Connector for electrical isolation in a condensed area

Claim 2

The connector system of claim 1, wherein said ground receptacle contact (55) has an L-shaped cross-section, each side of the L-shape (48) having a contact point for contacting an associated mating surface of said at least one of said pins (15).

Claim 3

The connector system of claim 1, wherein said ground receptacle contact (55) and said signal receptacle contact (15) are generally 90 degree offset dual beam contacts.

Claim 4

The connector system of claim 1, wherein said signal receptacle contact (57) engages non-opposing sides of said pin (17).

Claim 5

The connector system of claim 1, further comprising a second ground receptacle contact (57), said first and second ground receptacle contacts being partially disposed within a module in a differential pair arrangement, said second ground receptacle contact (57) further being partially disposed within an adjacent module, said second ground receptacle contact being disposed in a mirror relationship to said first ground receptacle contact.

Claim 6

The connector system of claim 1, wherein said first ground receptacle contact engages the same pin as a second ground receptacle contact of an adjacent module.

Claim 7

The connector system of claim 1, wherein said ground and signal receptacle contacts engage respective pins to produce an unbalanced force, said unbalanced force being offset by another unbalanced force produced by neighboring ground and signal receptacle contacts to provide a balanced connector system.

Claim 8

A contact for engaging a mating contact, comprising: a mating portion at a first end of the contact for the mating contact, said mating portion having an L-shaped cross-section (48), each side of the L-shape having a contact point (45, 47) for contacting an associated mating surface of the mating contact; a terminal portion opposite said mating portion; and an intermediate portion extending between said mating portion and said terminal portion.

Claim 9

The contact of claim 8, wherein at least one of said contact points is disposed on a minor surface of said sides.

Claim 10

The contact of claim 9, wherein another of said contact points is disposed on a portion cantilevered from another of said sides.

Claim 11

The contact of claim 10, wherein said cantilevered portion extends beneath a remainder of said side.

Claim 12

An electrical interconnection comprising: a header connector (10) having a first substantially rectangular array of signal pins (15) and a second substantially rectangular array of ground pins (17), said first and second arrays being offset along a diagonal direction one with respect to the other; a receptacle connector (50) comprising a third substantially rectangular array of signal receptacle contacts arranged to mate with the first array of signal pins (15) and a fourth substantially rectangular array of ground receptacle contacts (57) arranged to mate with the second array of ground pins (17), said third and fourth arrays being offset and diagonally related one with respect to the other; each signal receptacle contact (55) having an L-shaped cross-section (48); and each ground receptacle contact (57) having an L-shaped cross-section (48), each side of the L-shape having a contact point for contacting at least two adjacent mating surfaces of an associated mating surface of an associated ground pin (17), and one of said sides being generally planar.