Electronic packaging assembly

An electronic packaging assembly comprising:

• a generally flat stationary support having a front and a rear;
• a box for containing electronic components slidable on the upper surface of said support from said front, said box having a front and a rear;
• a first set of fixed contacts at said rear of said support;
• a second set of movable contacts at said rear of said box, said first and second sets of contacts being positioned adjacent to but spaced from each other when said box is slid to said rear of said support;
• means for moving said second set of movable contacts to engage said first set of contacts, said means including a movable actuating element on said front of said box, a contact actuating member at said rear of said box engaging said movable contacts and movable relative thereto, and motion transmitting means extending through said box from said front to said rear thereof for transmitting movement from said actuating element to said contact actuating member;
• and
• said moving means shifting said box forwardly slightly when said moving means actuates said movable contacts thereby providing wiping engagement between said first and second sets of contacts.

An electronic packaging assembly comprising:

• a generally flat stationary support having a front and a rear;
• a box for containing electronic components slidable on the upper surface of said support from said front, said box having a front and a rear;
• a first set of fixed contacts at said rear of said support;
• a second set of movable contacts at said rear of said box, said first and second sets of contacts being positioned adjacent to but spaced from each other when said box is slid to said rear of said support;
• means for moving said second set of movable contacts to engage said first set of contacts, said means including a movable actuating element on said front of said box, a contact actuating member at said rear of said box engaging said movable contacts and movable relative thereto, and motion transmitting means extending through said box from said front to said rear thereof for transmitting movement from said actuating element to said contact actuating member;
• said rear of said box having an opening therein aligned with said motion transmitting means;
• a stationary member located behind said box;
• and
• said motion transmitting means comprising an elongated, longitudinally reciprocal rod, said rod shifting rearwardly in said box when said moving means actuates said movable contacts, the rear of said rod extending through said opening to engage said stationary member to cause said box and, hence, said movable contacts to shift forwardly slightly when said moving means actuates said movable contacts, thereby providing wiping engagement between said first and second sets of contacts.

An electronic packaging assembly comprising:

• a generally flat stationary support having a front and a rear;
• a box for containing electronic components slidable on the upper surface of said support from said front, said box having a front and a rear;
• a first set of fixed contacts at said rear of said support;
• a second set of movable contacts at said rear of said box, said first and second sets of contacts being positioned adjacent to but spaced from each other when said box is slid to said rear of said support;
• means for moving said second set of movable contacts to engage said first set of contacts, said means including a movable actuating element on said front of said box, a contact actuating member at said rear of said box engaging said movable contacts and movable relative thereto, and motion transmitting means extending through said box from said front to said rear thereof for transmitting movement from said actuating element to said contact actuating member;
• a modular connector assembly on said rear of said box;
• said assembly comprising a shell containing a plurality of connector module cavities;
• separate connector modules removably mounted in at least some of said cavities;
• and
• at least one of said modules containing said movable contacts.

An electronic packaging assembly comprising:

• a generally flat stationary support having a front and a rear;
• a box for containing electronic components slidable on the upper surface of said support from said front, said box having a front and a rear;
• a first set of fixed contacts at said rear of said support;
• a second set of movable contacts at said rear of said box, said first and second sets of contacts being positioned adjacent to but spaced from each other when said box is slid to said rear of said support;
• means for moving said second set of movable contacts to engage said first set of contacts, said means including a movable actuating element on said front of said box, a contact actuating member at said rear of said box engaging said movable contacts and movable relative thereto, and motion transmitting means extending through said box from said front to said rear thereof for transmitting movement from said actuating element to said contact actuating member;
• a modular connector assembly on said rear of said box;
• said assembly comprising a shell containing a plurality of connector module cavities;
• a first connector module removably mounted in one of said cavities and containing said movable contacts;
• a second connector module removably mounted in another of said cavities and containing at least one fixed contact;
• and
• said moving means actuates said movable contacts regardless of the cavity in which said first connector module is mounted.

A modular electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a connector shell containing a plurality of connector module cavities;
• a connector module removably mounted in one of said cavities and containing a plurality of movable contacts;
• means on said shell for moving said contacts simultaneously for engaging a plurality of fixed contacts in a mating connector member;
• a second connector module containing at least one fixed contact and removably mounted in a second one of said cavities;
• and
• said moving means actuating said movable contacts in said first-mentioned module without moving said fixed contact in said second module regardless of the cavities in which said modules are mounted.

A modular electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a connector shell containing a plurality of connector module cavities;
• a connector module removably mounted in one of said cavities and containing a plurality of movable contacts;
• means on said shell for moving said contacts simultaneously for engaging a plurality of fixed contacts in a mating connector member;
• said moving means actuating said movable contacts regardless of the cavity in which said module is mounted;
• a box for containing electronic components having a front and a rear;
• said connector shell being mounted on said rear of said box;
• and
• said moving means including a movable actuating element at said front of said box, a contact actuating member in said shell and motion transmitting means extending from said front to said rear of said box for transmitting movement from said actuating element to said contact actuating member.

A modular electrical connector assembly comprising:

• a connector shell containing a plurality of connector module cavities;
• individual connector modules removably mounted in at least two or said cavities and containing a plurality of movable contacts;
• each said module comprising a housing containing a fixed insulator and a movable insulator, said contacts being simultaneously movable by shifting of said movable insulator;
• elongated actuating means movable lengthwise in said shell for simultaneously shifting said movable insulators in said modules to cause said contacts therein to simultaneously engage a plurality of fixed contacts in a mating connector member;
• said actuating means shifting said movable insulators regardless of the cavities in which said modules are mounted;
• and
• said modules being removable from said cavities without removing said actuating means from said shell.