Abstract: A retainer system for holding a board (14) with active electrical components in an electrical connector assembly includes a boss (50,66) secured to the housing (48,64,84) of the connector assembly, with the boss having an elongated slot (52,68) open toward the other end of the housing. The slot is sized so that one end of the board is receivable therein with sufficient clearance to allow pivoting motion of the board toward and away from the housing about that one end within the slot. At the other end of the connector assembly housing is a retainer (54,72,82,100). After the one end of the board is inserted into the slot and the board is pivoted toward the housing, the retainer overlies the opposed end of the board.

Abstract: A retainer (48) for a resilient contact element which includes an elongated cylindrical elastomeric body member (32) and a flexible film (38) wrapped around the body member (32). The film has a plurality of straight line conductors (40) on its surface. The retainer includes a body (10) with an elongated open channel and a plurality of spaced retaining members (48) extending over the open channel. Each of the retaining members has a central cavity (50) sized to accommodate the contact element (30) without substantial compressive deformation of the contact element, and further includes a passageway (52) communicating with the cavity (50). The passageway is sized to deformably compress the contact element as the contact element passes therethrough. Accordingly, the contact element is deformably compressed as it passes through the passageway and then expands as it enters the cavity.

Abstract: A rotary retainer system for holding a board (14) with active electrical components in an electrical connector assembly includes a boss (50) secured to the housing (48) of the connector assembly, with the boss having an elongated slot (52) open toward the other end of the housing. The slot is sized so that one end of the board is receivable therein with sufficient clearance to allow pivoting motion of the board about that one end within the slot. At the other end of the connector assembly housing are several rotary retainers (68) each having a post (70) disposed in a cavity (54) of the housing. The post and the cavity are so configured that the post can only be inserted and removed from the cavity when in a predetermined angular orientation, with all other allowable angular orientations of the post preventing removal of the post from the cavity. The retainer also has a head (72) which, when the post is in the predetermined angular orientation, allows the board to pass thereby.