EP0350710A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Printed circuit board edge connector
Assignee: Versatile Engineering Co Inc
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Filing: 1989-06-27
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-06-27
Abstract
Abstract The connector is for receiving the edge of a printed circuit board and making contact with the pads along the edge thereof. The connector has a body in which is positioned a plurality of longitudinally arranged U-shaped sockets which receive the edge of the board. Formed points are located in the sockets at a different distance from the bottom of the socket. These points are spaced so that the board may slide therebetween and then, as the board is turned in the socket, it engages the points to make assured contact.
Inventors
- 👤 Heinz Loewen
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 17:05
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/71; H01R12/72; H01R12/82; H01R12/83; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/04; H01R12/721; H01R43/00; H01R43/16
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
260 words
A contact, the contact being cut out of the flat of a sheet of substantially planar metallic spring material and bent out of the plane of the sheet; said contact having first and second arms having ends attached together and outer ends away from said attached ends to define a generally U-shaped socket, said first and second arms having first and second facing walls defining said socket, first and second contact points respectively in said first and second walls and generally facing each other, said contact points being spaced so that a printed circuit board can be placed therebetween without contacting said points when it is at a first angle with respect to said walls and is in engagement with both said first and second points when said printed circuit board is at a second angle with respect to said walls; a formed spring extending from the outer end of one of said arms; an attachment body on the spring away from said socket so that said attachment body can be secured to a connector body so that said spring can flex so that said shaped socket can move with respect to said attachment body as said printed circuit board is moved from a first position at the first angle to a second position at the second angle; and a pin secured to said attachment body so that the pin can be connected to a mother board so that a printed circuit board in said socket in said second position is connected to said contact and to the mother board.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
260 words
A contact, the contact being cut out of the flat of a sheet of substantially planar metallic spring material and bent out of the plane of the sheet; said contact having first and second arms having ends attached together and outer ends away from said attached ends to define a generally U-shaped socket, said first and second arms having first and second facing walls defining said socket, first and second contact points respectively in said first and second walls and generally facing each other, said contact points being spaced so that a printed circuit board can be placed therebetween without contacting said points when it is at a first angle with respect to said walls and is in engagement with both said first and second points when said printed circuit board is at a second angle with respect to said walls; a formed spring extending from the outer end of one of said arms; an attachment body on the spring away from said socket so that said attachment body can be secured to a connector body so that said spring can flex so that said shaped socket can move with respect to said attachment body as said printed circuit board is moved from a first position at the first angle to a second position at the second angle; and a pin secured to said attachment body so that the pin can be connected to a mother board so that a printed circuit board in said socket in said second position is connected to said contact and to the mother board.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The contact of Claim 1 wherein said contact points are formed as sharp points formed in said first and second walls.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The contact of Claim 2 wherein at least one of said first and second walls is substantially flat and said first and second contacts are positioned so that a line therebetween is not normal to said flat wall.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
The contact of Claim 1 wherein said attachment body is wider than said socket and wider than said spring.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
44 words
The contact of Claim 4 wherein said attachment body has first and second formed dimples adjacent the edges thereof, wider than said spring so that, when placed in attachment slots in a connector body, said contact is thrust towards one side of the slots.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
The contact of Claim 5 wherein said attachment body has a projection on the edge thereof, at least as wide as the slots in the connector body to thrust said attachment body towards one end of the slots.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
The contact of Claim 4 wherein the connector body has a slot therein and said attachment body has a projection on the edge thereof, at least as wide as the slot in the connector body to thrust said attachment body towards one end of the slot.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
33 words
The contact of Claim 7 wherein a plurality of said contacts is attached to a comb back so that said plurality of contacts can be handled together for insertion into a connector body.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The contact of Claim 1 wherein a plurality of said contacts is attached to a comb back so that said plurality of contacts can be handled together for insertion into a connector body.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
139 words
A plurality of contacts comprising: a comb back, said plurality of contacts each having ends, the same end of each of said contacts being attached to said comb back so that said plurality of contacts can be handled as a unit and inserted into a corresponding plurality of pockets in a connector body, each of said contacts being formed from the flat of a sheet of spring contact metal and having been unitarily formed together in order: a pin for attachment to a mother board, an attachment body for attaching each contact into its pocket in the connector body, a spring and a generally U-shaped socket so that said socket can resiliently move in either direction with respect to said attachment body in the direction of the flat of said spring in accordance with stresses on said U-shaped socket.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
139 words
A plurality of contacts comprising: a comb back, said plurality of contacts each having ends, the same end of each of said contacts being attached to said comb back so that said plurality of contacts can be handled as a unit and inserted into a corresponding plurality of pockets in a connector body, each of said contacts being formed from the flat of a sheet of spring contact metal and having been unitarily formed together in order: a pin for attachment to a mother board, an attachment body for attaching each contact into its pocket in the connector body, a spring and a generally U-shaped socket so that said socket can resiliently move in either direction with respect to said attachment body in the direction of the flat of said spring in accordance with stresses on said U-shaped socket.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
86 words
The plurality of contacts of Claim 10 wherein said socket has sides and there are contact points in said sides of said socket, said contact points being spaced so that the edge of a printed circuit board can be inserted therebetween without contact with said contact points at a first angle of the printed circuit board with respect to said socket and said contact points engage into the printed circuit board when the printed circuit board is moved to a second, installed angle within said socket.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
35 words
The plurality of contacts of Claim 11 wherein each of said attachment bodies has first and second formed dimples therein for forcing said attachment body towards one side of attachment slots within a connector body.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
35 words
The plurality of contacts of Claim 10 wherein each of said attachment bodies has first and second formed dimples therein for forcing said attachment body towards one side of attachment slots within a connector body.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
133 words
A connector body; said connector body being molded of dielectric synthetic polymer composition material, said connector body having first and second rails extending the length of said connector body, webs defining contact pockets in said connector body, at least some of said webs extending between said first and second rails to support said first and second rails with respect to each other, said webs connecting said first and second rails having a notch therein defined by an edge, said edges on said webs defining the maximum depth of engagement of a printed circuit board into said connector body, at least one of said rails having a rib overlying said notch so as to protect all free ends of contacts within said pockets from contact damage by misinsertion of a contact carrying board therein.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
133 words
A connector body; said connector body being molded of dielectric synthetic polymer composition material, said connector body having first and second rails extending the length of said connector body, webs defining contact pockets in said connector body, at least some of said webs extending between said first and second rails to support said first and second rails with respect to each other, said webs connecting said first and second rails having a notch therein defined by an edge, said edges on said webs defining the maximum depth of engagement of a printed circuit board into said connector body, at least one of said rails having a rib overlying said notch so as to protect all free ends of contacts within said pockets from contact damage by misinsertion of a contact carrying board therein.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
37 words
The connector body of Claim 14 wherein said webs have slots therein facing each other in said pockets, said slots extending only partway into said webs to receive an attachment body which is wider than said pocket.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
52 words
The connector body of Claim 15 wherein said connector body has locating means thereon for locating said connector body with respect to a mother board and has feet thereon for holding said connector body above the mother board for cleaning of the connector body after it is installed on the mother board.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
53 words
The connector body of Claim 14 wherein adjacent each end of said connector body there is located a latch for engagement on and retention of a printed circuit board inserted therein, and behind each latch there is a latch stop to prevent over-bending of said latch to prevent breaking off of said latch.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
228 words
A connector comprising: a body, said body having at least first and second rails defining the length thereof; webs attached to one of said rails and extending transversely to said body to define upright pockets in said body, slots in said web, said slots extending partway through the thickness of said webs and extending partway through the height of said webs from the bottom of said body; a contact within each of said pockets, each of said contacts being unitarily formed out of the flat surface of a sheet of spring metallic contact stock, each of said contacts having a pin and having an attachment body above said pin, said attachment body being wider than said pocket and being secured in said attachment slots in the sides of said pocket, a spring extending above said attachment body and a socket formed on said spring, said spring and said socket being narrower than the width of said body so that said spring and said socket can be inserted into said pocket from the bottom of said body, said socket being U-shaped and said spring extending from the end of one of the arms of said U-shaped socket, said sockets of each of said contacts being aligned along the length of said connector so that the edge of a printed circuit board can be inserted therein for electrical connection thereto.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
228 words
A connector comprising: a body, said body having at least first and second rails defining the length thereof; webs attached to one of said rails and extending transversely to said body to define upright pockets in said body, slots in said web, said slots extending partway through the thickness of said webs and extending partway through the height of said webs from the bottom of said body; a contact within each of said pockets, each of said contacts being unitarily formed out of the flat surface of a sheet of spring metallic contact stock, each of said contacts having a pin and having an attachment body above said pin, said attachment body being wider than said pocket and being secured in said attachment slots in the sides of said pocket, a spring extending above said attachment body and a socket formed on said spring, said spring and said socket being narrower than the width of said body so that said spring and said socket can be inserted into said pocket from the bottom of said body, said socket being U-shaped and said spring extending from the end of one of the arms of said U-shaped socket, said sockets of each of said contacts being aligned along the length of said connector so that the edge of a printed circuit board can be inserted therein for electrical connection thereto.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
77 words
The connector of claim 18 wherein first and second contact points are formed in said socket, generally directed towards each other, said contact points being spaced so that, when the printed circuit board is inserted into said socket at a first angle, the edge of the printed circuit board fits between said contact points, and when the printed circuit board is moved to a second angle, said points cut into the surface of the printed circuit board.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
52 words
The connector of Claim 19 wherein there is means for holding the printed circuit board in the second position, said means comprising a latch engaging over the edge of the printed circuit board, a latch stop formed on said connector body adjacent said latch to limit latch motion to inhibit latch breakage.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
75 words
The connector of Claim 18 wherein at least some of said webs extend between said first rail and said second rail and said webs extending between said first rail and said second rail have therein a notch defined by an edge, said edge being positioned so that insertion of a printed circuit board into said socket and against said edge limits bending of said spring to resilient bending to inhibit permanent bending of said contacts.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
49 words
The connector of Claim 19 wherein there is a locating post on said connector body positioned to be engaged by a tooling hole in the printed circuit board so that when the printed circuit board is moved to the second position, the tooling hole engages upon said locating post.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
29 words
The connector of Claim 20 wherein dimples are formed on said attachment body to thrust said attachment body to one side of said slots in which it is engaged.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
The connector of Claim 23 wherein a projection is formed on the edge of said attachment body to thrust said attachment body into one of its notches.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
30 words
The connector of Claim 18 wherein locating posts are formed on the bottom of said body, said locating posts extending farther below said body than said pins on said connectors.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
32 words
The connector of Claim 25 wherein feet are formed on the bottom of said body to hold the bottom of said body above a mother board on which said connector is mounted.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
156 words
An electrical connector comprising: a connector body; a plurality of spaced spring contacts fixedly mounted in said body, each of said contacts being formed from a substantially flat sheet of metallic spring stock, each of said contacts including two opposing contact faces at the end of a single continuous length of spring, an attachment body on the other end of said spring, said attachment body being positioned within slots in said connector body, a pin on each attachment body to extend below said connector body for attachment into a mother circuit board, first and second contact points within said socket, said contact points being spaced so that upon entry of the edge of a printed circuit board into said sockets at a first angle, no contact force is encountered and upon rotation of the printed circuit board to a second position, said contact points cut into pads on the circuit board to ensure electric contact therewith.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
156 words
An electrical connector comprising: a connector body; a plurality of spaced spring contacts fixedly mounted in said body, each of said contacts being formed from a substantially flat sheet of metallic spring stock, each of said contacts including two opposing contact faces at the end of a single continuous length of spring, an attachment body on the other end of said spring, said attachment body being positioned within slots in said connector body, a pin on each attachment body to extend below said connector body for attachment into a mother circuit board, first and second contact points within said socket, said contact points being spaced so that upon entry of the edge of a printed circuit board into said sockets at a first angle, no contact force is encountered and upon rotation of the printed circuit board to a second position, said contact points cut into pads on the circuit board to ensure electric contact therewith.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
54 words
The connector of Claim 27 further including first and second latches integrally formed with said body positioned to latch the printed circuit board in the second position and first and second latch stops respectively positioned behind said first and second latches to inhibit excess motion of said latches to inhibit breakoff of said latches.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
30 words
The connector of Claim 27 wherein each of said attachment body is engaged in said connector body to force each contact into the same relative location in each contact cavity.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
66 words
The connector of Claim 27 wherein said contacts are configured to be stamped and formed of sheet material with an attachment comb connected between a plurality of said contacts away from said contact faces thereof so that a plurality of said contacts can be inserted into and secured in said connector body at the same time to permit group loading of contacts into said connector body.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
44 words
The connector of Claim 27 wherein said connector body is formed of first and second spaced rails and one of said rails extends partway over said contact sockets to prevent access to said contact sockets from directions away from said first and second directions.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
178 words
The method of making a printed circuit board edge connector comprising the steps of: stamping and forming from metallic sheet contact material a plurality of contacts, each serially comprising a pin, an attachment body, a spring configured to bend in the flat of the sheet material and a U-shaped socket, with the socket and spring being more narrow than the attachment body, and with the plurality of contacts being secured to a comb back to form a comb of contacts; molding a connector body of dielectric synthetic polymer composition material to define pockets between webs with the pockets being wider than the sockets and the springs but narrower than the attachment bodies; and inserting at the same time a plurality of contacts into a corresponding plurality of pockets by passing the contacts and springs through the pockets; engaging the attachment bodies in the webs defining the pockets to retain the contacts in the pocket so that the pins extend out of the bottom of the body; and thereafter removing the comb back so that each contact is separate.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
178 words
The method of making a printed circuit board edge connector comprising the steps of: stamping and forming from metallic sheet contact material a plurality of contacts, each serially comprising a pin, an attachment body, a spring configured to bend in the flat of the sheet material and a U-shaped socket, with the socket and spring being more narrow than the attachment body, and with the plurality of contacts being secured to a comb back to form a comb of contacts; molding a connector body of dielectric synthetic polymer composition material to define pockets between webs with the pockets being wider than the sockets and the springs but narrower than the attachment bodies; and inserting at the same time a plurality of contacts into a corresponding plurality of pockets by passing the contacts and springs through the pockets; engaging the attachment bodies in the webs defining the pockets to retain the contacts in the pocket so that the pins extend out of the bottom of the body; and thereafter removing the comb back so that each contact is separate.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of Claim 32 wherein the step of forming the socket includes the step of forming contact points within the socket with the contact points facing each other and spaced from each other a greater distance than the thickness of a printed circuit board inserted therebetween.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of Claim 33 further including the steps: inserting a printed circuit board having a plurality of pads thereon into a plurality of aligned sockets which have contact points on both sides which are spaced apart a distance greater than the circuit board thickness at an angle where the pads touch the contact points on only one side of the socket; and rotating the printed circuit board so that the contact points on both sides of the socket engage on the printed circuit board and resilient deflection of the contact is substantially taken up by resilient spring defection away from the socket.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
78 words
an electrical contact comprising: a sheet of conductive metallic spring alloy having first and second surfaces; a slit in said first surface; a punch depression in said second surface directly opposite said slit in said first surface so as to raise the edges of said slit above said first surface and to separate them to form sharp raised slit edges so as to form a pair of spaced contact edges adjacent each other and separated by said slit.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
78 words
an electrical contact comprising: a sheet of conductive metallic spring alloy having first and second surfaces; a slit in said first surface; a punch depression in said second surface directly opposite said slit in said first surface so as to raise the edges of said slit above said first surface and to separate them to form sharp raised slit edges so as to form a pair of spaced contact edges adjacent each other and separated by said slit.
Claim 43
Independent Claim
64 words
The method of forming contacts comprising the steps of: slitting the first surface of an electrically conductive metallic spring alloy sheet; punching the second surface of the sheet directly below the slits so as to form a punched depression and cause raising of the slit edges above the first surface so as to form spaced sharp contact edges on opposite sides of the slit.
Claim 44
Independent Claim
64 words
The method of forming contacts comprising the steps of: slitting the first surface of an electrically conductive metallic spring alloy sheet; punching the second surface of the sheet directly below the slits so as to form a punched depression and cause raising of the slit edges above the first surface so as to form spaced sharp contact edges on opposite sides of the slit.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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