Abstract: An electrical connector assembly 20 for a card reader including a housing 24 having opposed major and minor sides 26,30 defining a card receiving mouth 32, a plurality of conductive electrical terminals 36 disposed in the housing 24 and having portions 38 thereof extending into the mouth 32, and a conductive shroud 50 encircling the housing 24, the shroud 24 having inwardly spaced contact portions extending into the mouth 32 along at least one of the major sides 26 of the housing 24, the shroud contact portions being spaced from the electrical terminal portions 38 when the shroud 50 is assembled to the housing 24. The inwardly spaced contact portions can be spring fingers 54 extending into the mouth 32 from an edge 53 of the shroud 50 or dimples 254 expressed into the mouth from an outer surface of the shroud 250.

Abstract: A card securing mechanism for retaining a card 90 in a reader includes a cam 66 pivotally mounted to a guide arm 20 associated with a side edge 94 of a card 90. The cam 66 is mounted at the entrance 34 of a card-receiving channel 30 proximate and beside a push button 36 slidably mounted along the guide arm 20 such that a first cam portion 74 can be rotated into and out of the channel 30. The first cam portion 74 has a notch 76 dimensioned to receive and secure a corner 96 of a card 90 when the card 90 is fully within a reader and the first portion 74 is rotated into the channel 30. A second cam portion 78 is adapted to be engaged by an actuator activated by the card ejection mechanism 50. The cam 66 is pivoted to a card engaging position upon insertion of a card 90 into the card reader.

Abstract: A conductive ground shroud (50) for use with an electrical connector (22) having a plurality of electrical terminals (36) with surface mountable contact sections (42) for electrically engaging circuitry (84) on a circuit board (80). The shroud (50) provides ground reference for the terminals (36). Shroud 50 includes an electrically conductive plate-like body 52 having first and second portions, (54, 62) the first portion (54) adapted to be disposed on a board remote surface (26) of the connector housing. The second portion is configured to extend over the surface mountable contact sections (42) when the shroud (50) is disposed on housing (24). The second portion (62) includes at least one second contact section (70) extending outwardly therefrom for engagement to ground circuitry of circuit board (80). The second portion further includes at least one elongated aperture (64) extending therethrough proximate the surface mountable contact sections (40).

Abstract: A connector array (10) for mounting to a circuit board is disclosed including a conductive shroud (16) and two electrical connectors (12, 14). The shroud includes a conductive first plate (60) that separates the two connectors (12, 14) and the leads (34) of one connector from the leads (38) of the other connector. The shroud includes solder tails (68) that electrically engage ground circuitry on the circuit board (18). A conductive second plate (64) is spaced from and parallel to the first plate (60). Contacts (72, 80) extend from edges of each of the first and second plates and are arranged so that when memory cards (28, 30) are mated with the two connectors the contacts electrically engage outer conductive surfaces of the two memory cards. The two connectors are secured in a vertically stacked position by means of a pair of clips (50) that are in interfering engagement with openings (52) formed in outer walls of the housings of the two connectors.

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises; a housing (2), a card receiving mouth (3), electrical contacts (4), prong receiving sockets (26) on the housing, (2) card guide arms (5, 6), a prong (25) on each of the guide arms (5, 6) for locking engagement with any one of the sockets (26), and a mounting bracket (64) engaging a ground plane (74) on a memory card (73) and being shunted to a ground plane on a circuit board (9).

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises; a housing (2), a card receiving mouth (3), electrical contacts (4), prong receiving sockets (26) on the housing (2) card guide arms (5, 6), a prong (25) on each of the guide arms (5, 6) for locking engagement with any one of the sockets (26), and each of the sockets (26) lockingly engage one of the guide arms (5, 6) only with a card receiving groove (22) of one guide arm (5, 6) being oriented to face toward another guide arm (5, 6).

Abstract: An electrical connector (1) comprises; a housing (2), a card receiving mouth (3), electrical contacts (4), prong receiving sockets (26) on the housing, (2) card guide arms (5, 6), a prong (25) on each of the guide arms (5, 6) for locking engagement with any one of the sockets (26), and a mounting bracket (64) engaging a ground plane (74) on a memory card (73) and being shunted to a ground plane on a circuit board (9).

Abstract: A surface mounted connector (25) for interconnecting closely centered circuits such as those carried by circuit boards (12, 18) includes plug and receptacle housings (24, 90) which internest to interconnect edge mounted, thin stamped contacts (50, 116) on centers complementary those of said circuits which include a contact configuration producing a series of point contacts (70, 128) and solder wells (70, 130) to provide an improved solder joint between respective contacts and boards. The contacts extend outside the side walls of the housings (64, 164) to facilitate heat application for solder reflow and inspection of solder joints. The contacts further have barbs (66, 126) engaging the said housings to hold the contacts against displacement upon separation of the plug from the receptacle.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle member (14) and a pin shroud member (16) adapted to be mounted to opposite sides of a printed circuit board. Each receptacle member (14) is adapted to mate with a pin shroud member (16) mounted to another circuit board so that a parallel stack of circuit boards may be interconnected and supported. Each pin shroud member (16) has ground shields (60) which engage terminals (42) in the mating receptacle member (14). The ground shield (60) and the engaged terminal members (42) have pin portions (62, 64) extending through apertures of the respective circuit boards for connection to ground planes on the circuit boards.

Abstract: Improved means for securing an externally mounted ground plate to an electrical connector, the ground plate being secured along one of the sides of the connector and having a leading edge thereof exposed at the mating face of the connector and adapted to be received within the housing of a complementary connector upon the connector being mated thereto. The improved means includes a pair of tabs extending from the ground plate proximate the leading edge thereof and engagable with and latchingly securable in cooperating slots on end walls of the connector housing and an inwardly directed rolled portion extending substantially along the entire length of the leading edge of the ground plate, the rolled portion being received within a cooperating recess of the associated housing side wall. The recess is configured to receive rolled edge of the ground plate such that the ground plate lies securely against the side wall and the overall dimensions of the mating face are not substantially increased thereby.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly 10 includes a housing 12 having a plurality of terminal members 40 disposed within configured terminal-receiving passageways 82 thereof. Each terminal member 40 includes first and second contact portions 42, 62 and a body portion 46 having retaining means 52 for holding the terminal member 40 within the housing passageway 82 and a plurality of push means horizontally and vertically staggered about the longitudinal axis of the terminal member 40 and adapted to cooperate with corresponding push ledges 86, 88, 90 within the passageway 82. The push means includes a latch 54 extending outwardly from a first side 49 of the body portion 46 and first and second pairs of formed tabs 56, 58 extending from opposed second and third sides 50, 51 of the body portion 46 at first, second and third axially selected locations respectively.

Abstract: Improved means for securing an externally mounted ground plate to an electrical connector, the ground plate being secured along one of the sides of the connector and having a leading edge thereof exposed at the mating face of the connector and adapted to be received within the housing of a complementary connector upon the connector being mated thereto. The improved means includes a pair of tabs extending from the ground plate proximate the leading edge thereof and engagable with and latchingly securable in cooperating slots on end walls of the connector housing and a plurality of ground plate flared apertures lockingly secured within corresponding slots of the connector sidewalls proximate the leading edges thereof. The secured ground plate lies against the side wall and the overall dimensions of the mating face are not substantially increased thereby.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly 10 includes a receptacle member 12 and a pin header 60. The receptacle member 12 has housing means 14 including an inner body portion 22 and two opposed outer side walls 24, which together define elongate cavities 36 between inner body section 22 and respective outer side walls 24; and a plurality of first contact terminal members 40 disposed in inner body portion 22 and a plurality of second contact terminal members 46 disposed in the elngate cavities 36.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing electrical connectors (22) which include rows of contact members (78, 90) held in a housing (24) includes feeding contact members in a wire form in parallel (74, 90), trimming such contact members to provide a partial form therefore at a trim station A, insert-molding such contact members to form a housing (62) and provide a carrier to tie such contact members together at a station (B), trimming said contact members to appropriate lengths, forming said contact members at further stations (C, D) into a multiple contact connector with rows of contact members in common planes held by the housing formed by insert-molding. Stamped and formed contact members (78', 90') are also contemplated utilized in an alternative method and both methods contemplate plating of the contact members either prior to molding or thereafter in alternative constructions, facilitated partially by the forming of the contact members into common planes.

Abstract: An electrical connector (20) for electrically connecting circuit boards (30,32) or the like comprises two housings (22,24) engaged via a plurality of tongues (100) and grooves (102) positioned on each housing (22,24). The grooves (102) of one housing (22) receive the tongues (100) of the other housing (24), and vice versa, by sliding one into the other. A plurality of interlocks (104) formed on each tongue (100) of one housing (22) mate with interlocks (104) formed on the grooves (102) of the other housing (24) to form a rugged spacer (25). By positioning the housings (22,24) so that different interlocks (104) slide together, one of a plurality of preselected distances may be achieved to match the spacing between circuit boards (30,32). An electrical circuit conductor (26) is positioned on the spacer (25) to provide for electrical connection between the circuit boards (30,32).

Abstract: A board edge connector 10 rotatable between a first and electrically disengaged angular position to a second angular position wherein electrical terminal members 70 of the connector 10 are electrically engaged to conductive areas 102 on a circuit board 92 includes housing means 12 and a plurality of electrical terminal members 70 disposed in terminal receiving cavities 50 therein. Housing means 12 includes a board receiving slot 34 extending along a front wall thereof and in communication with the terminal receiving cavities 50. Slot 34 has opposed upper and lower bearing surfaces 26,21 defining opposed parallel planes and further defining means for guiding connector 10 onto the board 92 at a preselected angle until the leading edge 98 of the board 92 engages a first stop surface 60 defining a first angular position.

Abstract: An electrical connector assembly ( b 10) includes a connector (22) for interconnecting circuit boards such as a daughter board (12) to a mother board (102) wherein contact pads on the boards are on very small centers. Connector (22) includes a housing having an upper housing portion (24) and a pair of lower housing subassemblies (60), each subassembly including housing (62) having first and second contact members (74, 92) affixed thereto with the contact members having upper ends (78, 92) made to lie on a common plane and engage one side of a circuit board (12) inserted into the connector (22) in a resilient engagement therewith, anfd having lower ends which form solder tails (88, 96) held for soldering to pads (106, 108) on a mother board with such contact membrs being formed with the solder tails (88, 96) interdigitated to lie in a common row and a common plane on center spacings substantially less than center spacings of the upper ends.

Abstract: An improved pin header connector (10) mountable to a circuit substrate (120) includes a plurality of modular terminal subassemblies (12), shell means (59) defining a like plurality of terminal subassembly receiving cavities (108) and including means securing the terminal subassemblies (12) within respective cavities (108) in a manner permitting incremental floating of the subassemblies (12) in a transverse direction relative to the shell means (59), and means (50) included on each terminal subassembly (12) for aligning the terminal members (16) thereof with corresponding circuit pads (122) on the circuit substrate (120) upon the connector (10) being mounted to the substrate (120).

Abstract: A pin header (10) for being surface mounted on a back panel is disclosed. More particularly the pin header (10) includes contact elements (18,110) having outwardly facing contact surfaces (46,138) on spring arms for engaging circuits on a back panel. The contact elements (18,110) are positioned in dielectric inserts (22,148) which are positioned in a shell (20) and further include pins (24,142) for electrically engaging a receptacle connector.

Abstract: The invention disclosed herein is a connector wherein the contact elements include tail sections on one end for being soldered to pads on the circuit board. More particularly the connector carries three rows of contact elements with the tail sections extending out from the housing at different lengths and in a pattern predetermined by the pad spacing and arrangement on the board. The thicknesses of the tail sections reflect the different lengths.