Molex Corporation

Molex Incorporated and Tellabs Operations, Inc.

Keith Lloyd

Michael F Magajne

Kent E Regnier

Ed Seamands

Paul Bowling

Jorge Jimenez

Blocks of wafer or plug connectors are held together by retainer members and are secured within a backplane connector by a latching assembly. The latching assembly includes a latching lever that has an engagement end extending to the base of the backplane connector. The lever is movably connected to the retainer member so that it may pivot, or rock, about an inflection point. The lever also includes a biasing member that constantly biases the lever into a latching position.

Wafer connector latching assembly

Wafer connection latching assembly

A retainer and connector system serves to reliably hold together and align a series of thin connector modules, such as wafer connectors, into an overall unit formed from the individual connector modules. The side edges of each of the connector modules have a pair of cavities formed therein. A retainer member is provided having a length equal to the thickness of the connector unit. The retainer member has first and second engagement members disposed thereon. Both engagement members may be inserted into the cavities to hold the connectors together as a stack, or one set of engagement members may be inserted into a set of the cavities and the retainer member rotated to align the connector modules together and then the other set of engagement members may be pressed into engagement with another set of cavities.

Connector module retainer especially suitable for wafer connectors and connector assembly utilizing same

A polarization assembly is disclosed that uses an endcap applied to the end of a block of connectors. The endcap has a depending leg portion and a recess that receives an opposing arm portion of a key member which is insertable into a backplane connector. The endcap leg portion and key member arm portion cooperate to orient the connector block in only one insertion position.

Connector module polarization assembly

An electrical connector module is provided having a housing with a receptacle. Conductive contacts are located within the receptacle and a grounding shield is provided that partially defines the top of the connector housing. A depression is formed in the grounding shield and extends into abutting contact with one of the terminals held in the connector housing to effectuate an electrical connection therebetween.

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Maumelle, AR, United States of America

Keith Lloyd