Connector

Claim 2

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other of said spacer faces at a location adjoining said spacer edge extending along said other face opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a length of metallic, electrically conductive material of selected width engaged with said one spacer face at a location adjoining said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating at a location adjoining an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaged with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween.

Claim 3

A connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said ground plane contact means comprises a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section and said spacer lies against a portion of the longer side of said L-shaped cross-section which portion is adjacent the shorter side of said L-shaped cross-section.

Claim 4

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other of said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a length of metallic, electrically conductive material of selected width engaged with said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, said ground plane contact means comprising a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section having said spacer lying against a portion of the longer side of said L-shaped cross-section adjacEnt the shorter side of said L-shaped cross-section, said ground plane contact means further including a conductive shim interposed between said spacer and said metallic member, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaged with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween.

Claim 5

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other of said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a length of metallic, electrically conductive material of selected width engaged with said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, said ground plane contact means comprising a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section having said spacer lying against a portion of the longer side of said L-shaped cross-section adjacEnt the shorter side of said L-shaped cross-section, said ground plane contact means further including a conductive shim interposed between said spacer and said metallic member, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaged with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween.

Claim 6

A connector as set forth in claim 3 wherein said spacer has a metallic foil adhered to said other spacer face thereof and conductively attached to said shim.

Claim 7

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic, electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a section of a metallic foil of selected width adhered to said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaged with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween.

Claim 8

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic, electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a section of a metallic foil of selected width adhered to said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaged with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween.

Claim 9

A connector as set forth in claim 5 including an insulating shell around said spacer, ground plane contact means and contact finger means, said shell having a slot therein for permitting one edge of said circuit board to be inserted between said extending portion of said metallic ground plane contact means and contact finger means.

Claim 10

A connector as set forth in claim 6 wherein said shell includes a ridge running substantially along one edge thereof and wherein said ground plane contact means comprises a metallic member having a plurality of bendable tabs which are engaged with said ridge to retain said metallic member within said shell.

Claim 11

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other of said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face Opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a length of metallic, electrically conductive material of selected width engaged with said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaging with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween, said connector having a comb-like conductive element on said one face of said spacer, said comb-like element having portions interleaved with said contact finger means for electrically isolating said contact finger means from one another.

Claim 12

A connector comprising a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having an edge extending along said spacer between said faces, a plurality of metallic, electrically conductive contact finger means mounted in spaced relation to each other in engagement with one of said spacer faces, and metallic electrically conductive ground plane contact means mounted in engagement with the other of said spacer faces adjacent said spacer edge extending along said other face Opposite said contact finger means, said contact finger means each having a length of metallic, electrically conductive material of selected width engaged with said one spacer face adjacent said spacer edge and extending transversely of said spacer face away from said edge for providing each of said contact finger means with a characteristic impedance with respect to said ground plane contact means, said contact finger means and ground plane contact means each having a portion extending from said spacer beyond said spacer edge to cooperate with said spacer edge in defining a space to accommodate an edge portion of a circuit board between said contact finger means and said ground plane contact means in abutting relation to said spacer edge, whereby, when a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips separated from a ground plane by a dielectric substrate to provide said respective strips with said characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane and which has said strips terminating adjacent an edge of said circuit board is inserted in said space with said contact finger means engaging with respective strips, with said ground plane contact means engaged with said ground plane and with said circuit board edge engaged with said spacer edge, said circuit board impedances are matchable with said connector impedances substantially free of impedance discontinuities therebetween, said connector having a comb-like conductive element on said one face of said spacer, said comb-like element having portions interleaved with said contact finger means for electrically isolating said contact finger means from one another.

Claim 13

A connector as set forth in claim 8 for attachment to a circuit board having isolating strips interleaved between said signal conductor strips wherein said connector includes further contact finger means extending from said comb-like element to engage said respective isolating strips on said circuit board.

Claim 14

A detachable connector for coupling a plurality of coaxially shielded signal paths with a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane separated by a dielectric substrate and in which said signal conductor strips have characteristic impedances on said board, said connector comprising: a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section, said member being apertured at spaced intervals along the portion thereof forming the shorter leg of said L-shaped cross-section; a plurality of coaxial cables having insulated center conductors passing through the apertures in said member and having outer conductors connected to said member around the respective apertures; a flat dielectric spacer lying against a portion of the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section adjacent the shorter leg thereof with a portion of said longer leg projecting beyond one edge of said spacer to engage said ground plane of said circuit board, said one edge of said spacer being disposed to abut an edge of said circuit board; a plurality of elongate metallic lands adhered to said spacer adjacent said one edge and extending transversely thereto, the width of each land being selected to provide a characteristic impedance with respect to said member for matching the characteristic impedance of a respective signal conductor strip on said board; and a plurality of contact fingers each of which is mounted on and extends beyond a respective one of said lands over said one spacer edge to engage a respective one of said signal conductor strips on said board, the center conductors of said coaxial cables being connected to respective ones of said contact fingers.

Claim 15

A detachable connector for coupling a plurality of coaxially shielded signal paths with a circuit board which has a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane separated by a dielectric substrate and in which said signal conductor strips have characteristic impedances on said board, said connector comprising: a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section, said member being apertured at spaced intervals along the portion thereof forming the shorter leg of said L-shaped cross-section; a plurality of coaxial cables having insulated center conductors passing through the apertures in said member and having outer conductors connected to said member around the respective apertures; a flat dielectric spacer lying against a portion of the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section adjacent the shorter leg thereof with a portion of said longer leg projecting beyond one edge of said spacer to engage said ground plane of said circuit board, said one edge of said spacer being disposed to abut an edge of said circuit board; a plurality of elongate metallic lands adhered to said spacer adjacent said one edge and extending transversely thereto, the width of each land being selected to provide a characteristic impedance with respect to said member for matching the characteristic impedance of a respective signal conductor strip on said board; and a plurality of contact fingers each of which is mounted on and extends beyond a respective one of said lands over said one spacer edge to engage a respective one of said signal conductor strips on said board, the center conductors of said coaxial cables being connected to respective ones of said contact fingers.

Claim 16

A detachable connector for coupling a plurality of coaxially shielded signal paths to respective signal conductor strips on a circuit board of the type having a ground plane on the side of a dielectric substrate opposite said signal conductor strips, said connector comprising: a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section, said member being aperTured at spaced intervals along the portion thereof forming the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section; a flat dielectric spacer lying against a portion of the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section adjacent the shorter leg thereof with a portion of said longer leg projecting beyond one edge of said spacer thereby to provide a contact engageable with the ground plane of said circuit board, said one edge of said spacer being adapted to abut an edge of said circuit board; a plurality of elongate metallic lands adhered to said spacer adjacent said one edge and extending transversely thereto, the width of each land providing a characteristic impedance with respect to said member which is substantially equal to the characteristic impedance of the respective conductor strip on said board; a plurality of contact fingers each of which is mounted on and extends beyond a respective one of said lands over said one edge for engagement with a respective one of the conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of coaxial cables having outer conductors which pass through the apertures in the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section and partially through said spacer and having center conductors which pass through said spacer and are connected to respective contact fingers.

Claim 17

A detachable connector for coupling a plurality of coaxially shielded signal paths to respective signal conductor strips on a circuit board of the type having a ground plane on the side of a dielectric substrate opposite said signal conductor strips, said connector comprising: a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section, said member being aperTured at spaced intervals along the portion thereof forming the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section; a flat dielectric spacer lying against a portion of the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section adjacent the shorter leg thereof with a portion of said longer leg projecting beyond one edge of said spacer thereby to provide a contact engageable with the ground plane of said circuit board, said one edge of said spacer being adapted to abut an edge of said circuit board; a plurality of elongate metallic lands adhered to said spacer adjacent said one edge and extending transversely thereto, the width of each land providing a characteristic impedance with respect to said member which is substantially equal to the characteristic impedance of the respective conductor strip on said board; a plurality of contact fingers each of which is mounted on and extends beyond a respective one of said lands over said one edge for engagement with a respective one of the conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of coaxial cables having outer conductors which pass through the apertures in the longer leg of said L-shaped cross-section and partially through said spacer and having center conductors which pass through said spacer and are connected to respective contact fingers.

Claim 18

A detachable connector system comprising: a circuit board having a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane conductor and having a dielectric substrate between said strips and ground plane conductors, said signal conductor strips terminating adjacent one edge of said board and having characteristic impedances on said board; a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having one edge engaged with said edge of said circuit board; metallic ground plane contact means one portion of which is in contact with one face of said spacer and another portion of which extends beyond said one edge of said spacer and engages said ground plane conductor of said circuit board; a plurality of metallic contact finger means mounted on the face of said spacer opposite said ground plane contact means extending beyond said one edge of said spacer and engaging respective signal conductor strips on said board, each of said contact finger means having an area of conductive material in contact with said dielectric spacer to provide said contact finger means with characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane contact means which are substantially equal to the characteristic impedances of the respective signal conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of pairs of conductors having one conductor of each of said pairs connected to respective contact finger means on said spacer and having the other conductors of said pairs commonly connected to said ground plane contact means.

Claim 19

A detachable connector system comprising: a circuit board having a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane conductor and having a dielectric substrate between said strips and ground plane conductors, said signal conductor strips terminating adjacent one edge of said board and having characteristic impedances on said board; a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having one edge engaged with said edge of said circuit board; metallic ground plane contact means one portion of which is in contact with one face of said spacer and another portion of which extends beyond said one edge of said spacer and engages said ground plane conductor of said circuit board; a plurality of metallic contact finger means mounted on the face of said spacer opposite said ground plane contact means extending beyond said one edge of said spacer and engaging respective signal conductor strips on said board, each of said contact finger means having an area of conductive material in contact with said dielectric spacer to provide said contact finger means with characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane contact means which are substantially equal to the characteristic impedances of the respective signal conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of pairs of conductors having one conductor of each of said pairs connected to respective contact finger means on said spacer and having the other conductors of said pairs commonly connected to said ground plane contact means.

Claim 20

A connector system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said spacer embodies a section of said dielectric material of said circuit board substrate.

Claim 21

A connector system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said ground plane contact means comprises a metallic member of L-shaped cross-section and said spacer lies against a portion of the longer side of said L-shaped cross-section, which portion is adjacent the shorter side of said L-shaped cross-section.

Claim 22

A connector system as set forth in claim 13 wherein said ground plane contact means further includes a conductive shim interposed between said spacer and said metallic member.

Claim 23

A connector system as set forth in claim 15 wherein said section of dielectric material embodied in said substrate has a metallic foil adhered to said one spacer face and conductively attached to said shim.

Claim 24

A connector system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said areas of conductive material of said contact finger means in contact with said dielectric spacer comprise sections of a metallic foil adhered to said opposite face of said spacer.

Claim 25

A connector system as set forth in claim 12 including an insulatIng shell around said spacer, ground plane contact means and contact finger means, said shell having a slot receiving one edge of said circuit board therein for engaging said circuit board edge between said extending portion of said metallic ground plane contact means and contact finger means.

Claim 26

A connector system as set forth in claim 18 wherein said shell includes a ridge running substantially along one edge thereof and wherein said ground plane contact means comprises a metallic member having a plurality of bendable tabs engaged with said ridge to retain said metallic member within said shell.

Claim 27

A connector system as set forth in claim 12 including a comb-like conductive element on said opposite face of said spacer, said comb-like conductive element having portions interleaved with said contact finger means for electrically isolating said contact finger means from one another.

Claim 28

A connector system as set forth in claim 20 wherein said circuit board has isolating strips thereon interleaved between said signal conductor strips and wherein said additional contact finger means extend from said portions of said comb-like element on said spacer to engage said respective isolating strips on said circuit board.

Claim 29

A detachable connector system comprising: a circuit board having a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane conductor and having a dielectric substrate between said strip and ground plane conductors, said signal conductor strips terminating adjacent one edge of said board and having characteristic impedances on said board; a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having one edge engaged with said one circuit board edge; metallic ground plane contact means one portion of which is in contact with one face of said spacer and another portion of which extends beyond said one edge of said spacer and engages said ground plane conductor of said circuit board; a plurality of metallic contact finger means mounted on the face of said spacer opposite said ground plane contact means extending beyond said one edge of said spacer and engaging respective signal conductor strips on said board adjacent said one board edge, each of said contact finger means having an area of conductive material in contact with said dielectric spacer to provide said contact finger means with characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane contact means which are substantially equal to the characteristic impedances of the respective signal conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of coaxial cables having center conductors connected to respective contact finger means on said spacer and having outer conductors commonly connected to said ground plane contact means.

Claim 30

A detachable connector system comprising: a circuit board having a plurality of signal conductor strips and a ground plane conductor and having a dielectric substrate between said strip and ground plane conductors, said signal conductor strips terminating adjacent one edge of said board and having characteristic impedances on said board; a flat dielectric spacer having a pair of opposite flat faces and having one edge engaged with said one circuit board edge; metallic ground plane contact means one portion of which is in contact with one face of said spacer and another portion of which extends beyond said one edge of said spacer and engages said ground plane conductor of said circuit board; a plurality of metallic contact finger means mounted on the face of said spacer opposite said ground plane contact means extending beyond said one edge of said spacer and engaging respective signal conductor strips on said board adjacent said one board edge, each of said contact finger means having an area of conductive material in contact with said dielectric spacer to provide said contact finger means with characteristic impedances with respect to said ground plane contact means which are substantially equal to the characteristic impedances of the respective signal conductor strips on said board; and a plurality of coaxial cables having center conductors connected to respective contact finger means on said spacer and having outer conductors commonly connected to said ground plane contact means.