Connector for use between integrated circuit units and circuit boards

Claim 1

Electrical connector means for a plurality of circuit pins comprising an electrically insulating receptacle of substantially rectangular form having end and sidewalls, said receptacle having an open to and a bottom and having a plurality oF holes in said bottom arranged in two rows adjacent to respective sidewalls, a plurality of removable conductors each including a terminal post and a contact clip, said conductors being arranged with said post having snug slidable fits in said respective holes for accurately locating and holding said conductor clips in the receptacle, to position said posts to form terminals extending from said bottom and to allow for convenient removal of the conductors from the receptacle without damage thereto, an electrically insulating cover of substantially rectangular form for closing said open top, said cover having a plurality of ports registrable with respective conductor clips for receiving and guiding said circuit pins into respective clips when the cover is closed and said conductor clips are positioned in the receptacle with the conductor post extending from said respective holes, said cover having holding means carried by the cover engaging said conductors to hold said conductors in position within said receptacle when the cover is closed, and a substantially positive releasable latch means operative between the receptacle and cover when closed, whereby the conductor is substantially more strongly held in the receptacle by said holding means when the cover is shut than by said snug fit when the cover is open, said latch means comprising parts in the cover and receptacle respectively and located substantially centrally between said end walls of the receptacle when the cover is closed, the terminal posts being of substantially polygonal cross section having corner portions, said holes having an inner portion of substantially the same polygonal cross section and having corners, said holes having an outer portion of rounded cross section arranged to lie slightly within said corners of the polygonal cross section of said hole, whereby axially extending portions of the outer part of the hole form fictional holding lands engageable by the corner potion of said post introduced through the hole by way of its polygonal end.