Edge connector with polarizing member

Claim 2

An edge connector for a printed circuit board, said board including indexing means adjacent an edge thereof, and a plurality of conductors disposed on a surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, and a corresponding plurality of contact elements extending outwardly from said body and positioned to register with corresponding ones of said conductors when the keying and indexing means are engaged, the contact region between each contact element and the corresponding conductor being spaced a predetermined distance from said edge, said distance being greater than said engagement depth for at least one of said conductors, said one conductor being aligned with said indexing means in said given direction, said engagement depth being greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1, wherein said connector body includes a socket for receiving a printed circuit board edgewise therein, the socket having a bottom wall and a sidewall depending therefrom, and said keying means includes a keying member in communication with said socket intermediate said bottom wall and said contact region, said contact elements extending outwardly from said sidewall over said bottom wall and said keying member such that said contact region is spaced from said bottom wall a distance greater than said engagement depth, said contact elements retaining said keying member in said socket.

Claim 4

The connector of claim 2, wherein said sidewall and bottom wall define a channel and wherein said keying member includes a base portion and a keying portion, said base portion being disposed within said channel adjacent said bottom wall, said keying portion being disposed facing said outwardly extending contact elements in said given direction, said indexing and keying means including complimentary male and female portions.

Claim 5

The connector of claim 3 wherein said keying portion comprises a male projection extending into said channel in said given direction, and said base portion comprises an elongated member adapted to be closeLy received in said channel, said projection extending therefrom, said base portion being spaced from said contact region a distance greater than said engagement depth.

Claim 6

The connector of claim 2, wherein said bottom wall includes a recess in communication with said channel, and said keying member includes a male projection closely received by said recess and extending from said bottom wall toward said contact region in said given direction.

Claim 7

The connector of claim 2, wherein said keying member includes a plurality of spaced male projections extending therefrom toward said contact region in said given direction.

Claim 8

The connector of claim 2, wherein said keying member includes a male projection extending from said bottom wall toward said contact region.

Claim 9

The connector of claim 2, wherein said given direction is defined by the direction of insertion of said printed circuit board into said socket.

Claim 10

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on a surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means capable of engaging said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, said indexing and keying means including complimentary male and female members, and a contact element extending outwardly from said body and positioned to register with at least one corresponding conductor only when the keying and indexing means are engaged, the contact region between a contact element and its corresponding conductor being spaced a predetermined distance from said edge, said distance being greater than said engagement depth, for at least one of said conductors, said engagement depth being greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and the contact region between said contact element and its corresponding conductor.

Claim 11

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on a surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means capable of engaging said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, said indexing and keying means including complimentary male and female members, and a contact element extending outwardly from said body and positioned to register with at least one corresponding conductor only when the keying and indexing means are engaged, the contact region between a contact element and its corresponding conductor being spaced a predetermined distance from said edge, said distance being greater than said engagement depth, for at least one of said conductors, said engagement depth being greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and the contact region between said contact element and its corresponding conductor.

Claim 12

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminating conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engaged, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged while none of said conductors contacts any of said fingers when said indexing and keying means are unengaged.

Claim 13

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminating conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engaged, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged while none of said conductors contacts any of said fingers when said indexing and keying means are unengaged.

Claim 14

The connector of claim 10, wherein said engagement depth is greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region.

Claim 15

The connector of claim 10, wherein said connector body defines an elongated U-shaped channel having a bottom wall and a sidewall, each of said contact fingers being secured to said body such that the contact region thereof communicate with said channel over said bottom wall, said keying means includes a keying member secured in said channel intermediate said bottom wall and said contact region.

Claim 16

The connector of claim 12, wherein said bottom wall Has a hole therein; which hole closely receives said keying member, said keying member including a male keying projection extending from said member toward said contact region.

Claim 17

The connector of claim 10, wherein said connector body defines an elongated U-shaped channel having a bottom wall and two sidewalls, each of said contact fingers being secured to said body such that the contact region thereof communicates with said channel over said bottom wall, said keying means includes a female keying member having a slot therein parallel to said given direction and communicating with said channel, said female keying member being adapted to be received in said channel adjacent one of said sidewalls and said bottom wall.

Claim 18

An edge connector for a printed circuit board, said board including indexing means adjacent an edge thereof, and a plurality of conductors disposed on a surface of the board, said connector comprising: a connector body having a channel adapted to receive the edge of said circuit board, a corresponding plurality of contact elements extending outwardly from said body toward said channel each element being positioned to register with a corresponding one of said conductors, and a keying member disposed in said channel solely between (i) the contact region between at least one contact element and the corresponding conductor and (ii) the channel bottom, said keying member being further disposed at any randomly designated location intermediate the ends of said channel.

Claim 19

An edge connector for a printed circuit board, said board including indexing means adjacent an edge thereof, and a plurality of conductors disposed on a surface of the board, said connector comprising: a connector body having a channel adapted to receive the edge of said circuit board, a corresponding plurality of contact elements extending outwardly from said body toward said channel each element being positioned to register with a corresponding one of said conductors, and a keying member disposed in said channel solely between (i) the contact region between at least one contact element and the corresponding conductor and (ii) the channel bottom, said keying member being further disposed at any randomly designated location intermediate the ends of said channel.

Claim 20

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminating conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engaged, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged, said engagement depth being greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region.

Claim 21

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminating conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engaged, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged, said engagement depth being greater than the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region.

Claim 22

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body defining an elongated U-shaped channel having a bottom wall and two sidewalls, said body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, said keying means including a female keying member having a slot therein parallel to said given direction and being adapted to be received in said channel adjacent one of said sidewalls and said bottom wall, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminated conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engageD, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, each of said contact fingers being secured to said body such that the contact region thereof communicates with said channel over said bottom wall, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged.

Claim 23

An edge connector for a printed circuit board having indexing means at an edge thereof and a plurality of conductors disposed on at least one surface of the board, each conductor terminating adjacent said edge, said connector comprising: a connector body defining an elongated U-shaped channel having a bottom wall and two sidewalls, said body including keying means adapted to engage said indexing means in a given direction, said means engaging each other over a predetermined depth in said direction, said keying means including a female keying member having a slot therein parallel to said given direction and being adapted to be received in said channel adjacent one of said sidewalls and said bottom wall, and a plurality of contact fingers secured to said body, each finger registering with and corresponding to a different one of said terminated conductors and arranged in overlapping relationship with its respective corresponding conductor such that each finger extends over the circuit board a predetermined distance from said edge when the indexing and keying means are engageD, the contact region between at least one of said fingers and said conductors being spaced a distance further from said edge than said engagement depth, each of said contact fingers being secured to said body such that the contact region thereof communicates with said channel over said bottom wall, said engagement depth and the maximum displacement in said given direction between any conductor termination and any contact region being related such that each conductor contacts only its corresponding finger solely when the indexing and keying means are engaged.