Electrical docking connector

Claim 2

An electrical receptacle connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face and a conductor connecting face, at least two elongate slotted openings extending through said front mating face and terminating at a rear wall, shielding means surrounding said slotted openings, and rear wall having two rows of passageways extending therethrough communicating with each said slot, one said row being adjacent to an upper surface in each said slotted opening, and one said row being adjacent to a lower surface in each said slotted opening; and a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing, said terminals comprising, contact portions and a discrete lead section extending from each said contact portion rearwardly of said front mating face, thereby defining printed circuit board contacts, said terminals positioned in said passageways with contact portions positioned adjacent to said upper surface in each said slotted opening, and a contact portion positioned adjacent to said lower surface in each said slotted opening, with contact surfaces facing opposite contact surfaces in the same slotted opening.

Claim 3

The electrical connector of claim 1, wherein said shielding means comprises an outer shielding shell surrounding said slotted openings.

Claim 4

An electrical receptacle connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face and a conductor connecting face, at least two elongate slotted openings extending through said front mating face and terminating at a rear wall, said rear wall having two rows of passageways extending therethrough communicating with each said slotted opening, said rows of passageways are laterally aligned to form a column of at least four passageways, one said row being adjacent to an upper surface in each said slotted opening, and one said row being adjacent to a lower surface in each said slotted opening; and a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing, said terminals comprising, contact portions and a discrete lead section extending from each said contact portion rearwardly of said front mating face, thereby defining printed circuit board contacts, said terminals positioned in said passageways with contact portions positioned adjacent to said upper surface in each said slotted opening, and a contact portion positioned adjacent to said lower surface in each said slotted opening, with contact surfaces facing opposite contact surfaces in the same slotted opening.

Claim 5

An electrical receptacle connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face and a conductor connecting face, at least two elongate slotted openings extending through said front mating face and terminating at a rear wall, said rear wall having two rows of passageways extending therethrough communicating with each said slotted opening, said rows of passageways are laterally aligned to form a column of at least four passageways, one said row being adjacent to an upper surface in each said slotted opening, and one said row being adjacent to a lower surface in each said slotted opening; and a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing, said terminals comprising, contact portions and a discrete lead section extending from each said contact portion rearwardly of said front mating face, thereby defining printed circuit board contacts, said terminals positioned in said passageways with contact portions positioned adjacent to said upper surface in each said slotted opening, and a contact portion positioned adjacent to said lower surface in each said slotted opening, with contact surfaces facing opposite contact surfaces in the same slotted opening.

Claim 6

The electrical connector of claim 3, wherein said terminals are edge stamped from a sheet of metal, to form the printed circuit portions extending substantially in a plane parallel to said columns.

Claim 7

The electrical connector of claim 4, wherein terminals are positioned in pairs, with each said pair occupying one said slot, defining an upper and lower terminal in each said slot, where each said terminal includes a cantilevered contact arm.

Claim 8

The electrical connector of claim 5, wherein said upper cantilevered contact arm extends integrally from an upper edge of said edge stamped terminal, and said lower cantilevered contact arm extends integrally from a lower edge of said edge stamped terminal, where said upper and lower cantilevered contact arms are bent to form two opposed contact arms.

Claim 9

A right-angled receptacle connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face and a rear terminal receiving face, said front face including three parallel elongate slots extending across said front mating face, each said slot being defined by upper and lower surfaces, end surfaces and a rear surface, said upper and lower surfaces each having laterally spaced channels formed therein, where each said channel is in alignment with a terminal receiving passageway extending between said rear surface and terminal receiving surface, said terminal receiving passageways forming six parallel rows through said rear terminal receiving face, said rows thereby defining a plurality of columns of six passageways, and two mounting feet extending from said rear face and flanking said terminal receiving passageways, said mounting feet being adapted to position said front face in a plane perpendicular to a printed circuit upon mounting said housing to the printed circuit board; a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing, each said terminal comprising a contact portion, a cantilevered portion, an intermediate portion and a printed circuit board tine, said cantilevered portions being positioned in said respective channels with said contact portion adjacent to said front mating face, said intermediate portions lying in a plane parallel to said columns and extending rearwardly of said terminal receiving face and intermediate said mounting feet, said printed circuit board tines extending below and perpendicular to said mounting edges, and a tine plate having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for receipt of said printed circuit board tines therethrough, said tine plate being snap latched between said mounting feet.

Claim 10

A right-angled receptacle connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face and a rear terminal receiving face, said front face including three parallel elongate slots extending across said front mating face, each said slot being defined by upper and lower surfaces, end surfaces and a rear surface, said upper and lower surfaces each having laterally spaced channels formed therein, where each said channel is in alignment with a terminal receiving passageway extending between said rear surface and terminal receiving surface, said terminal receiving passageways forming six parallel rows through said rear terminal receiving face, said rows thereby defining a plurality of columns of six passageways, and two mounting feet extending from said rear face and flanking said terminal receiving passageways, said mounting feet being adapted to position said front face in a plane perpendicular to a printed circuit upon mounting said housing to the printed circuit board; a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing, each said terminal comprising a contact portion, a cantilevered portion, an intermediate portion and a printed circuit board tine, said cantilevered portions being positioned in said respective channels with said contact portion adjacent to said front mating face, said intermediate portions lying in a plane parallel to said columns and extending rearwardly of said terminal receiving face and intermediate said mounting feet, said printed circuit board tines extending below and perpendicular to said mounting edges, and a tine plate having a plurality of apertures extending therethrough for receipt of said printed circuit board tines therethrough, said tine plate being snap latched between said mounting feet.

Claim 11

The receptacle of claim 7 wherein said can portions are formed in a plane parallel to said slots while said intermediate portions are formed in a plane parallel to said columns.

Claim 12

The receptacle of claim 8 wherein said cantilevered portions adjacent to said upper surface in each said slot are integral with a front upper edge of said intermediate portion, and said cantilevered portions adjacent to said lower surfaces in each said slot are integral with a front lower edge of said intermediate portion.

Claim 13

The receptacle of claim 9 wherein said cantilevered portions and intermediate portions are at right angles to each other and integrally interconnected along a common fold line.

Claim 14

An electrical plug connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face, a rear conductor connecting face, and an intermediate wall between said front mating face and said rear conductor connecting face, said housing comprising at least two elongate terminal support platforms extending outwardly from said intermediate wall, where each said platform includes terminal receiving channels formed integrally therein, along a length of said platforms, and on both upper and lower faces thereof; and a plurality of electrical terminals, each comprising a front mating contact portion disposed in said terminal receiving channels, and conductor connecting portions positioned adjacent to said conductor connecting face.

Claim 15

An electrical plug connector, comprising: an insulating housing having a front mating face, a rear conductor connecting face, and an intermediate wall between said front mating face and said rear conductor connecting face, said housing comprising at least two elongate terminal support platforms extending outwardly from said intermediate wall, where each said platform includes terminal receiving channels formed integrally therein, along a length of said platforms, and on both upper and lower faces thereof; and a plurality of electrical terminals, each comprising a front mating contact portion disposed in said terminal receiving channels, and conductor connecting portions positioned adjacent to said conductor connecting face.

Claim 16

The electrical plug connector of claim 11, wherein said housing has three terminal support platforms and six rows of terminals positioned therein.

Claim 17

An electrical connector assembly, comprising: a receptacle connector comprising an insulating housing having a front mating face and a conductor connecting face, said housing comprising at least two elongate slots extending inwardly from said front mating face to a rear wall of said housing, thereby defining an end face to said slot, wherein each said slot has an upper and lower row of discrete terminal passageways through said rear wall communicating between said slots and said conductor connecting face, said receptacle connector further comprising a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing with said terminals being positioned in said terminal passageways forming two opposed rows of discrete resilient receptacle contacts in each said slot, said terminals further comprising conductor connecting portions extending from said rear wall adjacent to s id conductor connecting face; and a plug connector comprising an insulating housing comprising a rear wall portion having a plurality of terminal support platforms extending forwardly therefrom, said platforms being in like number as said open slots of said receptacle connector, said plug rear wall portion having terminal passageways therethrough, above and below said platforms and in communication with channels disposed in upper and lower surfaces of said platforms, said plug connector further comprising a plurality of electrical terminals having contact sections positioned in said channels and conductor connecting sections adjacent to said conductor connecting face, thereby defining rows of contacts disposed above and below said terminal support platforms, said plug connector being adapted for mateable engagement with said receptacle connector with each said platform being insertable in a respective slot in said receptacle housing intermediate said opposed contact rows in the same said slot, causing interconnection between said receptacle contact portions and said plug contact portions, thereby forming a plurality of rows of discrete electrical connections.

Claim 18

An electrical connector assembly, comprising: a receptacle connector comprising an insulating housing having a front mating face and a conductor connecting face, said housing comprising at least two elongate slots extending inwardly from said front mating face to a rear wall of said housing, thereby defining an end face to said slot, wherein each said slot has an upper and lower row of discrete terminal passageways through said rear wall communicating between said slots and said conductor connecting face, said receptacle connector further comprising a plurality of electrical terminals positioned in said housing with said terminals being positioned in said terminal passageways forming two opposed rows of discrete resilient receptacle contacts in each said slot, said terminals further comprising conductor connecting portions extending from said rear wall adjacent to s id conductor connecting face; and a plug connector comprising an insulating housing comprising a rear wall portion having a plurality of terminal support platforms extending forwardly therefrom, said platforms being in like number as said open slots of said receptacle connector, said plug rear wall portion having terminal passageways therethrough, above and below said platforms and in communication with channels disposed in upper and lower surfaces of said platforms, said plug connector further comprising a plurality of electrical terminals having contact sections positioned in said channels and conductor connecting sections adjacent to said conductor connecting face, thereby defining rows of contacts disposed above and below said terminal support platforms, said plug connector being adapted for mateable engagement with said receptacle connector with each said platform being insertable in a respective slot in said receptacle housing intermediate said opposed contact rows in the same said slot, causing interconnection between said receptacle contact portions and said plug contact portions, thereby forming a plurality of rows of discrete electrical connections.

Claim 19

A plug type electrical connector comprising: a block of insulative material, said block of insulative material including a widened base section and a narrower section integrally formed with and extending from said widened base section, said narrower section of said block of insulative material having a top side, a bottom side and a leading edge; at least one electrical contact mounted to each of said top and bottom sides of said narrower section of said block of insulative material; and a conductive outer shell attached to said widened base section of said block of insulative material, said conductive outer shell at least partially surrounding said narrower section of said block of insulative material.

Claim 20

A plug type electrical connector comprising: a block of insulative material, said block of insulative material including a widened base section and a narrower section integrally formed with and extending from said widened base section, said narrower section of said block of insulative material having a top side, a bottom side and a leading edge; at least one electrical contact mounted to each of said top and bottom sides of said narrower section of said block of insulative material; and a conductive outer shell attached to said widened base section of said block of insulative material, said conductive outer shell at least partially surrounding said narrower section of said block of insulative material.

Claim 21

A plug type multiple contact electrical connector comprising: a body portion formed from an insulative material, said body portion having a base and at least one outwardly projecting blade member extending from said base and terminating in a leading edge; a plurality of electrical contacts mounted to each of said at least one projecting blade members; and an outer housing formed form an electrically conductive material and attached to said insulative body portion, said conductive outer housing at least partially surrounding said at least one projecting blade member.

Claim 22

A plug type multiple contact electrical connector comprising: a body portion formed from an insulative material, said body portion having a base and at least one outwardly projecting blade member extending from said base and terminating in a leading edge; a plurality of electrical contacts mounted to each of said at least one projecting blade members; and an outer housing formed form an electrically conductive material and attached to said insulative body portion, said conductive outer housing at least partially surrounding said at least one projecting blade member.

Claim 23

A plug type electrical connector as set forth in claim 15, wherein each of said electrical contacts further comprises an electrical contact for providing a first electrical connection and a pin connector for providing a second electrical connection.

Claim 24

A plug type electrical connector as set forth in claim 16, wherein said at least one projecting blade member further comprises first, second and third projecting blades.

Claim 25

A plug type electrical connector as set forth in claim 17, wherein said projecting blades further include top and bottom sides and wherein electrical contacts are mounted on both said top and bottom sides of each of said projecting blades.

Claim 26

A plug type electrical connector as set forth in claim 18, wherein said top and bottom sides of each of said projecting blades are slotted and wherein said electrical contacts are insertably mounted in said slots.