Molex Corporation

Amp LLC

The Whitaker Corporation

Alexza Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Compaq Computer Corporation, Inc.

Square D Company

Molex Incorproated

Compao Computer Corporation

Richard A Nelson

Hazelton P Avery

David L Brunker

Galen F Fromm

Kent E Regnier

Patrick R Casher

Craig A Bixler

Kathleen A Sweeney

Daniel B McGowan

Edward K Marsh

Gary S Manchester

Earl William McCleerey

George R Defibaugh

Timothy E Purkis

Richard A Faje

Gary Humbert

Charles S Galauner

Gary J Verdun

Gregory Menn

Daniel B McGowen

Frank A Harwath

Jay H Neer

Augusto P Panella

John E Lopata

Martin J Wensley

Philip J Dambach

Javier Resendez

Michael O'Sullivan

James L McGrath

Maxwill P Bassler

Timothy R McClelland

David Lane

Daniel G Achammer

Gordon W Funck

Glenn A Landgraf

Ryan Timmons

David Schmidgall

Gerald J Kuiper

Kai Mook Cheong

Michael O'3 Sullivan

Andrew Jg Kelly

Graig Bixler

Jeffrey B Gardner

Huili Qiao

Stacked receptacles in a connector that each provide side-by-side differential signal contacts, are attached to a circuit board without additional width to accommodate multiple layers of differential signals by using connector wafer inserts that rotate the side-by-side positioned differential signal contacts to front-to-back contacts, the circuit board including a substrate having a plurality of openings to make electrical contact with conductive terminal tail portion inserted therein, the openings being divided into first and second groups of openings, the first group of openings receiving differential signal terminal tails therein and the second group of openings receiving ground terminal tail therein, when a connector is mounted to said circuit board.

Circuit board via arrangement for differential signal connector

Stacked receptacles in a connector that each provide side-by-side differential signal contacts, are attached to a circuit board without additional width to accommodate multiple layers of differential signals by using connector wafer inserts that rotate the side-by-side positioned differential signal contacts to front-to-back contacts.

Differential signal connector with wafer-style construction

An improved heating element connector assembly includes an insulative, rectangular frame with a central opening, and a plurality of conductive terminals which are press fit into openings in the frame. The terminals are spaced apart from each other lengthwise of two opposing sidewalls of the frame, and pairs of terminals are aligned with each other between the two sidewalls. A plurality of conductive strips are held together in an assembly and the ends of the strips are interconnected along two spaced apart lines by carrier members that may be molded over the ends of the conductive strips. The carrier members extend down into cavities on the frame and terminals are pushed into the cavities to bear against the ends of the strips and effect an electrical connection between the terminals and the strips.

Heating element connector assembly with insert molded strips

An improved heating element connector assembly includes an insulative, rectangular frame with a central opening and a plurality of conductive terminals which are press fit into openings in the frame. The terminals are spaced apart from each other lengthwise of two opposing sidewalls of the frame, and pairs of terminals are aligned with each other between the two sidewalls. A plurality of conductive strips extend across the frame opening to interconnect the pairs of terminals together. The terminals include compliant pin tail portions for receipt by corresponding holes formed in a circuit board of the assembly and deformable head portions for crimping onto the conductive strips.

Heating element connector assembly with press-fit terminals

A slot transmission line patch connector, capable of bridging one or more slot transmission lines is comprised of an elongated dielectric connector body. The dielectric connector body is formed to have one or more slot transmission lines. Each transmission line formed in the dielectric body has first and second ends, each of which mates with corresponding first and second slot transmission lines. Alternate embodiments contemplate a dielectric body to which is attached one or more slot transmission line substrates, each of which supports one or more slot transmission lines. Each of the slot transmission line substrates provide one or more slot transmission lines that each bridge or 'patch' together two, separate slot transmission lines together.

Slot transmission line patch connector

A connector uses a plurality of individual terminal assemblies to form a high-density connector. The terminal assemblies all have insulative body portions that support arrays of signal terminals and ground terminals or ground members. The terminals all have their own associated body portions which are supported by the insulative body portions and contact portions that extend out from a front, or mating face, of the assemblies. The terminal contact portions and include flexing portions formed therewith which are disposed between the terminal body and contact portions. The terminals further include insulative support members that are applied to the terminals and which serve to define the contact and flexing portions of the terminals. The support members are fixed within a carrier, such as a shroud member, which is not attached to any one portion of the connector. The support members permit the terminals and shroud to move as a single unit and flex in different directions, relative to the insulative body portions that support the terminals.

High-density connector assembly with flexural capabilities

A connector assembly is suitable for connecting circuit boards together. The connector assembly includes a series of ground and signal terminal sets assembled in composite wafers that may be held within a housing. The ground terminals include pairs of flat contact blades that are aligned together in abutting contact to form a column of ground contacts blades of double width, and the signal terminals are arranged in sets on opposite sides of the ground terminal blades and the signal terminals have general L-shapes that are arranged in sets of two pairs of contacts to form a cruciform pattern. One of the two connectors has solid L-shaped contacts, while the other of the two connectors has a pair of split contact arms that lie and extend in two different planes project from an associated terminal body in a manner so as to mate with the contact portions of the solid L-shaped contacts. The use of L-shaped contacts provides a redundant contact mating arrangement.

High-density connector assembly with improved mating capability

An electrical connector is provided for straddle mounting at an edge of a circuit board. The connector includes a dielectric housing defining a slot for receiving the edge of the board. A plurality of terminals are mounted on the housing and include contact portions for connection to the circuit traces on the board. A flexible gripping arm is integral with the housing at one side of the slot for yieldably engaging the circuit board upon insertion of the board into the slot. A ground tab extends from a shielding plate on the mating face of the connector through the housing adjacent to the slot for contacting a ground pad on the circuit board.

Circuit board straddle mounted connector

A high-density connector utilizes a plurality of terminal assemblies that are assembled together into a block, or single unit, to form a connector. Each terminal assembly of the connector utilizes a plurality of conductive terminals having contact portions for mating with an opposing connector, and body portions held within an insulative body portion of the assembly. The terminal assemblies support arrays of terminals arranged in a specific order of signal-ground-signal arrays. The terminal assemblies have at least two insulative housing portions that support the signal terminal arrays and an intervening ground terminal array, which may or may not be supported by an associated insulative housing. The ground members have a series of grounding tabs formed therewith with extend out from the plane of the ground members, on opposite sides thereof into contact with ground reference terminals of the signal terminal arrays. In this manner, a ground path is enabled between the signal terminal and ground terminal arrays.

Interstitial ground assembly for connector

Connector assemblies having cantilevered contact beams arranged in one or more arrays of terminals have their terminals fixed in place at a first point within insulative connector body portions. The terminals are fixed together by one or more support members within a hollow shroud, at a second point spaced apart from the first point. The present invention pertains to means for fixing the terminals and their support member to the outer shroud. In one embodiment, the shroud is square and has a series of slots formed in two opposing sidewalls. A key member has a plurality of biasing arms, or fingers that extend into the slots and into contact with the terminal support members. In a second embodiment of the inventions, the shroud is provided with a plurality of channels formed on the inner surfaces of two opposing sidewalls thereof. A retainer key is provided with a plurality of hook ends for engaging the shroud and spring arms that extend through openings into the shroud channels up against the ends of the support bar.

Flexural connector cover assembly mounting apparatus

Receptacle connector

An electrical connector includes an elongated dielectric housing having a central body portion with a front face, a rear face and at least three rows of terminal-receiving passages extending therebetween and including a top row, a middle row and a bottom row. A plurality of terminals are received in the passages and include top terminals received in at least some of the passages in the top row, middle terminals received in at least some of the passages in the middle row and bottom terminals received in at least some of the passages in the bottom row. All of the terminals have tail portions projecting rearwardly from the body portion beyond the rear face thereof. A pair of juxtaposed wire guide members include a top wire guide member having a top surface with wire-receiving channels for aligning a plurality of electrical wires with the tail portions of the top row of terminals. A bottom wire guide member has a bottom surface with wire-receiving channels for aligning a plurality of electrical wires with the tail portions of the bottom row of terminals. Guide channels are provided between the wire guide members for receiving a plurality of electrical wires aligned with the tail portions of the middle row of terminals.

Electrical connector with wire management system

An edge card electrical connector is adapted for receiving an edge of a printed circuit board having contact pads on at least one side of the board adjacent the edge. The connector includes an elongated dielectric housing having a board-receiving face with an elongated slot for receiving the edge of the printed circuit board. A plurality of terminal-receiving cavities are spaced longitudinally of the slot along at least one side thereof and separated by transverse walls. A plurality of first and second terminals are received in the cavities. The shapes of the terminals are such as to provide excellent capacitive coupling between the first and second terminals to improve electrical performance and reduce crosstalk of the connector.

Edge card connector for a printed circuit board

Growing community of inventors

Geneva, IL, United States of America

Richard A Nelson