Control wipe electrical connector for circuit cards

Claim 2

A connector with control wipe characteristics comprising: a plurality of resilient U-shaped elements, each with a contact carrying member on one arm of each U-shaped elemeNt for making electrical contact to terminals on a circuit card inserted into the U, a helper member on the other arm of said U-shaped element, said contact carrying members and said helper members being arranged on both sides of the circuit card so that the members of the two adjacent U-shaped elements on the same side of the circuit card form a gap between them and a rigid conformal housing, made up of a plurality of sections, containing channels, said housing resting upon both the contact carrying members and helper members of the U-shaped elements at said channels; the sections of said housing resting upon one arm of each Ushaped element, forming a cavity into which the circuit card is inserted; an actuation surface angling inward so as to decrease the opening of said cavity with increased depth to a distance less than the thickness of the circuit card at some distance below the uppermost region of said cavity; said channels of said housing having protrusions to form pivot points with said contact carrying members and said helper members, upon which points said housing pivots; said housing having a pivot surface below said actuation surface and angling inward with respect to said cavity so as to provide a surface which said circuit card contacts during and after insertion, contact by the circuit card with said pivot surface forcing said housing to pivot on the housing channel protrusions causing said contact carrying members to engage and wipe the circuit card.

Claim 3

The connector of claim 1 wherein the members of the adjacent U-shaped elements having a gap between them consist of said contact carrying member positioned adjacent the circuit structure and said helper member positioned on the other side of the gap.

Claim 4

The connector of claim 1 wherein the housing members have a card stop abutment surface at the bottom region of said cavity.

Claim 5

The connector of claim 1 wherein the contact carrying member of the U-shaped element has a forward tang towards the center of the U-shaped element and a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said tangs projecting into the housing channel and around a channel protrusion, said protrusion shaped so as to cause the housing to move said member as well as pivot on said member during circuit card insertion and said protrusion shaped so as to cause the housing to apply a force against said member in the direction of the card after insertion.

Claim 6

Claim 1 wherein the helper member of the U-shaped element has a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said tang projecting into the channel housing and around a channel protrusion, said protrusion shaped so as to cause the housing to move said member as well as pivot on said member during circuit card insertion and said protrusion shaped so as to cause said helper member to apply a force against said housing in the direction of the card after insertion.

Claim 7

The connector of claim 1 wherein the housing has at least one reduced thickness portion whereby said housing is free to bend and conform to the shape of the circuit card.

Claim 8

The connector of claim 5 wherein intermediate support members are attached to the housing at thereduced thickness areas.

Claim 9

A connector with control wipe characteristics comprising: a plurality of resilient U-shaped elements each with a contact carrying member on one arm of each U-shaped element for making electrical contact to terminals on a circuit card inserted into the U, a helper member on the other arm of said U-shaped element, said contact carrying member and said helper member being arranged on both sides of the circuit card so that the helper members and the contact carrying members of two adjacent U-shaped elements on the same side of the circuit card have a gap between them; a rigid conformal housing, made up of a plurality of sections, containing channels with channel protrusions and resting upon both the contact carrying members and the helPer members of the U-shaped elements at said channels; said contact carrying members having a forward tang towards the center of the U-shaped elements and a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said forward tang projecting into the housing channel and around a housing protrusion; said helper member of the U-shaped element having a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said rear tang projecting into a housing channel and around a channel protrusion; and said protrusions shaped so as to move the U-shaped element members as well as allow the conformal housing to pivot on said members during circuit card insertion and said protrusions shaped so as to apply a force on said members after card insertion so that the helper members of the U-shaped elements apply a force against the housing in the direction of the card and the housing members apply a force against the contact carrying members in the direction of the card; the sections of said housing resting upon each arm of the U-shaped element and forming a cavity into which the circuit card is inserted; an actuation surface angling inward so as to decrease the opening of said cavity with increased depth to a distance less than the thickness of the circuit card, at some distance below the uppermost region of said cavity; said housing having a pivot surface below said actuation surface and angling inward with respect to said cavity so as to provide a surface which said circuit card contacts during and after insertion, contact by the circuit card with said pivot surface forcing said housing to pivot on said channel protrusions, causing contact of said contact carrying members to engage and wipe said circuit card; said housing members having a card stop abutment at the bottom region of said cavity.

Claim 10

A connector with control wipe characteristics comprising: a plurality of resilient U-shaped elements each with a contact carrying member on one arm of each U-shaped element for making electrical contact to terminals on a circuit card inserted into the U, a helper member on the other arm of said U-shaped element, said contact carrying member and said helper member being arranged on both sides of the circuit card so that the helper members and the contact carrying members of two adjacent U-shaped elements on the same side of the circuit card have a gap between them; a rigid conformal housing, made up of a plurality of sections, containing channels with channel protrusions and resting upon both the contact carrying members and the helPer members of the U-shaped elements at said channels; said contact carrying members having a forward tang towards the center of the U-shaped elements and a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said forward tang projecting into the housing channel and around a housing protrusion; said helper member of the U-shaped element having a rear tang away from the center of the U-shaped element, said rear tang projecting into a housing channel and around a channel protrusion; and said protrusions shaped so as to move the U-shaped element members as well as allow the conformal housing to pivot on said members during circuit card insertion and said protrusions shaped so as to apply a force on said members after card insertion so that the helper members of the U-shaped elements apply a force against the housing in the direction of the card and the housing members apply a force against the contact carrying members in the direction of the card; the sections of said housing resting upon each arm of the U-shaped element and forming a cavity into which the circuit card is inserted; an actuation surface angling inward so as to decrease the opening of said cavity with increased depth to a distance less than the thickness of the circuit card, at some distance below the uppermost region of said cavity; said housing having a pivot surface below said actuation surface and angling inward with respect to said cavity so as to provide a surface which said circuit card contacts during and after insertion, contact by the circuit card with said pivot surface forcing said housing to pivot on said channel protrusions, causing contact of said contact carrying members to engage and wipe said circuit card; said housing members having a card stop abutment at the bottom region of said cavity.

Claim 11

The connector of claim 8 wherein the thickness of the housing is reduced at certain areas whereby said housing is free to bend and conform to the shape of the circuit card.

Claim 12

The connector of claim 9 wherein intermediate support members are attached to the housing at the reduced thickness areas.