Patent EP0035354A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0035354A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Zero insertion force electrical connector
Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
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Filing: 1981-02-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-02-24
Abstract
Abstract The connector has an insulating housing (10) having a channel (18) for receiving a circuit board (not shown). A cam follower (14) is movable by a cam (12) between a first position in which contact springs (50) of terminals (16) in the housing (10) are in an open position in which the circuit board can be inserted into the channel (18) with substantially zero insertion force and a second position in which the contact springs (50) are in a closed position so as to engage the circuit board. To ensure that the cam follower (14) is positively returned to its second position and is not subject to unintended movement therefrom, e.g. as a result of vibration, the cam follower (14) has a hooked extension (40) which is engageable by the cam (12) to return the cam follower (14) and to secure it in its second position.
Inventors
- 👤 Robert Linn Showman
- 👤 Robert Ney Weber
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 10:16
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/82; H01R12/85; H01R12/88; H01R12/71; H01R12/72; H01R12/722
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
310 words
A zero insertion force circuit board edge electrical connector, comprising an insulating housing (10) having an elongate opening (18) for receiving a circuit board (20) along a board insertion path (A); -at least one row of electrical terminals (16) positioned beside the opening (18) and extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, each terminal (16) having a resilient contact portion (50) for engaging the circuit board (20) when such has been inserted into the opening (18) along the insertion path (A); a groove (28) formed in the bottom (27) of the opening (18) and extending longitudinally thereof; an elongate cam (12) mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the groove (28) and extending longitudinally thereof; and a cam follower (14) having a first surface (35) engaging the cam, the cam follower (14) being displaceable normally of the base (29) of the groove (28), by rotation of the cam (12), to cause the cam follower (14) to move between a first position in which it displaces the contact portions (50) from the insertion path (A) and a second position in which the cam follower (14) is retracted to allow the contact portions (50) to intersect the insertion path (A); -characterised in that the cam follower (14) has a second surface (43) spaced from the first surface (35), towards the base (29) of the groove (28) and which is engageable by the cam (12), as the cam (12) is rotated to cause the cam follower (14) to move from its first to its second position, so that the cam (12) positively drives the cam follower (14) to its second position, in which position the second surface (43) engages the side of the cam (12) nearest to the base (29) of the groove (28) so that the cam follower (14) is secured in its second position by the cam (12), against unintended movement.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
310 words
A zero insertion force circuit board edge electrical connector, comprising an insulating housing (10) having an elongate opening (18) for receiving a circuit board (20) along a board insertion path (A); -at least one row of electrical terminals (16) positioned beside the opening (18) and extending in the longitudinal direction thereof, each terminal (16) having a resilient contact portion (50) for engaging the circuit board (20) when such has been inserted into the opening (18) along the insertion path (A); a groove (28) formed in the bottom (27) of the opening (18) and extending longitudinally thereof; an elongate cam (12) mounted for rotation about its longitudinal axis in the groove (28) and extending longitudinally thereof; and a cam follower (14) having a first surface (35) engaging the cam, the cam follower (14) being displaceable normally of the base (29) of the groove (28), by rotation of the cam (12), to cause the cam follower (14) to move between a first position in which it displaces the contact portions (50) from the insertion path (A) and a second position in which the cam follower (14) is retracted to allow the contact portions (50) to intersect the insertion path (A); -characterised in that the cam follower (14) has a second surface (43) spaced from the first surface (35), towards the base (29) of the groove (28) and which is engageable by the cam (12), as the cam (12) is rotated to cause the cam follower (14) to move from its first to its second position, so that the cam (12) positively drives the cam follower (14) to its second position, in which position the second surface (43) engages the side of the cam (12) nearest to the base (29) of the groove (28) so that the cam follower (14) is secured in its second position by the cam (12), against unintended movement.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
75 words
A connector according to Claim 1, characterised in that the cam follower (14) comprises a first wall (36) extending from a base (34) for engagement with the contact portions (50), and a second wall (40) extending from the base (34) in the opposite direction to the first wall (36), the second surface (35) being provided on a flange (42) on the second wall (40), the flange (42) overlapping the base (34) and being spaced therefrom.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
105 words
A connector according to Claim 2, characterised in that the cam (12) is of elongate cross-section having a pair of parallel major sides (45) and a pair of convex minor sides (47), the base (34) of the cam follower (14) being spaced from the flange (42) by a distance slightly exceeding that between the minor sides of the cam (12), the length of the flange (42), as seen in cross-section through the cam follower (14), being such that one minor side (47) of the cam (12) is received between the base (34) and the flange (42) in the second position of the cam follower (14).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
39 words
A connector according to Claim 2 or 3, characterised in that a recess (44) formed in the base (29) of the groove (28) is adapted to receive the flange (42) in the second position of the cam follower (14).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that one side wall of the groove (28) is provided with a stop (58) to prevent further rotation of the cam (12) in the same sense after it has moved the cam follower (14) from its second to. its first position.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A connector according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the first (35) and second (43) surfaces of the cam follower (14) are flat and are parallel to one another.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
151 words
A connector according to Claim 1, in which the cam follower (14) comprises a channel-shaped insulating member comprising a base (34) from one side of which a pair of parallel side walls (36 and 38) extend in the same direction, the other side (35) of the base (34) being flat; characterised in that a single further wall (40) extends from the other side of the base (34) of the cam follower (14) in alignment with one (36) of the side walls (36 and 38) but in the opposite direction thereto, the further wall (40) terminating in a flange (42) extending substantially normally of the further wall (40) and overlapping the base (34) by a distance which does not exceed that between the flange (42) and the base (34), the flange (34) presenting towards the base a flat surface (43) which is parallel to the other side (35) of the base (34).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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