Guide rail and cam system with integrated lock-down and kick-out spring for SMT connector for pluggable modules

An electrical connector system, comprising:

• a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end, said connector block retaining a plurality of electrical contacts;
• a second electrical connector having a body slideably engageable with said first electrical connector in a direction along said first axis, said second electrical connector having a plurality of contacts;
• a camming element integral to one of said first and second electrical connectors that, in response to a force experienced by said camming element along said first axis, redirects said force in a direction having a component along said third axis to move said contacts of one of said first and second electrical connectors into electrical contact with said contacts of the other of said first and second electrical connectors;
• and
• one of said first and second electrical connectors having a protuberance extending in a direction of said third axis when said first electrical connector is engaged with said second electrical connector, and another of said first and second electrical connectors having a recess oriented in a direction of said third axis when said first electrical connector is engaged with said second electrical connector, and said protuberance extends into said recess when said first electrical connector engages said second electrical connector.

A method for connecting a first electrical connector to a second electrical connector in a connector system, a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end, said connector block retaining a plurality of electrical contacts, said first electrical connector having a spring clip disposed at said first end of said body, said second electrical connector having a body and a plurality of electrical contacts, one of said first and second electrical connectors having a camming element, the method comprising the steps of:

• sliding said body of said first electrical connector into engagement with said body of said second electrical connector along said first axis until said camming element redirects one of said first and second electrical connectors with respect to the other in a direction along said third axis and said plurality of electrical contacts of said mating connector make electrical contact with said plurality of electrical contacts of said second electrical connector;
• said second electrical connector resiliently deflecting a lock-down portion of said spring clip while said bodies of said first and second electrical connectors slide into engagement, said lock-down portion exerting a bias force against said second electrical connector in a direction along said third axis toward said body of said first electrical connector;
• said second electrical connector resiliently deflecting a kick-out portion of said spring clip while said bodies of said first and second electrical connectors slide into engagement, said kick-out portion exerting a bias force against said second electrical connector in a direction along said first axis toward said second end of said body of said first electrical connector.

A method for connecting a first electrical connector to a second electrical connector in a connector system, a first electrical connector having a body definable with respect to mutually perpendicular first, second and third axes and having a guide member elongated along said first axis between a first end and a second end, said body having a connector block at said first end, said connector block retaining a plurality of electrical contacts, said first electrical connector having a protuberance disposed at said first end of said body, said second electrical connector having a body with a recess and a plurality of electrical contacts, one of said first and second electrical connectors having a camming element, the method comprising the steps of:

• sliding said body of said first electrical connector into engagement with said body of said second electrical connector along said first axis until said camming element redirects one of said first and second electrical connectors with respect to the other in a direction along said third axis and said plurality of electrical contacts of said mating connector make electrical contact with said plurality of electrical contacts of said second electrical connector;
• and
• said protuberance moving into said recess when said camming element redirects one of said first and second electrical connectors with respect to the other in a direction along said third axis and before said plurality of electrical contacts of said mating connector make electrical contact with said plurality of electrical contacts of said second electrical connector, and said protuberance remains in said recess after said plurality of electrical contacts of said mating connector have made electrical contact with said plurality of electrical contacts of said second electrical connector.