Backplane connector utilizing flexible film circuitry

Abstract

The invention is directed to an electronic assembly, such as a backplane assembly of the type including a mother board, a connector housing mounted on the mother board, and a daughter board slidably insertable into the connector housing for electrical interconnection to the mother board. The assembly comprises an elongated connector housing having a pair of parallelly disposed spaced apart housing members defining at least one slot therebetween for receiving the daughter board. A force generating member is disposed within the slot, where the force generating members comprises a pair of resilient, essentially L-shaped members. One leg of each of the L-shaped members is fixedly disposed between the mother board and the housing members, while the others of the legs upstand within the slot in a spaced apart relationship to receive the daughter board therebetween, the upstanding legs including at least one pair of opposing elastomeric members to apply a compressive pressure to said daughter board. Further, a flexible circuit element is mounted on the force generating member and is operatively disposed to electrically interconnect the daughter board to the mother board. A preferred feature thereof is the provision of a camming means on the upstanding legs to allow insertion of the daughter board without causing damage to the circuitry on the flexible circuit element, preferable in the form of a flat film.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.