Bunker Ramo Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Daiichi Denshi Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Matsuo Kato

Tomonari Ohtsuki

Hiromasa Inouye

Hiroaki Ito

Yoshiaki Igarashi

Tsukasa Saito

Toshiaki Suzuki

Masami Nakaide

Kazuya Hashimoto

A multi contact connector includes a ground terminal block and signal and power source terminals connected with tape wires. Bare wires of the tape wires connected to the signal and power source terminals are provided with roundabout portions respectively to form slacks in the bare wires. With this arrangement, when external tensile forces act upon the connector, the slacks prevent disconnection of bare wires for signal and power source terminals indispensable for operation of the connector, even if a few bare wires among a number of bare wires connected to the ground terminal block are disconnected.

Multi contact connector having ground terminal block connected with tape

This invention relates to the field of electrical connectors, and particularly concerns electrical connectors with multiple contacts requiring keying of the mating connector parts. With prior art devices, when more than one connector pair is used in a system, different connector parts must be chosen which have a different keying configuration for the key and groove. With another prior art device, which uses a single type connector part, it is necessary to sacrifice one contact position in the connectors. The present invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art noted above by providing a keying device which permits manufacture and production of a single type of male or female connector part and yet does not require the sacrifice of contact positions within the connector parts to effectuate the keying. The invention therefore provides an improved connector keying device for keying mating first and second connector parts to assure proper connection between the parts and to prevent connection to other connector parts of unlike keying. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a key mount affixed to the first connector part and adapted to receive a key member mounted thereto. An appropriate key member is removably attached to the key mount. A key member receiver is mounted on the second connector part and has a key member-receiving slot therein aligned with and slidingly receiving the key member when the first and second connector parts are mated.

Connector keying device

This invention relates to a locking mechanism for coupling anduncoupling electrical connectors. In the prior art, because of the large number of electrical contacts contained within the male and female connector parts, the insertion and extraction forces for coupling and uncoupling the connector parts are often sufficiently high to damage the supports for the connector parts. This is especially true with printed circuit boards wherein the insertion and extraction forces are applied normal to the flat surface of the board. The present invention overcomes this deficiency by providing an improved locking mechanism for coupling together and uncoupling mating electrical connector parts. One connector part is provided with an actuator pivotally mounted for applying force in both an insertion and an extraction direction as the actuator pivots. A projection on the other electrical connector part receives the insertion and extraction forces for coupling and uncoupling the connector parts, respectively. The actuator is also provided with a latch member which cooperates with a locking piece on the second connector part for latching the two connector parts together when the actuator is pivoted in the insertion direction until the connector parts are fully coupled together.

Locking mechanism for coupling and uncoupling electrical connectors

An apparatus for facilitating the coupling and uncoupling of electrical connectors. The apparatus includes at least one rack gear on the body of a first of a pair of electrical connectors and a pinion member on the other, engageable with the rack and having an actuating lever for rotating the pinion member. As the lever is moved in a first direction, the pinion rotates and engages the rack, pulling the two connectors together. When the lever is moved in the other direction, the connectors are pulled apart.

Electrical connector

Growing community of inventors

Mooka, Japan

Matsuo Kato