← Back to Patent Explorer
US5163834A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

High density connector

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
•
Filing: 1991-07-23
•
Granted: 1992-11-17
•
Expires: 2011-07-23
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract An electrical connector for interconnecting a pair of circuit members (e.g., circuit module and printed circuit board) which assures highly reliable yet separable connections for these members. The connector includes an electrically insulative (e.g., plastic) frame which defines an internal opening therein. Bridging this opening are a plurality of individual, resilient contact members which are maintained in a suspended and spaced orientation within the opening by a plurality of pairs of elongated insulative members (e.g., polymer rods). Each of the contacts is thus readily removable from the connector's frame to thus facilitate repair and/or replacement. As described, the connector is capable of providing wiping connections, thus assuring removal of debris or other contaminants from the respective conductive pads for each circuit member. In another embodiment, the connector includes a common carrier (e.g., plastic) having therein a plurality of cylindrical shaped resilient contact members (e.g., silicone) which further include a quantity of conductive (e.g., metallic) particles therein. To assure a wiping form of engagement with the respective conductive pads, each of the terminal ends of each contact member preferably includes a plurality of dendritic, interdigitated members thereon.

Inventors

  • 👤 Fletcher W. Chapin
  • 👤 David W. Dranchak
  • 👤 David E. Engle
  • 👤 Richard R. Hall
  • 👤 Thomas G. Macek

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 16:35
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01R; H01R13/00; H01R13/02; H01R13/22; H01R13/24; H01R13/2435; H01R12/00; H01R12/50; H01R12/51; H01R12/52; H01R12/70; H01R12/71; H01R12/712; H01R12/714; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/30; H05K3/32; H05K3/325; H05K3/36; H05K3/368

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 114 words
A connector for electrically interconnecting first and second electrical circuit members, said connector comprising: an electrically insulative carrier member adapted for being positioned between said first and second circuit members; and a plurality of individual, resilient contact members spacedly positioned within said carrier member, each of said contact members including a quantity of electrically insulative material having a quantity of conductive particles located therein, each of said contact members including a pair of opposed end portions, each of said end portions adapted for engaging circuitry on a respective one of said circuit members and including a metallic layer located on said electrically insulative material and having a plurality of dendritic conductive elements located thereon.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 114 words
A connector for electrically interconnecting first and second electrical circuit members, said connector comprising: an electrically insulative carrier member adapted for being positioned between said first and second circuit members; and a plurality of individual, resilient contact members spacedly positioned within said carrier member, each of said contact members including a quantity of electrically insulative material having a quantity of conductive particles located therein, each of said contact members including a pair of opposed end portions, each of said end portions adapted for engaging circuitry on a respective one of said circuit members and including a metallic layer located on said electrically insulative material and having a plurality of dendritic conductive elements located thereon.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 11 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said carrier is plastic.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 12 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said conductive particles are metallic.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
The connector according to claim 1 further including a frame member, said carrier member being positioned within said frame member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 43 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein each of said contact members is adapted for being compressed by said first and second electrical circuit members during said engaging of said end portions of said contact members with said circuitry on said circuit members.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said resilient contact members provide a wiping type of electrical connection with said circuitry on said circuit members.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 12 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said conductive particles are flakes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 13 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said conductive particles are spherical elements.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 49 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said end portions of each of said resilient contact members extend above or below said insulative carrier members a distance no greater than the diameter of said contact members to prevent buckling of said contact members during engagement with said circuit members.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 20 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said insulative material for each of said resilient contact members is an elastomer.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 11 words
The connector according to claim 10 wherein said elastomer is silicone.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 23 words
The connector according to claim 1 wherein said conductive particles are of a different material than the material of said dendritic conductive elements.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 47 words
The connector according to claim 12 wherein the material of said conductive particles is selected from the group consisting essentially of gold and silver and the material of said denntritic conductive elements is selected from the group consisting essentially of palladium, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, osmium and tungsten.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3541222A Cited
US3634807A Cited
US3680037A Cited
US3862790A Cited
US3971610A Cited
US3960423A Cited
US4064623A Cited
US4408814A Cited
US4998885A Cited
US5061192A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-11-17 1996-05-18 1996-11-17 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-11-17 2000-05-18 2000-11-17 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-11-17 2004-05-18 2004-11-17 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag