US3596230A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Connector with load sharing contacts
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1969-10-15
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Granted: 1971-07-27
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Expires: 1989-10-15
Abstract
Abstract This specification describes a connector which has a plurality of flexible U-shaped elements each with one arm of the U forming a contact carrying member for making electrical connections to lands on circuit boards inserted into the U and the other arm of the U forming a helper member for aiding in exerting the contact force on the lands. The position of the contact carrying members and the helper members is alternated from one side of the circuit board to the other so that the contacts engage lands on both sides of the circuit board. On each side of the circuit board, the members are positioned against the board while the helper members are spaced away from the board so that helper members and contact members form channels between them on both sides of the board. These channels each contain a floating force member which transfers a portion of the force exerted on the contact carrying members by the lands to the helper members.
Inventors
- 👤 Mario E Ecker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 12:13
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/82; H01R12/85; H01R12/88
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
175 words
A connector comprising: a plurality of flexible U-shaped elements each with one arm of the U forming a contact carrying member for making electrical contact to lands on a circuit board inserted into the U and the other arm of the U forming a helper member, said contact carry members and said helper members being arranged on both sides of the circuit board so that the helper mEmbers and said contact carrying members on the same side of the board form a channel between them with contact carrying members positioned adjacent the board and helper members positioned on the other side of the channel; and a force exerting member inserted in said channel, in physical contact with both contact carrying and helper members and mechanically floating with respect to both the contact carrying and helper members so that a portion of the force exerted on the contact carrying members by the lands is passed on by the force exerting members to the helper members whereby the helper and contact members share the contact force load.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
175 words
A connector comprising: a plurality of flexible U-shaped elements each with one arm of the U forming a contact carrying member for making electrical contact to lands on a circuit board inserted into the U and the other arm of the U forming a helper member, said contact carry members and said helper members being arranged on both sides of the circuit board so that the helper mEmbers and said contact carrying members on the same side of the board form a channel between them with contact carrying members positioned adjacent the board and helper members positioned on the other side of the channel; and a force exerting member inserted in said channel, in physical contact with both contact carrying and helper members and mechanically floating with respect to both the contact carrying and helper members so that a portion of the force exerted on the contact carrying members by the lands is passed on by the force exerting members to the helper members whereby the helper and contact members share the contact force load.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The connector of claim 1 including: a flexible arm with the contact thereon mounted on the arm carrying members for the obtaining of a wiping action when the contacts are closed upon the circuit board.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
32 words
The connector of claim 1 including: a flexible arm mounted on the arm carry members for engagement with the force exerting member to compensate for contact to contact differences in contact force.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
The connector of claim 1 including: means for varying the shape of said U-shaped elements to change the capacitance between adjacent U shaped elements and thereby change the transmission line characteristics of the elements.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The connector of claim 1 wherein there is a force exerting member in a channel on each side of the circuit board.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The connector of claim 5 including: zero insertion force means for moving said force exerting members normally with respect to the faces of the circuit board to change the spacing of the contacts.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
49 words
The connector of claim 6 wherein the zero insertion force means includes: lever arm means coupled to each of the force exerting members; and cam means for exerting a force on the lever arms means to cause the lever arm means to pivot and move the force exerting members.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-26 | 1975-01-25 | 1975-07-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-26 | 1979-01-25 | 1979-07-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-26 | 1983-01-25 | 1983-07-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |