Ohio Associated Enterprises, Inc.

John T Vanaleck

Alan L Roath

An electrical interconnect system employs electrical connectors in which the contacts are identical for both the male and the female side of the connection. Contacts are arranged in a linear header and multiple header pairs are arranged in a dielectric matrix or grid. The grid is an external dielectric frame capable of providing load bearing and geometry requirements. This arrangement results in a cost-effective construction that features very high electrical bandwidth capabilities and an extremely rugged product.

Hermaphroditic interconnect system

A fastener for securing a connector body over a hole in a printed circuit board comprises a clip rigidly supported by the connector body and a wedge supported by the connector body for sliding movement along the clip. In one form, the clip includes a pair of resilient arms having free ends extending outside the body. The resilient arms have teeth or other means near their free ends for engaging the inner surfaces of the hole. The arms converge toward each other near their free ends to retract the teeth when the arms are in an unengaged condition. The wedge includes a portion which extends between the arms for spreading the arms and teeth as the wedge slides along the clip toward the free ends of the arms. The fastener is secured in the hole by inserting the clip arms into the hole and pressing the wedge into the hole toward the free ends of the arms. Advantages of the fastener include no protrusion through the opposite surface of the board, low insertion force and relative insensitivity to tolerance stack-ups.

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Painesville, OH, United States of America

John T Vanaleck