Electrical connection system

Claim 2

A connection apparatus comprising: a plug and a receptacle, each having beam contacts and at least one coaxial contact; said plug having a receiver with a cavity and having a sheath lying within said cavity, with a gap between said receiver and said sheath; said receptacle including a casing with a casing cavity, said casing being insertable into said receiver to lie in said gap while said sheath is received in said casing cavity; said sheath of said plug including a bridge, with a first plurality of said beam contacts mounted on said bridge, and said sheath including a coax sheath part that forms a hole with a first of said coax contact mounted in said hole, with said bridge and said coaxial sheath part being integrally formed of insulative material; said casing of said receptacle including a bridge-receiving part that can receive said bridge, with a second plurality of said beam contacts mounted on said bridge-receiving part, and said casing including a coax casing part that can receive said coax sheath part, with a second of said coax contacts mounted in said coax casing part and being mateable with said first coax contact.

Claim 3

The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said bridge has a length and width, with said length being greater than said width, and said bridge has opposite ends spaced by said length; said coax sheath part has a shorter length but greater width than said bridge, and is contiguous with one of said bridge ends.

Claim 4

The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said plug and receptacle respectively form a plug and receptacle connector; and including a circuit board attached to one of said connectors, said board having at least one row of conductive pads; one of said plurality of beam contacts has tail ends that are bent in a loop of at least about 180° and that press against and are joined to said pads.

Claim 5

The apparatus described in claim 1 wherein: said plug and receptacle respectively form a plug connector and a receptacle connector; a circuit board attached to one of said connectors, said board having at least two coax pads; one of said plurality of coax contacts has ends that press against said coax pads.

Claim 6

A connection apparatus comprising: a plug and a receptacle; said plug having a receiver with a cavity open in a predetermined plug mating direction and having a sheath lying within cavity to leave a gap between them extending in a loop completely around said sheath and opening in said plug mating direction, said sheath including an elongated bridge with opposite ends and a coax sheath part that is contiguous with an end of said bridge; said receptacle including a casing that fits into said gap and that has a casing cavity that receives said sheath, said casing including contiguous bridge-receiving and coax casing parts; said bridge having a row of plug beam apertures; a plurality of plug beams contacts mounted on said plug and having beams lying in and projecting from said plug beam apertures; said casing having a plurality of receptacle beam apertures along said bridge-receiving part, that open to said casing cavity; a plurality of receptacle beam contacts mounted on said receptacle and having beams lying in and projecting from said receptacle beam apertures and engaging said beams of said plug beam contacts; said coax sheath part and said casing coax part each includes a coax hole; first and said coaxial connectors mounted respectively in said coax sheath part and in said second coax casing part and mated to each other.

Claim 7

A connection apparatus comprising: a plug and a receptacle; said plug having a receiver with a cavity open in a predetermined plug mating direction and having a sheath lying within cavity to leave a gap between them extending in a loop completely around said sheath and opening in said plug mating direction, said sheath including an elongated bridge with opposite ends and a coax sheath part that is contiguous with an end of said bridge; said receptacle including a casing that fits into said gap and that has a casing cavity that receives said sheath, said casing including contiguous bridge-receiving and coax casing parts; said bridge having a row of plug beam apertures; a plurality of plug beams contacts mounted on said plug and having beams lying in and projecting from said plug beam apertures; said casing having a plurality of receptacle beam apertures along said bridge-receiving part, that open to said casing cavity; a plurality of receptacle beam contacts mounted on said receptacle and having beams lying in and projecting from said receptacle beam apertures and engaging said beams of said plug beam contacts; said coax sheath part and said casing coax part each includes a coax hole; first and said coaxial connectors mounted respectively in said coax sheath part and in said second coax casing part and mated to each other.