Fully programmable connector

Claim 2

A fully programmable connector to receive shorting clips that provide electrical interconnection between selected two or more contacts, comprising: a housing having a top face and a bottom face, said housing constructed of a plurality of identical cells, said housing having plural openings through the top face of the housing through which pins of a mating connector are received; at least one contact disposed within said housing; at least one shorting clip configured to electrically engage said at least one contact; said plurality of identical cells each including first members receiving a respective said shorting clip and each said shorting clip within the housing in position to electrically short-circuit selected ones of said contacts, and each of said plurality of identical cells including second members receiving a respective contact and aligning the respective contact in position to be electrically shorted when two or more such contacts have been selected to be electrically shorted by a corresponding said shorting clip.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1 wherein each said shorting clip is disposed in an adjacent pair of cells.

Claim 4

The connector of claim 1 wherein the connector is a multiple row connector and each said shorting clip is in adjacent cells of a single row to electrically connect at least two corresponding contacts of said single row.

Claim 5

The connector of claim 1 wherein the connector is a multi-row connector and wherein each said shorting clip is disposed in adjacent cells of multiple rows to electrically connect at least two corresponding contacts of the multiple rows.

Claim 6

The connector of claim 1, wherein the housing is comprised of transversely-spaced, longitudinally-extending and generally-planar vertical walls, and wherein said first members include vertically extending shorting clip supporting members formed in longitudinally-spaced relation along said transversely-spaced, longitudinally-extending and generally-planar vertical walls of the housing.

Claim 7

The connector of claim 5, wherein each of said shorting clip supporting members is a confronting pair of ribs.

Claim 8

The connector of claim 6, wherein said ribs have rounded-tops.

Claim 9

The connector of claim 1, wherein said second members include plural, spaced apart walls defining vertically extending contact receiving cavities that individually are aligned with another opening of the housing.

Claim 10

The connector of claim 5, wherein each of said are formed by transversely spaced confronting ribs.

Claim 11

The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector is a DIN connector.

Claim 12

The connector of claim 1, wherein, each said shorting chip has at least two clip portions and an interconnecting tie bar portion.

Claim 13

A fully programmable connector that enables the same connector to be programmed to electrically short selected two or more contacts, comprising: a housing body having opposing top and bottom faces between which a plurality of substantially identical, selectively programmable cells are arrayed in a selected configuration; each of said selectively programmable cells of the housing body is comprised by first walls that open to the top face of the housing body and define a top-face-loadable shorting clip receiving member, by second walls that open to the top face and define socket receiving cavities and by third walls that open to the bottom face and define bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities; a plurality of contacts having integral sockets and pins bottom loaded into the bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities defined by the third walls of the selectively programmable cells, with their sockets received in a corresponding socket receiving cavity and with their pins individually extending beyond the bottom face of the housing body; and at least one shorting clip top loaded into said housing body and supported by associated shorting clip supporting members, each said shorting clip electrically engaging selected ones of said plurality of contacts.

Claim 14

A fully programmable connector that enables the same connector to be programmed to electrically short selected two or more contacts, comprising: a housing body having opposing top and bottom faces between which a plurality of substantially identical, selectively programmable cells are arrayed in a selected configuration; each of said selectively programmable cells of the housing body is comprised by first walls that open to the top face of the housing body and define a top-face-loadable shorting clip receiving member, by second walls that open to the top face and define socket receiving cavities and by third walls that open to the bottom face and define bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities; a plurality of contacts having integral sockets and pins bottom loaded into the bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities defined by the third walls of the selectively programmable cells, with their sockets received in a corresponding socket receiving cavity and with their pins individually extending beyond the bottom face of the housing body; and at least one shorting clip top loaded into said housing body and supported by associated shorting clip supporting members, each said shorting clip electrically engaging selected ones of said plurality of contacts.

Claim 15

The connector of claim 12, wherein said selected configuration of said housing body of said connector is a DIN configuration.

Claim 16

The connector of claim 12, wherein said first walls include a shorting clip supporting abutment.

Claim 17

The connector of claim 14, wherein said housing body proximate said top face includes a plurality of longitudinally-extending vertically-oriented and transversely-spaced generally-planar walls, and wherein said abutment includes a vertically-extending rib formed on confronting inside surfaces of said longitudinally-extending generally-planar walls.

Claim 18

The connector of claim 15, wherein said rib includes a rounded-top portion.

Claim 19

The connector of claim 12, wherein said housing body proximate said top face includes a plurality of longitudinally-extending vertically-oriented and transversely-spaced generally-planar walls, wherein said first walls include a shorting clip supporting abutment formed on a portion of said transversely-spaced and generally-planar walls, and wherein said second walls include wall portions of said transversely-spaced and generally-planar walls of said housing body that extend between longitudinally adjacent shorting clip supporting abutments.

Claim 20

The connector of claim 17, wherein said shorting clip supporting abutments are vertically-extending ribs.

Claim 21

The connector of claim 18, wherein said ribs include a rounded-top.

Claim 22

The connector of claim 12, wherein said plurality of contacts each have first and second vertically-spaced and outwardly projecting seatings tangs, wherein said housing body proximate said top face is comprised of a plurality of longitudinally-extending vertically-oriented and transversely-spaced generally-planar walls, and wherein said bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities defined by each said third walls have a transverse width that corresponds to the inside dimension defined by the transversely-spaced generally-planar walls proximate the top face of the housing body, and have a longitudinal width defined by the outside distance between projecting ends of the first and second vertically-spaced and outwardly projecting seating tangs of the contacts.

Claim 23

The connector of claim 20, wherein said third walls are further comprised of vertically-spaced shoulders that are vertically spaced a distance that corresponds to vertical spacing of the vertically-spaced first and second seating tangs of one of said plurality of contacts.

Claim 24

The connector of claim 21, wherein the housing body proximate the bottom face and in regions surrounding each of the bottom loadable contact receiving and supporting cavities is beveled to facilitate the insertion of a respective one of said plurality of contacts thereinto.

Claim 25

The connector of claim 12, wherein each of said plurality of contacts having integral sockets and pins is comprised of twin confronting cantilevered beams that define each of said sockets that terminate in a corresponding pin through an intermediate contact strength member.

Claim 26

The connector of claim 23, wherein said intermediate strength member includes a box-beam about which first and second vertically-spaced and outwardly projecting seating tangs are formed.

Claim 27

The connector of claim 24, further including an integral leaf-spring intermediate the box-beam and the pin of each of the contacts.

Claim 28

The connector of claim 23, wherein said twin confronting beams have outside surfaces that taper towards their ends to facilitate their bottom loadability.

Claim 29

The connector of claim 12, wherein said shorting clips are each of a generally U-shaped electrically-conductive material having two opposed legs joined by a resilient bridge, each leg including at least one contact edge located along a foot thereof and a non-conductive protuberance.

Claim 30

The connector of claim 12, further including a housing cover having a plurality of openings that correspond in number to the plurality of sockets, and wherein an outwardly facing surface of the housing cover in a region surrounding each of the plurality of openings is beveled to facilitate entry of a pin thereinto.

Claim 31

The connector of claim 28, wherein said housing cover is mated to said housing body by means of interlocking posts and openings.

Claim 32

The connector of claim 12, further including a housing cover mated to a top face of the housing body.

Claim 33

The connector of claim 30, wherein said housing cover and said housing body are each integrally formed.

Claim 34

The connector of claim 30, wherein said housing cover is fabricated from LCP and said housing body is fabricated from PBT.

Claim 35

The connector of claim 12, wherein the shorting clips have at least two clip portions and at least one tie bar mechanically and electrically interconnecting the at least two clip portions, and wherein each of the cells have fourths walls which provide a channel for receiving the at least one tie bar to effect shorting together of a plurality of contacts in excess of two.

Claim 36

The connector of claim 33, wherein each of the at least two clip portions include a web having a width, and wherein the first walls define a channel whose width is larger than the width of the web.

Claim 37

The connector of claim 33, wherein the shorting clips have three clip portions and two tie bar portions.

Claim 38

The connector of claim 35, wherein the clip portions of the shorting clips have an insulative protuberance that is beveled to provide a self-seating action.

Claim 39

A fully programmable connector to receive shorting clips that provide electrical interconnection between selected two or more contacts, comprising: a housing having a top face and a bottom face, said housing including a plurality of cells, said housing having plural openings through the top face of the housing through which pins of mating connectors are received; a plurality of contacts receiving and electrically engaging said pins of mating connectors and said cells each including a first configuration receiving and aligning a respective one of said plurality of contacts therein; at least one shorting clip having a plurality of shorting portions and a tie-bar electrically connected therebetween; at least some of said plurality of cells each receiving a respective said shorting portion and including a second configuration an associated said shorting clip tie-bar and supporting said associated shorting clip tie-bar within the housing body in position to electrically short-circuit associated contacts disposed within the cells containing the shorting clip shorting portions.

Claim 40

A fully programmable connector to receive shorting clips that provide electrical interconnection between selected two or more contacts, comprising: a housing having a top face and a bottom face, said housing including a plurality of cells, said housing having plural openings through the top face of the housing through which pins of mating connectors are received; a plurality of contacts receiving and electrically engaging said pins of mating connectors and said cells each including a first configuration receiving and aligning a respective one of said plurality of contacts therein; at least one shorting clip having a plurality of shorting portions and a tie-bar electrically connected therebetween; at least some of said plurality of cells each receiving a respective said shorting portion and including a second configuration an associated said shorting clip tie-bar and supporting said associated shorting clip tie-bar within the housing body in position to electrically short-circuit associated contacts disposed within the cells containing the shorting clip shorting portions.