Molex Corporation

Sunbeam Corporation Limited

John M Stipanuk

Alan S Walse

Kent E Regnier

Kerry M Krafthefer

William H Scott

John M Yun

Edward J Grant, Jr

A connector assembly is adapted for electrically connecting a printed circuit board with another electrical device, the circuit board having a mating edge with a generally linear array of contact pads along the edge on each opposite side of the board. An elongated dielectric housing has a cavity along its length for receiving the mating edge of the printed circuit board, and a plurality of narrow closely-spaced slots extending transversely of the cavity. Each slot is adapted for receiving a unitary thin contact member having a singular base portion traversing the cavity with opposed spring contact arms extending from the singular base portion into the slot, and with distal ends of the contact arms engageable with the contact pads on both opposite sides of the printed circuit board. A plurality of pairs of thin contact members are mountable on the housing to form a closely-spaced linear terminal array lengthwise of the cavity. One pair of the contact members is located in each slot in the housing. One contact member in each pair thereof has a spring contact arm extending from a base into the slot with a distal end engageable with a contact paid on one side of the printed circuit board.

Electrical connector for a printed circuit board

A connector assembly includes a stacked linear array of an alternating sequence of terminals and resiliently compressible insulator portions. The array is linearly compressed in an accordian-like fashion and is inserted in a housing having a cavity of length less than the uncompressed length of the array. The array is inserted in the housing and allowed to expand against opposing walls of the housing thereby maintaining the terminals in a self-compensating floating arrangement. A method for forming the connector assembly includes the steps of arranging resiliently compressible dielectric material between terminals to form a stacked linear array, linearly compressing the stacked linear array in an accordian-like fashion, inserting the compressed array in a housing, and thereafter maintaining the array in linear compression within the housing.

Electrical connector assembly and method of making

A connection for flexible circuits permits one or more flexible circuits such as flat flexible cables to be connected to a standard and widely used electrical connector such as a printed circuit board edge connector. The connection includes a substantially rigid flexible circuit structure having a carrier of flat planar configuration with opposed surfaces. A flexible circuit is adhesively bonded to at least one surface with conductive traces of the circuit exposed. Electrical connections are made to the traces by inserting the carrier with attached flexible circuit into a connector having a housing supporting a plurality of terminals with contact portions in a linear array engageable with the exposed conductive traces of the flexible circuit.

Connection for flexible apparatus

Disclosed is a laminated multiconductor connector having a plurality of free standing metal terminals with oppositely facing nested surfaces and circuit board tails for electrically engaging the printed circuit board. Dielectric material is disposed between adjacent nesting surfaces of the terminal body in such a manner so as to insulate the nesting surfaces of adjacent terminals and to form a continuous mutually supported stacked array of terminals when mounted to the printed circuit board. Also disclosed is an intermediate subassembly and a related method of production the multiconductor connector.

Method of making a multiconductor electrical connector arrangement

Laminated electrical connector arrangement

A low insertion force multiple contact electrical connector with stress controlled connector spring contacts for use in making electrical contact with a plurality of conductive pads or strips formed along an insertable edge of a printed circuit board includes a plurality of smooth, continuously-curved connector spring contacts mounted in slots formed along an elongated cavity in a connector housing. Each spring contact includes a C-shaped portion with opposed, deflectable contacting portions for engaging the conductive strips disposed on opposite sides of the insertable edge of the printed circuit board. The opposed contacting portions define an opening through which the edge of the printed circuit board may be inserted in the cavity of the connector housing with low or zero insertion force. Subsequently, the printed circuit board is pivoted or rotated through an angle into a final contacting position, in which position the conductor strips on the printed circuit board engage and deflect the contacting portions of the spring contacts with a relatively high contact force. The C-shaped terminal portion is free to rock about a mounting leg integrally formed therewith. The connector housing includes first and second integrally formed stops or limit surfaces respectively associated with each of the opposed contacting portions of each spring contact that control or limit the deflection of the contacting portions and the resultant stress imparted to the spring contacts.

Low insertion force electrical connector with stress controlled contacts

A modulator motor and drive unit for use in an electrical device, such as a hand food mixer, wherein the motor is characterized by a low-cost speed control which is capable of providing a large number of discrete motor speeds. The speed control, rather than utilizing a multi-contact switch connected to the field coil by individual taps, has approximately twenty field coil continuous loop taps wound over a bobbin spindle in side-by-side relationship with a wiper contact being slideably movable relative thereto along a path from which the insulation has been removed. Positions of the wiper contact may be determined by replaceable detent elements provided with different detent patterns providing different series of motor speeds whereby the same motor and drive module may be provided within a suitable housing(s) for the economical production of several different models of such electrical devices having differing speed selections. The housing halves are provided with module supporting means and may be permanently secured together by adhesive means. The motor is also characterized by a torsion spring and brush guide arrangement which prevents any contact of the brush springs with the motor commutator.

Modular hand mixer

A connector assembly for electrically connecting an elongated pin conductor with a second circuit member. The connector assembly generally includes an insulated housing having a terminal receiving recess formed therein. The recess has a top wall, a bottom wall, a first end with an opening through which the pin conductor is received into the recess and a second end opposite the first end through which a terminal is inserted. The connector assembly also includes an electrical terminal received in the recess. The terminal has a lead portion connectable with said second circuit member and a resilient loop-shaped portion for engaging the bottom of the pin conductor when the pin is inserted into the terminal receiving recess. The terminal also includes a pair of spring fingers formed on top of the loop-shaped portion for laterally engaging the pin conductor when inserted into the terminal receiving recess. The above connector assembly is mountable on a circuit board between an edge thereof and a terminal opening spaced from the edge. Toward this end there is provided a generally rigid L-shaped ledge formed on the bottom of the first end of the housing to define with the housing an edge receiving recess for receiving the edge of the circuit board.

Circuit board connector and means of mounting same

An electrical connector assembly for use in an electrical circuit which has a support member for mounting electrical components thereon. The support member includes a first aperture and a second aperture. A first electrical connector is provided for mounting on the support member and includes an insulated base adapted to be received in the first aperture and a plurality of generally rigid conductor pins extending from at least one side of the base. The base has a plurality of indexing openings along the periphery thereof. One of the openings is in alignment with the second aperture. The base also includes a plurality of resilient hook-shaped support member engaging tabs, one underlying each of the indexing openings for engaging the bottom of the support member when the first connector is mounted in the first aperture. A second electrical connector is provided to be mounted and spaced from the first electrical connector. The assembly also includes a stepped-shaped polarizing pin attached to the second connector and adapted to cooperate with the second aperture and the first connector so that the second connector is positioned in a given way with respect to the first connector.

Growing community of inventors

Glen Ellyn, IL, United States of America

John M Stipanuk