Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
147 words
An electrical connector comprising a metal shell, a planar monolithic ceramic capacitor having top and bottom surfaces and including a plurality of active and ground electrodes coalesced in its ceramic, a conductively plated passage passing between the surfaces, a contact retained within the passage, and connecting means for electrically connecting the ground electrodes to the shell and the active electrodes to the contact, the connecting means including a conductive grounding spring encircling the capacitor and completing an electrical and mechanical connection between the shell and the ground electrodes and further characterized by a ceramic substrate extending from the top surface of the capacitor and having a conductively plated bore extending therethrough, said bore being axially aligned with and electrically connected to the passage, and a conductive spring ring mounted substantially entirely within the bore for completing an electrical circuit path between the active electrodes and the contact.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
147 words
An electrical connector comprising a metal shell, a planar monolithic ceramic capacitor having top and bottom surfaces and including a plurality of active and ground electrodes coalesced in its ceramic, a conductively plated passage passing between the surfaces, a contact retained within the passage, and connecting means for electrically connecting the ground electrodes to the shell and the active electrodes to the contact, the connecting means including a conductive grounding spring encircling the capacitor and completing an electrical and mechanical connection between the shell and the ground electrodes and further characterized by a ceramic substrate extending from the top surface of the capacitor and having a conductively plated bore extending therethrough, said bore being axially aligned with and electrically connected to the passage, and a conductive spring ring mounted substantially entirely within the bore for completing an electrical circuit path between the active electrodes and the contact.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 wherein said bore has a cross-sectional diameter greater than the diameter of said passage.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 2 wherein said bore is stepped and includes a first and a second portion, the first portion being defined by said cross-section, and the second portion forming a continuation of the passage, and said spring ring is substantially disposed within said first portion.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 wherein said ceramic substrate is integrally formed with said capacitor and formed of the same ceramic as the capacitor.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
62 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 2 wherein said ceramic substrate is separately provided and has planar top and bottom faces, the bottom face being bonded to the top surface of said capacitor, the bore is axially aligned with said passage and extends from said top face into the ceramic substrate, and said spring ring terminates adjacent to said bottom face.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 wherein the conductive grounding spring comprises a pair of cylindrical metal strips and a plurality of angularly spaced foils, each respective foil extending between and being pivotally connected to one respective strip, the foils independently resiliently contacting the inner wall of the shell and the outer periphery of the capacitor.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
74 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 6 wherein each said foil has a web extending from opposite end portions thereof with each web connecting to only one respective strip, an imaginary line passing through the webs of each respective foil defining an axis about which the foil pivots, each pivot axis being generally parallel with the primary connector axis and the locus of pivot axes describing an imaginary cylindrical annulus about the capacitor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 6 wherein each said foil is at an acute angle to a tangent plane to the grounding spring at the pivot axis.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
56 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 6 wherein each said foil is rectangularly shaped and has a pair of longitudinal edges and a pair of lateral edges each having a web extending therefrom, each web being connected to one respective strip, and one and the other longitudinal edge, respectively, contacting the shell and the capacitor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 wherein each respective foil is in a plane disposed at an angle greater than 60° relative to the plane tangent to the grounding spring.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 8 wherein each respective foil is in a plane disposed at an angle between 60° and 90° relative to the plane tangent to the grounding sleeve.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
21 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 including a plurality of respective plated passages, plated bores, spring rings and contacts.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
113 words
The electrical connector as recited in claim 1 further comprising a pair of monolithic capacitors each having a ceramic substrate extending from its top surface, conductive plating being selectively applied to the top and bottom surfaces of the capacitors and forming, respectively, first and second conductive extensions of the periphery and bore plating, spacer means for spacing the capacitors and making electrical contact with the first conductive extension from each capacitor, means extending from said spring ring for positioning the the spring ring about its bore and making electrical contact with said second conductive extension, and means connecting said groove and said grounding spring for positioning the grounding spring relative to the capacitors.