Reed Devices, Inc.

Oak Industries, Inc.

Herbert C Naylor

Lawrence E Geib

Gregory J Smith

Willis A Larson

Howard J Roeser, Jr

Deanna L Gross

An electrical connector in which electrical terminals are retained within a connector housing in a simple and reliable manner to withstand expected pulling forces without unwanted release of the terminals from the housing. The housing has one or more passageways for receiving respective terminals, an abutment at the inner end of each passageway to limit the insertion depth of the associated terminal, a V-grooved abutment in each passage cooperative with yieldable tines of an associated terminal to retain the terminal in place after insertion into its passage, and walls defining each passage for maintaining the associated terminal in position after insertion into the housing.

Electrical connector

An electrical binding post operative by use of a pushbutton which serves as an insertion and removal tool and which, upon installation into the associated post, becomes an integral part of the completed terminal. An unstripped wire is inserted within an opening provided in the pushbutton plunger element which is installed into the terminal body to cause insulation displacement contact of the wire and retention of the plunger within the terminal body.

Pushbutton electrical terminal

A cam-operated screwless electrical terminal block is provided having a generally box-shaped housing with an open top and an aperture in its front side and containing a generally C-shaped electrical terminal having vertically disposed opposing gripping elements the ends of which are adjacent the front aperture of the housing. The top opening carries a cam-lever pivotally mounted such that when the lever arm of the cam-lever is raised the electrical terminal ends are separated, and when the lever arm of the cam-lever is depressed the upper gripping element of the electrical terminal is depressed toward the lower gripping element so that a wire inserted in the front aperture of the housing between the ends of the gripping elements of the electrical terminal is securely held. The electrical terminal within the housing is adapted to make electrical contact with a circuit board and the terminal block is configured in such a way that a wide range of wire sizes may be conveniently and securely held. The cam-lever is provided with a flattened area on the portion of its face which contacts the upper gripping element of the electrical contact when the cam-lever arm is in the depressed position, and the housing and cam-lever arm possess respectively latching detents so that the cam-lever arm is securely maintained in its depressed position after an electrical connection has been made.

Screwless type electrical terminal block

A low profile screw terminal block is provided with a split plastic barrel which serves to prevent screw stripout and to anchor the terminal screw when the terminal screw is pressed into the barrel and is advanced so as to form corresponding self-tapping threads in the smooth barrel, thereby to leave the terminal screw in a raised position ready for immediate wire insertion, to prevent the screw from vibrating loose during assembly and shipping and to securely hold the screw when the screw is tightened against a wire. The terminal block may be mounted to a fixed panel or like structure through the utilization of the split barrel at the end sections of the block by either a bolt running through the split channel and through the fixed panel or by a self-tapping machine screw inserted up through the fixed panel and into the split channel, with the split barrel design permitting overtightening without damage.

Low profile screw terminal block with split plastic barrel

A keyboard switch assembly includes a membrane switch matrix formed on a baseplate. There are a plurality of individual pressure applicators or keys which are mounted on the baseplate in a keyboard array. The keys are supported adjacent the membrane switch panel with each key being used to effect contact closure at a particular area of the membrane switch. Each key includes a movable plunger, a housing to support the plunger, a first coil spring biasing the plunger away from the membrane switch and a keytop affixed to the plunger. A second coil spring is seated upon the membrane switch matrix and provides the means for application of electrical contact closure pressure. Each key housing includes an enclosure which is accessible from the top of the housing. The closure is adapted to receive and retain a cam follower which controls movement of the plunger. The key housings further include a hook which can support a torsion rod. A torsion rod may be attached to an elongated keytop in an adjacent row to prevent binding of the plunger carrying the elongated keytop.

Keyboard assembly and components therefor

An anti-static keylock assembly includes a keylock device having a rotatable locking element; an adapter formed of a plastic material interlocked with the keylock device; a terminal assembly formed of a plastic material interlocked with the adapter; and a rotor assembly formed of a plastic material positioned within the terminal assembly and having a shaft interlocked with the locking element of the keylock assembly. A plurality of terminals extends outwardly from the terminal assembly with one of the terminals being centrally located and rotatably supporting a rotor contact which is attached to the rotor assembly. The remaining terminals are circumferentially positioned about the center terminal. Rotation of the keylock assembly effects rotation of the rotor contact and thus changes the electrical connections between the terminals.

Growing community of inventors

West Dundee, IL, United States of America

Herbert C Naylor