1. An electrical connector system comprising:
a plurality of wafer assemblies defining a mating end and a mounting end, each of the wafer assemblies comprising:
a first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly, the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures;
a second overmolded array of electrical contacts configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly, the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures; and
a conductive ground bracket positioned in the wafer assembly between a portion of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and a portion of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a first array of ridges on a first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the first array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first overmolded array of electrical contacts;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a second array of ridges on a second side of the conductive ground bracket that is opposite to the first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the second array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second overmolded array of electrical contacts; and
wherein for each wafer assembly of the plurality of wafer assemblies, each electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to an electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts to form a plurality of electrical contact pairs, and wherein for each electrical contact pair, the electrical mating connector of the electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts is horizontally aligned with the electrical mating connector of the electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts.
2. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the conductive ground bracket comprises die casting metal.
3. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the conductive ground bracket comprises conductive plastic.
4. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein each of the wafer assemblies further comprises:
a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, wherein an end of each ridge of the first array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to the first ground shield; and
a second ground shield configured to be assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts, wherein an end of each ridge of the second array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to the second ground shield; and
where the conductive ground bracket, the first ground shield, and the second ground shield are electrically commoned to provide the wafer assembly with a common ground.
5. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein each of the wafer assemblies further comprises:
a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, the first ground shield defining a plurality of apertures; and
a second ground shield configured to be assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts, the second ground shield defining a plurality of apertures;
wherein at least a portion of a ridge of the first array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket passes through an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and is positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first ground shield; and
wherein at least a portion of a ridge of the second array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket passes through an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second overmolded array of electrical contacts and is positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second ground shield; and
wherein for each of the wafer assemblies, the conductive ground bracket, the first ground shield, and the second ground shield provide the wafer assembly with a common ground.
6. The electrical connector system of claim 5, wherein for each of the wafer assemblies:
the first ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts when the first ground shield is assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts;
the second ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts when the second ground shield is assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts; and
each ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the first ground shield is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to a ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the second ground shield to form a plurality of ground tabs.
7. The electrical connector system of claim 6, wherein for each wafer assembly, a ground tab of the plurality of ground tabs is positioned between two pairs of electrical mating connectors of the plurality of electrical contact pairs at the mating end of the wafer assembly.
8. The electrical connector system of claim 1, where each electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts mirrors an adjacent electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts.
9. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein a distance between an electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and an adjacent electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts is substantially the same throughout a wafer assembly of the plurality of wafer assemblies.
10. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein the overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and the overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts comprises plastic.
11. The electrical connector system of claim 1, wherein for each wafer assembly, the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defines a plurality of stops configured to abut a wafer housing when the wafer assembly is positioned in the wafer housing
12. A wafer assembly comprising:
a first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts at a mating end of the wafer assembly, the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures;
a second overmolded array of electrical contacts configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly, the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures; and
a conductive ground bracket positioned in the wafer assembly between a portion of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and a portion of the second array of electrical contacts;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a first array of ridges on a first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the first array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first overmolded array of electrical contacts;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a second array of ridges on a second side of the conductive ground bracket that is opposite to the first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the second array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second overmolded array of electrical contacts; and
wherein each electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to an electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts to form a plurality of electrical contact pairs, and wherein for each electrical contact pair, the electrical mating connector of the electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts is horizontally aligned with the electrical mating connector of the electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts.
13. The wafer assembly of claim 12, further comprising:
a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, wherein an end of each ridge of the first array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to the first ground shield; and
a second ground shield configured to be assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts, wherein an end of each ridge of the second array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to the second ground shield.
14. The wafer assembly of claim 13, where the conductive ground bracket, the first ground shield, and the second ground shield are electrically commoned to provide the wafer assembly with a common ground.
15. The wafer assembly of claim 12, further comprising:
a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, the first ground shield defining a plurality of apertures; and
a second ground shield configured to be assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts, the second ground shield defining a plurality of apertures;
wherein at least a portion of a ridge of the first array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket passes through an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and is positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first ground shield; and
wherein at least a portion of a ridge of the second array of ridges defined by the conductive ground bracket passes through an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second overmolded array of electrical contacts and is positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second ground shield.
16. The wafer assembly of claim 15, wherein the conductive ground bracket, the first ground shield, and the second ground shield provide the wafer assembly with a common ground.
17. The wafer assembly of claim 15, wherein the first ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts when the first ground shield is assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts;
wherein the second ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts when the second ground shield is assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts; and
wherein each ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the first ground shield is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to a ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the second ground shield to form a plurality of ground tabs.
18. A wafer assembly comprising:
a first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts at a mating end of the wafer assembly, the first overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures;
a first ground shield configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, the first ground shield defining a plurality of apertures;
a second overmolded array of electrical contacts configured to be assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts, each electrical contact of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining an electrical mating connector extending past an edge of an overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts at the mating end of the wafer assembly, the second overmolded array of electrical contacts defining a plurality of apertures;
a second ground shield configured to be assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts, the second ground shield defining a plurality of apertures; and
a conductive ground bracket positioned in the wafer assembly between a portion of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and a portion of the second array of electrical contacts;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a first array of ridges on a first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the first array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first overmolded array of electrical contacts and positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the first ground shield;
wherein the conductive ground bracket defines a second array of ridges on a second side of the conductive ground bracket that is opposite to the first side of the conductive ground bracket, each ridge of the second array of ridges positioned in an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second overmolded array of electrical contacts and an aperture of the plurality of apertures defined by the second ground shield; and
wherein the conductive ground bracket, first ground shield, and second ground shield provide the wafer assembly with a common ground.
19. The wafer assembly of claim 18, wherein the first ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the of the overmold of the first overmolded array of electrical contacts when the first ground shield is assembled with the first overmolded array of electrical contacts;
wherein the second ground shield defines a plurality of ground tab portions extending past the edge of the overmold of the second overmolded array of electrical contacts when the second ground shield is assembled with the second overmolded array of electrical contacts; and
wherein each ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the first ground shield is positioned in the wafer assembly adjacent to a ground tab portion of the plurality of ground tab portions of the second ground shield to form a plurality of ground tabs.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A combination of a tractor and a baler, wherein
the tractor comprises: a tractor frame, driven ground engaging means supporting the tractor frame upon the ground, and an electronic tractor controller operable to control the propelling speed of the ground engaging means;
the baler comprises: a baler frame coupled or connected to the tractor frame, a crop receiving means supported on the baler frame for receiving crop from a field, a baling chamber supported on the baler frame for pressing crop received by the crop receiving means to a bale, a bale size sensor associated with the baling chamber for detecting the size of a bale within the baling chamber, and an electronic baler controller connected to the bale size sensor and to the tractor controller;
wherein the baler controller is operable to submit a halt signal to the tractor controller when a bale size signal provided by the bale size sensor indicates that a bale has reached a size equal to or exceeding a first predetermined size, and wherein the tractor controller is operable to command the ground engaging means to automatically halt the tractor when receiving a halt signal from the baler controller.
2. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the baler controller is operable to submit a deceleration signal to the tractor controller once the bale size signal provided by the bale size sensor indicates that a bale has reached a size equal to or exceeding a second predetermined size that is smaller than the first predetermined size, and wherein the tractor controller is operable to command the ground engaging means to decelerate the tractor upon receipt of a deceleration signal from the baler controller.
3. A combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein the baler is a round baler.
4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 wherein the baler comprises a wrapping material dispenser operable to dispense a wrapping material towards the bale and a wrapping material movement sensor, wrapping material dispenser and the wrapping material movement sensor connected to the baler controller, the baler controller is operable to command the wrapping material dispenser to dispense a wrapping material when the bale size signal provided by the bale size sensor indicates that a bale has reached a size equal to or exceeding the first predetermined size and wherein the baler controller is operable to submit a halt signal to the tractor controller only when the wrapping material movement sensor submits a signal to the baler controller indicating that the wrapping material is pulled by the bale.
5. A combination as set forth in claim 4, wherein the baler controller is operable to provide an error signal when the wrapping material movement sensor does not submit a signal to the baler controller indicating that the wrapping material is pulled by the bale after the baler controller has commanded the wrapping material dispenser to dispense a wrapping material.
6. A combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein the tractor controller is operable to control the ground engaging means to propel the tractor with a speed that yields a predetermined throughput of the crop receiving means of the baler.
7. A combination as set forth in claim 6, wherein the tractor controller is connected to a user interface allowing input of a resume baling operation signal, and wherein the tractor controller is operable to control the ground engaging means to resume propelling the tractor after a halt caused by a halt signal from the baler controller only when the tractor controller has received a resume baling operation signal.
8. A combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein the baler comprises a door through which a bale can be discharged from the baling chamber, a door actuator for moving the door between a closed and an open position, and a bale ejector operable to cause a bale to leave the baling chamber through the door, wherein one of the tractor controller and the baler controller is connected to a user interface allowing input of a bale ejection signal, and wherein the baler controller is connected to the door actuator and the bale ejector and operable to command the door actuator to open the door and to command the bale ejector to eject the bale only when the baler controller has received a bale ejection signal.
9. A combination as set forth in claim 8, wherein the baler controller is operable to command the door actuator to close the door once a bale pass sensor has submitted a signal to the baler controller indicating that a bale has passed the door.
10. A combination as set forth in claim 8, wherein the baler controller is operable to command the user interface to at least one of displaying a resume baling operation message and accepting a resume baling operation signal only when the door is closed.
11. A combination as set forth in claim 7, wherein the baler controller is connected to at least one of a tensioning system of aprons surrounding the baling chamber, a door actuator, a position control means of the crop receiving means, and a PTO of the tractor, and the baler controller is operable to provide a resume baling operation signal to a user interface only when the at least one of the tensioning system of aprons surrounding the baling chamber, door actuator, position control means of the crop receiving means, and PTO of the tractor is in a state in which another bale can be baled.
12. A combination as set forth in claim 11, wherein the baler controller is operable to accept a resume baling operation signal from the operator only when a resume baling operation signal has been given to an operator.
13. A combination as set forth in claim 11, wherein the baler controller is operable to command the at least one of tensioning system of aprons surrounding the baling chamber, door actuator, position control means of the crop receiving means, and PTO of the tractor to get in a state in which another bale can be baled.
14. A combination of a tractor and a baler, wherein
the tractor comprises: a tractor frame, ground engaging means supporting the tractor frame upon the ground, steering means for steering the tractor and an electronic tractor steering controller operable to control the steering means,
the baler comprises: a baler frame coupled or connected to the tractor frame, a crop receiving means supported on the baler frame for receiving crop from a field, a baling chamber supported on the baler frame for pressing crop received by the crop receiving means to a bale, a bale shape sensor associated with the baling chamber for detecting the shape of a bale within the baling chamber, and an electronic baler controller connected to the bale shape sensor, the baler controller connected to the steering controller;
wherein the steering controller is connected to a swath position sensor and operable to automatically steer the tractor along a swath based upon the signals of the crop swath sensor and of the bale shape sensor such that a uniform bale shape is obtained.