Electrical connector

Claim 1

A zero or low insertion force connector for making electrical connection between a circuit board and an external circuit comprising an elongated outer housing having a channel extending in a longitudinal direction, a plurality of contacts mounted in said outer housing on either side of said channel to form a pair of rows of contacts, said contacts having lower end portions projecting exteriorly of said outer housing through the bottom of said channel and upper portions interior of said outer housing adapted to contact opposite sides of a circuit board, an inner housing mounted within said outer housing for movement inwardly and outwardly along a vertical direction normal to said longitudinal direction, said inner housing having a pair of sidewalls and an upright intermediate said sidewalls, each of said rows of contacts being intermediate said upright and a respective side wall, an elongated cam disposed in said channel, said inner housing including a first cam engaging means and said outer housing including a second cam engaging means whereby said inner housing is movable from a first position to a second position when said cam is actuated, each of said sidewalls including an inwardly facing protrusion adapted to engage contacts in a respective row and urge engaged contacts toward a circuit board when said housing is in one of said positions, said upright including a pair of contact engaging portions, each portion being adapted to engage contacts in a respective row and urge said contacts away from a circuit board when said inner housing is in the other of said positions.