Amp LLC

Daniel R Coldren

Benjamin Charles Williams

Wayne Samuel Davis

Jon A Fortuna

James Pritulsky

Dennis Penrose Schwenk

Paul Robert Krider

James E Marley

A tab-form terminal (11) for mating with a receptacle of the type comprising a generally channel section body having a base (29) and opposite side walls (26) rolled over to overlie the base (29), which terminal (11) comprises a metal strip, the opposite marginal portions (12) of which have been folded towards each other to overlie and extend away from opposite edges of a base portion (13) at a small angle, preferably nine degrees, thereto, with their free ends (14) spaced apart. The marginal portions (12) form resilient flaps that are resiliently flexed towards the base portion (13) during mating by engagement with the edges of the rolled-over side walls (26) of the receptacle.

Tab-form terminal

An electrical receptacle (11) for tabs of small size is formed from sheet metal and comprises a generally channel-shaped receptacle portion (12) having a base (13) and upstanding side walls (14, 14'). Free edge portions (15, 15') of the side walls are bent towards each other over the base and a locking tongue (16) is struck out from the base to extend rearwardly within the receptacle portion from a front root end (18) integral with the base to a rear free end. The free end is formed with a release member (19) projecting out of the receptacle portion and a locking projection (21) on the tongue between the ends which provides a rearwardly facing shoulder for latching engagement in a recess in a tab (22) inserted into the receptacle. The tongue (16) is of arcuate transverse cross section and is stiff constituting, with a portion of the base forward of the root end a torsion bar of generally T-shape. Movement of the tongue towards the base to release the tab causes resilient torsional flexure of the base portion.

Electrical tab receptacle

A strain relief member (40) comprises a sleeve-form body (41) from respective opposite sides of which a cable tie (42) and a latching arm (43) extend in opposite axial directions. The sleeve-form body (41) is adapted to be snap fitted on the wire receiving face (23') of one connector (12') and the latching arm (43) engages an abutment (31) on a mating connector (11') both to latch the connectors (11', 12') assembled together and provide strain relief. The connector housings (11', 12') may be a simple modification of existing housings (11, 12) possibly avoiding retooling changes by modification of the original mould.

Strain relief for electrical connector assemblies

A one-piece clamp (11) for clamping a flat cable (33) in folded condition is of clamshell construction, one of the half shells (13) comprising a hemicylindrical cable fold locating portion (26) joined to a radially extending cable gripping part (27) so that, when latched together, the half shells (12, 13) define an eccentric cable receiving opening. A portion of flat cable (33) folded across itself along an oblique fold line is retained in folded condition predominantly by clamping pressure applied by the cable gripping part (27) to a longitudinal edge portion of the cable (33) remote from the fold line.

Clamp for flat cable

An electrical terminal (8) stamped and formed in one piece into channel section, portions (14,14') of the channel walls remote form the base (12) being relatively inclined and having wire receiving slots (15,15') extending towards the base (12). At least one of the wall portions (14,14') being folded back towards the base (12) so that a hooked end of a wire (21) can be manually inserted through a slot mouth into the fold and the wire drawn across the terminal (8) into both slots (15,15') tension in the wire (12) resiliently flexing the wall portions (14,14') towards each other retaining the connection in stressed condition.

Electrical terminal with wire receiving slot

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).

Electrical connector and wire assembly method

A one-piece metal cable guide member for guiding an undersize cable into a shielded plug housing which has a cable supporting base (18), cable locators (24, 25) upstanding from the base (18) in spaced apart relation to locate between them an insulated conductor row (42) and cable sheath (41) and shielding flanges (26) upstanding from the base (18) to extend along a rear end between opposite side edges of the base (18) and the cable locators (24, 25). The cable guide member is inserted front end leading into the mouth (31) of the plug cavity guiding the conductors (41) into pathways communicating with the mouth with the shielding flanges (26) completely closing and thereby shielding the mouth (31) on each side of the cable. The cable shield (43) is pressed against the base (18) which connects directly with flaps (36) extending into the mouth from the housing shield (35).

Electrical assembly with cable guiding member

Receptacle terminal comprises a web having sidewalls extending from the marginal side portions of the web. The sidewalls extend inwardly towards each other so that a tab can be received between the web and the free edges of the sidewalls. A latching tongue is struck from the web. The tongue has an intermediate portion which extends obliquely from the web towards the free edges of the sidewalls and an engaging portion on its end. The engaging portion extends obliquely away from the free edges of the sidewalls and through the opening produced by forming the tongue. The tongue has a boss thereon which enters an opening in a tab inserted into the receptacle. The tongue can be flexed upon engagement of the engaging portion to disengage the boss from the opening in the tab.

Receptacle terminal having latching feature

Tab-type terminal intended for circuit board mounting comprises a tab having a base portion which extends laterally beyond the side edges of the tab. A mounting leg extends from the base portion and has convergent side edges. A slot is provided in the leg extending toward the base portion and divides the mounting leg into two sections. A pair of stabilizing arms extended in opposite directions from the base portion normally of the planes of the major surfaces of the tab.

Terminal tab intended for mounting on a circuit board

Flag-type terminal comprises a contact portion and a wire connecting portion. The wire connecting portion has a pair of spaced apart plate-like members connected at one end by integral straps. The plate-like members have aligned wire-receiving slots. Each plate-like member has an integral crimpable portion which is crimped onto a wire when the wire is inserted into the slots. The contact portion extends laterally from one of the connecting strap members.

Flag-type terminal having insulation displacement wire connection

Electrical connector intended for use in confined areas has an insulating housing having panel receiving grooves in its oppositely facing endwalls. A closure flap extends from the sidewall which is between the endwalls. The connector is mounted in a panel by providing a panel opening having an enlarged connector assembly portion and an adjoining connector retaining portion. The retaining portion has an outline which conforms to the outline of the connector housing. The connector is assembled to the panel by first passing the connector housing through the connector assembly portion of the panel opening and then moving the housing laterally of its axis into the connector retaining portion. Edge portions of the panel are received in the grooves in the endwalls of the housing and the closure flap covers the connector assembly portion of the opening in the panel.

Panel mounted connector for use in confined areas

A continuous strip of stamped and formed lead frames for a semi-conductor chip comprises spaced apart parallel carrier strips with the lead frames connected to one of the carrier strips at regularly spaced intervals. Each lead frame comprises a chip supporting portion which is centrally located between the carrier strips, and second arm which extends from the chip support portion towards one of the carrier strips and first and third arms on each side of the chip support portion which extend towards the other carrier strip. Terminal tabs are provided on each of the arms, the first and third tabs on the first and third arms extending parallel to each other towards the other carrier strip and the tab on the second arm extending parallel to the other tabs and towards the one carrier strip. Each lead frame is secured to the one carrier strip by a connection section extending from the second tab. The chip support portion and the first and third arms are additionally supported by a removable support member extending from the other carrier strip.

Lead frame having integral terminal tabs

Electrical connecting device is intended to be applied to a wire comprises an insulating housing having a wire-receiving end and a cavity extending into the wire-receiving end. A terminal is partially inserted into the cavity so that the crimp portion of the terminal is outside of the cavity and adjacent to the wire-receiving end. After the crimp portion has been crimped onto a wire, the terminal is moved to a fully inserted condition so that the finished termination is completely insulated. The housing and partially inserted terminal are produced as an endless strip which can be fed to a crimping machine.

Method of making insulated electrical terminations

Electrical connector for connecting three wires to three terminal tabs and for connecting a network across two of the tabs comprises a housing having three terminal-receiving cavities extending therethrough in surrounding relationship to a network module cavity. Two of the terminals in the terminal-receiving cavities each have a main receptacle, which mates with one of the terminal tabs, and secondary receptacle which receives a terminal tab extending from the network module.

Connector having snubber network for triac

A spring contact which is intended to be mounted on a circuit board comprises an elongated spring blade having a mounting end and an outer or free end. An integral mounting plate extends alongside the blade from the mounting end thereof to an intermediate location. A mounting pin is formed at the mounting end by two laterally extending leg portions, one on the spring blade and the other on the mounting plate, and a support pin extends from the mounting plate in spaced relationship to the mounting pin. The mounting plate has laterally extending support flanges which support the device on the printed circuit board when it is inserted into openings in the board. The spring contacts are manufactured as a continuous strip and can be inserted into circuit boards by automatic insertion machines.

Growing community of inventors

Enola, PA, United States of America

Daniel R Coldren