Printed circuit edge connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having a channel and a pocket in communication with said channel, said pocket having an opening in communication therewith and a wall extending substantially parallel to said channel, another wall at an inner end of said channel and extending substantially parallel To said pocket wall, a contact element having a section disposed in said opening and a spring contact section including a portion extending along an inner surface of said pocket wall, a loop spaced adjacent to and extending along an outer end of said pocket wall and contact surface means extending along said channel and being substantially parallel to an insertion axis of said channel, a free end of said spring contact section disposed in engagement with said another wall, and projection means provided by said portion in engagement with said inner surface of said pocket wall, said section in said opening, said projection means in engagement with said inner pocket wall surface and said free end in engagement with said another wall providing preloaded contact surface means substantially constantly loaded over the whole area of said contact surface means.

Claim 3

An electrical connector assembly for connecting an electrical lead to a printed conductor on printed circuit panel, the assembly comprising an insulating housing defining a channel for receiving an edge of the printed circuit panel and a spring metal contact element disposed in the housing and including a loop-shaped contact spring portion having contact surface means for engaging the panel when inserted into the channel, the contact surface means extending substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the panel into the channel and the contact spring portion being stressed between first, second and third abutment surfaces of the housing so that the contact surface means of the contact portion is substantially constantly loaded over the whole area of the contact surface means, the contact spring portion having a free end part on one side of the loop formed by the contact spring portion, this one side of the loop providing the contact surface means the free end part of the loop engaging the first abutment surface, the other side of the loop having a projection engaging the second abutment surface which extends between the two sides of the loop and being stressed between the third abutment surface and the projection.

Claim 4

An electrical connector assembly for connecting an electrical lead to a printed conductor on printed circuit panel, the assembly comprising an insulating housing defining a channel for receiving an edge of the printed circuit panel and a spring metal contact element disposed in the housing and including a loop-shaped contact spring portion having contact surface means for engaging the panel when inserted into the channel, the contact surface means extending substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the panel into the channel and the contact spring portion being stressed between first, second and third abutment surfaces of the housing so that the contact surface means of the contact portion is substantially constantly loaded over the whole area of the contact surface means, the contact spring portion having a free end part on one side of the loop formed by the contact spring portion, this one side of the loop providing the contact surface means the free end part of the loop engaging the first abutment surface, the other side of the loop having a projection engaging the second abutment surface which extends between the two sides of the loop and being stressed between the third abutment surface and the projection.

Claim 5

An electrical connector assembly for connecting an electrical lead to a printed conductor on a printed circuit panel, the assembly comprising an insulating housing defining a channel having a mouth for receiving an edge of a printed circuit panel to be inserted into the channel and a spring metal contact element disposed in the housing and having a contact spring portion formed in the shape of a loop one side of which has a flat contact surface or flat contact surfaces for engaging the panel when inserted into the channel, such surface of surfaces extending substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the panel into the channel, the loop-shaped contact spring portion being stressed by engagement of the contact element with first, second and third abutment surfaces of the housing, in such a way that the contact surface or contact surfaces are substantially uniformly preloaded over the whole area of the contact surface or contact surfaces, the first abutment surface being remote from the mouth of the channel and engaging a free end portion of the one side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, the second abutment surface engaging the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion and cooperating with the third abutment surface to stress the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, in which the first abutment surface is formed by a first wall of the housing, disposed centrally of the channel and extending in the insertion direction of the panel, the second abutment surface being formed by a second wall of the housing, which wall is parallel to the first wall, the said contact surface or contact surfaces extending parallel to the second wall to the side of that wall facing the channel, the portion or portions of the said contact surface or surfaces nearest the mouth of the channel being preloaded by that side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion Which is disposed on the opposite side of the second wall to the contact surface or surfaces, and the portion or portions of the contact surfaces nearest the base of the channel being preloaded by both sides of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, in which the first and second abutment surfaces are spaced from one another in the direction of insertion of the panel, the first abutment surface lying between the second and third abutment surfaces in the direction of insertion of the panel, in which the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion has a projection engaging the second abutment surface which lies between the two sides of the looped-shaped contact spring portion.

Claim 6

An electrical connector assembly for connecting an electrical lead to a printed conductor on a printed circuit panel, the assembly comprising an insulating housing defining a channel having a mouth for receiving an edge of a printed circuit panel to be inserted into the channel and a spring metal contact element disposed in the housing and having a contact spring portion formed in the shape of a loop one side of which has a flat contact surface or flat contact surfaces for engaging the panel when inserted into the channel, such surface of surfaces extending substantially parallel to the direction of insertion of the panel into the channel, the loop-shaped contact spring portion being stressed by engagement of the contact element with first, second and third abutment surfaces of the housing, in such a way that the contact surface or contact surfaces are substantially uniformly preloaded over the whole area of the contact surface or contact surfaces, the first abutment surface being remote from the mouth of the channel and engaging a free end portion of the one side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, the second abutment surface engaging the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion and cooperating with the third abutment surface to stress the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, in which the first abutment surface is formed by a first wall of the housing, disposed centrally of the channel and extending in the insertion direction of the panel, the second abutment surface being formed by a second wall of the housing, which wall is parallel to the first wall, the said contact surface or contact surfaces extending parallel to the second wall to the side of that wall facing the channel, the portion or portions of the said contact surface or surfaces nearest the mouth of the channel being preloaded by that side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion Which is disposed on the opposite side of the second wall to the contact surface or surfaces, and the portion or portions of the contact surfaces nearest the base of the channel being preloaded by both sides of the loop-shaped contact spring portion, in which the first and second abutment surfaces are spaced from one another in the direction of insertion of the panel, the first abutment surface lying between the second and third abutment surfaces in the direction of insertion of the panel, in which the other side of the loop-shaped contact spring portion has a projection engaging the second abutment surface which lies between the two sides of the looped-shaped contact spring portion.