Electrical connector for printed circuit boards
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorBob Mouissie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved electrical connector including dual contacts comprising an insulating support, an arcuately stressed spring having each end confined within the support, and a flexible printed circuit stretched over the spring is provided. The contact function is accomplished by the flexible circuit. The spring is adapted to deflect and resiliently flex at its midpoint during engagement with a mating contact at which time the spring surfaces on both sides of their midpoints resiliently press the flexible circuit against the mating contact. The resilient flexure of the spring provides redundant pressure points between the flexible printed circuit and the mating contact and eliminates the need for a spring having both the sufficient resilience and the necessary conductive properties.
Claims9
An electrical connector for a mating contact comprising a dielectric housing having a slot extending along the length thereof, at least one pair of opposed pairs of springs confined in said housing and flexible printed circuits covering said springs, said springs being restrained in an arcuately stressed condition and thereby being adapted to deflect and resiliently flex at their midpoints during insertion of a mating contact into said slot causing each spring to form a dual crested shape and thereby provide redundant pressure points between said flexible printed circuit and the mating contact.
An electrical connector for a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric housing in two halves, the housing having thickened vertical ends defining a slot space extending along the length of the connector, foremost and hindmost supporting ledges and a cross section having a profile adapted to accommodate springs as they reform during insertion of said circuit board;
- a plurality of opposed pairs of springs arcuately stressed between said supporting ledges, wherein the springs are connecting cross parts between continuing side strips and adapted to deflect and resiliently flex at their midpoints into a dual crested shape during insertion of said circuit board;
- and a flexible printed circuit covering said springs in each housing half, said printed circuit being a polyester or polyimide film having parallel conducting strips on its surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.