Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

Charles S Pickles

Matthew M Sucheski

Mark R Thumma

Attalee Snarr Taylor

Mansour Zarreii

Howard W Andrews

Jon F Kautz

Jay M Heisey

A pair of shorting contacts (16,16) on mated connector bodies (10,10). The shorting contacts are protrusions on the respective connector bodies which are laterally reversed mirror images of each other. The respective protrusions confront each other in a substantially transverse configuration. Initial engagement between the respective protrusions is at an initial point contact (25) at a high stress. The protrusions thereafter wipe against one another and come to engage at a final point contact (26). The path from the initial point contact to the final point contact constitutes a line between the respective connector bodies.

Electrical connector with shorting contacts which wipe against each other

A card edge electrical connector 10 includes a dielectric housing member 12, a card receiving cavity 30, a plurality of contacts including signal contact members 35,35a arranged in opposed pairs along opposite sides of the card receiving cavity 30 and ground contact member 54 associated with each pair of signal contact members 35,35a. Each signal contact member 35,35a has a first contact surface 43 for engaging corresponding signal traces 184 on the daughter card 172 and second contact sections 52,52a respectively exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and adapted to be engaged to corresponding signal contact means 92 of another electrical article 86. A ground contact member 53 is mounted into the housing 12 at each contact location and includes first ground contact sections 62 engageable with ground contact means 180 of card 172 upon full card insertion, the first ground contact sections 62 being spaced both vertically and horizontally from the associated first signal contact surfaces 43. The ground contact member 53 further includes second ground contact sections 70 exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and engageable with corresponding ground contacts 96 of the electrical article 86.

High speed card edge connector

A card edge electrical connector 10 includes a dielectric housing member 12, a card receiving cavity 30, a plurality of contacts including signal contact members 36, 36a arranged in opposed pairs along opposite sides of the card receiving cavity 30 and ground contact member 54 associated with each pair of signal contact members 36, 36a. Each signal contact member 36, 36a has a first contact section 44 for engaging corresponding signal traces 84 on the daughter card 72 and second contact sections 52, 52a respectively exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and adapted to be engaged to corresponding signal contact means 92 of another electrical article 86. A ground contact member 54 is mounted into the housing 12 at each contact location and includes ground contact sections 62 engageable with ground contact means 80 of card 72 upon full card insertion. The ground contact member 54 include second ground contact sections 70 exposed along the mounting face 18 of the housing 12 and engageable with corresponding ground contacts 96 of the electrical article 86.

Card edge connector

An electrical connector (10) having a cavity (13) for removably receiving a printed circuit board (18) and contact elements (14,16) electrically engaging the board (18) is disclosed. More particularly, the contact elements (14,16) are located on opposing walls (22,24) of the cavity (13) and have contact beams (82,94) that electrically engage conductive pads on the circuit board (18). Further, the contact elements (14,16) have posts (84) and leads (98) extending outwardly of the housing (12) for receiving and transmitting signals from electronic devices. A cover (20) covers the cavity (13) to retain and protect the circuit board (18) therein.

Active electrical connector

Contact pin has a compliant portion having two spaced-apart openings therein at locations adjacent to the ends of the compliant portion. The compliant portion is sheared along a shear line extending axially between the openings. The shear line divides the compliant portion into two side-by-side beams. The beams are displaced in opposite first directions away from the axis of the pins. The openings and the shear line define ears on each beam which extend towards the other beam. When the compliant portion is inserted into a circuit board hole, the ears are moved into overlapping relationship and the compliant portions are flexed in second opposite directions which are normal to the first opposite directions. The ears of each beam function as an intermediate support for the other beam. A high degree of adaptability as regards stock thickness and dimensions of the pin is achieved by virtue of the fact that the beams are flexed parallel to their major surfaces and are supported intermediate their ends by the ears.

Compliant pin having improved adaptability

An electrical terminal has been described and illustrated which comprises a compliant retention section that has been sheared thereby forming resilient leg members joined at their ends and having outer radiussed surfaces for springably and frictionally engaging a plated through hole in an electrical panel member when the compliant retention section is inserted into the hole and inner shear surfaces which extend between the ends and into the ends to at least the outermost points of the ends so that the inner shear surfaces frictionally engage and move along each other when the resilient leg members are flexed inwardly upon insertion of the compliant retention section in the plated through hole.

Method of making a compliant retention section on an electrical terminal

A connection system for electrically interconnecting circuits on a printed circuit mother board and printed circuit daughter board. More particularly, the connection system includes a first connector having a slot and for mounting on the mother board and a second connector having a blade for being received in the slot of the first connector and for being attached to an edge of the daughter board. Polarizing keyway and key bar are provided on respective first and second connectors to prevent incorrect insertion and to provide precise registration of contact elements in the respective connectors.

Growing community of inventors

Hummelstown, PA, United States of America

Charles S Pickles