Bunker Ramo Corporation

Reliance Comm/tec Corporation

Allied Corporation

George E Ayer

David J Coulombe

Milton A Klayum

Hurley J Blakeney

A terminal assembly includes a block and a plurality of clip-type terminals mounted to the block. The block is a dielectric body having a central section and fanning strip sections at opposed margins. The terminals are loosely received through the holes and have wire receiving portions on one side of the central section and lying intermediate the fanning-strip sections and base portions on the opposite side of the central section. A retaining plate engages with the body for enclosing the base portions of the terminals within the dielectric body. The retaining plate further has a plurality of elongate, parallel and spaced-apart raised rib portions arranged for engaging the base portions of the terminals, such that wire receiving portions thereof are held in position projecting through the holes. The terminals comprise clip terminals having a flat body that includes two opposed resilent arms cantilevered from the base of the terminal. The resilient arms are separated by a notch at an upper end for receiving a wire conductor, by a conductor-receiving slot that extends downwardly from a lower end of the notch, and by an enlarged aperture extending downwardly from a lower end of the slot to the base. Oppositely outwardly facing edges of the resilient arms extend downwardly at a divergent angle to the base and inwardly facing edges of the resilient arms defining the aperture diverge at a substantially identical angle, such that the portions of the resilient arm flanking the aperture are of constant width.

Insulation displacement connector and block therefor

A snap-on hinge cover for a communications terminal block comprising an extruded plastic body having three longitudinally extending sections, the three sections being joined along longitudinally extending boundary regions to constitute a unitary structure. The outer longitudinal margins of the unitary structure having structure for snap-fitting onto the fanning strips of terminal block. Longitudinally hinge means is at one of said boundary regions. The hinge means is extruded along with components of plastic of the rest of the body, the hinge means having a resiliency which is high as compared to the resiliency of said body and constituting a memory which biases the hinged portion of the cover to an open position.

Extruded plastic hinge cover for terminal blocks

A connector for a flat multiconductor flexible cable having a support surface for the cable having a nonplanar portion, and a clamping member having a clamping surface nonplanar in part which is complementary to the support surface for restraining longitudinal motion of the cable relative to the connector by forcing the cable into conformity with the contour of the support and clamping surfaces, and for stiffening the cable adjacent an array of electrical contacts to provide the cable with a rigid contact surface irrespective of localized contact between the clamping member and the flat cable. The clamping member is integrally hinged to a base member including the supporting surface, the hinge being interrupted to form an entrance aperture for the cable and guide surfaces for the cable, and a keying means cooperating with a notch in the end of the cable for insuring correct insertion of the cable.

Zero insertion force connector for flat cable

A pair of ECG cable sets are adhesively secured to disposable body electrodes, and also plug into a junction box which in turn is connected to an ECG machine. Each cable set is formed by printed circuit techniques. A pair of flat support sheets of insulating material are glued together. Signal leads formed of conductive ink are printed on the interior surface of one of the support sheets, and shielding layers also formed of conductive ink are printed on both exterior surfaces of the support sheets, thus forming a flat, flexible sandwich structure which resists entanglement. Entanglement is further minimized because the individual branch leads of each cable set merge into a common truck. The cable sets terminate in the printed circuit connectors which plug directly into the junction box, and the latter has clamping mechanisms to secure the connectors in place. A flexible housing surrounds the junction box terminal board, and permits the clamping mechanisms to be operated by squeezing the housing. A metal-free disposable body electrode is provided for connection to flat attachment pads located at the terminal ends of the cable set. Each electrode has an attachment ring surrounding a conductive sponge. An adhesive layer secures the attachment pad mechanically to the ring, and a conductive ink terminal centrally located on the attachment pad is pressed against the sponge for electrical communication therewith.

Medical cable set and electrode therefor

Terminal clip and electrode constructions are disclosed for use with lead wires of instruments such as medical monitoring instruments which employ electrodes for attaching to a patient. The terminal clip includes a conductive member having a hook portion for engaging a terminal portion of the electrode. The electrode includes a terminal portion for grasping by the conductive hook portion of the terminal clip, and a loop for embracing the terminal clip housing to hold the terminal clip in position and prevent relative movement between the conductive hook of the clip and the terminal portion of the electrode. The terminal portion and the loop of the electrode are fabricated of a collapsible-memory material, such as heat formed Mylar or the like. The terminal portion of the electrode is coated with a conductive ink for electrical connection between a patient and the terminal clip.

Medical clip and electrode constructions

An electrical connector assembly for mounting an electrical connector to an associated apertured panel board, the electrical connector having a pair of outwardly extending flanges at opposite ends thereof, and the assembly including a pair of connector clips for releasably securing the connector to the panel. Each clip comprises a body member having first and second spaced-apart engagement surfaces disposed in facing relationship to define a mounting slot therebetween, the body member being received through the aperture in the panel so that the engagement surfaces extend along the inner and outer surfaces of the panel to grip the panel therebetween. The body member has a mounting surface spaced from the first engagement surface to receive and hold one of the flanges on the electrical connector, and has spaced-apart abutment shoulders to limit movement of the connector in a predetermined direction. Retaining fingers are carried by the abutment shoulders for snap-in retention of the flange. With the connector body in the opening the clips cannot move relative to the apertured panel board while the connector is held to the clips by the snap-in retention fingers.

Panel mount for electrical connector

This invention relates to an electrical assembly, such as an electrical cable assembly, to electrical elements such as electrical connector elements for terminating the assembly, and to housings for electrical elements. The housings for the electrical elements are formed of first and second housing members of insulating material, the housing members having mating sides which are fitted together to form the members into a housing. The first member has a plurality of pins projecting from the mating side thereof and the second member has a hole therethrough for each of the pins. The length of the pins and the relative position of the pins and holes are such that each pin passes through the corresponding hole and is exposed on the side of the second member opposite the mating side. The exposed portion of each pin is cold-flow expanded to hold the members together. At least one of the members has one or more grooves formed in its mating side in which groove an electrical contact or other electrical component may be positioned and held. For a preferred embodiment of the invention, at least one of the pins passes through a hole in each contact to hold the contacts in the housing. Each housing also has a thin projecting rear portion with a stud or studs projecting therefrom.

Electrical contacting element

Apparatus for connecting multi-conductor cables is provided, consisting of an assembly having at least three panels, one of which is a base plate and at least two of which have first connector elements mounted in them. The plates are joined to form an enclosure, preferably of a delta shape, for a first multi-conductor cable. Each of the first connector elements has a selected group of first cable conductors connected to it. There are a plurality of second connector elements which are adapted to mate with the first connector elements with each of the second connector elements being connected to a selected group of conductors of one or more second cables. Apparatus is provided which is operative when the connector elements are mated for preventing the elements from being accidentally separated, but for permitting the elements to be separated if desired.

Method and apparatus for connecting multi-conductor cables

Devices, methods, and combinations for securing electrical connectors, wherein one of the connectors has a pair of mounting holes for facilitating mounting to a panel having cooperating mounting holes therein and an intermediate slot to permit passage of a portion of an electrical connector therethrough, can utilize a device which includes a flexible and sturdy planar member having a pair of mounting holes therein oriented so as to co-align with holes in the one connector and the panel. The planar member has a cooperating slot at least as large as the panel slot, and is formed so that two substantive portions can be folded at right angles in a U shape along parallel lines extending from opposite sides of the slot, the folded portions having inner surfaces facing each other with a space therebetween for housing the other connector. In one embodiment, a first strip of fastening means is affixed to the outer surface of one of the portions distant from the slot, and a second strip of cooperating fastening means is affixed to the inner surface of the other of the portions distant from the slot. One strip contains hook elements, the other contains loop elements. The planar member is formed with slits extending from the mounting holes to the rectangular slot to allow for retrofitting to an already existing bolted panel connector without removing the connecting bolts. Optionally, the fastening means can be affixed to surfaces which face each other, so as to engage with cooperating fastening means affixed to the cable connector. Combinations include the use of such a device in connection with the panel connector, the cable connector, and the panel substrate. Further detailed embodiments are also disclosed.

Devices, methods, and combinations for securing electrical connectors

Apparatus for connecting multi-conductor cables is provided consisting of an assembly having at least three panels, one of which is a base plate and at least two of which have first connector elements mounted in them. The plates are joined to form an enclosure, preferably of a delta shape, for a first multi-conductor cable. Each of the first connector elements has a selected group of first cable conductors connected to it. There are a plurality of second connector elements which are adapted to mate with the first connector elements with each of the second connector elements being connected to a selected group of conductors of one or more second cables. Apparatus is provided which is operative when the connector elements are mated for preventing the elements from being spuriously separated, but for permitting the elements to be separated if desired.

A terminal block assembly includes a plurality of insulationpiercing type terminals which are interconnected with the contacts of one or more electrical connectors by flat flexible circuits. The terminal block includes upstanding sidewalls having recesses therein, which together with a removable cover, form exit openings for the flat flexible circuits and maintain the flat flexible circuits out of an interference relationship with the cover. An electrical connector is mounted on the terminal block adjacent each opening and includes contacts connected to the individual circuits.

Growing community of inventors

Naperville, IL, United States of America

George E Ayer