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.

Abstract: A zero insertion force electrical connector including a connector housing having a top surface and a plurality of cavities in the top surface corresponding to an array of pin terminals. Each of the cavities includes a base wall spaced from the top surface and terminal retention openings in the base wall. A plurality of terminals are mounted in the cavities. Each of the terminals is a stamped and formed segment of flat and planar metal stock including a mounting portion substantially in the plane of the stock, a free end portion, a contact structure adjacent the free end portion and a spring arm portion between the mounting portion and the contact structure. The pin terminals are moved in the cavities between an unmated position wherein the pins are spaced from the contact structures in the cavities and a mated position wherein the pins are mated with the contact structures.

Abstract: A grounding system is provided for an electrical connector assembly which provides an interconnection between a PC card and a main printed circuit board. A header connector is mounted on the main printed circuit board and receives the PC card. Mating terminals are provided on the header connector and a receptacle connector on the PC card for interconnection of the PC card to electrical circuit traces on the main printed circuit board. At least one header grounding contact is mounted on the header connector adjacent to but spaced from the terminals and coupled to a logic ground circuit on the main printed circuit board. A card grounding contact is mounted on the PC card near the front insertion end thereof for engaging the header grounding contact and commoning the logic ground circuit of the main printed circuit board to a logic ground circuit on the PC card to provide a low impedance ground return.

Abstract: A universal grounding clip is provided for a card-receiving connector which is mounted on a printed circuit board. The connector includes a generally U-shaped housing having guide arms adapted to guide the outside edges of a PC card into mating engagement with the connector. The PC card includes grounding contacts along the outside edges of the card. The universal grounding clip is mounted on each guide arm and includes a contact portion on an inside surface of the respective guide arm for engaging the corresponding grounding contact at the edge of the PC card during insertion of the card and discharging static electricity from the card prior to complete mating of the card and connector. A grounding pad on the grounding clip is provided along a bottom surface of the respective arm and is adapted to be electrically coupled to a ground circuit on the printed circuit board. A grounding pad is also provided along a top surface of the arm for engaging a bottom ground portion of a top stacked connector.

Abstract: A method is provided for fabricating a receptacle connector for use in an IC card assembly wherein the receptacle connector is adapted for mounting generally at an edge of a circuit substrate. A housing is provided with an upper surface and a plurality of terminal-receiving passages in a dual row configuration extend parallel to the upper surface. The circuit substrate is adapted to be located a given vertical distance from the upper surface of the housing. A plurality of receptacle terminals are inserted into the passages with surface mount tail portions of the terminals projecting outside the passages. The vertical distance between the circuit substrate and the top of the housing is determined. The tail portions of the two rows of terminals initially project in a generally straight planar array from a rear face of the housing.

Abstract: A memory card which includes a circuit substrate having a generally planar surface, comprises a frame with an opening in one of a top or a bottom wall thereof for receiving the circuit substrate. A support structure on the frame supports the circuit substrate within the card. A cover closes the opening and encloses the circuit substrate and the electrical component within the internal card space created by the frame and cover. The support structure of the frame includes a plurality of shelves at different vertical locations within the frame to support the circuit substrate at different vertical levels to accommodate varying heights of electrical components mounted on one or both surfaces of the substrate. The circuit substrate includes a peripheral edge area with cutouts corresponding to only one of the shelves whereby only the periphery of the substrate need be modified for locating and supporting the circuit substrate at different levels within the card.

Abstract: An improved ejector mechanism is disclosed in conjunction with a header connector into which an IC pack is loaded and from which it is ejected. The IC pack includes a shell having a vertically extending leading face and at least one row of contacts extending a horizontal distance defining a contact array. A unitary ejecting lever is pivotally mounted to the header connector, with one end of the lever being effective to engage and eject the IC pack from the header connector. A unitary push-rod is reciprocally axially movably mounted on an appropriate support at one side of the header connector. One end of the push rod is engageable with the opposite end of the ejecting lever for pivoting the lever in response to movement of the push-rod. The one end of the ejecting lever engages and ejects the IC pack along a leading face thereof in an area defined horizontally by the distance the row of contacts extends and vertically by the height of the leading face of the memory card.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for surface mounting on a printed circuit board and includes a dielectric housing having a mating face and a surface mounting face. The mating face includes a mating cavity. The surface mounting face includes a terminal-receiving passageway communicating with the cavity. A terminal is mounted on the housing, the terminal being stamped and formed of sheet metal material in a T-shaped configuration defining a trunk portion and a cross portion. The trunk portion extends through the passageway and projects into the mating cavity of the housing to provide a male terminal pin therein. The cross portion is exposed at the surface mounting face of the housing for contacting a circuit trace on the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly is disclosed, along with a method of fabricating the assembly, wherein a dielectric housing has a lower face for mounting on a top surface of a printed circuit board. The housing includes at least one terminal-receiving cavity having an opening in the lower face of the housing. A terminal includes a receptacle portion received in the cavity for mating with a complementary electrical component. The terminal has a solder tail portion projecting from the receptacle portion, past the opening of the cavity, into a hole in the printed circuit board. The receptacle portion of the terminal is located in the cavity spaced from said opening a distance sufficient to prevent solder material from wicking up the solder tail onto the receptacle portion when the solder tail portion is wave soldered from a bottom surface of the printed circuit board.

Abstract: An improvement is provided in an electrical connector system which includes a connector block of insulating material having a plurality of pin receiving openings for positioning a plurality of terminal pins therein by an interference fit. At least some of the openings each are generally rectangularly shaped and include inwardly directed pin engaging projections located in diagonally opposite quadrants of the rectangular opening. The invention contemplates that the connector block may have a series of the openings in a closely spaced row. The diagonally opposite quadrants in which the projections are disposed are at the same respective locations in each opening along the row.