Molex Corporation

Lorenzo G Manassero

Roberto Martucci

Stephen A Colleran

Bill B Wilson

Russell L Mackowiak

Helmut Zischka

Mario Previato

Uwe Schwarz

Bruno Checchinato

Uwe Schwartz

An electrical device includes a flat flexible dielectric substrate having a generally round hole of a given diameter. A ductile conductive film is on the substrate in an area at least about the hole. A generally flat terminal blade has a transversely projecting pin portion inserted into the hole in the substrate in contact with the conductive film. Therefore, the flat terminal blade is generally parallel to the flat flexible dielectric substrate. The cross-dimension of the pin portion is greater than the diameter of the round hole. In the preferred embodiment, the dielectric substrate is less than 0.050 inch thick, and the difference between the cross-dimension of the pin portion and the diameter of the round hole is on the order of 5% to 50% of the diameter of the hole.

Terminal blades mounted on flexible substrates

An unlatching system is provided in a latchable electrical connector system which includes first and second electrical connectors mateable in a given mating direction. The first connector includes a pair of latch devices interengageable with complementary latches on the second connector when the connectors are mated to resist unmating of the connectors. The latch devices are flexible in a direction transverse to the mating direction for movement into and out of latching interengagement with the latches of the second connector. A transversely flexible unlatching mechanism is coupled between the latch devices and is bowed outwardly therefrom, whereby inward flexing of the unlatching mechanism, as by the application of pressure by a user, is effective to cause outward unlatching movement of the latch devices.

Latchable electrical connector system

An electrical connector assembly is provided for achieving positive latching in a fully mated condition. The assembly includes a first connector and a second connector. The first connector has at least one latch arm resiliently deflectable about two angularly aligned axes of deflection. The second connector includes a cam disposed for engagement with the latch arm during mating of the connectors and for deflecting the latch arm about a first of the two axes of deflection into a latching condition in response to full mating of the connectors. The second connector includes a housing for enclosing the latch arm inside the housing when the connectors are fully mated. Access is provided to the latch arm of the first connector from outside the housing of the second connector whereby the latch arm can be deflected about a second of the two axes of deflection to enable disengagement of the latch arm from the cam for facilitating unmating of the connector.

Electrical connector with positive latch

A positive latch structure for electrical connectors is provided. The latch structure comprises at least one latch on one connector in a mateable pair which is resiliently deflectable about a first axis and which is disposed to contact a cam on the opposed connector during mating. The deflectable latch and/or the cam on the opposed connector define a leading ramp surface, a trailing ramp surface and a locking surface. The leading ramp surface is disposed to resiliently deflect the latch arm and develop stored energy therein. The trailing ramp surface employs the stored energy developed in the latch arm to urge the connectors toward a fully mated condition. The locking surface engages a corresponding surface on the cam to lockingly retain the connectors in their fully mated condition. The connectors may be disengaged from one another by biasing the latch arm about a second axis away from the associated connector a sufficient amount to clear the cam and enable disengagement of the connectors.

Growing community of inventors

Turin, Italy

Lorenzo G Manassero