The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Randolph L Buchter

Timothy Lee Kocher

Darrell Lynn Wertz

David James Fabian

Kenneth F Folk

John Phillip Huss, Jr

Jon A Fortuna

Randy G Simmons

Dennis Leroy Kemmick

Andrew Dewitt Balthaser

Michael A Viselli

Ronald W Brennian, Jr

Robert Stewart Correll, Jr

Edmund F Shultz, Jr

Ivan P Kerns

William Edward Veith

An electrical connector (,) is arranged to releasably receive a pair of conductors (,) and electrically interconnecting the conductors to the terminals (,) of an acoustical speaker (,). The connector includes an insulating housing (,) and a single button (,) in sliding engagement with the housing (,). The button is slidable between a first position (,) where the conductors are held within the connector and electrically interconnected to the speaker terminals (,) and a second position (,) where the conductors (,) can be inserted into the connector or removed therefrom. A pair of contact members (,) are disposed in a cavity (,) within the housing (,). Each contact member includes a tail (,) extending therefrom through an opening (,) in the housing and is electrically interconnected to one of the terminals via a lead (,). Each contact member has a gripping portion (,) for receiving the conductor when the button is in its second position (,) and for electrically engaging the conductor when the button is in its first position (,).

Electrical connector for attaching conductors to speaker leads

A clamp for an electrical cable which is particularly useful for fixing an electrical cable to a railway car truck. The clamp has an arched segment of a rigid sheet material which has a concave face, a convex face, opposed side flanks and open forward and rearward ends. The concave face and side flanks define an elongated concavity therebetween. An arcuate transition segment extends from each flank of the arched segment and connect to one of a pair of opposed flat wing segments. Each arcuate transition segment has at least one opening therethrough. Several detents project from the concave face into the concavity. A cincture such as a steel band extends through at least one opening in each arcuate transition segment and the opposite ends of the cincture are attached together. A helical spring having several windings is positioned in the concavity next to the concave face and extends from the forward end to the rearward end of the arched segment such that the detents project between the windings to prevent spring slippage. An electrical cable is mounted through the spring windings and extends from the forward end to the rearward end of the arched segment.

Dimple forming clamp used to hold spring jacketed cable

An air pressure actuated stop assembly (50) is disposed in at least one of first and second rotatably engaging housings of a coupling assembly (10), the housings (14) being affixed to ends of respective associated hoses 70) to complete an air passageway (24) therebetween when coupled. Each housing (14) has a portion with an exterior surface adjacent an interior surface of a complementary portion of the other housing (14) and rotatably slidable therealong during coupling and uncoupling of the assembly (10). The stop assembly (50) includes a spring biased pin (52) that moves when actuated by air pressure in the air brake hose (70) to a position to obstruct the path traveled by the portion of the opposite housing (14) in a direction uncoupling the two housings (14) thereby preventing rotational uncoupling of the housings (14) when the air brake system is pressurized. The pin (52) is automatically retracted when the air pressure is released thus permitting the housings (14) to be uncoupled.

Automatic locking mechanism for air brake hose coupling members

An electrical connector (20) includes a dielectric housing (22) having a mating face (24) and a pair of contacts (44,54) disposed therein. Each contact (44,54) has a contact section (46,56) exposed at the mating face (24). The first contact section (46) is associated with a forwardly extending shroud (26) spaced from and circumscribing the first contact section (46). The second contact section (56) is associated with a forwardly extending silo (28) closely surrounding the second contact section (56). The second contact section (56) is complementary to the first contact section (46) and the silo (28) is complementary to the shroud (26), whereby the connector mating face (24) is hermaphroditic.

Electrical connector

A pivotable connector assembly includes first and second matable connectors (20, 20) adapted to be brought into mated engagement by rotating the connectors in a first angular direction about a center of pivoting, and adapted to be disengaged by rotating the connectors in an opposite second angular direction about the center of pivoting. Each connector (20) includes a housing (22) having at least one contact having an arcuate section mounted therein. One of the contacts (96) is rigidly mounted within its respective connector housing and the other of the contacts (60) is resiliently mounted within its respective connector housing such that upon mating of the first and second connectors (20, 20) the arcuate section of the resiliently mounted contact (60) is engaged by the arcuate section of the rigidly mounted contact (96) along an elongate mating path and laterally deflected therefrom under bias. The contacts (60, 96) are adapted to accommodate a wide range of arcuate distance during mating of the connectors and the resiliently mounted contact assures sufficient mating force between the arcuate sections of the mating contacts (60, 96).

Pivotable electrical connector

A right angle electrical connector (20) includes a housing (22) having a mating face (24), an assembly face (26) opposed from the mating face (24) and adapted to receive at least one electrical contact (50) therein, and a third face (28); at least one contact-receiving passageway (30) extending from the assembly face (26) to the mating face (24), and a contact receiving slot (32) open to the third face (28) and to the assembly face (26). Each electrical contact (50) includes a first connecting portion (52) for electrical engagement with a complementary connector, a second connecting portion (54) extending from the third face (28) and outwardly from the housing (22) for electrical connection to an electrical article and a retention section (56) associated with a cooperable housing channel (36). The contact retention section (56) includes a barb (60) at a leading end thereof and a lance (62) at the rearward end thereof which cooperate to resist rearward and sideways movement of the contact 50 respectively after full assembly of the contact (50) into the contact-receiving passageway (30).

Electrical connector with stabilized contact

An electrical connector assembly (2) comprises blade connector (4) and a receptacle connector (6) mating with the blade connector. The blade connector (4) comprises an insulating housing (8) containing power or signal blade contacts having contact blades (70) and a ground blade contact having a contact blade (42). A tab (64) projects in the mating direction from the forward edge (66) of the ground contact blade (42). The receptacle connector (6) has an insulating housing (72) with receptacle contacts (96) disposed in respective cavities (82, 84) in the housing (72). Each receptacle contact (96) has contact springs (108, 114) having contact surfaces (110, 120). The receptacle contact (96) in the center cavity (82) is a ground receptacle contact, whilst the receptacle contacts (96) in the remaining cavities are power or signal contacts. When the connectors (4, 6) are mated, the tab (64) first engages the ground receptacle contact (96) in the center cavity (82) and thus makes the ground circuit of the connector assembly (2). The forward edges (66, 71) of the contact blades (42, 70) then pass substantially simultaneously between the contact surfaces (110, 120) of the respective receptacle contacts (96) and the tab (64) is received in an opening (124) defined between the contact springs (108, 114) of the ground receptacle contact (96). Upon unmating of the connectors (4, 6) the tab (64) is withdrawn from the contact surfaces (110, 120) of the ground receptacle contact (96) after the contact blades (42, 70) have been withdrawn from the receptacle contact (96).

Make-first-break-last ground connections

A board mounted connector for interconnecting the conductors of the non-terminated end of a flexible circuit or flexible cable to conductive traces on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a two part intermatable housing. The first part of the housing is attached to the circuit board while the second part, having end flanges that slidingly engage the ends of the first part, is movable with respect to the first part between a closed position where the conductors of the flexible circuit are held in contacting engagement with the contacts of the connector and an open position where the flexible circuit is free to be inserted into or removed from the connector. A positive stop is associated with each end of the connector, adjacent diagonally opposite corners, to render the second parts captive to the first part. A detent mechanism is associated with each end of the connector to bias the second part in both its open and closed positions.

Connector for interconnecting a flexible circuit to a circuit board

A contact (10) has an intermediate body portion (11) provided with respective side edges (14, 15) formed with a protruding convex portion (16) and a recessed concave portion (17), respectively. The contacts (10) are slidably inserted into respective channels (22) in the insulated housing (21) of an electrical connector (20), the channels (22) being separated by respective walls (23). When the contacts (10) are thus inserted into the channels (22), the convex portion (16) of one contact (10) cooperates with the concave portion (17) of an adjacent contact (10) to trap and deform the wall (23) therebetween, thereby exerting a resilient biasing force for retaining each contact (10) in its respective channel (22).

Electrical connector with improved contact retention

The present invention is directed to a ZIF card edge connector utilizing flexible film circuitry, where a daughter board, for example, may be electrically connected to a mother board upon which the connector is surface mounted. The connector preferably comprises an elongated housing consisting of a base, a pair of spaced apart side walls upstanding therefrom, and a pair of end walls to define the elongated slot. Placed therewithin is a U-shaped spring member where its arms upstand near the side walls. To effect opening and closing of the connector, a card release slide member is disposed within the U-shaped spring member in contact with the spring member arms, where the card release slide member is adapted to shift longitudinally to effect a lateral movement of the spring member arms. At least one release member is mounted in an end wall to effect the shifting of the card release slide member. However, a pair of cooperating slide members, one in each end wall, may be provided. Finally, a flexible film, having electrical circuitry interconnecting means thereon, is disposed in a loop between the arms of the spring member within the elongated slot, whereby a printed circuit board card, i.e., daughter board, having circuitry thereon for registration with the circuitry of the flexible film, may be inserted into the loop.

ZIF card edge connector utilizing flexible film circuitry

A multicontact electrical connector (2) comprises an insulating housing (4) defining a plurality of pairs of adjacent rows of contact receiving cavities (18 and 20). In the upper cavity (18) of the middle row of superposed pairs of cavities (18 and 20) is a shorter contact element (38), a longer contact element (36) being supported in the cavity (20) immediately therebelow. Each longer contact element (36) has a bowed contact surface (42) which is nearer to the mating face (12) the housing (4) than the bowed contact surface (42) of the shorter contact element (38). The contact surfaces (42) of the contact elements (36 and 38) lie in slots (6,8,10) for receiving respective contact members (74,76,78) of a mating connector (66). The contact surfaces (42) of the longer contact elements (36), which surfaces lie in the upper slot (6), are bowed in the opposite direction to the contact surfaces (42) of the longer contact elements (36), which contact surfaces lie in the middle slot (8), thereby to exert equal and opposite forces against the respective contact members (74 and 76). The contact surfaces (42) of the shorter contact elements (38) which contact surfaces are in the upper and middle slots (6 and 8) are similarly oppositely bowed. Lateral forces acting between the mating connectors (4 and 66) are thereby reduced and by virtue of the staggered arrangement of the contact surfaces (42) in each slot (6,8,10) the force needed to mate the connectors is also reduced.

Reduced insertion force electrical connector

An electrical connector (20) is disclosed which includes a dielectric housing (24) having first and second contact receiving channels (40) with each channel defining a pair of side walls (154,156). A rib (158) on the housing separates the first and second channels (40) and extends between respective side walls (154,156) thereof. A first contact (22) is received in the first channel (40) with the first contact defining an axis (112) and having first and second side edges (100,102) on opposite sides of the axis. The first side edge (100) has a barb (108) extending therefrom away from the axis (112). The second side edge (102) has a barb (110) extending therefrom away from the axis (112) at a location spaced along the axis (112) a distance (122) from the barb (108) extending from the first side edge (100). The barb (108) extending from the first side edge (100) engages a side wall of the channel that forms the rib (158). The second contact (22) is received in the second channel (40) with the second contact also defining an axis (112) and having first and second side edges (100,102) on opposite sides of the axis. Each side edge (100,102) of the second contact has a barb (108,110) extending therefrom away from the axis (112) of the second contact (22) with the barbs extending from the contact at spaced locations therealong. The barb (108) extending from a first side edge (100) of the second contact (22) engages the side wall of the second channel (40) that forms the rib (158) to secure the second contact (22) in the second channel (40). In this manner, each contact (22) has an asymmetric barb retention system thereon such that a barb (110) on the first contact (22) engage side walls (154,156) of the rib (158) between the first and second channels (40) at spaced locations therealong.

Asymmetrical high density contact retention

An electrical connector 10 for mating blade-shaped members 114,130 includes a pair of subassemblies 12, each subassembly 12 comprising a housing member 14 and at least one first terminal element 50 secured to the inner surface of respective housing members 14, and means for securing subassemblies 12 together. Each first terminal element 50 includes body portion 52 and first and second arrays of contact arms 66,72 extending outwardly from opposite ends 62,64 thereof. In the assembled connector 10, the free ends 68,74 of contact arms 66,72 of respective terminal elements 50 extend inwardly toward each other defining first and second receptacles 110,112 for receiving first and second blade-shaped members respectively. Upon mating connector 10 with first and second blade-shaped members 114,130, the respective contact arms 66,72 are deflected outwardly by the blade-shaped members 114,130 and engage the blade-shaped members 114,130 at a plurality of locations respectively on first and second sides 116,132;122,138 thereof, thereby establishing a plurality of current paths corresponding first and second sides of the blade-shaped members 114,130.

Connector for mating blade-shaped members

An electrical connector 10 for mating two blade-shaped members, each having opposed first and second sides and an edge-proximate portion extending outwardly intermediate the first and second sides thereof includes first and second opposed dielectric housing members 14,14; first and second outer terminal elements 50,70 secured to the inner major surface of each of the first and second housing members 14,14 defining associated pairs of opposed spaced first and second outer terminal elements 50,70; a pair of opposed inner terminal elements 86 disposed between respective and electrically isolated from first and second outer elements 50,70; means 38 securing the pair of opposed inner terminal elements 86 to and between the first and second housing members 14,14; and means 46 securing the first and second housing members 14,14 together. Each outer and inner terminal element 50,70,86 includes respective arrays of contact arms extending outwardly from opposed edges thereof. The arrays of contact arms of the outer terminal elements 50,70 form extended first and second blade receiving receptacles and the arrays of inner terminal element 86 define third and fourth blade receiving receptacles 106,108 spaced inwardly from the first and second receptacles. Upon mating connector 10 with blade-shaped members 110,130, the first and second receptacles 66,68 electrically interconnect respective first and second sides 112,132;120,140 of the blade-shaped members 110,130 and the third and fourth receptacles 106,108 electrically interconnect the edge-proximate portions 116,136 of the blade-shaped members 110,130.

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Randolph L Buchter