Edge mount connector terminal

Claim 2

An edge mount connector terminal for connecting to board-like substrates having terminal pads mounted on the surface of said substrates substantially adjacent an edge portion thereof, said connector terminal comprising a pair of oppositely disposed elongated jaw members commonly depending from a bight portion and having free end portions spaced apart by substantially the thickness dimension of said substrate for accepting the insertion of said edge portion therebetween and engaging opposite surfaces of said substrate, said free end portion of at least of one said jaw members providing a contact end portion for engaging said terminal pad and the intermediate length of said one jaw member includes firstly an inwardly offset length portion engageable with said substrate to provide a first contact area therewith for stabilizing said connector terminal with respect to said substrate in both the planar dimension of said substrate and transverse to said planar dimension, said first contact area being disposed on the edge portion of said substrate intermediately of said terminal pad and the extreme edge of said substrate, and secondly an outwardly offset length portion for imparting an inward bias to said contact end portion in a diRection onto said terminal pad, and a terminating lead depending from said bight portion for providing an electrical connection to circuit means exterior to said substrate.

Claim 3

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein said one jaw member includes a plurality of continuous pairs of said inwardly offset length portions and said outwardly offset length portions, each of said inwardly offset length portions engaging said substrate to provide contact areas therewith, respectively, for decreasing movement of said connector terminal with respect to said substrate and each of said outwardly offset length portions providing an inward bias to the immediately following length portion of said one jaw member.

Claim 4

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact end portion of said one jaw member includes serrated means thereon for engaging said terminal pad for providing increased frictional engagement between said contact end portion of said one jaw member and said terminal pad.

Claim 5

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 3 wherein the other jaw member is configured to be generally concave toward the adjacent surface of said substrate and said free end portion thereof includes a reverse curvature in a direction slightly inward with respect to the space between jaw members for yielding to the insertional movement of the substrate in a first direction into said space and for opposing the withdrawal movement of a substrate in a second direction from said space.

Claim 6

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 4 wherein the other jaw member is provided with a contact end portion for engaging said substrate surface and includes serrated means thereon for engaging said substrate surface with increased frictional engagement.

Claim 7

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 2 wherein said one jaw member includes a generally central slot-like opening extending lengthwise thereof for defining a pair of free end portions, each of free end portions having contact end portions for engaging said terminal pad, said contact end portions including serrated means thereon for providing increased frictional engagement with said terminal pad, and said free end portions including a reverse curvature in a direction slightly inward with respect to the space between said jaw members for yielding to the insertional movement of the substrate in a first direction into said space and for opposing the withdrawal movement of the substrate in a second direction from said space.

Claim 8

An edge mount connector terminal as claimed in claim 6 wherein the other jaw member includes a generally central slot-like opening extending lengthwise thereof for defining a pair of free end portions having contact end portions thereon including serrated means for engaging said terminal pad and providing increased frictional engagement therewith.

Claim 9

An edge mount connector terminal for push-on mounting to edge portions of board-like substrates having terminal pads connecting to circuit paths supported on said substrate, said edge mount connector terminal comprising a single U-shaped member having two leg portions depending from a common bight portion for engaging opposite surfaces of said substrate and being spaced apart at the free end portions thereof by slightly less than the thickness dimension of said substrate for imparting an inward bias to said leg portions with said substrate inserted into said space, one of said leg portions being aligned for engagement with said terminal pad and including in its extreme free end portion a generally central lengthwise opening defining a pair of separate contact tines, said contact tines being inclined in a direction slightly inward of said space for facilitating the insertion of said substrate and for opposing the withdrawal of said substrate from said space, a terminating lead depending from said bight portion for providing means for connecting said circuit paths to exterior circuit means and saId U-shaped member providing at least one contact area with said substrate disposed on a surface common to said terminal pad intermediately of said terminal pad and the extreme edge portion of said substrate for isolating said free end portion in contact with said terminal pad from mechanical forces resulting from movements of said terminating lead.

Claim 10

An edge mount connector terminal for push-on mounting to edge portions of board-like substrates having terminal pads connecting to circuit paths supported on said substrate, said edge mount connector terminal comprising a single U-shaped member having two leg portions depending from a common bight portion for engaging opposite surfaces of said substrate and being spaced apart at the free end portions thereof by slightly less than the thickness dimension of said substrate for imparting an inward bias to said leg portions with said substrate inserted into said space, one of said leg portions being aligned for engagement with said terminal pad and including in its extreme free end portion a generally central lengthwise opening defining a pair of separate contact tines, said contact tines being inclined in a direction slightly inward of said space for facilitating the insertion of said substrate and for opposing the withdrawal of said substrate from said space, a terminating lead depending from said bight portion for providing means for connecting said circuit paths to exterior circuit means and saId U-shaped member providing at least one contact area with said substrate disposed on a surface common to said terminal pad intermediately of said terminal pad and the extreme edge portion of said substrate for isolating said free end portion in contact with said terminal pad from mechanical forces resulting from movements of said terminating lead.

Claim 11

An edge mount connector terminal for push-on mounting to edge portions of board-like substrates having terminal pads connecting to circuit paths supported on said substrate, said edge mount connector terminal comprising a single U-shaped member having two leg portions depending from a common bight portion for engaging opposite surfaces of said substrate and being spaced apart at the free end portions thereof by slightly less than the thickness dimension of said substrate for imparting an inward bias to said leg portions with said substrate inserted into said space, at least one of said leg portions having a free end portion thereof allowing for engagement with said terminal pad and including a reverse curvature in a direction slightly inward with respect to the space between said leg portions for yielding to the insertional movement of the substrate in a first direction into said space and for opposing the withdrawal movement of the substrate in a second direction from said space and including serrated means thereon for engaging said terminal pads for providing increased firctional engagement between said free end portion of said one leg portion and said terminal pad, connecting means depending from said bight portion for providing electrical connections from said circuit paths on said substrate to exterior circuit means and said U-shaped member providing at least one contact area with said substrate disposed intermediate of said two free end portions for isolating said free end portions in contact with said terminal pads from mechanical forces resulting from movements of said connecting means.

Claim 12

An edge mount connector terminal for push-on mounting to edge portions of board-like substrates having terminal pads connecting to circuit paths supported on said substrate, said edge mount connector terminal comprising a single U-shaped member having two leg portions depending from a common bight portion for engaging opposite surfaces of said substrate and being spaced apart at the free end portions thereof by slightly less than the thickness dimension of said substrate for imparting an inward bias to said leg portions with said substrate inserted into said space, at least one of said leg portions having a free end portion thereof allowing for engagement with said terminal pad and including a reverse curvature in a direction slightly inward with respect to the space between said leg portions for yielding to the insertional movement of the substrate in a first direction into said space and for opposing the withdrawal movement of the substrate in a second direction from said space and including serrated means thereon for engaging said terminal pads for providing increased firctional engagement between said free end portion of said one leg portion and said terminal pad, connecting means depending from said bight portion for providing electrical connections from said circuit paths on said substrate to exterior circuit means and said U-shaped member providing at least one contact area with said substrate disposed intermediate of said two free end portions for isolating said free end portions in contact with said terminal pads from mechanical forces resulting from movements of said connecting means.