Abstract: An electrical connector (30) includes a body (34) of elastomeric material having cavities (38) containing a conductive gel operable upon deformation of the body of said connector to interconnect conductive pads (16, 22) between components such as a printed circuit board (12) and a chip carrier (20).

Abstract: An electrical connector (10,50,50',84,84') for being positioned between parallel surfaces and electrically interconnecting conductive areas on the surfaces is disclosed. More particularly, the connector (10,50,50',84,84') includes a housing (12,52,52',86) and contact elements (14,14',14",70,104) which are formed by wrapping a flexible, circuit carrying film (20,72) around a single canted coil spring (18) or by wrapping a flexible circuit carrying film (104) around two spaced apart canted coil springs (18).

Abstract: A self-mounted chip carrier having a surface which contains the integrated circuit. This surface has a contact pad metallized area for contacting the integrated circuit. The self-mounted chip carrier is secured to a mating surface and aligned so that the pads on the chip carrier are aligned with the matching pads on a substrate for mating with the self-mounted chip carrier. Registration holes serve as a means for aligning the chip carrier. A compliant connector made of an elastomeric material is positioned between the chip carrier and the substrate to provide electrical connection. A lid is provided to serve as a deflection stop.

Abstract: A rubber connector comprises a plurality of insulating portions and a plurality of conducting portions which are alternately disposed with the insulating portions and projected from adjacent insulating portions.

Abstract: An electrical connector (18) for electrically interconnecting non-parallel substrates (10,12) is disclosed. The connector (18) includes a contact element (24) formed from a single length of flexible, circuit carrying film (40) wrapped around two or more spaced apart coil springs (42) with each wrapped spring provided a segment (60). The contact element (24) is carried in a housing (20) with the segments (60) received in interconnected channels (26) in adjacent surfaces (28) of the housing against which the substrates (10,12) are mounted for electrical engagement with the segments (60).

Abstract: A separable flat integrated circuit chip connector (22) includes a plurality of contact spring members (44) maintained in a planar array by a dielectric holder (54). The planar array of the contact members (44) on the connector (22) corresponds to the planar arrays of contact pads on the surfaces of the integrated circuit package (14) and the printed circuit board (10) to which it is to be connected. A connector fastening assembly (24, 26) clamps and holds the conncetor (22) between the integrated circuit package (14) and the printed circuit board (10) to provide separable electrical connections between corresponding contact pads.

Abstract: An integrally molded electrical connector 10 for interconnecting an array 60 of conductors of a first article 58 with a corresponding array 64 of conductors of a second article 62 includes a plurality of substantially rigid bifurcated tines joined by a bight section 30, each tine having arm portions 18, 24 deflectable toward each other; and compressible support means 46 extending between the arm portions 18, 24 of the tines 16; and continuous circuit means 36 defined along outer surfaces of tine arm portions 18, 24 and bight section 30. The array of tines is formed from a dielectric material. The compressible support means 46 has sufficient durometer to maintain contact normal force between the continuous circuit means 36 and the corresponding contact means of opposed first and second electrical articles 58, 62 upon the arm portions 18, 24 being compressively held between the pair of electrical articles 58, 62.

Abstract: Electrical connectors including a row of conductive interconnect elements in the form of slugs which extend through openings in a block of insulating material and which are associated resilient wadded elements to connect conductive pads of circuit boards. A wall portion of conductive material is positioned in parallel relation to the row or elements to provide a ground plane and an air dielectric is provide along the length of each element to cooperate with the dielectric of the block and obtain a desired characteristic impedance.

Abstract: An area array connector (10) employs a flexible interconnect member (30) having electrical circuitry including contact pads (32) which are forced into electrical contact with conductive pads (42) and (52) on a pair of stacked substrates (40) and (50) by means of a canted coil spring (24) that is held in a force application plate (20).

Abstract: An improved electrical connector for making electrical connections between electronic components. The improved electrical connector includes an insulating board interposed between metalized contact areas on the electronic components. The insulating board has openings at positions corresponding to the contact areas of the electronic components, with electrical connections between the contact areas established with conductive connector elements positioned in the openings of the insulating board. The connector elements are preferably each formed from a strand of metal wire, each strand being wadded together to form a nearly cylindrical "button" of material having a density of between twenty and thirty percent. The improved electrical connector provides high density contact areas, easy engagement and disengagement of the electronic components, and minimum electrical resistance between the contact areas.

Abstract: This invention provides an interposer for electrically connecting two substrates with high density interconnections. The interposer comprises an elastomeric material surrounding fine metal wires which extend through the elastomeric material. The elastomeric material provides mechanical support and electrical isolation for the wires which connect the two opposing surfaces of the interposer with mating substrates. One surface of the interposed has scribes cut into it which mechanically isolate the individual wires. This mechanical isolation between wires reduces the stress placed on the substrates from being connected when the interposer is compressed between the substrates. The support given individual wires by the elastomeric material is controlled, by adjusting the spacing and widths of the scribes, to provide uniform compression across the substrates.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for facilitating insertion and maximizing resiliency, reliability and conductivity of button contacts in button board type circuit interconnectors.

Abstract: An appliance holder comprises an electrically insulative housing defining a first cavity for receiving an electrical appliance and a second cavity for receiving a pair of electrical wires, and electrically conductive contacts for operatively connecting the electrical appliance and the pair of wires. The appliance holder additionally includes a generally U-shaped clip of electrically insulative resilient material. The clip defines a pair of legs and a bight connecting the legs, the bight and legs being configured and dimensioned to pass around a plurality of other electrical wires. The free ends of the legs are received within and releasably engage the housing for integrating the clip, the appliance holder, the pair of wires, the other electrical wires, and the electrical appliance for movement as a unit.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing produces a plurality of contact terminals (26) in a continuous, uninterrupted strip form. The method comprises the steps of: stamping a contact electrical terminal (26) from conductive material having certain desired spring characteristics, so that the contact terminal (26) has a spring end (30) and a crimp end (34) having a crimp opening (42) therein, crimping the contact terminal crimp end (34) onto a continuous length of electrically insulating material (66), and repeating the above steps until a plurality of spaced apart contact terminals (26) is provided in a continuous, uninterrupted strip.

Abstract: A rubber connector comprises a plurality of insulating portions and a plurality of conducting portions which are alternately disposed with the insulating portions and projected from adjacent insulating portions.

Abstract: A high density, high performance and high fidelity connector system that can connect between electronic circuit planes having different wiring densities. The connector has a modular structure that avoids tolerance build-up for large (long) connections between two substrates, or between a substrate and a board. The connector design can accommodate differential temperature coefficients of expansion between the connector materials and the materials of the substrates being connected. The connector can be formed from low cost printed circuit board technology, or its equivalent, and can be configured to have controlled impedance, low crosstalk and wide bandwidth. The angle between surfaces being interconnected can vary from 0 to 360 degrees.

Abstract: A clamping system for use in connecting high density flexible circuit to a rigid printed circuit board. The clamping system utilizes metal-on-elastomer (MOE) strips contained in a MOE holder and held in place by clamping components to provide electrical connections between the high density flexible circuit and the rigid printed circuit board. The clamping system utilizes a flexible mouth surrounding the high density flexible circuit to alleviate stress on the high density flexible circuit, a special plating on the conductors of the high density flexible circuit to prevent oxidation, and a stiffener clamp to provide stability for the MOE strips.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of fabricating conductive polymer interconnect (CPI) material which employs chains of electrically conductive particles within an elastomeric matrix. Contact resistance is improved by removing a thin layer is elastomeric material which remains after normal processing. The surface layer is removed by plasma etching so that the conductive particles protrude at both surfaces. The protruding particles can be plated to replace any conductive material removed by the etch.

Abstract: Provided herein are novel layered elastomeric connectors, housings therefor and methods of manufacture for the connectors which includes alternating fused layers of a dielectric elastomer and electrically conductive fibrous mats coextensive with a cross section of the conductor to provide a multiplicity of conductive pathways between two electrically conductive surfaces.

Abstract: A high density electrical connector is disclosed in which a stack of insulative strips are provided with multiple series of aligned contact cavities extending through the stack. The contacts for the connector have opposite ends which extend outside the opposite faces of the stack, and middle V-shaped resilient portions which cause the ends of the contacts to resiliently engage conductive pads on printed circuit boards mounted on opposite sides of the stack. The middle portion of each contact extends from the cavity in one strip into the cavity of the adjacent strip, so that the length of the middle portion can be increased, thereby enhancing the flexibility of the ends of the contacts.