Low profile surface-mounted connector having curved cantilevered spring contacts

Claim 2

A low profile, surface-mounted electrical connector that has contact force characteristics that are otherwise achievable with only a higher profile connector, comprising: a housing that is fabricated from a non-conductive material, said housing comprising a first, bottom major surface; a second, top major surface; a first sidewall; and a second sidewall, said housing having a cavity defined therein that is defined in part by interior surfaces, respectively, of said first and second sidewalls, said housing further having at least one T-shaped groove defined therein that is in communication with said cavity, said T-shaped groove having a broadened head portion, said T-shaped groove further being defined in part by an opening in said first, bottom major surface; and a spring-type electrical contact positioned in said T-shaped groove, said contact comprising a first leg that is affixed to said housing at an anchor point; a second leg that has a wiping section thereon; a radiused transition portion that is unitary with said first leg at a first end thereof and is unitary with said second leg at a second end thereof; and a flange connected to said first leg for guiding and constraining said first leg to move only within said head portion of said groove, said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion being constructed and arranged so that: (i) said first leg will cantilever about said anchor point; (ii) said second leg will cantilever about said second end of said transition portion; and (iii) said transition region will undergo a reduction in its radius of curvature when a plug that is being inserted into said connector imparts lateral contact force to said wiping section of said contact, whereby the combined deflections of said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion create a magnitude of beam deflection that was heretofore thought attainable only with a larger, high profile connector, and wherein said opening in said bottom, first major surface is sized to permit said contact to be inserted into said housing through said opening.

Claim 3

A connector according to claim 1, wherein said connector comprises a plurality of said grooves and a corresponding plurality of contacts within said grooves.

Claim 4

A connector according to claim 1, wherein the height of said housing is no more than approximately 0.170 inches.

Claim 5

A connector according to claim 1, wherein the distance on said first leg from said anchor point to said first end of said transition region is approximately 0.095 inches.

Claim 6

A connector according to claim 1, wherein said contact has a spring rate of approximately 15 grams of force per one one-thousandths of an inch.

Claim 7

A connector according to claim 1, wherein said housing further comprises a pair of end walls, and wherein said cavity is defined by inside surfaces, respectively, of said side walls and said end walls, and wherein a plurality of said T-shaped grooves are defined in each of said respective inner surfaces of said side walls.

Claim 8

A low profile, surface-mounted electrical connector that has contact force characteristics that are otherwise achievable with only a higher profile connector, comprising: a housing that is fabricated from a non-conductive material, said housing comprising a first, bottom major surface; a second, top major surface; a first sidewall; and a second sidewall, said housing having a cavity defined therein that is defined in part by interior surfaces respectively, of said first and second sidewalls, said housing further having at least one groove defined therein that is in communication with said cavity, said groove being defined in part by an opening in said first, bottom major surface; and a spring-type electrical contact positioned in said groove so as not to extend above said second top major surface, said contact comprising a first leg that is affixable to said housing at an anchor point; a second leg that has a wiping section thereon; a radiused transition portion that is unitary with said first leg at a first end thereof and is unitary with said second leg at a second end thereof; and an elongated tail section that is unitary with said first leg on an opposite side of said anchor point from said transition portion, said first leg, said second leg, said transition portion and said tail section being constructed and arranged so that said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion, but not said tail section, are insertable into said groove through said opening in said first, bottom major surface and said tail section of said contact is bent at a bend line with respect to said first leg, and said housing further comprises a mandrel on said first, bottom major surface that is positioned adjacent to said bend line, so that, once said contact is so inserted and is affixed to said housing at said anchor point: (i) said first leg will cantilever about said anchor point; (ii) said second leg will cantilever about said second end of said transition portion; and (iii) said transition region will undergo a reduction in its radius of curvature when a plug being inserted into said connector imparts lateral contact force to said wiping section of said contact, whereby the combined deflections of said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion create a magnitude of beam deflection that was heretofore thought attainable only with a larger, high profile connector.

Claim 9

A low profile, surface-mounted electrical connector that has contact force characteristics that are otherwise achievable with only a higher profile connector, comprising: a housing that is fabricated from a non-conductive material, said housing comprising a first, bottom major surface; a second, top major surface; a first sidewall; and a second sidewall, said housing having a cavity defined therein that is defined in part by interior surfaces respectively, of said first and second sidewalls, said housing further having at least one groove defined therein that is in communication with said cavity, said groove being defined in part by an opening in said first, bottom major surface; and a spring-type electrical contact positioned in said groove so as not to extend above said second top major surface, said contact comprising a first leg that is affixable to said housing at an anchor point; a second leg that has a wiping section thereon; a radiused transition portion that is unitary with said first leg at a first end thereof and is unitary with said second leg at a second end thereof; and an elongated tail section that is unitary with said first leg on an opposite side of said anchor point from said transition portion, said first leg, said second leg, said transition portion and said tail section being constructed and arranged so that said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion, but not said tail section, are insertable into said groove through said opening in said first, bottom major surface and said tail section of said contact is bent at a bend line with respect to said first leg, and said housing further comprises a mandrel on said first, bottom major surface that is positioned adjacent to said bend line, so that, once said contact is so inserted and is affixed to said housing at said anchor point: (i) said first leg will cantilever about said anchor point; (ii) said second leg will cantilever about said second end of said transition portion; and (iii) said transition region will undergo a reduction in its radius of curvature when a plug being inserted into said connector imparts lateral contact force to said wiping section of said contact, whereby the combined deflections of said first leg, said second leg and said transition portion create a magnitude of beam deflection that was heretofore thought attainable only with a larger, high profile connector.

Claim 10

A connector according to claim 7, wherein said connector is constructed and arranged to be mounted to a substrate so that said tail section of said contact will be positioned between said first, bottom major surface and the substrate.

Claim 11

A connector according to claim 7, wherein the height of said housing is no more than approximately 0.170 inches.

Claim 12

A connector according to claim 7, wherein the distance on said first leg from said anchor point to said first end of said transition region is approximately 0.095 inches.

Claim 13

A connector according to claim 7, wherein said contact has a spring rate of approximately 15 grams of force per one one-thousandths of an inch.