Integrally molded card edge cable termination assembly, contact, machine and method

A card edge connector, comprising:

• at least one electrical contact having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connecting said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contact with respect thereto;
• and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of said electrical contact and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contact having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector;
• said connector further comprising secondary compliance means for increasing the effective compliance characteristic of said electrical contact in the card edge connector;
• and
• said secondary compliance means comprising a portion of said strain relief means that undergoes shrinkage after molding of said strain relief means.

A card edge connector, comprising:

• at least one electrical contact having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connecting said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contact with respect thereto;
• and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of said electrical contact and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contact having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector;
• said connector further comprising secondary compliance means for increasing the effective compliance characteristic of said electrical contact in the card edge connector;
• said strain relief means being formed of a material that undergoes shrinkage upon cooling after molding;
• and
• said secondary compliance means comprising a portion of said strain relief means that has cooled and shrunk at an area thereof partly away from part of said electrical contact to facilitate limited sliding and/or bending of the electrical contact at such area.

A card edge connector, comprising:

• at least one electrical contact having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connection said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contact with respect thereto;
• and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of said electrical contact and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contact having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector;
• said connector further comprising secondary compliance means for increasing the effective compliance characteristic of said electrical contact in the card edge connector;
• said support means including a bend area in said electrical contact between said contacting means and said connection means;
• said housing means including ledge means for cooperating with at least part of said bend area to support said electrical contact with respect to said housing means, and
• said secondary compliance means comprising at least part of said strain relief means that generally holds said electrical contact in place in the area of said ledge means with some freedom to bend and/or to slide during deflection of at least part of said electrical contact.

A card edge connector, comprising:

• plural electrical contacts each having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connecting said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contacts with respect thereto, and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of each one of said plural electrical contacts and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contacts having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector;
• said housing means having a contacting area where contacting portions of said electrical contacts are positioned to make electrical connections with respective conductive means of a printed circuit card;
• and
• said electrical contacts and housing means having respective cooperative surface means for cooperating with each other for at least partly shutting off said contacting area to prevent molding material of said strain relief means from entering said contacting area during molding thereof.

A card edge connector, comprising:

• at least one electrical contact having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connecting said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contact with respect thereto;
• and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of said electrical contact and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contact having a compliance characterisitc in the card edge connector;
• said connector further comprising secondary compliance means for increasing the effective compliance characteristic of said electrical contact in the card edge connector;
• and
• said housing means comprising tab means for knitting with said strain relief means during molding thereof.

A card edge connector, comprising:

• plural electrical contacts each having contacting means for engaging with a printed circuit card to establish electrical connection with conductive means thereon, support means for supporting said contacting means, and a connecting means for connecting said electrical contact with another conductive member;
• housing means for supporting said electrical contact with respect thereto;
• and
• strain relief means directly molded to at least part of each one of said plural electrical contacts and said housing means for securing the same as an integral structure;
• said electrical contacts having a compliance characteristic in the card edge connector;
• said connector further comprising secondary compliance means for increasing the effective compliance characterisitc of said electrical contacts in the card edge connector;
• said housing means further comprising stabilizing means for stabilizing said electrical contacts during molding of said strain relief means;
• and
• said stabilizing means comprising slot means for receiving in relatively close fitting relation at least a part of respective electrical contacts and wall means opposite said slot means for urging said part of respective electrical contacts into said slot means.

A method for making a card edge connector, comprising:

• initially supporting at least one electrical contact in a housing while placing a contacting portion of such electrical contact in a contacting area of such housing,
• directly molding a strain relief to at least part of such electrical contact and at least part of such housing,
• using at least part of such electrical contact and at least part of such housing to cooperate at least partly to shut off such contacting area during said molding to block flow of molding material into such contacting area, and
• inserting a shut off key into such housing to cooperate with at least one of a part of such housing and a part of such electrical contact to complete shutting off of such contacting area.

A method for making a card edge connector, comprising:

• initially supporting at least one electrical contact in a housing while placing a contacting portion of such electrical contact in a contacting area of such housing,
• directly molding a strain relief to at least part of such electrical contact and at least part of such housing,
• using at least part of such electrical contact and at least part of such housing to cooperate at least partly to shut off such contacting area during said molding to block flow of molding of molding material into such contacting area, and
• such electrical contact having a compliance characteristic in such housing, and said molding comprising permitting at least part of the molding material to shrink during cooling to provide a secondary compliance contributor for such electrical contact.

A molding machine for molding a card edge connector, comprising:

• first mold means for supporting therein a pre-molded connector housing, such housing including a front end, a back end, an interior chamber between such ends, such housing including means for receiving and supporting at least one electrical contact therein and having a contacting area where such electrical contact is connectable with an external member relatively inserted for engagement therewith,
• second mold means cooperative with said first mold means for at least partly defining a mold cavity,
• conveying means for conveying molding material to said mold cavity to mold a strain relief to at least part of such housing and at least one electrical contact,
• said mold cavity being closed in part by at least part of such electrical contact and at least part of a shut off function to block flow of molding material into such contacting area, and said mold cavity further being closed in part by a shut off key positioned in such housing also to block flow of molding material from such contacting area, and
• core means in said first mold means for supporting such shut off key during molding.