnection circuitry (206) disposed therebetween. Struts (216) join forward and rearward wall sections and the backplane assembly is manipulatable as a unit. Interconnection circuitry (206) can be a laminar assembly of flexible circuit elements (230) with terminals (220) of daughter card-matable connectors (204) of the forward wall terminated to circuits thereof at a first connection region CR.sub.1 and terminals (212)of input/output connectors (208) terminated at a second connection region CR.sub.2. All circuits from second region CR.sub.2 can be directed to an integration region CR.sub.M part of first region CR.sub.1 and selected circuits can be directed to terminals of daughter card-matable connectors elsewhere in first region CR.sub.1 connected by a programmable integration member (130).

High density integrated backplane assembly

A thermal junction (64) with an edge (106) of a daughter card (100) in a card cage enclosure (10). A front panel (50) of the enclosure includes an array of interior fins (58) extending to edges (60) adjacent the edges (106) of the array of daughter cards (100). Spring clips (62) mounted along the fin edges engage the card edges simultaneously upon the front panel (50) being placed in position, and spring arms (70) of each clip establish a plurality of assured thermal connections of the card edges with the fins, for the front panel (50) to dissipate heat from the circuit cards (100) to the exterior of the enclosure (10). With cards having a metal shielding layer (110), the spring clips (62) also define a ground to the enclosure wall.

Thermal junction for card edges in a card cage and ground clip therefor

A cable assembly 40 having integral strain relief means includes a housing 42 having a plurality of terminal members 28 secured in a cable terminating cavity 60 therein, an electrical cable 30 having a plurality of discrete conductors 36 therein terminated to respective terminal members 28 and potting material 23 disposed in the cavity 60. The inner surface of a sidewall 59 of the housing 42 extends at an oblique angle between front 48 and rear walls 54 thereof. The front wall 48 has an inwardly directed peninsula shaped protrusion 52 extending into the cable terminating cavity 60, the protrusion 52 and the obliquely extending sidewall 59 defining a cable receiving channel 62 therebetween. The electrical cable 30 including an insulating cover portion 32 is inserted into a cable receiving opening 64 in the front housing wall 48 and along the cable receiving channel 62 and about the protrusion 52 . The elongated cable receiving channel 62 provides a strain relief for the terminated cable 30 and means to direct a desired exit path for the cable 30.

Cable assembly

A connector which has alignment holes to receive alignment posts of a mating connector, includes conductive clips in each alignment hole having forwardly extending spring arms to be engaged and deflected laterally by forward ends of respective alignment posts. The clip spring arms discharge the electrostatic potential between the connectors upon being engaged by the alignment posts to chassis ground, when the clips are in conductive engagement with the shielding of the connector and the alignment posts are conductive and in conductive engagement with the shielding of the mating connector and to conductive framework to which the mating connector is mounted. The clips can have a spring arm extending rearwardly from the connector housing to be engaged by the shielding of the connector upon complete assembly. The alignment posts can be force fit into a metal shell of the mating connector through holes precisely aligned with reference holes of the mating connector housing. When the mating connector is mounted to a support plate of a control unit with the terminals thereof terminated to an array of contact sections of a mother board secured to the support plate, the alignment posts can extend through reference holes of the support plate located with respect to the contact section array and can locate the metal shell with respect to the housing and protect the housing terminals and their mother board terminations when the metal shell is placed over the housing and fastened to the support plate.

ESD protected electrical connector and ESD grounding clip therefor, and

A system of removably retaining a terminal (16) within a housing passageway (40) includes opposing resilient walls (46A,46B) defining a forward end of the passageway (40) with opposing stop projections (54) extending toward each other and disposed in corresponding notches (26) along first and third sides of the terminal (16), which stop axially rearward terminal movement. A bored shaft (98) of a removal tool (70) is placed over a contact section (18) of the terminal (16) extending outwardly from the housing (12), which tool (70) has a pair of triangular tines (100) at the work end of the tool shaft (98) to be disposed along second and fourth sides of the terminal (16). When the tines (100) are positioned between the walls (46A,46B) and the tool (70) is urged against the housing (12) the tapered side surfaces (104A,104B) of the tines (100) bear against portions of opposing walls ( 46A,46B) adjacent second and fourth terminal sides, locally deflecting outwardly the walls (46A,46B) and their stop projections (54) away from the terminal's first and third sides, whereafter the terminal (16) is now axially movable along the passageway (10) such as by a plunger of the tool (70) for removal.

Method for removing an electrical contact from a housing

A cable strain relief assembly has a first cover (30, 180) fastenable to a cable face (26) of an electrical connector (20) having an array (28) of cables (22) extending therefrom such that the cable array (28) extends over a transverse aperture (50, 184) near the rearward end (36) of the first cover (30, 180). The second cover (80, 182) is securable over the cable array (28) to the first cover (30, 180) at their rearward ends (36, 86) in a manner clamping the cables (22) into the aperture and against surfaces (52, 54, 190) adjacent the forward (56) and rearward (58) sides of the aperture (50, 184). In one embodiment, the second cover (80) has a pair of hooks (90) which hook around a pair of cylindrical bosses (60) at each side of the cable array (28) and just rearwardly of the aperture (50), and the second cover (80) is then rotatable with the hooks (90) and bosses (60) comprising a pivot unit a clamping surface (102) of the second cover (80) engages the cables (22) and deflects portions of them into the aperture (50) and clamps them against the adjacent surfaces (52, 54) whereupon the second cover (80) is fastened to the first cover (30) such as by latch members (68) and bosses (60). In another embodiment the second cover (182) is a clamping bar received and latched into the aperture (184) deflecting and clamping portions (194) of the cables against adjacent surfaces (190).

Growing community of inventors

Hummelstown, PA, United States of America

Daniel E Stahl