Method and structure for supporting electric components in a matrix

Claim 2

A matrix assembly for electric components of predetermined length having end connectors, comprising: a support plate having apertures therethrough arranged in rows and columns, said support plate having a thickness slightly less than the length of said electric components; a nonconductive upper plate having electrically conductive material arranged in rows in facing relation to one face of said support plate with each row in registration with a row of said apertures; a nonconductive lower plate having electrically conductive material arranged in columns in facing relation to the second face of said support plate with each column in registration with a column of said apertures; the conductive material associated with at least one of said plates also being flexible; said electric components being removably positioned in selected apertures, the conductive material of at least one of said upper or lower plates being formed of resilient rubber-like material which deforms to exert a resilient axial force against any electrical component in contact therewith at the point of contact with said end connectors; and means for securing said plates in a sandwich arrangement.

Claim 3

A matrix assembly as defined in claim 1, wherein said electric components are of substantially cylindrical form and have known radial dimensions, and the dimensions of the apertures in said support plate are slightly greater than the respective radial dimensions of said components.

Claim 4

An electrical circuit comprising a perforated block of electrical insulation material, said block having side faces, means for supporting a first group of flexible spaced apart conductors adjacent one of said side faces, means for supporting a second group of flexible spaced apart conductors adjacent the other of said side faces, spaced from and transverse to said first group of conductors, the perforations in said block being dimensioned and arranged in a pattern such that each perforation exposes a respective portion of a conductor of said first group to a respective portion of a conductor of said second group, each of said perforations adapted to receive a two teRminal electrical component for making individual pressure contact between a conductor of said first group of conductors and a conductor of said second group of conductors through the terminals of said component, means for detachably assembling said groups of conductors in physical contact with said block to cause said component to make said pressure contact, at least one of said group of flexible conductors being made of resilient rubber-like material such that the terminals of said component in bearing against the flexible conductors of said one group cause such conductors to flex and deform and thereby securely seat said terminals in conductive contact with conductors of said first and second group of conductors.

Claim 5

An electrical circuit comprising a perforated block of electrical insulation material, said block having side faces, means for supporting a first group of flexible spaced apart conductors adjacent one of said side faces, means for supporting a second group of flexible spaced apart conductors adjacent the other of said side faces, spaced from and transverse to said first group of conductors, the perforations in said block being dimensioned and arranged in a pattern such that each perforation exposes a respective portion of a conductor of said first group to a respective portion of a conductor of said second group, each of said perforations adapted to receive a two teRminal electrical component for making individual pressure contact between a conductor of said first group of conductors and a conductor of said second group of conductors through the terminals of said component, means for detachably assembling said groups of conductors in physical contact with said block to cause said component to make said pressure contact, at least one of said group of flexible conductors being made of resilient rubber-like material such that the terminals of said component in bearing against the flexible conductors of said one group cause such conductors to flex and deform and thereby securely seat said terminals in conductive contact with conductors of said first and second group of conductors.

Claim 6

An arrangement according to claim 3 wherein one of said groups of flexible conductors is backed up by a nonconductive resilient substrate providing said degree of resilience.

Claim 7

An electrical circuit comprising a perforated block of electrical insulation material, said block having parallel planar side faces, means for supporting a first group of flexible, parallel spaced conductors adjacent one of said side faces, means for supporting a second group of flexible, parallel spaced conductors adjacent the other of said side faces, spaced from and transverse to said first group of conductors, the perforations in said block being arranged in rows and columns such that each perforation exposes a respective portion of a conductor of said first group to a respective portion of a conductor of said second group in accordance with a predetermined code, each of a respective two terminal, an electrical component supported in each perforation for making individual contact between the associated conductor of said first group of conductors and the associated conductor of said second group of conductors through the terminals of said component, means for detacahably assembling said groups of conductors in physical contact with said block to cause sdaid component to make said pressure contact, at least one of said group of conductors being made of resilient rubber-like material such that the terminals of said components in bearing against the flexible conductors of said one group cause such conductors to flex and deform and thereby securely seat said terminals in conductive contact with conductors of said first and second group.

Claim 8

An electrical circuit comprising a perforated block of electrical insulation material, said block having parallel planar side faces, means for supporting a first group of flexible, parallel spaced conductors adjacent one of said side faces, means for supporting a second group of flexible, parallel spaced conductors adjacent the other of said side faces, spaced from and transverse to said first group of conductors, the perforations in said block being arranged in rows and columns such that each perforation exposes a respective portion of a conductor of said first group to a respective portion of a conductor of said second group in accordance with a predetermined code, each of a respective two terminal, an electrical component supported in each perforation for making individual contact between the associated conductor of said first group of conductors and the associated conductor of said second group of conductors through the terminals of said component, means for detacahably assembling said groups of conductors in physical contact with said block to cause sdaid component to make said pressure contact, at least one of said group of conductors being made of resilient rubber-like material such that the terminals of said components in bearing against the flexible conductors of said one group cause such conductors to flex and deform and thereby securely seat said terminals in conductive contact with conductors of said first and second group.

Claim 9

An arrangement according to claim 5 wherein both of said groups of conductors have a degree of resiliency enabling them to deflect in response to component terminal pressure to insure good electrical contact with said terminals.