Abstract: A card panel includes a conductive bracket and a circuit board coupled to the bracket. The bracket includes a front side, and first and second lateral sides. The board is coupled to an inner surface of the first side of the bracket, while an outer surface of the first side operates as a conductive contact. The outer surface of the second side of the bracket includes an integrally molded T-shaped track, and a hole at each end of the track. An elongate conductive spring having a generally triangular cross-section with two inwardly directed lower flanges and a raised portion is positioned on the track such that each of the lower flanges is held by track and further such that the ends of the spring are positioned between the holes in the track. Rivets are provided in the holes and maintaining the spring on the track. The integrally molded track permits easy installation of the spring to the bracket. The integration of the components provides an assembly having relatively few components and a relatively low cost.

Abstract: A grounding spring clip for modular jacks includes a stamped or etched plate having an opening substantially coextensive with the plug receiving opening in a modular jack and a bent tab to provide at least one springy finger extending out from the plate adjacent the opening and partially occluding the opening. Two opposite edges of the plate are bent backward to provide curls which wrap around corresponding edges of the face plate of a snap-in modular jack. One edge of the plate is bent to provide a tab stop and the edge opposite the tab stop is left straight. The grounding spring clip is slid onto the face plate of a snap-in modular jack before the jack is mounted in a chassis panel. When the jack is snapped into the chassis panel, the curled edges of the spring clip are biased between the face plate of the jack and the surface of the chassis panel thereby making a good electrical connection with the chassis.

Abstract: A pluggable electrical connector is provided having contact elements with first ends soldered to a daughter board, mid-sections which are crimped and bent through ninety degrees, and second ends which have a converging portion and which terminate in bifurcated conical contact portions which make contact with the rims of contact-quality plated through holes of a mother board. By causing contact between the rim and the cone surface, normal forces greater than the mating force are generated. The connector housing includes self-centering funnel openings adjacent the mother board for centering the converging portions of the contact elements therein in a nominal position and for acting as a preloading stop. The housing also includes side-wall locking tabs which hold adjacent rows of contacts at identical fixing points relative to the ninety-degree bend to ensure identical spring parameters for all contact elements.

Abstract: Electrical connectors are provided with spring contact elements each having a tapered contact portion for mating with the plated rim of a hole. The tapered contact portion can be configured as a bifurcated cone, a suitably shaped wire, or other tapered, flexible contact. Besides the contact portion, the contact elements also include spring portions which can assume various configurations and tail portions which can also assume various configurations. Where the tapered contact portion is a suitably shaped wire, the spring portion and the contact portion are essentially the same. The tail portions can be arranged to have tapered contact portions where permanent connection of the tail is not desired. The disclosed electrical connectors have housings for the spring contact elements, and a first make, last break function can be provided by configuring the housings appropriately. The holes with which the tapered spring contact elements mate can be part of a printed circuit board, a flex circuit, or other object.

Abstract: A pluggable electrical connector is provided having contact elements with first ends soldered to a daughter board, midsections which are crimped and bent through ninety degrees, and second ends which have a converging portion and which terminate in bifurcated conical contact portions which make contact with the rims of contact-quality plated through holes of a mother board. By causing contact between the rim and the cone surface, normal forces greater than the mating force are generated. The connector housing includes self-centering funnel openings adjacent the mother board for centering the converging portions of the contact elements therein in a nominal position and for acting as a preloading stop. The housing also includes side-wall locking tabs which hold adjacent rows of contacts at identical fixing points relative to the ninety-degree bend to ensure identical spring parameters for all contact elements.