Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with opposing and interengageable first and second connector components. Each of the two components preferably includes upper and lower housing formed from an insulative material coated with electrically-conductive material, with cavities formed therein that receive terminal assemblies. The upper and lower housings are formed with internal cavities that extend in orthogonal directions. Each cavity contains a terminal assembly of either plug or receptacle structure and may further include either a plurality of power terminals or differential signal terminals. The terminals have contact portions, tail portions and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer shell. In assembling the first and second components, multiple ground connections are made in sequence before any signal or power supply connections are made.

Abstract: A board mounted electrical connector includes a dielectric housing for mounting on a printed circuit board. An elongated solder bar of solderable material is secured at a bottom face of the housing for mechanically fixing the housing to appropriate solder pad on the board. The elongated solder bar has opposite ends and air vent openings spaced between the opposite ends to facilitate air flow during a soldering process.

Abstract: A terminal module is provided for use in an electrical connector. The module includes a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in a generally parallel side-by-side array. Each terminal includes a pair of opposite end sections. A pair of holding sections are located respectively adjacent to and inside the end sections. A central section is located between the holding sections. A dielectric plastic housing is overmolded about the holding sections leaving the opposite end sections exposed. The overmolded housing leaves a substantial portion of the central section exposed.

Abstract: A connector assembly is provided with opposing and interengageable first and second connector components. Each of the two components has internal cavities that contain terminal assemblies of either plug or receptacle structure and may further include either a plurality of power terminals or differential signal terminals. The terminals have contact portions, tail portions and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer support frames. The shell forms a wafer and two such wafers are combined together to form a terminal assembly. The terminal assemblies are identical in shape, other than for an engagement means that serves to hold two subframes together as a single assembly.

Abstract: A board to board connector for use in high speed signal transmission applications includes male and female connector components that interengage with each other. Each of the male and female parts has an insulative housing that holds a plurality of individual terminal assemblies in cavities defined by corresponding walls of each connector component. The exterior surfaces of the connector components are plated with a metal so as to provide a unitary grounding datum around each of the individual terminal assemblies. Each of the connector components may utilize a center engagement member that runs lengthwise through the connector components, one of the center engagement members having a contact blade formed integrally therewith and the other of the center engagement members including a plurality of spring arms, also integrally formed with the connector component so that the grounding shield portions of the two connectors make contact with each other first before the terminals of the connector make contact.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting to differential signal circuits on at least one circuit board may be of the docking type or the interposer type. A housing of the connector has transversely and longitudinally extending walls that define a plurality of cavities that extend completely through the housing. Terminal assemblies with at least one differential signal pair are received in the cavities with tail portions on at least one end of the differential pairs to connect to a circuit board. The connector housing has conductive surfaces and a plurality of ground terminal members are disposed along the transverse walls or the longitudinal walls, or both, for connecting to ground circuits in the circuit board. The ground terminal members each have a plurality of ground terminals, which are disposed along the walls at intermediate or diagonal positions relative to the differential signal pairs, such as adjacent to four differential signal pairs.

Abstract: A connector assembly for connecting differential signal circuits on two different circuit boards has a connector housing formed from an insulative material with a conductive coating on the surfaces thereof and with cavities formed therein to receive terminal assemblies. Each internal cavity may have an elongated portion that extends transversely across the housing and a plurality of leg portions in communication with the elongated portion to define passages between opposite sides of the connector. Each cavity is suited for holding a terminal assembly having at least one pair of differential signal terminals. The terminals have opposing compliant tail portions, and interconnecting portions that are partially encapsulated by an insulative outer shell. Two shells are combined together to form a single terminal assembly. The terminal assemblies are identical in shape so that they may be inserted into any of the cavities of the housings, thereby imparting a measure of modularity to the connectors.

Abstract: A surface mount connector has a dielectric housing with first and second opposing mating faces. The first mating face includes first terminals and the second mating face includes second terminals. The first and second terminals each have a tail portion, a contact portion and a terminal retention portion. The terminal retention portion engages the connector housing, and an opening, or hole, is formed in the retention section of the terminal.

Abstract: A connector provides mechanical strength and impedance-conforming coupling between conductors in a cable and conductors on a circuit board. The conductors in the cable and the circuit board carry differential signals. The connector is comprised of a dielectric plug that has conductive terminals installed in it which comprise an electrical triad. A dielectric inner body has at least one triplet of three conductive terminals that extend into corresponding slots of the dielectric plug. The dielectric inner body has latching arm slots that receiving a latching arm of a mechanical coupling link member. A protective cover extends over a wire management support member and the dielectric inner body portion and at least partially over the dielectric plug member. The protective cover has retention openings that engage an actuator leg of a latching member. The protective cover also has at least one bias leg recess, for receiving a bias leg of the latching member.

Abstract: An angular coaxial connector module (12) is provided for installation on a printed circuit board. The module includes at least a pair of angled coaxial conductors (28,30) each including first and second legs (32,34) joined at an elbow (36). The distal end (32a) of each first leg (32) defines a contact end of the respective conductor. The distal end (34a) of each second leg (34) defines a terminal end for attachment to the printed circuit board. A dielectric sheath (26) is disposed about each angled coaxial conductor leaving the distal ends thereof exposed. A tubular conductive shield (14,38) is provided about each dielectric sheath. A grounding means (18,60) couples the shields to the printed circuit board. A unitary dielectric housing (16) is disposed about at least portions (38) of the shields (14,38) to hold the connector in a module.

Abstract: A heat sink assembly includes a heat exchanging section having a thermally conductive sheet folded into alternating ridges and troughs defining spaced fins having first and second end edges. The folded sheet is formed into a generally cylindrical configuration defining an axis. The troughs form an inner segmented cylinder, the ridges form an outer segmented cylinder generally concentric with the inner cylinder and the fins radiate generally outwardly from the axis. A thermally conductive core is provided within the inner segmented cylinder defined by the troughs of the cylindrically folded sheet to transfer the heat to be dissipated from the heat generating component to the heat exchanging section. A retainer is engageable with the cylindrically folded sheet generally at the second end edges of the fins.

Abstract: A board to board connector for use in high speed signal transmission applications includes male and female connector components that interengage with each other. Each of the male and female parts has an insulative housing that holds a plurality of individual terminal assemblies in cavities defined by corresponding walls of each connector component. The exterior surfaces of the connector components are plated with a metal so as to provide a unitary grounding datum around each of the individual terminal assemblies. Each of the connector components may utilize a center engagement member that runs lengthwise through the connector components, one of the center engagement members having a contact blade formed integrally therewith and the other of the center engagement members including a plurality of spring arms, also integrally formed with the connector component so that the grounding shield portions of the two connectors make contact with each other first before the terminals of the connector make contact.

Abstract: An electrical connector is provided for mounting on a surface of a printed circuit board having a plurality of holes. The connector includes a dielectric housing having a plurality of terminal-receiving passages. A plurality of first conductive terminals are mounted in some of the passages and include first tail portions insertable in an insertion direction into the holes in the printed circuit board with an interference fit. A plurality of second conductive terminals are mounted in other of the passages and include second tail portions engageable with the surface of the printed circuit board. The second tail portions are constructed to exert forces on the connector in a direction opposite the insertion direction away from the printed circuit board.

Abstract: Blocks of wafer or plug connectors are held together by retainer members and are secured within a backplane connector by a latching assembly. The latching assembly includes a latching lever that has an engagement end extending to the base of the backplane connector. The lever is movably connected to the retainer member so that it may pivot, or rock, about an inflection point. The lever also includes a biasing member that constantly biases the lever into a latching position.

Abstract: Blocks of wafer or plug connectors are held together by retainer members and are secured within a backplane connector by a latching assembly. The latching assembly includes a latching lever that has an engagement end extending to the base of the backplane connector. The lever is movably connected to the retainer member so that it may pivot, or rock, about an inflection point. The lever also includes a biasing member that constantly biases the lever into a latching position.

Abstract: A retainer and connector system serves to reliably hold together and align a series of thin connector modules, such as wafer connectors, into an overall unit formed from the individual connector modules. The side edges of each of the connector modules have a pair of cavities formed therein. A retainer member is provided having a length equal to the thickness of the connector unit. The retainer member has first and second engagement members disposed thereon. Both engagement members may be inserted into the cavities to hold the connectors together as a stack, or one set of engagement members may be inserted into a set of the cavities and the retainer member rotated to align the connector modules together and then the other set of engagement members may be pressed into engagement with another set of cavities.

Abstract: A connector for high speed applications includes both signal and reference or power terminals arranged on opposite sides of a circuit-card receiving slot of the connector. The reference or power terminals have a pair of spring arms that extend up from a body portion and are spaced apart from each other. Insertion of a circuit card into the card slot deflects one of the two spring arm portions secondary into shorting contact with the other spring arm portion. The circuit paths are thus defined in the terminal, which increases the performance of the connector. The shorting contact is obtained by the two spring arm portions engaging each other along opposing sides to reduce the force needed to effect shorting contact.

Abstract: An elongate strip of electrical terminals adapted to be inserted into a row of terminal-receiving passages in connector housing is disclosed. The strip includes a series of terminals joined by a mid-carrier strip and includes alternating first and second terminals. The terminals have base portions with retention sections adapted to be inserted into the terminal-receiving passages. Spring arms having contact portions extend from first ends of the base portions. Tail portions extend from second, opposite ends of the base portions. The mid-carrier strip joins the alternating first and second terminals at the base portions of the first terminals and at the spring arm of the second terminals. A second carrier strip joins the tips of the tail portions of only the first terminals so that the adjacent ends of the second terminals can be formed independent of the first terminals.

Abstract: A connector for an edge card includes an elongated insulative housing with a central edge card-receiving slot formed in its top surfaces between two opposing sidewalls of the housing. The housing incudes two sets of terminal-receiving cavities disposed between the two side walls. The cavities are spaced apart from each other and separated by intervening cavity walls and the cavities are open to the exterior of the connector housing at the top and bottom of the housing. Conductive terminals are inserted into the cavities, preferably from the bottom and the terminals contain contact portions that are adapted to engage confronting contact pads on the edge card. The contact portions extend through additional openings of the cavities so that part of the contact portions extend into the card-receiving slot. The housing includes two preload walls that extend the length of the housing and separate the top openings from the slot openings of the cavities.

Abstract: An improved core detail tooling assembly for use in the injection molding of electrical connector housings utilizes opposing sets of tooling elements and one set of tooling elements positively engages the other set at a location exterior of openings in the mold cavity. This engagement location permits the molding of electrical connector housings with greater reliability and at smaller pitches.