Abstract: An electrical connector includes a housing having a mating end and a loading end. First and second contact wafers are loaded into the loading end of the housing. The first and second contact wafers each have a dielectric carrier holding a contact therein. The carriers have outer walls, wherein at least one of the outer walls on each of the carriers has a spacer engagement element provided thereon. A wafer spacer is configured to be positioned between the first and second contact wafers. The wafer spacer is positioned in one of different first and second orientations relative to the side walls of the first and second contact wafers. The wafer spacer has opposed first and second side walls that are separated by a spacer core thickness. The first side wall has a wafer engagement element provided thereon. When the wafer spacer is in the first orientation, the wafer spacer separates the first and second contact wafers by a first distance.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided that comprises a housing with a front wall that separates a mating end from a loading end. The housing has a module support shroud that extends from the front wall toward the loading end and that has a latch element provided thereon. The connector also includes a contact module having an array of contacts that are held in a dielectric carrier. The contact module includes a mating end, sides and a module end. The module end slides along the module support shroud as the contact is loaded into the housing, until the mating end is located proximate to the front wall when the contact module is fully loaded. A retention latch member is formed separate from, and held by, the contact module. The retention latch member extends beyond the module edge and engages the latch element on the module support shroud to retain securely the contact module in the housing.

Abstract: An electrical socket is provided that holds an array of contacts. Each contact includes first and second contact elements that are configured to be joined in an electrically common manner. The first and second contact elements have first and second contact beams, respectively, that are oriented to project toward one another and to overlap. The first and second contact elements each have base portions that are formed separate from one another and are configured to be joined to a common conductive path on the circuit board.

Abstract: A socket connector for connecting a card edge module to a circuit board includes a base extending along a longitudinal axis between opposed ends. The base includes a mounting face configured to be received on the circuit board. Support towers are integrally formed with the base and located at the opposed ends of the base. The support towers extend upward from the base away from the mounting face. Each of the base and the towers includes open sided mating surfaces that collectively define a mating plane. The open sided mating surfaces are configured to receive the card edge module from a lateral direction with respect to the mating plane when the card edge module is loaded into the connector. Electrical contacts are held in the base. The contacts have mating ends extending laterally from the open-sided mating surface of the base. The contacts have mounting ends that extend from the mounting face.

Abstract: A memory module electrical connector is comprised of an insulative housing and a plurality of electrical terminals. The terminals are stamped and formed from conductive material to include resilient contact portions for interconnection to the module, and compliant pin portions for interconnection to the printed circuit board. The compliant pin portions of the connector are laterally staggered, with some compliant pin portions being positioned adjacent to a slot in the housing for receiving the memory module, and alternate contacts are positioned distant from the slot, thereby staggering the compliant pin portions. The compliant pin sections include an upstanding, rigidifying section to rigidify the compliant pin portion during the insertion of the electrical connector and the plurality of compliant pin portions into the printed circuit board.

Abstract: A socket connector including a socket base having a slot oriented at a first angle with respect to a bottom surface of the socket base. The socket connector also includes a contact having a base beam and a retention portion. The retention portion forms an initial angle with the base beam before the contact is assembled with the socket base that differs from the first angle. The socket base receives the contact with the retention portion held in the slot such that an angle between the base beam and the retention portion is changed from the initial angle.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided that includes a socket housing holding an array of electrical contacts and a load plate rotatably coupled to the housing and rotatable between an open position and a closed position. The load plate includes a channel that is configured to receive an electronic package when the load plate is in the open position. The load plate loads the package into the housing as the load plate is rotated to the closed position.

Abstract: A socket is provided which has an insulative housing surrounding a metal substrate. The substrate has an array of apertures which are located in spatially arranged order to accommodate the precise pattern desired for the device to be connected. Contact assemblies include stamped and formed contacts having an insulative plastic molded over a central section of the contact. The molded inserts are receivable in the apertures of the substrate and are later swaged to retain them and the contacts to the substrate.

Abstract: A cover for an electrical socket includes multiple walls joined with one another and configured to overlay an electrical socket. A latch element is provided with at least one of the walls to securely retain the walls against the electrical socket. A rigid member is secured to the walls and retains the walls in a predefined relation with respect to one another. The rigid member includes a heat resistant plate rigidly mounted to the walls of the cover which include lower edges and upper edges aligned in a common plane. The upper and lower edges are configured to abut against and retain the electrical socket in a common planar relation with one another. Brackets extending from the walls slidably receive the rigid member.

Abstract: An electrical contact is provided that includes a body configured to be held on a circuit board. The body of the contact is movable relative to the circuit board along at least a first axis of motion. The contact includes a contact portion joined with the body that is configured to engage an electrical component. The contact portion may include one or more contact beams. The contact further includes a termination lead joined to the body and having an outer end that is configured to be soldered to the circuit board. The termination lead extends from the body at an acute or right angle to the first axis of motion. The termination lead flexes about an arcuate path as the body of the contact shifts along the first axis of motion with respect to the circuit board.

Abstract: A cover for an electrical socket includes multiple walls joined with one another and configured to overlay an electrical socket. A latch element is provided with at least one of the walls to securely retain the walls against the electrical socket. A rigid member is secured to the walls and retains the walls in a predefined relation with respect to one another. The rigid member includes a heat resistant plate rigidly mounted to the walls of the cover which include lower edges and upper edges aligned in a common plane. The upper and lower edges are configured to abut against and retain the electrical socket in a common planar relation with one another. Brackets extending from the walls slidably receive the rigid member.

Abstract: An electrical connector has been provided that includes a housing having a base having a rear end and an interface end. The base includes at least one channel extending between the rear and interface ends. The electrical connector also includes at least one conductive wafer configured to engage electrical contacts. Each conductive wafer is divided into a rear portion and an interface portion. The rear portion is received and securely retained in a channel with the interface portion extending beyond the interface end of the base. The interface portion moves in a direction transverse to a plane of the conductive wafer to facilitate alignment with a mating structure.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided having a connector housing with signal modules and grounding members therein. Each of the signal modules has a ground plane on at least one side of each of the signal modules. The ground planes have contact pads formed at opposite ends thereof proximate mating ends of the signal modules. The grounding members interconnect the ground planes on the sides of adjacent signal modules to one another at a point along one of the ground planes and the contact pads. Optionally, the signal modules may include vias having conductive liners therethrough that electrically connect ground planes from opposite sides of a signal module to one another. Alternatively, the signal modules can be printed circuit boards. The signal modules may be arranged parallel to one another within the housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided having a connector housing with signal modules and grounding members therein. Each of the signal modules has a ground plane on at least one side of each of the signal modules. The ground planes have contact pads formed at opposite ends thereof proximate mating ends of the signal modules. The grounding members interconnect the ground planes on the sides of adjacent signal modules to one another at a point along one of the ground planes and the contact pads. Optionally, the signal modules may include vias having conductive liners therethrough that electrically connect ground planes from opposite sides of a signal module to one another. Alternatively, the signal modules can be printed circuit boards. The signal modules may be arranged parallel to one another within the housing.

Abstract: An electrical connector has been provided that includes a housing having a base having a rear end and an interface end. The base includes at least one channel extending between the rear and interface ends. The electrical connector also includes at least one conductive wafer configured to engage electrical contacts. Each conductive wafer is divided into a rear portion and an interface portion. The rear portion is received and securely retained in a channel with the interface portion extending beyond the interface end of the base. The interface portion moves in a direction transverse to a plane of the conductive wafer to facilitate alignment with a mating structure.

Abstract: A connector module pack is provided organizing and retaining multiple connector modules side by side in a predetermined arrangement. The connector modules are first organized into a desired arrangement with respect to each other. The connector modules may be mounted on a template to temporarily retain them in the desired arrangement. Once the modules are in the desired arrangement, an adhesive medium is applied to at least one side of each connector module. The adhesive medium retains the connector modules within the connector module pack. The adhesive medium may be one or more tape strips.

Abstract: A connector module pack is provided organizing and retaining multiple connector modules side by side in a predetermined arrangement. The connector modules are first organized into a desired arrangement with respect to each other. The connector modules may be mounted on a template to temporarily retain them in the desired arrangement. Once the modules are in the desired arrangement, an adhesive medium is applied to at least one side of each connector module. The adhesive medium retains the connector modules within the connector module pack. The adhesive medium may be one or more tape strips.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a pair of circuit boards in parallel spaced-apart planes comprises first and second connectors. The first connector includes a dielectric first housing having a mating face and an array of first contacts exposed along the mating face. The first housing has a shroud which defines a boundary around the array of first contacts. The shroud has an edge at a height above the mating face and the first contacts are recessed below the edge. The second connector includes a dielectric second housing having a mating face and an array of second contacts exposed along the mating face for mating with the first contacts. The second housing is configured for complementary reception within the boundary of the shroud, wherein the shroud serves to align the first and second housings for mating before engagement of the first and second contacts can occur.

Abstract: The apparatus is a heat sink for an integrated circuit chip which uses heat pipe cooling to remove the heat. The heat sink is a heat conductive structure such as a bowl which is associated with the integrated circuit socket, with the heat conductive structure held against the integrated circuit. A heat pipe is attached to the structure by using an extension from the heat conductive structure and wrapping the extension around a simple cylindrical heat pipe. One embodiment uses spring clips to attach the heat sink to the socket, and another version uses attachment screws through tabs which are formed from the material around a bowl shaped heat conductive structure.

Abstract: A socket for an electronic package comprises a dielectric housing having contacts each with a surface mount section extending below a bottom surface of the housing for engagement with a respective circuit trace on a circuit board. The surface mount section of each contact has a convex bottom surface with a shape which simulates at least a lower surface portion of a solder ball, whereby the socket imitates the footprint of a ball grid array package.