Printed circuit card edge connector with normalling contacts

Claim 1

A printed circuit card edge connector with normalling make-before-break contacts comprising: an insulating housing having an opening on the top side adapted to receive a printed circuit card with electrical contacts thereon, said opening including a plurality of pockets suitable to mount a plurality of contact elements therein; at least one pair of contact elements mounted in said pockets so as to receive said card therebetween and make contact with the electrical contacts on the card, each of said elements having a shape that includes a first generally straight portion extending at its bottom end away from said opening and out of the housing through first and second separate openings to permit electrical connection thereto, each pair of elements having one of said first straight portions extending out of the housing through the first opening and the other of said first straight portions extending out of the housing through the second opening separate from and electrically insulated from said first opening, the top ends of said first straight portions being curved over to form first hump shaped contact surfaces, said pair of elements positioned in the pockets so as to have their first hump shaped contacts protruding toward each other, said element shape also including a recurved portion extending from the bottom of the curved portion and out from the straight portion a greater distance than the first hump shaped contact to form a second hump shaped portion, said pair of elements positioned in the pockets so as to always have their second hump shaped portions normally contacting each other except when forcibly separated by the insertion of a printed circuit card therebetween.