Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company

Thomas M Cherney

David S Hardcastle

Richard A Pope

Bryon J Cronk

Rolf W Biernath

James Robert Onstott

Robert S Dodsworth

John M Magnusson

Paul H Binek

Juergen K Schmidt

Adalberto Gonzalez

Guenter Ploehn

An interconnection providing multiple electrical interconnections at a fine pitch can be formed in a pluggable and unpluggable form using multiple connector channels and rows of contact elements in each of a plug and socket. The contacts may be a mixture of active and passive contacts. Furthermore, a contact support structure may provide improve spring characteristics in the contacts. The contacts may be formed in a number of configurations including vertical staggering, alternating or offset patterns, mulit-level tail exit designs, rotated contacts, staggered or nonalign retention features and dedicated power contacts. Anchors or permanent latches, separable latches, and polarization keys may also be utilized. Alternative embodiments may include straddlemount and attachment clip embodiments.

Electrical interconnection system and device

An interconnection providing multiple electrical interconnections at a fine pitch can be formed in a pluggable and unpluggable form having a pitch on the order of 0.8 mm, using four rows of contact elements in each of the plug and socket which are in a continuous row and not staggered along the row with other contact elements, making the interconnection easier to manufacture and utilize.

Board-to-board interconnection

An interconnection providing multiple electrical interconnections at a fine pitch can be formed in a pluggable and unpluggable form using multiple connector channels and rows of contact elements in each of a plug and socket. The contacts may be a mixture of active and passive contacts. Furthermore, a contact support structure may provide improve spring characteristics in the contacts. The contacts may be formed in a number of configurations including vertical staggering, alternating or offset patterns, multi-level tail exit designs, rotated contacts, staggered or nonalign retention features and dedicated power contacts. Anchors or permanent latches, separable latches, and polarization keys may also be utilized. Alternative embodiments may include straddlemount and attachment clip embodiments.

A flexible circuit connector for electrically connecting two electronic devices. The connector includes a flexible circuit sheet having electrically conductive traces which lead from a first electronic device, such as a memory chip, to two arrays of electrically conductive pads. The connector includes a connector housing having two spaced, substantially parallel side walls connected by a front wall having a row of holes adjacent each of the side walls to receive two rows of conductive pins which are connected to a second electronic device, such as a printed circuit board. A unitary, locally deformable, biasing member is positioned within the connector housing and between the two array of conductive pads. The biasing member forces the two arrays of pads into electrical contact with the two rows of pins when the pins are inserted into the holes in the front wall of the connector housing.

Flexible circuit connector

A connector for an optical fiber cable is disclosed wherein strain relief features are provided for minimizing strain applied either to the external jacket of the cable or to the fiber such as during connecting operations is prevented from being coupled to the optical fiber. The connector thus includes strain relief members for securely anchoring the outer jacket of the cable and for anchoring strain relief fibers contained within the cable. Also, a resilient member is provided for allowing limited rearward movement of a member within which the optical fiber is anchored such as may occur during connection.

Optical fiber connector

A connector for use with a cable containing a plurality of optical fibers supported in a flexible matrix and disposed parallel to each other, such as in a flat ribbon configuration. The connector includes a substantially flat housing member having a rear opening corresponding in size and shape to a cable to be received. The opening has associated therewith means for anchoring the cable. Passageways through the housing are provided for the individual fibers to be received and anchored within fiber retaining members such that the fiber ends are accessible at the front of the housing to be coupled to fibers within a mated connector. The fiber retaining members are in turn adapted to be received into an abutting relationship within an alignment means which maintains the mated fibers in axial alignment when the connectors are mated. The housing also has associated therewith a latching means on both sides of the flat housing adapted to corresponding members of the mated connector to align the respective members and to maintain the abutting relationship when the respective connectors are mated.

Connector for optical fiber cables

A solderless electrical contact comprising a thin resilient flat plate having at least one pair of parallel extended legs defining an open-ended wire-receiving slot, and a method for making the contact. The legs of the contact are similarly coined along the wire-receiving slot, the coining being progressively deeper into the thickness of the flat plate from the open end of the slot toward the closed end thereof to taper the slot from a width adjacent the open end of the slot of less than the thickness of the flat plate to a lesser width adjacent the closed end of the slot. The contact permits effective electrical connection to two small diameter insulated conductors pressed into the wire-receiving slot.

Growing community of inventors

Georgetown, TX, United States of America

Thomas M Cherney