Docking connector for disk drives

An interfacing connector for providing an electrical interface between a circuit board and a modular component such as a disk drive, said interfacing connector comprising:

• a connector housing having a first ingress for insertion of a printed circuit board, a second ingress for coupling of a disk drive, and a transverse support shelf extending between said first ingress and second ingress;
• a plurality of conductive terminals arranged within the second ingress of said connector housing along said shelf for completing a multiple-electrical-connection interface with said disk drive;
• a plurality of canted coil springs arranged linearly within the first ingress of said connector housing at spaced intervals along an inner surface of said shelf, said canted coil springs each being connected to a corresponding one of said conductive terminals;
• whereby said interfacing connector may be connected at said second ingress to said disk drive, and said circuit board may be inserted into said open first ingress of said connector housing along shelf to bring said canted coil springs into conductive contact at an appropriate point on said circuit board, thereby completing an electrical interface between said circuit board and said disk drive.

A contact array for a connector housing, comprising:

• a thin flexible plate;
• a plurality of canted coil springs mounted at spaced intervals along said flexible plate, said springs being coiled in a helix about an axis, and said springs being oriented such that said axis conforms to a plane of said flexible plate;
• said flexible plate being anchored to said connector housing by a plurality of mounting posts extending therefrom, said mounting posts being heat-staked through a corresponding plurality of holes in said flexible plate;
• whereby said canted coil springs are resiliently anchored to said connector housing for electrical contact with a facing circuit board.