3M Innovative Properties Company

Abhay R Joshi

Joseph N Castiglione

Richard J Scherer

Jesse A Mann

Steven Feldman

Alexander Barr

William J Lee

James G Vana, Jr

Adam P Rumsey

Jason L Randall

A connector assembly for electrically connecting a plurality of wires to a circuit board is described. The connector assembly includes a vertical connector that includes an insulative base having pluralities of substantially parallel first and second base channels formed on respective opposing first and second major surfaces of the base. The vertical connector further includes pluralities of first and second terminals in registration with the respective first and second base channels, each first and second terminal including a contact portion for making contact with a wire, and a press-fit portion for being inserted into a conductive via of a circuit board. At least a majority length of each first and second terminal is disposed outside the housing. Each first and second terminal is secured in the connector at least in part by virtue of making physical contact with a corresponding wire.

Connector assembly

An electrical connector includes a plurality of electrical cable terminations for mating with a corresponding plurality of contact pins and a planar insulative connector body. Each of the electrical cable terminations includes a tubular housing, an inner housing, and at least one electrical contact. The tubular housing is of electrically conductive material and has inner walls defining an opening and first and second opposed open ends. The inner housing is of electrically insulating material and is inserted into the tubular housing from at least one of the open ends thereof. The inner housing comprises at least one inner space configured to receive an electrical contact in a fixed relative position. The electrical contact is positioned in the inner housing and configured to be connected to an electrical cable. The planar insulative connector body has an upper surface and an opposing lower surface. The upper and lower surfaces are defined by a front edge, a back edge, and two longitudinal side edges. The upper surface includes a plurality of longitudinal channels. Each channel contains one of the plurality of electrical cable terminations. The front edge of the connector body has a plurality of openings for guiding the contact pins into the mating electrical cable terminations positioned within the channels. An electrical connector assembly may include a plurality of the electrical connectors secured in a stacked configuration.

Electrical connector and assembly

An electrical connector system includes a header and an electrical connector assembly. The header includes a leading end having a plurality of contact pins that are insertable into an electronic device and a plurality of separated stripline ground plates extending from the leading end toward a mating end of the header. The electrical connector assembly is coupleable with the mating end of the header and includes a plurality of electrical connectors secured in a stacked configuration. Each electrical connector includes a planar insulative connector body and a plurality of electrical cable terminations for mating with a corresponding plurality of contact pins of the header. At least two electrical cable terminations make electrical contact with a common stripline ground plate when the header and the electrical connector assembly are in a mated configuration.

Electrical connector assembly and system

The present invention includes a method of electronically designing an article, including accessing an electronic article design system, selecting an article type to design, and iteratively configuring a group of characteristics by selecting one or more options for each characteristic and/or iteratively modeling the article performance based on a selection of one or more performance parameters for each performance model. In the iterative configuration and modeling step, the electronic article design system automatically presents the characteristics and the performance models based on the article type selected, dynamically updates the article for each step of the iterative configuration and/or modeled performance, and automatically resolves conflicts between iteratively configured characteristics, between iteratively modeled performances, and across iteratively configured characteristics and modeled performances.

Virtual designer

An electrical connector system includes a header and a carrier assembly attachable with the header. The header includes a leading end having a plurality of signal pins that are insertable into an electronic device and a stripline ground plate extending from the leading end toward a mating end. The carrier assembly is coupleable with the mating end of the header and includes a plurality of termination devices. Each termination device includes a cable terminated to a contact that electrically couples with one of the signal pins of the header, an insulator disposed around the contact, and a tubular shield disposed around the insulator. When the carrier assembly is connected to the header, the tubular shield contacts the stripline ground plate to commonly ground each signal pin/contact connection within the electrical connector system.

Carrier assembly and system configured to commonly ground a header

A probe block assembly includes a block and a cable terminated to a coaxial connector that is configured to electrically communicate with a plurality of probes inserted in the block. The coaxial connector includes a connector signal contact configured to separably connect to a first probe that is insertable into an aperture of the block and insulated from the block, and a resilient ground beam configured to commonly ground one or more second probes inserted in the block.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Abhay R Joshi