Apparatus for sequencing signals in conjunction with shorting contacts

Claim 1

A first connector of a first type adapted for electrical interconnection with a second connector of a second type opposite to said first type, said first connector having at least one edge, said second connector having a plurality of conductive contacts and at least one pair of shorting contacts, each contact of said shorting contacts electrically interconnected to its corresponding opposing contact while said contacts remain unseparated, said first connector comprising: a plurality of conductive terminal elements, each element having first and second ends, at least one of said ends of each element lying within a predetermined one of a plurality of parallel planes along said at least one edge of said first connector, said planes being arranged such that a predetermined sequence of interconnections between said conductive terminal elements and corresponding ones of said conductive contacts and said shorting contacts of said second connector occurs at predetermined time instants should said first and second connectors be interconnected and all of said planes recessed a predetermined non-zero distance from a further plane parallel to said planes that intercepts a point on said at least one edge that is closest to the edgemost one of said parallel planes; at least one of said plurality of conductive terminal elements adapted and intended for interconnection with at least one of said contacts of said shorting contacts and having said at least one end within a predetermined plane of said plurality of planes not nearest said edge; and at least one means for delaying said shorting contacts of said second connector from ceasing to electrically interconnect to each other as said first and second connectors are interconnected to each other substantially until at least one contact of said at least one pair of shorting contacts interconnects with at least one of said conductive terminal elements adapted and intended for interconnection with said at least one pair of shorting contacts, said first connector being a male edge connector of a circuit pack formed from at least a portion of an insulating circuit board having mounted thereon said conductive terminal elements which are conductive fingers and said means for delaying is formed by said insulating circuit board having a notch of predetermined width cut therein from said edge of said first connector parallel to said planes of said first connector substantially until said plane in which said end of said at least one conductive terminal element intended for interconnection with at least one of said contacts of said shorting contacts lies.