Amp LLC

Gte Products Corporation

Ford Motor Corporation

Frederick H Rider

David S Szczesny

John E Lucius

Glenn E Bennett

Roger N Polk

John K Daly

Songchin S Lu

Dean A Puerner

K Troy Alwine

David A Babow

Manfred W Wippich

Christopher T Thibodeau

A system for distributing electrical power to side edges (108, 112) of a daughter card (102) upon insertion into a card cage (10) includes a pair of source and return bus bars (118, 116) mounted on at least one of the side edges and electrically connected by arrays of terminals (172) to power circuits of the card, insulated by a cover (120) having a rail (126) for following the guide channels (18, 20) of the card cage at each card location. Rearward ends of the bus bars have blades (122, 124) which are received into receptacle contacts (46, 44) mounted in the card cage above and below the backplane (14), which are mounted at each card location and electrically connected to source and return busses (68, 58) of the card cage. The receptacle contacts (46, 44) are float mounted to be easily incrementally moved upon blade receipt during card module (100) insertion, and also easily incrementally moved after blade mating when power connections are established, to then permit precision adjustment of rear card edge (104) in two dimensions so that card edge connectors (106) thereon become aligned with corresponding backplane connectors (16) for subsequent high density signal terminal mating.

Card edge power distribution system

An electrical connector assembly including integral means for self-alignment and adapted to be used with flat power cable having relatively wide terminals terminated thereonto. A polarizing system is provided complementary to said self-alignment which provides assured mating prevention upon improper connector polarizing orientation. One embodiment is adapted for rack and panel applications where one of the connectors is float mounted. Another embodiment is adapted for delatchably latching together of the connectors with low profile latch arms. A system of polarizing the assembly of terminated dual conductor cables in a housing is provided for control of the electrical connections of the two conductors of each flat cable, by using a polarizing projection on one of the two terminals on each cable, and a corresponding channel along the appropriate one the terminal-receiving cavities of the housing for passing of the projection upon proper cable orientation.

Self-aligning electrical connector assembly for flat power cable

An electrical connector with three rows of contacts undergoing right angle bends to form two columns suitable for joining to a printed circuit board. The distal portions of the contacts are retained in a contact receiving wall provided with contact receiving slots equipped with spring back guards. This feature allows the resilience of the contact material to aid in maintaining contact alignment. Provision is made with the connector body to receive an environment sealing compound.

Electrical connector, and housing and contacts therefor

A bus bar assembly (110) includes a pair of source and return bus bars (118,116) mounted on at least one of the side edges (108,112) of a daughter card (102) and electrically connected by arrays of terminals (172) to power circuits of the card, for use in a system for distributing electrical power to the daughter card module (100) upon insertion into a card cage (10). The pair of bus bars (118,116) is insulated by a cover (120) having a rail (126) for following the guide channels (18,20) of the card cage at each card location. Rearward ends of the bus bars have blades (122,124) which are received into receptacle contacts (46,44) mounted in the card cage above and below the backplane (14), which are mounted at each card location and electrically connected to source and return busses (68,58) of the card cage, with the receptacle contacts (46,44) preferably being float mounted to be easily incrementally moved upon blade receipt during card module (100) insertion.

Card edge bus bar assembly for power distribution system

An assembly (42) includes plurality of receptacle contacts (46,44) mounted to a clevis block (66) between respective pairs of salients (86) and along a shaft (64) extending through the salients. The receptacle contacts (46,44) are incrementally moveable after assembly and thus define a floating separable interface for an array of blade shaped contacts (122,124) when assembly (42) is mounted within a card cage (10) and blade shaped contacts are along rearward ends of bus bars (118,116) mounted on upper and lower edges (108,112) of daughter cards (102) insertable into the card cage, defining a system for distributing electrical power from the card cage to the daughter cards. The receptacle contacts (46,44) are float mounted to be easily incrementally moved upon blade receipt during card module (100) insertion, and also easily incrementally moved after blade mating when power connections are established, to then permit precision adjustment of rear card edge (104) in two dimensions so that card edge connectors (106) thereon become aligned with corresponding backplane connectors ( 16) for subsequent high density signal terminal mating.

Float mounted receptacle contact assembly for card cage

A tap or splice connector especially useful for a pair of dual conductor flat power cables includes two pairs of upper and lower structures which are applied to the stacked in-line cables side-by-side and then enclosed in a housing. The upper and lower structures each have a transverse array of cable-engaging wave-shaped bosses alternating with wave-receiving relief recesses when pressed together, so that the waves press strips of both cables in upper and lower arrays into the opposing recesses thus exposing conductor edges of the strips for electrical connection. Outer surfaces of the structures are then staked to urge the metal thereof laterally and tightly against the conductor edges adjacent thereto. The cables may first be prepared by punching medial slots thereinto at the interconnection site; the structures when applied are spaced from each other; and the housing covers include axial wall sections which extend between the side-by-side structures and through the cable slots, assuring isolation of the circuits. The structures preferably are self-locking upon being staked to secure the upper and lower structures to each other and to the cables. The housing covers may have opposed integral resilient cable-clamping sections to compensate for cable thickness differences.

Electrical connector and method of interconnecting flat power cables

Upper and lower connecting structures for use with flat power cable by being applied to major surfaces thereof, include arrays of cable-engaging bosses alternating with boss-receiving relief recesses; when pressed together the structures at least press conductor strips out of the cable plane and into opposing recesses of the opposing structures, exposing conductor strip edges for electrical connection and defining an array of interdigitated joints. The upper and lower structures are mechanically locked together by forming pockets in the side walls of the relief recesses of each structure to be disposed beside forwardmost portions of the cable-engaging bosses of the opposing structure upon application to the cable, and then deeply staking each of the interdigitated joints to split axially the forwardmost portion of the cable-engaging bosses and force the split portions laterally into the pockets, so that a portion of each structure is locked behind an associated portion of the other structure. The method and structures can be used for terminating an end portion of a cable for connection to another electrical article, or for forming a tap or splice connection between two flat cables.

Growing community of inventors

Glendale, AZ, United States of America

Frederick H Rider