Electrical connector system having reduced mating forces
AssigneeTyco Electronics Corporation
InventorRobert Neil Whiteman, Jr.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electrical connector system includes a circuit board having a mounting side and first and second electrical connectors mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board. The first and second electrical connectors each having a mating interface. The first and second electrical connectors being mounted to the circuit board in an offset configuration such that the mating interfaces of the first and second electrical connectors are parallel to one another and non-coplanar with respect to one another. Optionally, the mating interfaces may be perpendicular to the mounting side. The first and second electrical connectors may be identical to one another.
Claims20
An electrical connector system comprising:
- a circuit board having a mounting side and a mating edge;
- and
- first and second electrical connectors separately mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board proximate to the mating edge, the first and second electrical connectors each having a housing having a front surface defining a mating interface, the first and second electrical connectors being mounted to the circuit board in an offset configuration with respect to the mating edge such that the front surfaces and the mating interfaces of the first and second electrical connectors are parallel to one another and non-coplanar with respect to one another.
An electrical connector system comprising:
- a circuit board having a mounting side extending in a rearward direction from a mating edge;
- a first electrical connector mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board proximate to the mating edge, the first electrical connector comprising a housing having a mating end and a mounting end perpendicular to the mating end, the mounting end being mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board, the first electrical connector comprising a plurality of contact modules loaded into the housing, the contact modules of the first electrical connector including contacts positioned proximate to the mating end of the housing;
- and
- a second electrical connector mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board proximate to the mating edge, the second electrical connector comprising a housing having a mating end and a mounting end perpendicular to the mating end, the mounting end being mounted to the mounting side of the circuit board, the second electrical connector comprising a plurality of contact modules loaded into the housing, the contact modules of the second electrical connector including contacts positioned proximate to the mating end of the housing;
- wherein the first and second electrical connectors are separately mounted to the circuit board in an offset configuration such that the mating end of the second electrical connector is offset in the rearward direction with respect to the first electrical connector, the contacts of the first electrical connector are configured for mating engagement prior to the contacts of the second electrical connector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.