The Whitaker Corporation

Tyco Electronics Corporation

John L Broschard

Robert S Correll, Jr

Edmund Luther Jacobs

John Thomas Larkin, Jr

James H Hyland

Steven Lee Flickinger

James Charles Shiffler

Evan Charles Wickes

Jared Joseph Smalley, Jr

Dennis Leroy Kemmick

Steve Douglas Sattazahn

Ronald E Katzaman

David S Slupe

Power connector including a pair of discrete contact springs configured to electrically engage a conductive component. Each of the contact springs includes a contact body having opposite inner and outer side surfaces and a contact edge that extends between the inner and outer side surfaces. The contact body is shaped to form a spring base and a mating portion. The spring bases of the contact springs are joined by a locking feature. The locking feature includes a localized portion of at least one of the spring bases. The localized portion frictionally engages the other spring base to interlock the spring bases. Each of the mating portions extends from the corresponding spring base. The mating portions are separated by a receiving space and are configured to engage the conductive component when the conductive component is inserted into the receiving space.

Power connector having opposing contact springs

An electrical contact having a termination end for terminating with a wire and a contact end for mating with a mating contact. The contact end has a top wall with two top portions with a seam therebetween. One of the top portions has a locking lance to secure the contact within a housing. An engaging member provides interaction between the two top portions to distribute forces from the top portion having the locking lance to the other top portion.

Contact having a force distribution member

An electrical connector 10 is provided for receiving a subscriber identification module (SIM) 60, the connector 10 having an insulative base 20 which is mountable to a printed circuit board and supports electrical contacts 26 which are also connected to the printed circuit board along with a pair of switch contacts 70. A cover 30 is provided for receiving the SIM 60 and is rotatably mounted to the base 20 and securably thereto by the cooperation of a locking disc 40 with locking projections 21 extending from sidewalls of the base 20. The cover also has a shorting bar 72 for actuating the switch contacts 70 on the base 20.

Module connector having a switching mechanism

A smart card connector with a card slot (10) for receiving a smart card employs an end position switch comprising a single resilient contact (14) engaging a stationary post (16) to detect full insertion of a smart card. Self cleaning wiping mating contact is generated when the resilient contact (14) engages the stationary rigid post (16). The resilient contact (14) and the post (16) are mounted in the rear of a housing base (4) which includes resilient data contacts (12). The housing base (4) also includes resilient cantilever diverter springs (18), molded into the housing base which both protect the data contacts (12) and provide a reactive force to counter the force exerted by the normally closed resilient contact (14) upon full insertion of the smart card.

Smart card connector

A smart card connector with a card slot 10 for receiving a smart card employs an end position switch comprising a single resilient contact 14 engaging a stationary post 16 to detect full insertion of a smart card. The resilient contact 14 and the post 16 are mounted in the rear of a housing base 4 which includes resilient data contacts 12 mounted in contact cavities 38 located at the front and rear of the housing base. Contact arms 88 on the data contacts are preloaded so that each contact engages the smart card with a prescribed force and extends into the housing slot for a prescribed distance. The contact arms 88 are located in channels 34 in the housing base and lateral protrusions 36 extending from separator ribs 32 defining the contact channels 34 engage the contacts to preload them. The housing base 4 also includes resilient cantilever diverter springs 18, molded into the housing base which both protect the data contacts 12 and provide a reactive force to counter the force exerted by the normally closed resilient contact 14 upon full insertion of the smart card.

Smart card connector with preloaded data contacts

Smart card connector with card biasing means

A PCMCIA receptacle connector 2 for use with a PCMCIA card includes a plurality of receptacle contact terminals 34 positioned in two rows of cavities 18 in a housing 12. Each of the cavities has two cavity sections 20, 28. Mating pin terminal are received through the first cavity section 20 and the contact terminals are inserted from the rear face 16 of the housing 12 into the second housing cavity 28, which has smooth interior walls 32. Each stamped and formed contact terminal 34 has a forward mating section 36, a central contact support section 48, and a rear conductor contact section 42 including surface mount solder tails 44. The contact support section 48 includes resilient spring members 50 in the form of edge stamped cantilever spring members that engage the interior smooth walls 32 of the second cavity section 28 to retain the contacts in the housing 12 and to properly position the mating contact section 36 and the solder tails 44.

Memory card receptacle connector and contact terminal

A smart card connector 2 for use with a smart card 100 includes both data contacts 12 and normally open end position contacts 12'. The smart card 100 includes both data contact pads 102 and at least one end position contact pad 104 positioned to engage the end position contacts 12'. When the smart card is fully inserted in the connector card slot 10 so that the data contacts 12 are aligned with the data contact pads 102, two normally open end position contacts 12' engage the end position contact pad 104. The two end position contacts 12' are then electrically commoned to provide a signal to a card reader that the smart card 100 is fully inserted and data communication can begin between the smart card 100 and the card reader. Both the data contacts 12 and the normally open end position contacts 12' can comprise substantially identical cantilever beams mounted in the housing base of the smart card connector 2, and the end position contact pad 104 is laterally offset form the data contact pads 102.

Smart card and smart card connector

An electrical connector (10) for mounting to the edge (70) of a circuit board (24) in disclosed. Two metal clips (30) are utilized to both position the connector on the circuit board and to hold it in place until the connector leads (16, 18) are soldered in place. Each of the clips (30) includes a shank (34) that is in interfering engagement with an opening in the connector housing (12), a pair of mutually perpendicular abutting surfaces (48, 50) that locate against a major surface (62) of the circuit board (24) and an edge (70) thereof, and a beam (42) having a free end (44) that engages a hole (60) in the circuit board. When the free ends (44) of the two clips (30) are inserted into the two holes in the circuit board, and the connector (10) pivoted into place, the connector is held in position against the major surface (62), adjacent the edge (70) of the circuit board.

Electrical connector for mounting to an edge of a circuit board

A smart card connector with a card slot (10) for receiving a smart card includes a plurality of data contact (12) located in a housing consisting of a molded housing base (4) and a molded housing cover (6). The housing base (4) is intended to be mounted on a printed circuit board and includes integrally molded mounting posts (58, 60). Latching mounting post (60) includes an inclined lead-in surface (64) and a perpendicular latching surface (62) which engages the bottom of the printed circuit board to latch the smart card connector to the printed circuit board. The other latching post (58) includes an inclined lead-in surface 68 and an inclined upwardly facing surface (66) which can engage the printed circuit board anywhere along its length to engage a printed circuit board having a thickness which is either less than or greater than its nominal value.

Molded latching apparatus for printed circuit mounted components

An electrical connector having a mounting bracket to be inserted into a hold down recess and to secure the connector to a circuit board having a mounting hole. The bracket has a main body portion, a lower body portion, and a boardlock portion. The main body portion has wings extending therefrom and bent towards each other. The wings have tab sections extending straight up from the wings. The lower body portion has arms extending therefrom and bent towards each other. The wings and the arms form a compression fit with the recess when they are inserted therein. The tab sections are bent down to secure the bracket in the recess. The boardlock extends below the connector to be inserted into the mounting hole and secured therein.

Growing community of inventors

Hershey, PA, United States of America

John L Broschard