Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

William B Long

John Raymond Shuey

Suel G Shannon

Daniel E Stahl

John A Zimmerman, Jr

Lawrence A Hall

Daniel G Eaby

Linn Stephen Lightner

Howard R Shaffer

Frank P Dola

Keith S Koegel

Robert E Beamenderfer

Frederick W Rossler, Jr

Wilbur A Hamsher, Jr

Donald L Metzger

Stanford C Moist, Jr

Warren D Nauman

Kermit M Jones, Jr

David S Fleak

Gary L Over

Barry M Shenk

Robert G Leggett

A grounding connection and method for use with multi-wire cable (10) of a type having a plurality of individual cables (12) arranged in side-by-side relationship with each cable including an outer insulation sheath (14) extending around a relatively fragile, thin ground shield (16) in turn extended around a dielectric sleeve (18) carrying a fine signal wire (20) includes the provision of a body (22) of conductive plastic molded or cast around the exposed shield to provide a permanent electrical interconnection and commoning of the shield (16) of the multiple cables. A grounding bus (26) is used with the body (22) to interconnect ground circuits to external ground paths of circuit boards or the like. An alternative embodiment includes plastic material having sufficient strength to form fasteners (50) or latches (54) extending the use of the body (22). A thin wall plastic housing (60) may be used as an alternative definition of a cavity into which the material is poured to form the body (22).

Multi-conductor cable grounding connection and method therefor

An electrical terminal device has stamped and formed post portions of U-shaped cross-section which are stiff and suitable for wire wrapping and has a compliant mounting portion between the post portions for mounting the terminal in a plated through-hole in a circuit board. The compliant mounting portion comprises outwardly bowed portions extending longitudinally between aligned associated sidewalls of the U-shaped post portions which are elastically deformable inwardly and towards each other. When one of the terminal post is inserted into the circuit board hole, these bowed portions are flexed towards each other when they enter the circuit board hole and the edges of the bowed portions bear against the surface of the hole thereby to establish contact with the plating in the hole and retain the terminal in the circuit board. The U-shaped post portions, but not the compliant mounting portion, are severely cold-worked.

Method of making an electrical terminal

An electrical connector assembly 27 comprises, an insulative housing block 6, conductive signal contacts 1 mounted to the housing block 6 for connection to corresponding signal wires 23 of an electrical cable 22, and a conductive ground bus 2 for connection to corresponding ground wires 24 of the cable 22, the signal contacts 1 and the ground bus 2 are joined together and are mounted on the housing block 6, the signal contacts 1 are constructed for being detached from the ground bus 2, whereby selected signal contacts 1 are detached from the ground bus 2 and other signal contacts 1 remain joined to the ground bus 2.

Electrical connector assembly with lead frame

An electrical connector assembly for connection to an electrical cable comprises; an insulative housing block, conductive signal contacts on the housing block, a ground bus on the housing block connected to at least one selected signal contact, wire connecting portions of the signal contacts appear at corresponding first openings formed in the housing block, wire connecting portions of the ground bus appear at corresponding second openings of the housing block, and the housing block is formed to surround and insulate each of the signal contacts to allow insertion of the signal contacts into an insulative housing.

Discrete cable assembly

A channel outlet comprising a housing of insulative material has means for mounting the outlet in an opening in a channel-shaped cover of a channel housing and includes a terminal-receiving member and a cover member. Power terminals and a ground terminal are secured in cavities in the terminal-receiving member. The terminals have a first section adapted to terminate a respective electrical conductor thereto. The power terminals have wrap-around receptacle sections adapted to receive blade terminals of a conventional electrical plug therein. The ground terminal includes a contact member for sliding electrical contact with a ground pin of the electrical plug and a ground tab extending exteriorly of the cover member for ground connection to a channel-shaped base of the channel housing.

Channel outlet

A contact terminal has a termination section at one end thereof including a spaced pair of axially-extending slots within each of which a respective one of a pair of conductor wires is held in interference fit for weld termination such as by laser welding. The terminal can be a ground terminal for the pair of ground conductors of a tri-lead cable.

Electrical contact for receiving two conductors

A shielded breakaway connector assembly has mating polarized conductive shells and mating respective dielectric inserts mounted therein having mating terminals therein. A plug insert is mounted in its shell permitting limited axially normal movement in a selected direction against spring bias so that during mating said plug insert is cammed in that direction by a cam member secured to the receptacle insert's shell to achieve a tentative mating condition wherein the respective contact sections engage and electrically connect. Full mating is achieved when the plug insert is further pushed against the receptacle insert in order for a latch surface of the plug to latch behind a cooperating latch on the cam member which latches are adapted to be delatchable solely when limited tensile force pulls the plug insert away from the receptacle insert's shell to overcome the axially normal spring bias on the plug insert and the resistance to delatching of the latches. The mating contact sections engage under substantial contact normal force by contact arms of the receptacle's terminals being laterally deflected by the plug's terminals when the plug insert is cammed laterally.

Breakaway electrical connector

An electrical connector of the plug type comprises a dielectric housing member in which electrical terminals are secured, contact sections of the electrical terminals extend outwardly from a front surface of the dielectric housing member, and conductor-securing sections of the electrical terminals are to be connected to electrical conductors of a shielded cable. Metal clamshell members are mounted on the dielectric housing member forming an outer contact surrounding the dielectric housing member so that a front section covers the contact sections of the electrical terminals and a rear section is to be connected to a shield of the shielded cable. An insulating sleeve is disposed on the clamshell members and the cable. The conductor-securing sections are electrically connected to the electrical conductors and the electrical terminals are latchably secured in terminal passageways of the dielectric housing member, the rear section of the outer conductor has the shield positioned thereon so that a ferrule member can be crimped onto the rear section crimping the shield between the rear section and the ferrule member and, securing the clamshell members in position on the dielectric housing, the ferrule member is also to be crimped onto an insulating jacket of the cable. The forward section of the outer contact has an axial indentation aligned with a peripheral recess at the front of the housing member which polarizes the plug connector when mated with a receptacle connector having a corresponding peripheral recess at the front of its housing.

Electrical plug connector

In an electrical connector of the plug type and a corresponding receptacle therefor, said plug connector comprises a dielectric housing member having terminal-receiving passageways therein in which electrical terminals are latchably secured, and said terminals have contact sections extending forward from said housing member and are electrically connected to electrical conductors of a shielded cable. Metal clamshell members are mounted on said housing member forming an outer contact which extends forward to cover said contact sections of said terminals. The conductive shield of said cable surrounds a rear section of said outer contact and is surrounded by a ferrule member which is crimped to secure said shield to said outer contact, and said clamshell members to said housing; said ferrule is also crimped to an insulating jacket of said cable, and an insulating sleeve is disposed around said outer contact and said cable. A receptacle is provided which has a dielectric housing having a terminal-receiving section surrounded by a channel for receiving a front section of said outer contact of said plug connector, and a hood section surrounding said channel, both said sections having opposed U-shaped recesses communicating with said channel forming a means for polarizing said plug connector in said receptacle. Said receptacle has terminals secured therein which have forked contact sections to electrically receive sections extending outwardly from said receptacle housing for electrical contact sections of said plug terminals and which also have other contact connection to a printed circuit board. A ground terminal is secured to said receptacle and has ground contact means exterior of said housing.

Electrical plug connector and receptacle therefor

An electrical connector for connecting insulated conductors to electrical terminals comprises a dielectric housing member having terminal-receiving passageways extending therethrough and conductor-receiving areas extending normal to the terminal-receiving passageways. Electrical terminals are secured in the terminal-receiving passageways; each of the terminals includes a contact section and a conductor-terminating section. The conductor-terminating section is formed of overlapping members having coincident slots, the outer angled edges of the slots adapted to cut through the insulation of the conductor when the conductor is forced into the slots and inner parallel edges of the slots adapted to score and electrically engage the conductive core of the conductor. A cover member has opposing leg members that extend along the overlapping members of the conductor-terminating sections as the leg members move into respective terminal-receiving passageways, the leg members having arcuate surfaces that will force the conductive cores of the conductors to the rounded bottoms of the coincident slots when the cover member is positioned on the housing member. The housing member and the cover member have latching members latching them together and the overlapping members of the conductor-terminating sections include securing barbs that engage the leg members thereby securing the cover member in position on the housing member and maintaining the conductive cores adjacent the rounded bottoms of the coincident slots.

Power interface connector

An electrical connector in the form of a pin having spaced compliant sections for electrical connection with plated through holes in printed circuit boards. The orientation of each compliant section is such that it engages a virgin area of each plated through hole when coming to rest therein thereby forming excellent electrical and mechanical connections between the compliant sections and respective plated through holes.

Electrical connector for interconnecting printed circuit boards

An electrical distribution system for an electric lighting system including a plurality of electric lights comprises a lighting connector mounted on each of the plurality of electric lights and including an insulating housing having terminal members therein electrically connected to the electric leads of the light. A control connector has an insulating housing with first and second levels of contact members therein which are interconnected together in a predetermined manner. One of the first and second levels of contact members of the control connector is electrically connectable with the terminal members of one of the lighting connectors and also electrically connectable with electric leads connected to an electrical switch. The other of the first and second levels of contact members of the control connector is electrically connectable to contact elements in an insulating housing of a power-in connector which contact elements are also connected to electric leads connected to a power source. An interconnection connector assembly has insulating housings containing contact terminals therein electrically connected to electric leads extending between the housings, the contact terminals of the housings are electrically connected to the terminal members of respective lighting connectors thereby electrically interconnecting the electric lights.

Electrical distribution system for lights and connectors therefor

A junction connector and a tap connector for a modular wiring system are disclosed. The junction connector has oppositely directed faces which receive cable connectors on the ends of the distribution cables of the system. Feed-through conductors in the junction connector are mated directly with terminals in the cable connectors. The tap connector is dimensioned to be mounted in a standard circular hole in a panel and has a mating face which is against a tap connector receiving face of the junction connector when the parts are mated. The terminals in the tap connector are arranged as a non-linear cluster in order that they might be all contained within the cylindrical tap connector housing. The feed-through conductors in the junction connector are in side-by-side coplanar relationship. The tap conductors which extend from the feed-through conductors to the tap terminals are rigid members, some of which have intermediate laterally extending portions to provide the transition to the cluster of terminals in the tap connector. These intermediate portions are received in recesses in the junction connector housing.

Junction connections for modular wiring systems

A T-shaped electrical junction connector having improved feed-through conductors and tap conductors therein is disclosed. The feed-through conductors comprise stamped rectangular plates each of which has three aligned openings extending therethrough. An elongated slot is formed in the feed--through conductors which intersects the openings. The metal of the conductor on each side of the slot is coined outwardly from the plane of the feed-through conductor to form a cylindrical surface which merges with one surface of the conductor. The tap conductors each comprise a cylindrical rod which is dimensioned to be inserted through one of the openings in the feed-through conductor and have an interference fit. The coined portions of the feed-through conductor are stressed in torsion when the tap conductor is inserted through the opening to enhance the contact force at the electrical interface. One or two of the tap conductors have laterally extending intermediate portions so that the free ends of the tap conductors will form a cluster so that the junction connector can be mated to a cylindrical tap connector.

Electrical terminals for modular wiring systems

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.

Growing community of inventors

Camp Hill, PA, United States of America

William B Long