High density electrical connector employing male blade with offset portions

Claim 1

A connector comprising mating male and female halves, said male half comprising an insulator housing, a plurality of contacts mounted in a row having a given direction in said housing, said contacts having an elongated configuration, one end of each contact constituting a mating end, the rest of each contact comprising means for securely mounting said contact in said housing and effecting a tail connection with said contact, said mating end comprising a blade portion protruding from a portion of said insulating housing in a direction of mating, said blade portion being generally straight in said direction of mating and comprising a first generally flat part oriented generally parallel to said direction of mating and generally normal to said given direction of said row, a second generally flat part oriented generally parallel to but spaced from the plane of said first generally flat part, and an interconnecting part being substantially narrower in width than said first and second generally flat parts, and integrally joining said first and second generally flat parts such that said blade has a general step-like configuration when viewed in the direction of mating, said female half comprising an insulating housing, a plurality of female contacts mounted in said housing, said contacts having an elongated configuration, one end of each contact consitituting a mating end, the rest of each contact comprising means for securely mounting said contact in said housing and effecting a tail connection with said contact, said mating end comprising a pair of elongated fork tine members oriented in a direction of mating, each of said fork members having a convex mating surface facing generally normal to said direction of mating, the convex surfaces of said respective tine members facing outwardly in opposite but generally parallel directions, said female contact being positioned in said insulating housing to mate with respective ones of said male contacts when said male and female halves are brought together, said fork tine members of each of said female contacts being shaped and spaced such that the convex surfaces thereof will press against respectively opposite sides of the blade portion of its corresponding male contact when mated therewith.