Tyco Electronics Corporation

Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

Hoy Smith Beck, Jr

John Mark Myer

Matthew Bryan Hitchcock

Randy Gray Simmons

John R Shoemaker

Andrew Jacob Vasbinder

Tracy Everette Wilson

Dana Marpoe

Galen Monroe Martin

John Raymond Shuey

Keith Richard Foltz

Jeremy Christin Patterson

Donald Robert Worthington, Jr

Larry L Leitzel

Michael Dale Brown

Michael John Christiansen

Fred Howard Fisher

A floatable connector is provided that includes a housing and a bushing. The housing includes at least one mounting ear. The mounting ear has an aperture therethrough and at least one deflectable finger that extends into the aperture from an inner surface defining the aperture. The bushing is loaded into the aperture. The bushing includes a stem between a first flange and a second flange. The bushing defines a channel therethrough. The diameter of the aperture of the mounting ear is greater than the diameter of an outer surface of the stem such that an axially extending gap is formed between the inner surface of the mounting ear and the outer surface of the stem. The housing is floatable radially within the gap relative to the bushing.

Floatable connector

A pass-through connector system is provided that includes a receptacle assembly and a pass-through connector. The receptacle assembly has a mounting ear at least proximate to a mounting end. The mounting ear defines an aperture therethrough that receives a fastener to mount the receptacle assembly to a substrate. A diameter of the aperture of the mounting ear is greater than an outer diameter of the fastener such that a gap is formed between the mounting ear and the fastener. The pass-through connector extends through a window in a panel that at least partially surrounds the substrate. The pass-through connector has a shroud at a plug end that defines an opening to a cavity. The receptacle assembly is floatable radially within the gap relative to the fastener to allow the shroud to guide the receptacle assembly into alignment with the cavity of the pass-through connector during mating.

Pass-through connector system

An electrical connector comprising a housing having at least one terminal receiving passageway, an opening positioned proximate at least one terminal receiving passageway, a primary latch for latching the electric connector to a mating connector, and a slot extending longitudinally along side the primary latch. The connector has a connector position assurance member (CPA) positionable in the opening and having a locking latch which is laterally offset from the primary latch of the housing. The CPA has first and second longitudinal positions. The first position where the CPA is in a partially inserted position and a second position where the housing is in a fully mated position within a mating connector housing and the CPA is in a fully inserted position.

Electrical connector having connector position assurance

An electrical connector is disclosed having a housing having at least one row of terminal receiving passageways. Each passageway includes a locking latch. An overstress protection rib is positioned below each latch. A channel extends through a front wall of the housing and adjacent to the at least one row of terminal receiving passageways, and on the opposite side of the latch. A terminal position assurance member (TPA) has a pre-locked position with the TPA positioned forward of the latch allowing the latch to resile into the channel, and a fully locked position where the TPA is positioned underneath the latch.

Electrical connector having terminal position assurance

In electrical connector assemblies comprising mating receptacle and plug connectors, a force is generated during mating which urges the receptacle and plug connectors away from an intermediate, partially mated position in which arcing might occur between terminals in the mating connectors. This force can be generated when an inertial protrusion on receptacle connector engages an inertial protrusion on a plug connector . This force can also be generated when movement of an over-center lever results in deformation of a cantilever beam when a receptacle connector is mated to a plug connector . These connector assemblies can be used to limit damage to mating terminals in a 42 volt automotive electrical connector system.

Arc limiting electrical connector assembly

An electrical connector assembly ( ) includes a first connector in the form of a printed circuit board header ( ) and a second connector in the form of a plug connector that can be attached to wires in a wiring harness. One of the connectors is mounted in an opening ( ) in a panel so that the connector is free to float in an X and a Y direction. A protruding alignment post ( ) on one connector is received within an alignment cavity ( ) on the other connectors so that the connector positioned in the panel opening ( ) will shift laterally so that pin terminals (22) in one connector will be aligned with receptacle terminals ( ) in terminal cavities of the other connector will be aligned before they are mated. A mechanical assist member, such as a bolt ( ) extends through a central opening ( ) in the alignment post ( ) and through the mating alignment cavity ( ) to increase the force available to mate the two connectors.

Mechanically assisted blind mate electrical connector

An electrical connector (2) includes a living hinge (40) joining a cover (36) to a main connector housing (10). The cover (36) functions as a terminal position assurance or locking member. When properly positioned, the cover (36) backs up terminal latches (18) securing terminals (70) in housing cavities (14). The living hinge (40) is located on the rear edge of the cover (36) which pivots forward to enclose a housing opening (32) on the mating half of the electrical connector (2). Longitudinally extending projections (52) on the cover extend beside the living hinge (40). Longitudinally extending projections (26) extend from a housing wall (22) beside the living hinge and toward the projections (52). The projections (26, 56) are rotated into overlapping relationship when the cover is closed and interlock the rear of the cover (36) in the event of damage to the living hinge (40). Opposing shoulders (30) and (60) on the housing (10) and cover (36) prevent longitudinal movement of the cover (36) relative to the housing (10) and a cover latch (66) is located on the front of the cover (36). The assembly can be molded with straight pull mold tooling.

Electrical connector with interlocking living hinge

A board lock (20) formed of flat stock for disposition in a slot (16) of an electrical connector housing (11). The board lock includes sharpened barbs (26a) formed on resilient legs (26) thereof. The board lock (20) is frictionally retained within the housing (11) by action of upper and lower arms (23,24) which frictionally engage the housing.

Board lock for electrical connector

An electrical receptacle contact (10) having a contact termination section (20), a wire termination section (40), and an insulation gripping section (50). The contact termination section (20) includes a primary cantilever beam (26), a secondary cantilever beam (27), and an overstress stop (28) with a gap arranged therebetween for the purpose of assuring that the beams (26,27) are not preloaded. The alignment of the primary and secondary cantilever beams (26,27) with the overstress stop (28) advantageously protects the beams (26,27) from overstress.

High force contact

A wire guide assembly (10) mounted to an electrical connector (20) for orienting a bundle of wires exiting from a wire exit face of the connector (20). The wire guide assembly (10) comprises upper and lower pieces (30,40) each with respective latching structure (36,46) for connecting the pieces (30,40) together. Additionally, the upper and lower pieces (30,40) each include mounting structure (32,33;44) for mounting the assembly (10) to the connector (20). The latching structure (36,46) advantageously provides clamping forces to the mounting structure (32,33;44) for imparting structural rigidity to the assembly (10) and thereby supporting and guiding a bundle of wires.

Wire guide assembly

A socket (10) for use with leadless chip carriers has been disclosed. The socket (10) includes contact elements (16) positioned in cavities (34) in a housing (12) and having a first spring arm (100) extending into a central opening (30) for engaging pads on the chip carrier and a second spring arm (102) extending outwardly of the housing (12) for electrical engagement with circuits on a substrate on which the socket (10) is mounted.

Surface mount LCC socket

A multi-contact electrical connector employing a plurality of terminals mounted in aligned compartments in an insulating housing is especially suited for establishing interconnection between flat conductors in a flat cable and closely spaced free standing pins or posts. This invention is especially suited for use in interconnecting pins and flat conductors on centerline spacings no greater than 0.050 inch. A conductor engaging portion having a horizontal base is joined to a pin engaging portion having resilient arms and a vertical base. The horizontal base is joined directly to the vertical base by an axial bend line and horizontal arms joined to the bend line are not connected directly to the horizontal base of the cable conductor interconnection portion.

Mass terminable flat flexible cable to pin connector

An electrical terminal receptacle is disclosed, which is adapted to electrically interconnect each of a plurality of conductors in a flexible flat cable, ribbon cable, discrete wire cable or the like to respective ones of the posts in a post header. The receptacle includes a housing having a plurality of side-by-side chambers, and a sheet metal terminal positioned within each of the chambers, with each terminal being electrically connected to one of the conductors of the cable. The terminal includes a pair of spaced-apart contact surfaces, and the housing incudes three separate rows of apertures, with one of the apertures of each row of communicating with the area between the contact surfaces of each terminal, and such that the receptacle may be mounted to the post header in any one of three possible orientations. The contact surfaces of each terminal are shaped so as to form converging surfaces to the entering post in each of the three orientations, and such that the contact surfaces are resiliently spread apart to resiliently engage the post on two sides in any one of the three orientations.

Electrical terminal receptacle

A preloaded electrical connecting device for use with closely spaced elongated conductors which lie essentially in the same plane is disclosed. The device is comprised of an insulated housing having a plurality of contact terminal receiving cavities therein and having one or more electrical contact terminals therein. The terminal is a flat one piece stamped sheet metal member having elongated connector means at one end. The connecting means has first and second jaw members and a throat portion. The jaw members have spaced apart free ends. In the assembled device, a portion of the free end of the first jaw member extends outwardly from the housing. Upon placing the conductor between the first and second jaw members and applying a deforming force to the free end of the first jaw member, the portion is moved into the housing until the end is flush with the housing. As the jaw portion moved into the housing, the jaw member is moved into clamping engagement with the conductor and the second jaw member.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, NC, United States of America

Hoy Smith Beck, Jr