Electrical connectors with quasi-terminal pins

Abstract

An electrical connector for electrically connecting terminal pins of a circuit package to a circuitry of another circuit board having quasi-terminal pins for elastically pre-bending pairs of spring arms of contact elements in the connector. The connector is provided with an insulator base member for embracing the contact elements, and an insulator cover member slidably overlying the base member. The base member has recesses for permitting the spring arm pair to elastically bend. The cover member has penetrating holes for introducing the conductive pins into the recesses. The quasi-terminal pins are attached to the cover member adjacent to the penetrating holes, respectively, each of which is inserted between the spring arms and are in press-contact with them. Thus, the spring arms are pre-bent to facilitate an insertion of the terminal pin into a space between spring arms. The circuit package is adapted to the connector so that the terminal pins are introduced into the recesses through the penetrating holes. When the circuit package is slided along the base member, each of the terminal pins is laterally shifted to be inserted into a space between the spring arms and then each of quasi-terminal pins is shifted to go away from the spring arms. Therefore, the terminal pins are pinched between the spring arms to thereby be electrically connected to the contact elements. Preferably, each of the spring arms is provided with a guide leaf for guiding insertion of the quasi-terminal which is inserted thereinto.