Abstract: Electrical connectors capable of being mounted on circuit substrates (204) by BGA techniques are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing such connectors. There is at least one recess (20, 22, 24) on the exterior side of the connector elements (12). A conductive contact (66) extends from adjacent the interior side into the recess on the exterior side of the housing. A controlled volume of solder paste is introduced into the recess. A fusible conductive element, in the form of solder balls (82) is positioned in the recess. The connector is subjected to a reflow process to fuse the solder ball to the portion of the contact extending into said recess. Contacts are secured in the insulative housing of the connector by deformable sections that minimize stress imposed on the central portions of the contacts to promote uniformity of solder volume.

Abstract: In one version, a PC card has a printed circuit board assembly (11) that is interposed between card shields (5,6). This PC card is frameless. In another version, a PC card has: card shields (103,104); a printed circuit board assembly (110) interposed between the card shields; and two interposing side frames (105, 105′).

Abstract: A receptacle for an electrical connector which comprises an elongated insulative housing having parallel lateral walls, parallel end walls and base wall. An interior cavity is formed by those walls, and a longitudinal groove extends between the longitudinal walls from adjacent one of said end walls to the other end wall. At least one conductive contact having a base end and a distal end extends upwardly in the interior cavity. It is fixed to the housing adjacent the base end and is movably attached at a medial guide and then extends upwardly such that the distal end of the contact is adjacent the longitudinal groove. Critical dimensional tolerances relative to the terminal contacts can be achieved with this receptacle.

Abstract: An angled coaxial connector module for being mounted to a circuit board is disclosed. The connector module has a housing with a contact side for mating with a corresponding connector and a connecting side for mounting the connector module to the circuit board. The housing is constructed of an electrically insulating material. At least one electrical contact element extends through the housing between the contact side and the connecting side. The contact element has an electrically conductive inner center contact, an electrically conductive outer shielding tube surrounding the inner center contact at least within the housing, and an insulating member surrounding the inner center contact at least within the housing and electrically isolating the inner center contact and the outer shielding tube.

Abstract: A receptacle for an electrical connector which comprises an elongated insulative housing having parallel lateral walls, parallel end walls and base wall. An interior cavity is formed by those walls, and a longitudinal groove extends between the longitudinal walls from adjacent one of said end walls to the other end wall. At least one conductive contact having a base end and a distal end extends upwardly through the base wall and then in the interior cavity. A wafer having a hardness greater than the base wall is positioned beneath the base wall to enhance dimensional stability of the receptacle in a vertical or other direction perpendicular to the substrate on which the receptacle is mounted.

Abstract: A multi-storage deck connector apparatus having at least an upper and lower storage deck is connectable to a printed circuit board. Each deck has its own set of contact pins that must make electrical connection to the printed circuit board. A vertical connector is arranged between the storage decks so that the upper storage deck contact pins are connected to the vertical connector and the vertical connector is connected to the printed circuit board. The lower storage deck contact pins are connected directly to the printed circuit board.

Abstract: Method of producing a contact terminal (1; 17; 18; 35; 36; 60) provided with a least a first contact surface (4; 25; 26; 64) for contacting e.g. a mating contact area (6; 18; 17) including at least the following steps: a) stamping the contact terminal from a) piece of blank having a substantially flat surface with a predetermined first width, said first contact surface (4; 25; 26; 64) being substantially perpendicular to said flat surface; b) pressing said first contact surface (4; 25; 26; 64) against a first, highly polished surface (27; 66) of a support tool (16), said first polished surface (27; 66) having a first predetermined shape; c) exerting a first predetermined force on said contact terminal in order to deform said first contact surface (4; 25; 26; 64) against said first, highly polished surface (27; 66) of said support tool (16), thus polishing said first contact surface.

Abstract: Hold-Down element (1) for holding, in a clamping manner, an electrical and/or electronic component, such as a connector, onto a substrate. The hold-down element (1) comprising a first part (2) for engaging the substrate and a second part (5) for engaging the component to be mounted. The first part (2) having an essentially flat, elongate shape provided with a member (7) which is offset with respect to the raised member (7), so that the first part (2), under the influence of a force exerted thereon during the insertion of the hold-down element (1) in a mounting opening, can diverge in the opposite direction to the raised member (7) and can engage, in a clamping manner, the substrate by means of the divergent portion in the mounting opening. The hold-down element (1) may also be used as the connecting end of a component.

Abstract: A connector couples with a mating component and has a main body and a generally planar latch. The main body is insertable into the mating component in a coupling direction, and has a face generally parallel to the coupling direction. The latch is resiliently coupled to the main body at the face thereof, and is generally parallel to the face. The latch includes a latching surface for cooperating with a latch-catch of the mating component, and is resiliently actuatable in the plane thereof. Accordingly, the latching surface is released from the latch-catch of the mating component. In one embodiment of the present invention, a pair of the connectors each couple with a respective mating component.

Abstract: An electrical connector such as a modular jack receives a component package having a plurality of first conductive elements and at least one electrical device electrically coupled to the first conductive elements. The electrical connector has an insulative housing with an interior and an insulative insert with a forward portion and a rear portion. The rear portion defines a recess for receiving the component package therein, and the insert is mounted within the interior of the housing. A plurality of first contacts are mounted to the forward portion of the insert for electrically contacting conductors in a mating connector inserted into the electrical connector. Each first contact extends from the forward portion of the insert to the recess and terminates at a termination in communication with the recess. The termination of each first contact electrically contacts a corresponding first conductive element of the component package as received in the recess.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly, comprising: a housing with an interior section, a front and a rear; a plurality of first contacts, and a plurality of second contacts. The first contacts have mating sections extending into the interior section and directed towards the rear of the housing. The second contacts have mating sections extending into the interior section and directed towards the front of the housing. The second contacts occupy three of the eight positions in the housing. In a modular jack arrangement, the second contacts occupy positions 3 and 5, and either position 1 or position 7. Cross-talk between the contacts is thereby reduced.

Abstract: A socket for a printed circuit board wherein the attachment and detachment of a printed circuit board can be easily and reliably performed without damaging the printed circuit board. The socket comprising a pair of guide portions extending from a header portion having an insertion opening which receives a printed circuit board to guide the sides of the printed circuit board in its extraction direction, an eject lever arranged at the guide portion to extract one end of the board from the insertion opening, and an elastic guide arm arranged at the guide portion to guide an end surface of the other of the board. When the eject lever extracts one end of the printed circuit board from the insertion opening, the guide arm rotates the board between the pair of guide portions.

Abstract: An assembly which a concave member and a first substrate having a transverse opening which is superimposed over the concave member to form an internal chamber. A second substrate having a transverse opening is also superimposed over said first substrate, and an electrical connector means is mounted on the second substrate. A flex circuit is interposed in spaced generally parallel relation between the first substrate and the concave member. An extension of the flex circuit extends through the transverse openings of the first and second substrate to engage the electrical connector means.

Abstract: A through mount electrical connector with an alignment device is disclosed. According to the invention, the connector is mountable to a substrate and includes a housing through which a plurality of contacts extend. Each contact has a contact tail that extends beyond a face of the housing. The connector includes an alignment device having a first face adjacent the housing, a second face positionable adjacent the substrate, and a plurality of apertures extending between the first face and the second face for receiving a respective contact tail. At least one latch slidably couples the alignment device to ends of the housing such that the alignment device is selectively disposable between a first position in which the contact tails generally do not extend beyond the second face of the alignment device, and a second position in which the contact tails generally extend beyond the second face of the alignment device.

Abstract: A receptacle has a housing that defines a connector-receiving cavity for receiving a connector therein. The housing has a front face and the cavity has a mouth thereof at the front face of the housing. A conductive exterior shield is fitted over the housing and has a pair of opposing side faces, each of which includes a rear edge opposite the mouth of the cavity and a slot at such rear edge. A conductive cavity insertion piece is inserted into the housing and has an interior arm and a pair of wings. The interior arm extends toward the mouth of the cavity and is in communication with the cavity to conductively contact an outer portion of the received connector. The interior arm releasably locks the connector as received within the cavity. Each wing is fitted within a respective slot at the rear edge of a side face of the exterior shield, whereby the wings conductively couple the arm to the exterior shield.

Abstract: An electrical connector having a metal plate which is mounted under the housing with hot riveting. Location pegs are made so that low mounting force is possible. A wafer which is black in color or has another contrasting color makes it possible for a video camera to record the true position of the terminals. The surface of the top side of the housing is suited for vacuum pick up.

Abstract: An electronic socket adapter includes an insulative carrier and an array of a plurality of surface mount contacts carried on the base. The pins may be floatably mounted on the carrier. A plurality of relatively large openings are formed in the carrier between adjacent contacts in the array. The openings provide improved heat flow in the region of the surface mount portions of the contacts and also provide for visualization of the surface mount portions of the contacts during and after soldering.

Abstract: An electrical connector comprising electrical contacts and a housing. The electrical contacts are connected to the housing. The housing comprises a first housing member and a second housing member movably connected to the first housing member. The second housing member comprises holes for allowing contact pins of an electrical component to be inserted into the housing. The housing also comprises contact preload projections. The contact preload projections contact the electrical contacts to preload the electrical contacts and, when the contact pins are inserted into the holes, the contact preload projections contact the contact pins to form a strain relief support for the contact pins.

Abstract: A connection between a one and another electrical connector uses a cable terminating assembly with at least one sidewall compartment in which a terminal end of a latch element is disposed. The terminal end of the latch element has a bell shaped cut out formed in it which cooperates with a guide post associated with the other of said connectors so that upon movement of the two connectors toward one another in locking engagement between the two is effected by the continued axial movement of the two connectors. Disconnect is accomplished by simply squeezing the latch elements to effect disengagement from the guide posts.

Abstract: A connector device includes a housing having a slide plate with a handle. By the manual operation of the handle, the slide plate is moved by a disengageable link mechanism along the length of the housing. When a data storage medium is fully inserted in the connector device and the handle is in a first position, the link mechanism is disengaged. The link mechanism becomes engaged, and thereby operable to move the slide plate, only after the handle is moved from the first position to an extended position. In this manner, inadvertent ejection of the data storage medium is prevented.