Abstract: A connector assembly (1) used to interconnect a primary circuit board (4) to an intermediate circuit board (5) includes a one-piece insulated housing (2) and an outer shell (3) partially enclosing outside of the housing (2). The housing (2) has a space (20) formed from a mounting side of the housing (2) to the primary circuit board (4) and a face (22) formed at another mounting side of the housing (2) to the intermediate circuit board (5). A plurality of conductors (25) is retained in the housing and extends from the space (20) to the face (22) and each conductor (25) has one tail portion (251) to be press-fit on the intermediate circuit board (5) and another tail portion to be engaged with a corresponding hole (41) on the primary circuit board (4). The one-piece housing and fewer interfaces are used, and the mounting method and mechanism of the conductors is simplified to reduce the cost of manufacturing.

Abstract: A contact (1) for use with an electrical connector (2) for interconnecting a daughter board (4) and a mother board (3) in a mutually perpendicular relation, comprises a body portion (10) having an upper arm (12) and a lower arm (14). The upper arm extends in a first direction which is generally parallel to an axial direction of the body portion and the daughter board. The lower arm extends in a second direction which is generally perpendicular to the upper arm. The lower arm has a free end for engaging with the mother board. The upper arm has a free end with a curved edge (222) for engaging with the daughter board. The curved edge works in a plane that is mutually perpendicular to the first and second directions, facing the first direction. The contact has a body portion from which the upper and lower arms extend. The lower arm has a curved portion (16) which connects and offsets from the body portion. The curved portion moves in the third direction, facing the first direction.

Abstract: An electrical system (1) includes a number of PC boards (10, 12), a same number of electrical connectors (14, 16), and a half number of extenders (18, 20, 22) provided in sets. Each set includes two PC boards, two electrical connectors mounted onto respective PC boards and one extender located between and engaging with the two electrical connectors. There are extenders that have various heights so that extenders of different heights mating with the electrical connectors establish various distances between the PC boards mounting the electrical connectors.

Abstract: A straddle mount connector (1) includes a dielectric housing (2) defining a mating surface (200) and an opposite mounting surface (202), a pair of ground buses (4) and two rows of signal contacts (3) installed into the housing from the mounting surface. Each ground bus is accompanied with a carrier strip (46) and has solder tails (42) extending from the carrier strip. The ground bus has a number of fingers (460) extending from the carrier strip to define a number of parallel slits (462) between the fingers. The signal contacts have terminal portions (32) extending through the parallel slits, thereby keeping the signal contacts retained between the fingers of the ground bus.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) straddle-mounted on an edge (20) of a printed circuit board (2) includes an insulative housing (10) having an elongated groove (11) for mating. A support subassembly (3) is inserted from the opposing side of the housing (10) to expose its portions in the groove (11). The support subassembly (3) includes two bases (30) with attached signal conductors (5) and a U-shaped ground member (4). Two parallel-arranged side portions (40) of the U-shaped ground member (4) are integrally connected via its central portion and each of them is located parallel to a row of signal conductors (5) as their ground reference. The united ground member (4) can be used to establish ground path to the printed circuit board (2) by fewer contacting legs (42) sheared therefrom and help all parts of the support subassembly (3) to be installed in the connector housing (10) at one time.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) straddle-mounted on an edge (20) of a printed circuit board (2) includes an insulative housing (10) having an elongated groove (11) for mating. A plurality of receiving channels (13) each used to receive a support subassembly (3) is formed adjacently to and communicated with the mating groove (11). The support subassembly (3) includes a base (30) with signal contacts (5) and a ground member (4) attached thereon. Every contact (5) includes an engaging end (51) exposed to the mating groove (11) and a tail end (52) extending out of the receiving channel (13) in a suspended status. And the ground member (4) includes a plurality of contacting legs (42) extending from the ground member (4) and being arranged to stagger with the tail end (52) of every contact (5) along the lengthwise of the connector (1).

Abstract: An electrical system (1) includes a number of PC boards (10, 12), a same number of electrical connectors (14, 16), and a half number of extenders (18, 20, 22) provided in sets. Each set includes two PC boards, two electrical connectors mounted onto respective PC boards and one extender located between and engaging with the two electrical connectors. There are extenders that have various heights so that extenders of different heights mating with the electrical connectors establish various distances between the PC boards mounting the electrical connectors.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises an elongated housing (10) and a mating groove (11) formed on one surface of the housing (10) to receive a leading edge of a extension daughter card (4) so as to electrically connect the card (4) to a printed circuit board (3) where the connector (1) is seated. A plurality of passageways (12) having signal conductors (2) installed therein is formed in two sidewalls of the mating groove (11). A ridge-shaped support mechanism (13) projects from one side surface of the housing (10) and is located abutting against one lengthwise edge of the surface having the mating groove (11).

Abstract: A contact (1) for use with an electrical connector (2) for interconnecting a daughter board (4) and a mother board (3) in a mutually perpendicular relation, comprises a body portion (10) having an upper arm (12) and a lower arm (14). The upper arm extends in a first direction which is generally parallel to an axial direction of the body portion and the daughter board. The lower arm extends in a second direction which is generally perpendicular to the upper arm. The lower arm has a free end for engaging with the mother board. The upper arm has a free end with a curved edge (222) for engaging with the daughter board. The curved edge works in a plane that is mutually perpendicular to the first and second directions, facing the first direction. The contact has a body portion from which the upper and lower arms extend. The lower arm has a curved portion (16) which connects and offsets from the body portion. The curved portion moves in the third direction, facing the first direction.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises an insulative housing (10) defining a receiving cavity (18), a plurality of terminals (20) retained in the housing, and at least one ground bus module (30) received in the receiving cavity. Each ground bus module includes an insulative body (32) having a depressed inner surface in which the ground buses are integrally molded, and an opposite outer surface on which the mating beams of the terminals are positioned to be as close to corresponding terminals as possible to provide effective ground reference.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) includes an insulative housing (10) and a number of contacts (28) attached to the housing. The contacts each have a contact tail (36) downwardly extending beyond a mounting surface (32) of the insulative housing for inserting into throughholes (42) of a PCB (40). The contact tails are overlapped in pairs and each pair of contact tails is inserted into the same throughhole of the PCB. Some pairs of contact tails, called retention contact tails (68), have protrusions (52) deviating from each other for bearing against peripheral walls of the throughholes of the PCB thereby producing retention force. The other pairs of contact tails, called non-retention contact tails (70), do not have protrusions and do not interfere with peripheral walls of the other throughholes thereby reducing the insertion force. The retention contact tails can be modified to the non-retention contact tails by severing the protrusions therefrom.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) includes an insulative housing (10) and a number of contacts (28) attached to the housing. The contacts each have a contact tail (36) downwardly extending beyond a mounting surface (32) of the insulative housing for inserting into throughholes (42) of a PCB (40). The contact tails are overlapped in pairs and each pair of contact tails is inserted into the same throughhole of the PCB. Some pairs of contact tails, called retention contact tails (68), have protrusions (52) deviating from each other for bearing against peripheral walls of the throughholes of the PCB thereby producing retention force. The other pairs of contact tails, called non-retention contact tails (70), do not have protrusions and do not interfere with peripheral walls of the other throughholes thereby reducing the insertion force. The retention contact tails can be modified to the non-retention contact tails by severing the protrusions therefrom.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) straddle-mounted on an edge (20) of a printed circuit board (2) includes an insulative housing (10) having an elongated groove (11) for mating. A plurality of receiving channels (13) each used to receive a support subassembly (3) is formed adjacently to and communicated with the mating groove (11). The support subassembly (3) includes a base (30) with signal contacts (5) and a ground member (4) attached thereon. Every contact (5) includes an engaging end (51) exposed to the mating groove (11) and a tail end (52) extending out of the receiving channel (13) in a suspended status. And the ground member (4) includes a plurality of contacting legs (42) extending from the ground member (4) and being arranged to stagger with the tail end (52) of every contact (5) along the lengthwise of the connector (1).

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) straddle-mounted on an edge (20) of a printed circuit board (2) includes an insulative housing (10) having an elongated groove (11) for mating. A support subassembly (3) is inserted from the opposing side of the housing (10) to expose its portions in the groove (11). The support subassembly (3) includes two bases (30) with attached signal conductors (5) and a U-shaped ground member (4). Two parallel-arranged side portions (40) of the U-shaped ground member (4) are integrally connected via its central portion and each of them is located parallel to a row of signal conductors (5) as their ground reference. The united ground member (4) can be used to establish ground path to the printed circuit board (2) by fewer contacting legs (42) sheared therefrom and help all parts of the support subassembly (3) to be installed in the connector housing (10) at one time.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) includes an insulative member (10) defining two rows of slanted cavities (30) along a longitudinal direction thereof, two rows of conductive contacts (12) obliquely received in corresponding slanted cavities and two grounding plates (32) with over-molded insulative inserts (34) attached to the insulative member. Each grounding plate electrically contacts some selected conductive contacts via ribs (39) thereof, which are therefore grounding contacts, and is isolated from the other conductive contacts, which are therefore signal contacts. Each grounding plate has a number of enlarged tails (38) for elastically engaging with corresponding plated holes (54) in a mother board (46) that the electrical connector is adapted to be mounted on. The conductive contacts slide along the mother board upon insertion of a daughter board (52) to the electrical connector.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) includes an insulative member (10) defining two rows of slanted cavities (30) along a longitudinal direction thereof, two rows of conductive contacts (12) obliquely received in corresponding slanted cavities and two grounding plates (32) with over-molded insulative inserts (34) attached to the insulative member. Each grounding plate electrically contacts some selected conductive contacts via ribs (39) thereof, which are therefore grounding contacts, and is isolated from the other conductive contacts, which are therefore signal contacts. Each grounding plate has a number of enlarged tails (38) for elastically engaging with corresponding plated holes (54) in a mother board (46) that the electrical connector is adapted to be mounted on. The conductive contacts slide along the mother board upon insertion of a daughter board (52) to the electrical connector.

Abstract: A cable connector includes an insulative housing (10), a pair of individual terminal modules (12) assembled to the housing, a cable end (14) connected to the terminal modules, an insulator (16) located between the terminal modules and a cover (18) over-molded to the housing and together with the housing enclosing the cable end and the terminal modules. The housing defines two slots (30). Each terminal module includes an insulative base (32), a number of terminals (34) and a grounding blade (38) attaching to the base. The cable end includes a number of conductive cores (60) and a corresponding number of metal webs (62) circling respective conductive cores. The conductive cores are electrically connected to corresponding terminals and the metal webs are electrically connected to corresponding grounding blades. The terminal modules are inserted into the corresponding slots after the terminals and the grounding blades are attached to the insulative base.

Abstract: A method for assembling an electrical connector (10) to the edge (18) of a printed circuit board (12). A machine (50) incorporates an actuating mechanism that requires only a single input motion to achieve a variety of functional motions within the machine. The machine includes a carriage assembly (54) that moves substantially vertically within the frame of the machine to sense the thickness of the circuit board and then to align the centerline of the connector held on fixture (280) with the exact center plane (44) of the board. A slide member (140) then moves toward the connector, causing a pair of comb members (252,254) to close into position in front of the moving connector. The solder tails (38,40) of the connector (10) then enter spaced slots (260) in the edges of the comb members for support and the connector housing engages the face (272) of the combs, pushing them toward the circuit board.

Abstract: An electrical connector (10) of the type having an array of signal contacts (22) surface mountable to pads of a circuit board (20), with at least one ground bus (40) having a plurality of post sections (44,50,52) insertable into through holes (34) of the circuit board. At least two of the post sections (50,52) include protuberances (54,56) proximate free ends thereof adapted to bear against side walls of the respective through holes upon insertion thereinto, for deflection of the shanks (62,64) of the post sections in the opposite direction. The protuberance of each of the at least two post sections extends in opposed directions along the row of posts, thus cooperating to act as a clamp of modest force to retain the connector to the board prior to contact soldering. The deflectable shank (62,64) preferably has a reduced cross-sectional area at root (66,68) facilitating deflection in the plastic region.

Abstract: A machine (50) is disclosed that assembles an electrical connector (10) to the edge (18) of a printed circuit board (12). The machine incorporates an actuating mechanism that requires only a single input motion to achieve a Variety of functional motions within the machine. The machine includes a carriage assembly (54) that moves substantially vertically within the frame of the machine to sense the thickness of the circuit board and then to align the centerline of the connector held on fixture (280) with the exact center plane (44) of the board. A slide member (140) then moves toward the connector, causing a pair of comb members (252, 254) to close into position in front of the moving connector. The solder tails (38,40) of the connector (10) then enter spaced slots (260) in the edges of the comb members for support and the connector housing engages the face (272) of the combs, pushing them toward the circuit board.