Low profile electrical connector

Claim 2

An electrical connector comprising: a circuit board of relatively rigid thermoplastic material, a support plate of thermoplastic material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board which are covered by the support plate, each of the bus strips having a female terminal portion disposed in a terminal cavity of its associated channel and a male terminal portion, the circuit board having a rectangular opening and a pair of side slots communicating with each of the terminal cavities, the support plate having an array of pin holes communicating with the respective terminal cavities and rectangular openings of the circuit board, the female terminal portions including cantilevered contact fingers which are disposed over the rectangular openings of the circuit board so that the contact fingers deflect into the rectangular opening whereby pin terminals are easily inserted into the female terminal portions of the bus strips, the cantilevered contact fingers having angularly disposed ends which are aligned with the pin holes of the support plate and extend into the rectangular openings of the circuit board to engage pin terminals inserted into the pin holes of the support plate, and the female terminal portions having side flanges which are disposed in the side slots to resist bowing of the female terminal portions and assist in locating the female terminal portions with respect to the circuit board.

Claim 3

The electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the contact fingers are supported by the support plate adjacent the pin holes to resist pull out of terminal pins from the female terminal portions of the bus strips.

Claim 4

The electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the side flanges are disposed in side slots which are oversize with respect to the side flanges and the female terminal portions float laterally in the terminal cavities so that the contact fingers engage terminal pins which are inserted into the pin holes of the support plate better.

Claim 5

The electrical connector as defined in claim 1 wherein the circuit board further includes an integral connector body which has terminal cavities which communicate with the respective channels to receive the male terminal portions of the bus strips.

Claim 6

The electrical connector as defined in claim 4 wherein the support plate has embossments which engage the bus strips near the male terminal portions to support the male terminal portions in the integral connector body of the thermoplastic circuit board; wherein the connector body has an external shroud for receiving a mating connector body; and wherein the male terminal portions protrude into the shroud.

Claim 7

An electrical connector comprising: a circuit board of relatively rigid thermoplastic material, a support plate of thermoplastic material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board which are covered by the support plate, each of the bus strips having a female terminal portion disposed in a coplanar female terminal cavity of its associated channel and a perpendicularly disposed male terminal portion which is disposed in a male terminal cavity of an integral connector body of the circuit board, the circuit board having a rectangular opening communicating with each of the female terminal cavities, the support plate having an array of pin holes communicating with the respective female terminal cavities which in turn communicate with the rectangular openings of the circuit board, the female terminal portions each including a pair of cantilevered contact fingers which are disposed over the rectangular openings of the circuit board so that the contact fingers deflect into the rectangular openings whereby pin terminals are easily inserted into the female terminal portions of the bus strips, the cantilevered contact fingers having angularly disposed ends which are circular in cross section, which are aligned with the pin holes of the support plate and which extend into the rectangular openings of the circuit board to engage pin terminals inserted into the pin holes of the support plate, and the cantilevered contact fingers being supported by the support plate adjacent the pin holes to resist terminal pins being pull out of the female terminal portions of the bus strips.

Claim 8

An electrical connector comprising: a circuit board of relatively rigid thermoplastic material, a support plate of thermoplastic material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board which are covered by the support plate, each of the bus strips having a female terminal portion disposed in a coplanar female terminal cavity of its associated channel and a perpendicularly disposed male terminal portion which is disposed in a male terminal cavity of an integral connector body of the circuit board, the circuit board having a rectangular opening communicating with each of the female terminal cavities, the support plate having an array of pin holes communicating with the respective female terminal cavities which in turn communicate with the rectangular openings of the circuit board, the female terminal portions each including a pair of cantilevered contact fingers which are disposed over the rectangular openings of the circuit board so that the contact fingers deflect into the rectangular openings whereby pin terminals are easily inserted into the female terminal portions of the bus strips, the cantilevered contact fingers having angularly disposed ends which are circular in cross section, which are aligned with the pin holes of the support plate and which extend into the rectangular openings of the circuit board to engage pin terminals inserted into the pin holes of the support plate, and the cantilevered contact fingers being supported by the support plate adjacent the pin holes to resist terminal pins being pull out of the female terminal portions of the bus strips.

Claim 9

The electrical connector as defined in claim 6 wherein the circuit board has a pair of side slots communicating with each of the terminal cavities and the female terminal portions have side flanges which are disposed in the side slots to resist bowing of the female terminal portions and assist in locating the female terminal portions with respect to the circuit board.

Claim 10

The electrical connector as defined in claim 7 wherein the side flanges are disposed in side slots which are oversize with respect to the side flanges and the female terminal portions float laterally in the female terminal cavities to improve the engagement of the contact fingers with terminal pins which are inserted into the pin holes of the support plate.

Claim 11

The electrical connector as defined in claim 6 wherein the support plate has embossments which engage the bus strips near the male terminal portions to support the male terminal portions in the integral connector body of the circuit board.

Claim 12

An electrical connector comprising: a circuit board of relatively rigid thermoplastic material, a support plate of thermoplastic material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board which are covered by the support plate, each of the bus strips having a female terminal portion disposed in a terminal cavity of its associated channel, the circuit board having a rectangular opening communicating with each of the terminal cavities, the support plate having an array of pin holes communicating with the respective terminal cavities which in turn communicate with the rectangular openings of the circuit board, the female terminal portions including cantilevered contact fingers which are disposed over the rectangular openings of the circuit board so that the cantilevered contact fingers upon engagement deflect into the rectangular openings whereby pin terminals are easily inserted into the female terminal portions of the bus strips, the cantilevered contact fingers having angularly disposed ends which are aligned with the pin holes of the support plate and which extend into the rectangular openings of the circuit board to engage pin terminals inserted into the pin holes of the support plate, and the angularly disposed ends of the cantilevered contact fingers being supported by the support plate adjacent the pin holes to resist pull out of pin terminals from the female terminal portions of the bus strips.

Claim 13

An electrical connector comprising: a circuit board of relatively rigid thermoplastic material, a support plate of thermoplastic material and a plurality of metallic bus strips disposed in channels of the circuit board which are covered by the support plate, each of the bus strips having a female terminal portion disposed in a terminal cavity of its associated channel, the circuit board having a rectangular opening communicating with each of the terminal cavities, the support plate having an array of pin holes communicating with the respective terminal cavities which in turn communicate with the rectangular openings of the circuit board, the female terminal portions including cantilevered contact fingers which are disposed over the rectangular openings of the circuit board so that the cantilevered contact fingers upon engagement deflect into the rectangular openings whereby pin terminals are easily inserted into the female terminal portions of the bus strips, the cantilevered contact fingers having angularly disposed ends which are aligned with the pin holes of the support plate and which extend into the rectangular openings of the circuit board to engage pin terminals inserted into the pin holes of the support plate, and the angularly disposed ends of the cantilevered contact fingers being supported by the support plate adjacent the pin holes to resist pull out of pin terminals from the female terminal portions of the bus strips.