Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

Tyco Electronics Corporation

Donald J Summers

John W Kaufman

Robert S Correll, Jr

Donald Eugene Dellinger

Jerry H Bogar

Michael Deen Bowers

Dale B Mummey

Carl D Oberman

Albert Washington Frantum, Jr

Michael W Englert, Jr

Oliver Patrick Bartholomew

Gregory R Pratt

Willard F Cassel, Jr

A latch for use in an electrical connector which controls the movement of the circuit board in directions parallel and perpendicular to the path of insertion of the circuit board. The electrical connector has a dielectric housing with an elongated slot which is dimensioned to receive an edge of a circuit card therein. At least one latch receiving recess is positioned proximate an end of the elongated slot. In many applications, a latch receiving recess is provided at either end of the elongated slot. A first wall of the latch receiving recess is provided adjacent the elongated slot. The first wall has angled surfaces provided thereon. A latch is positioned in the respective latch receiving recess and is pivotally retained therein. Each latch has a pair of legs spaced from each other by a board receiving slot. The legs have a respective tapered surface which extends from a front surface of each leg to a respective side surface. The angle which the tapered surfaces project from the front surface is similar to the angle of the angled surfaces. Whereby when the latch is positioned in locking engagement with the circuit card, the tapered surfaces and angled surfaces cooperate with each other to prevent the movement of the latch and the circuit card in a direction perpendicular to the plane of insertion of the circuit card.

Latch for card edge socket

A connector assembly (20) includes a plug connector (22) having a housing (24) and an array of first contacts (40), the housing including latch projections (36) extending laterally from at least both of the opposed sides (30) or both the opposed ends (32) thereof; and a complementary receptacle connector (50) having a housing with a plug receiving cavity (68) and corresponding array of second contacts (70), the housing (52) including latch receiving recesses (66) adjacent the cavity floor (68) alongside at least both of the sidewalls (62) or both of the endwalls (64) corresponding to the sides (30) and ends (32) of the plug portion. During initial mating of the plug and receptacle connectors (22) (50), the latch projections (36 ) of the plug housing (24) bear against and create an interference fit with the adjacent receptacle housing wall surfaces (65) and upon full mating of the plug and receptacle connectors (22) (50), the latch projections (36) release the walls upon their being received in the cavity recesses (66).

Board to board matable assembly

A low profile connector 20 including a receptacle 22 and a plug 70, each having a housing 24,72 with respective arrays of contacts 44,92 secured therein, the contacts 44,92 being of thin metal set on edge in the housings 24,72 and including edge contact surfaces 50,98 projecting from the housings 24,72 in a common plane for soldering to the circuits. Each receptacle contact 44 has a C-shaped configuration including a base 48, an intermediate portion 60 and an arm 62, the arm 62 defining a contact surface 68 adapted to mate with a corresponding plug contact surface 110, the arm 62 extending transversely of the axis in a first direction. Each plug contact 92 has an L-shaped configuration including a base 94 and a post 104 extending from the base 94 parallel to the axis, a side surface 110 of the post 104 defining a mating surface for a corresponding one of the receptacle contacts 44. Upon mating of the receptacle 22 and plug 70, the side surface of the post 104 of the plug contact 92 engages the arm 62 of the receptacle contact 44 in sliding engagement, deflecting the arm 62 transversely of the axis in a second direction, the post 104 co-extending past the arm 62 and in spring biased engagement therewith resulting in a low profile connector 20.

Low profile board to board connector

A surface mounted connector (25) for interconnecting closely centered circuits such as those carried by circuit boards (12, 18) includes plug and receptacle housings (24, 90) which internest to interconnect edge mounted, thin stamped contacts (50, 116) on centers complementary those of said circuits which include a contact configuration producing a series of point contacts (70, 128) and solder wells (70, 130) to provide an improved solder joint between respective contacts and boards. The contacts extend outside the side walls of the housings (64, 164) to facilitate heat application for solder reflow and inspection of solder joints. The contacts further have barbs (66, 126) engaging the said housings to hold the contacts against displacement upon separation of the plug from the receptacle. Solder pads (76) are provided on each housing to mechanically hold the housing to a board, and the plug housings include bevels (34) and polarizing and aligning plastic posts (44) which fit in recesses (96) in the receptacle to facilitate blind mating with latching surfaces (48, 100) latching the plug and receptacle together. A method is taught which features a tapering of beam lengths of the plug contact (50) to reduce stress and optimize force and/or deflection characteristics.

Blind mating miniature connector

A board edge connector 10 rotatable between a first and electrically disengaged angular position to a second angular position wherein electrical terminal members 70 of the connector 10 are electrically engaged to conductive areas 102 on a circuit board 92 includes housing means 12 and a plurality of electrical terminal members 70 disposed in terminal receiving cavities 50 therein. Housing means 12 includes a board receiving slot 34 extending along a front wall thereof and in communication with the terminal receiving cavities 50. Slot 34 has opposed upper and lower bearing surfaces 26,21 defining opposed parallel planes and further defining means for guiding connector 10 onto the board 92 at a preselected angle until the leading edge 98 of the board 92 engages a first stop surface 60 defining a first angular position. Fulcrum means 80 have arcuate bearing surfaces engageable with the second board surface 92 at at least two spaced locations along slot 34 defining an axis of rotation and allow connector 10 to be rotatably moved about the board edge from the first position to the second position.

Board edge connector

An improved pin header connector (10) mountable to a circuit substrate (120) includes a plurality of modular terminal subassemblies (12), shell means (59) defining a like plurality of terminal subassembly receiving cavities (108) and including means securing the terminal subassemblies (12) within respective cavities (108) in a manner permitting incremental floating of the subassemblies (12) in a transverse direction relative to the shell means (59), and means (50) included on each terminal subassembly (12) for aligning the terminal members (16) thereof with corresponding circuit pads (122) on the circuit substrate (120) upon the connector (10) being mounted to the substrate (120). Each subassembly (12) includes an array of terminal members (16) secured in dielectric means (40), each terminal member (16) having a rearward connecting portion (20) at least exposed at a mounting surface of the dielectric substrate (40), the second connecting portions (20) of the terminal members (16) being adapted to electrically engage respective conductive areas (122) of a corresponding array on a circuit substrate (120). The connector (10) further includes means independent of the aligning means for mounting the shell means (59) to the substrate (120).

Pin header connector

A coaxial right-angle plug connector includes a 'clean' right-angle inner contact member having a continuous insulative cover molded therearound including the bend to be self-retaining thereon and to have consistently concentric coaxial outer surfaces, with larger diameter cover portions around the portion within the conductive housing. The front horizontal contact portion and the outer contact therearound mate with contact means of conventional receptacle connectors, while the vertical portion of the inner contact descends from the housing near the front thereof reducing the length of the signal path and lessening reflection. The housed portion of the connector raises the average impedance over the length of the connector to approximate that of the cable used in the signal path of the coaxial patchboard programming system, by reason of large diameter cover portions of the inner contact adjacent the bend, while allowing floating of the insulated inner contact to adapt to a slightly misaligned printed circuit board hole.

Growing community of inventors

Shiremanstown, PA, United States of America

Donald J Summers