Amp LLC

John A Zimmerman, Jr

Robert H Frantz

William B Long

Howard R Shaffer

Clarence L Paullus

William J Rudy, Jr

Larry L Leitzel

Peter H Risser

A preloaded electrical connector is described which comprises a housing having a mating face, a wire entry face, and cavities extending through the housing and between the faces. A contact terminal is contained in each of the cavities and each terminal has a wire connecting portion adjacent to the wire entry face. One of the housing sidewalls has an integral housing flap which is hinged to the housing between the faces. The housing flap is in an open condition so that rearward portions of the cavities are open. Each terminal has a channel-shaped wire connecting portion and has a clamping flap integral therewith which is also in an open condition. The clamping flap extends beside the housing flap and when the housing flap is moved to its closed position, it moves the clamping flap to its closed position. In use, wires are positioned in alignment with the channel-shaped connecting portions of the terminals and the housing flap is moved from its open position to its closed position. The clamping flap is also moved to its closed position thereby clamping the wires in the wire connecting portions of the terminals.

Preloaded electrical connector

A device is disclosed for effecting a line tap for modular unit, residence, or similar wiring situations. The device allows for a power cable to be tapped without utilizing a junction box, which would necessarily require severing and rejoining of the cable. The device further provides for the tapping cable to be connected to the subject power cable tap by means of known electrical connector.

Wiring line tap

A device is disclosed for use in a wiring system for connecting conventional components, such as duplex outlets or switches, to the system. In such a wiring system insulated conductors in jacketed cables are strung about a construction and are confined within hollow walls thereof. Access to the cables is by defined apertures in wall boards with the device making an insulation displacing engagement with the conductors of the cable. The subject devices include improved terminals and cover for use in such a device to make an improved one or two conductor interconnect as well as improved means for mounting the device on a wall board or the like, a gang mounting version, and further a one piece assembly obviating the necessity for a separate face plate to cover the device and the aperture in the wall board.

Electrical connecting device for wiring systems

A convenience outlet is disclosed for use in groups or alone at any point where it is desirable to have electrical power available. The individual convenience outlet has a housing of rigid insulative material enclosing terminals which have a receptacle configuration on one end adapted to mate with a conventional plug and on the opposite end are adapted to mate with conductors. The other end of each terminal is preferably profiled to effect an insulation displacement termination of a conductor but also can be profiled to mate with a terminated conductor. The terminals also include means for grounding the outlet to a mounting box, panel, or the like.

Convenience outlet

A power connector includes a shunting bar which will shunt the terminals of one mating member prior to unmating of the connector and maintain the shunt condition during the initial phases of mating of the connector. This connector finds particular use where it is desirable to shunt the secondary of a current transformer when a control module is removed. Likewise the connector can be used to insure discharge of capacitance from associated circuitry thereby making them safe to handle.

Shunt protected power connector

An improved electrical connector is disclosed having means included therein providing contact retention and release without requiring the use of special or additional tools. The subject connector has a closed entry feature for sockets and functions cooperatively with a flexure guard, strain relief and/or coupling apparatus.

Toolless retention system

Improved pin and socket type electrical terminals are disclosed. Each terminal includes a terminal body received in a tubular sleeve of metal having low corrosion characteristics, such as stainless steel. The tubular sleeves are secured to the respective terminal bodies by a first annular crimp intermediate the ends of the sleeves and engaging in an annular recess in the respective bodies. The socket terminal body includes a plurality of cantilevered arms which are protected against damage from overstressing by the sleeve. A second annular crimp in the socket terminal sleeve is used to set the contact arms to control the normal force applied to a mating pin terminal. An annular pad of lubricant can be positioned within the end of the socket terminal sleeve and held in position by the ends of the arms.

Pin and socket type electrical terminals

Electrical connector

A multi-contact electrical connector is disclosed for connecting a plurality of terminal pads on an integrated circuit ceramic substrate package to a like plurality of terminal pads on a printed circuit board. The subject multi-contact electrical connector includes at least two continuous strips of contacts, each formed by a plurality of parallel spaced contact members secured between two webs of flexible insulation material and folded upon themselves. One end of each contact is secured to a pad of a printed circuit board so that the strips are free standing extending normal to the plane of the board and define the periphery of the integrated circuit ceramic substrate package received therebetween. The free ends of the contacts resiliently engage the package pads. A profiled open housing is provided to surround the upper free end of the contacts and provide a resilient backing for them.

Multi-contact connector for ceramic substrate packages and the like

A connector system is disclosed for interconnecting prewired, prefabricated modules, such as panels or housing units, with the connector system providing positive wiring and locked electrical interconnection. The subject connector system includes both hermaphroditic housings and terminals with the housings providing interlocking between mating connector members and the terminals providing ease of assembly. There are several embodiments of the connector, a first is a splice to be used for intermating cables running between modular units, a second is a panel mounting used for interconnecting a modular unit with a power distribution panel or the like, and a third is a T-connection to be used for making a line tap. The terminals include an insulation displacing slot for engagement with a conductor and the cover member of the connector is profiled to drive the conductors into the respective slotted beam portions of the associated terminals. The housings and terminals are also profiled for engaging the conductors in only one way so as to obviate miswiring of the connectors.

Hermaphroditic wiring system

A connector assembly is disclosed for terminating multi-conductor flat flexible cable with contacts which pierce the insulation to make good electrical and mechanical engagement with all types of multi-conductor cable conductors, in particular, round wire and stranded wire conductors. Each contact is die stamped from sheet material and has a body portion with a pin or socket electrical termination means extending from one side and a cantilever arm extending from the other side with a forked projection on the free end thereof. The forked projection is angularly offset with respect to the plane of the contact and substantially normal to the longitudinal axis of the arm. The connector assembly includes a multi-part housing including a contact block mounted in a housing shell and a pair of mating housing members pivotally mounted in the housing shell and adapted to close driving the forked projection of the contact through the associated cable to grip the other of the housing members thereby securely holding the assembly together.

Flat flexible cable connector assembly including insulation piercing

A power cord connector is disclosed for detachably connecting an electric power cord to an electrically operated device, which can include all types of appliances, tools and the like. The connector is used to connect a single power cord with any number of separate devices and provides a fast and positive bayonet type locking and unlocking engagement therewith. The connector also provides strain relief for the power cord and guards the cord and extensions against sharp bends and high stress flexing. The connector is polarized and can be adapted for multi-wire configurations. The receptacle portion of the connector can be formed integral with the device, formed as a separate drop in member, or formed for panel mounting.

Growing community of inventors

Hershey, PA, United States of America

John A Zimmerman, Jr