Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with opposing and interengageable first and second connector components. Each of the two components preferably includes upper and lower housing formed from an insulative material coated with electrically-conductive material, with cavities formed therein that receive terminal assemblies. The upper and lower housings are formed with internal cavities that extend in orthogonal directions. Each cavity contains a terminal assembly of either plug or receptacle structure and may further include either a plurality of power terminals or differential signal terminals. The terminals have contact portions, tail portions and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer shell. In assembling the first and second components, multiple ground connections are made in sequence before any signal or power supply connections are made.

Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with opposing and interengageable first and second connector components. Each of the two components has internal cavities that contain terminal assemblies of either plug or receptacle structure and may further include either a plurality of power terminals or differential signal terminals. The terminals have contact portions, tail portions and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer support frames. The shell forms a wafer and two such wafers are combined together to form a terminal assembly. The terminal assemblies are identical in shape, other than for an engagement means that serves to hold two subframes together as a single assembly.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting to differential signal circuits on at least one circuit board may be of the docking type or the interposer type. A housing of the connector has transversely and longitudinally extending walls that define a plurality of cavities that extend completely through the housing. Terminal assemblies with at least one differential signal pair are received in the cavities with tail portions on at least one end of the differential pairs to connect to a circuit board. The connector housing has conductive surfaces and a plurality of ground terminal members are disposed along the transverse walls or the longitudinal walls, or both, for connecting to ground circuits in the circuit board. The ground terminal members each have a plurality of ground terminals, which are disposed along the walls at intermediate or diagonal positions relative to the differential signal pairs, such as adjacent to four differential signal pairs.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting differential signal circuits on two different circuit boards has a connector housing formed from an insulative material with a conductive coating on the surfaces thereof and with cavities formed therein to receive terminal assemblies. Each internal cavity may have an elongated portion that extends transversely across the housing and a plurality of leg portions in communication with the elongated portion to define passages between opposite sides of the connector. Each cavity is suited for holding a terminal assembly having at least one pair of differential signal terminals. The terminals have opposing compliant tail portions, and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer shell. Two shells are combined together to form a single terminal assembly. The terminal assemblies are identical in shape so that they may be inserted into any of the cavities of the housings, thereby imparting a measure of modularity to the connectors.

Abstract: An improved flexible circuit connector that is particularly useful in connections for circuit boards has a housing and a circuit card engaging assembly mounted therein. The circuit card engaging assembly includes at least two contact spring members having a U-shaped portion adjoining a body portion thereof such that when the two contact spring members are brought together at their body portions, a U-shaped channel is formed that supports two lengths of flexible circuity close to the surface and edge of a circuit board inserted into the connector channel.

Abstract: An improved flexible circuit connector that is particularly useful in connections for circuit boards has a housing and a circuit card engaging assembly mounted therein. The circuit card engaging assembly includes at least two contact spring members having a U-shaped portion adjoining a body portion thereof such that when the two contact spring members are brought together at their body portions, a U-shaped channel is formed that supports two lengths of flexible circuity close to the surface and edge of a circuit board inserted into the connector channel.

Abstract: A card edge connector assembly is adapted for receiving a printed circuit card having an insertion edge insertable into and removable from the connector assembly. The assembly includes an elongated dielectric housing having a card-receiving slot. A lever is pivotally mounted on the housing near an end of the slot. The lever includes a front face, a latch portion extending forwardly of the front face for engaging a notch in a side edge of the card, an ejector portion extending rearwardly of the front face for engaging the insertion edge of the circuit card at a corner thereof and ejecting the card from the slot in response to pivoting of the lever. A limiting portion limits longitudinal movement of a side edge of the card when the card is in the slot. A hollow area is provided between the ejector portion and the limiting portion for receiving the corner of the card when the lever is pivoted and the card is ejected.

Abstract: Provided is an electrical connector for connecting a first electrical component to a circuit member having generally oppositely facing mating and remote surfaces and conductive regions on at least one of the mating and remote surfaces, at least one of the conductive regions being a through hole. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a receiving area for receiving the first electrical component therein and a plurality of terminal receiving cavities extending generally perpendicularly to at least one of the surfaces. The connector further includes a terminal in one of the terminal receiving cavities. The terminal has a body portion, a contact arm extending from the body portion for electrically contacting the first electrical component, a retention portion for retaining the terminal in the cavity, and a board contact extending from the body portion to the through hole. The board contact is a through hole-type tail for extending through the through hole.

Abstract: A card edge connector for mounting on a circuit board and removeably receiving a circuit card includes an elongated housing defining a card receiving slot. Numerous terminal receiving cavities intersect and extend to both sides of the slot. Alternate cavities include stamped reference (ground or power) terminals and signal terminals, all having downwardly extending board contacts and upwardly extending spring arms. There are numerous similar sets of face to face contacts, each including a reference contact parallel to and substantially overlying an opposed pair of signal contacts. The upwardly extending reference terminal spring arms include oversize pad portions for reducing crosstalk by increasing coupling between the reference and signal terminals. The circuit paths to the circuit board are in an array symmetrical about the centerline of the circuit card, with parallel inner lines of circuits containing only reference contacts and outer lines of circuits containing only signal contacts.

Abstract: A card edge connector for mounting on a circuit board and removeably receiving a circuit card includes an elongated housing defining a card receiving slot. Numerous terminal receiving cavities intersect and extend to both sides of the slot. Alternate cavities include stamped reference (ground or power) terminals and signal terminals, all having downwardly extending board contacts and upwardly extending spring arms. There are numerous similar sets of face to face contacts, each including a reference contact parallel to and substantially overlying an opposed pair of signal contacts. The upwardly extending reference terminal spring arms include oversize pad portions for reducing crosstalk by increasing coupling between the reference and signal terminals. The circuit paths to the circuit board are in an array symmetrical about the centerline of the circuit card, with parallel inner lines of circuits containing only reference contacts and outer lines of circuits containing only signal contacts.

Abstract: An IC card includes a generally rectangular frame. A circuit board assembly is mounted on the frame, with the circuit board assembly including a generally planar dielectric substrate having circuit traces and at least one electrical component mounted thereon. A receptacle connector including terminals is mounted at an edge of the circuit board assembly, with the terminals being adapted to mechanically and electrically engage the circuit traces on the circuit board assembly. Complementary interengaging latches are provided between the frame and the receptable connector for securing the receptacle connector at the edge of the circuit board assembly and for ensuring a mechanical and electrical connection between the terminals and the circuit traces on the circuit board assembly. The invention also contemplates a method of fabricating the IC card according to the above.

Abstract: A shielded electrical receptacle connector assembly for an IC card includes a circuit substrate and a conductive cover for shielding the substrate. The assembly includes a housing adapted for mounting at a front edge of the circuit substrate. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the housing and are adapted for engaging circuit traces on the circuit substrate. A conductive shield is mounted on the housing and includes contact portions adapted for engaging ground circuit traces on the circuit substrate; a downwardly stepped lip extending along a rear edge of the shield vertically spaced from an overlapping front edge portion of the cover; attachment portions projecting from opposite ends of the downwardly stepped lip at a level spaced vertically from the cover for securing the shield to the housing; and at least one mounting finger projecting forwardly from the shield into a passage in a front mounting flange of the housing to hold the leading edge of the shield to the housing.

Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector for use with a device having an array of pin terminals including a lower connector housing having a top surface and a plurality of cavities in the top surface corresponding to the array of pin terminals. Each of the cavities includes a base wall spaced from the top surface. A plurality of resilient terminals are mounted in the cavities. Each of the terminals includes a mounting portion for securing the terminal in the base wall, a free end portion, a contact structure adjacent the free end portion and a spring arm portion between the base wall and the contact structure. The pin terminals are moved in the cavities in a first direction along a path of travel between an unmated position wherein the pins are spaced from the contact structures in the cavities and a mated position wherein the pins are fully mated with the contact structures. The contact structure includes a pin engagement surface at least partly inclined with respect to the path of travel.

Abstract: A grounding system is provided for a card-receiving header connector assembly. The header connector assembly includes a header connector mounted on a printed circuit board for receiving an IC card. The IC card includes a receptacle connector and a receptacle shield. A plurality of terminals are mounted within the header connector and are adapted for mating to terminals of the receptacle connector of the IC card. A grounding shroud is mounted on the header connector and includes a main body plate and a plurality of ground contact portions formed therein for engaging corresponding contacts on the receptacle shield of the IC card. The ground contact portions each are formed by a generally C-shaped spring arm having opposite ends joined to the main body plate of the shroud, with a portion of the spring arm between the ends being formed downwardly for asymmetrically engaging the contacts on the receptacle shield of the IC card.