Contact terminal device for connecting hybrid circuit modules to a printed circuit board

Claim 1

A contact terminal device for electrically interconnecting and physically attaching at least first and second planar hybrid circuit modules in a stacked and substantially parallel relationship to the other and to a printed circuit board connected to a source of electrical signals, said contact terminal device comprising: male terminal means arranged to be accepted and electrically connected to said printed circuit board and said source of electrical signals; a buffer means including first and second legs and having said first leg extending from said male terminal means; accepting means including a resilient tongue section and a rigid vertically oriented surface extending from said buffer means second leg forming a compliant mouth for accepting an edge of said first hybrid circuit module therein, electrically connecting said first hybrid circuit module to said printed circuit board and said source of electrical signals; and, connecting means comprising first and second open-ended loops of conductive material spaced parallel to each other and having one end of each of said first and second loops extending from a top edge of said accepting means surface, each of said first and second loops connected to the other's opposite end by a horizontal member defining a male terminal accepting area between the front edge of said horizontal member and a rear side of said accepting means surface, the male terminal means of a second contact terminal device installed on said second hybrid module is inserted between said first and second loops, and said horizontal member front edge applies a compressive force against said male terminal means of said second terminal device thereby, retaining said second hybrid circuit module to said first hybrid circuit module in a stacked and parallel relationship, connecting said second hybrid module to said printed circuit board and said source of electrical signals.