Double sided edge connector

Claim 1

A double-sided edge connector for connecting closely-spaced circuits on a double-sided printed circuit card to another circuit member, said edge connector including: an integral dielectric housing including a pair of substantially identical housing halves secured together and defining an elongate card-receiving slot therebetween, each housing half having a generally rectangular open-sided configuration including a pair of opposed end walls, a top wall, an opposed bottom wall and an outer sidewall extending between and connecting the end walls and top and bottom walls, each housing half including a plurality of parallel spaced contact guides extending orthogonally from the top, bottom and outer side walls, defining a plurality of contact receptacles therebetween; a plurality of elongate metallic strip terminals, each terminal having an intermediate mounting portion, an elongate resilient contact beam extending from the mounting portion to a free end with a contact surface defined between the mounting portion and the free end for electrically engaging a conductive region on an edge card and a second contact portion extending from the mounting portion for electrically engaging said another circuit member, each terminal disposed in a contact receptacle such that when said pair of housing halves are secured together said contact surfaces are disposed within the card-receiving slot; and means for securing said housing halves together; the contact position improvement comprising: each housing half further including a contact-retaining wall extending between said end walls disposed adjacent the top wall and spaced from and parallel to said outer side wall; the free end of each contact beam engaging said contact-retaining wall with a pre-load directed away from said outer sidewall for positioning the contact surface of said contact beam at a location spaced from the outer sidewall; first cooperating means in each contact receptacle and on the mounting portion of each terminal for controlling movement of the contact surface away from the top wall; second cooperating means in each housing half and on the mounting portion of each terminal for controlling movement of the contact surface toward the top wall; and retention means for positively retaining each of said terminal mounting portions in each of said housing halves.

Claim 7

A method for making an improved double sided edge connector, said method including the steps of: molding a pair of substantially identical housing halves having a generally rectangular open sided configuration and including a plurality of parallel spaced contact guides defining contact receptacles therebetween; stamping sheet metal stock to define a plurality of elongate metallic strip terminals having an intermediate mounting portion, a contact beam portion extending from said mounting portion and a second contact portion extending from said intermediate mounting portion extending from a carrier strip; forming the contact beam portions to define a contact surface therealong; loading the terminals on said carrier strip into the contact receptacles of each housing half; and securing said pair of housing halves together to define an elongate card receiving slot with the contact surfaces disposed in said slot; and removing said carrier strip; the improvement comprising the steps of: providing each housing half with a contact retaining wall extending across each of said contact receptacles; loading said terminals in each housing half by engaging the free ends of the contact beam portions of the terminals under said contact retaining wall and thereafter urging each terminal mounting portion into its respective contact receptacle; and thereafter, staking the terminal mounting portions into each housing half to positively retain the terminals in each housing half prior to securing the housing halves together to form the connector.

Claim 8

A method for making an improved double sided edge connector, said method including the steps of: molding a pair of substantially identical housing halves having a generally rectangular open sided configuration and including a plurality of parallel spaced contact guides defining contact receptacles therebetween; stamping sheet metal stock to define a plurality of elongate metallic strip terminals having an intermediate mounting portion, a contact beam portion extending from said mounting portion and a second contact portion extending from said intermediate mounting portion extending from a carrier strip; forming the contact beam portions to define a contact surface therealong; loading the terminals on said carrier strip into the contact receptacles of each housing half; and securing said pair of housing halves together to define an elongate card receiving slot with the contact surfaces disposed in said slot; and removing said carrier strip; the improvement comprising the steps of: providing each housing half with a contact retaining wall extending across each of said contact receptacles; loading said terminals in each housing half by engaging the free ends of the contact beam portions of the terminals under said contact retaining wall and thereafter urging each terminal mounting portion into its respective contact receptacle; and thereafter, staking the terminal mounting portions into each housing half to positively retain the terminals in each housing half prior to securing the housing halves together to form the connector.