Edge card connector assembly with tuned impedance terminals

Claim 2

A connector for providing a connection between a circuit board and an opposing electronic element, the circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon and the opposing electronic element including a male portion having a plurality of conductive members disposed thereon, comprising: an insulative connector housing having first and second ends, the connector housing first end being a front end including a receptacle portion for mating with said opposing electronic element and the connector housing second end being a rear end; a plurality of conductive terminals supported by said housing, the terminals being arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first and second terminals including contact portions for contacting a corresponding conductive member of said opposing electronic element, mountings portion for mounting said terminal to a circuit board, body portions interconnecting the mounting portions together, and retention portions for retaining the terminal in place with the connector housing, the terminal retention portions being disposed intermediate said terminal contact and terminal mounting portions, the first set of terminals being inserted into said connector housing from said front end thereof and the second set of terminals being inserted into said connector housing from said rear end; said retention portions of the second terminals each having open sided impedance control openings extending into the retention portion from a rear side thereof, and said terminal retention portions and being sized so as not to weaken the retention of said second terminals within said connector housing by said terminal retention portions.

Claim 3

The connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said connector housing includes a plurality of first and second cavities respectively disposed along said front and rear ends, each of the first cavities receiving a single first terminal therein and each of the second cavities receiving a single second terminal therein.

Claim 4

The connector as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said second terminal retention portion openings are open sided slots that extend forwardly into the retention portions from rear sides of the second terminals.

Claim 5

The connector as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said slots extend into the retention portions in substantially parallel relation to the contact portions.

Claim 6

A surface mount connector for providing a connection between a circuit board and an opposing electronic element, the circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon and the opposing electronic element including a male portion having a plurality of conductive portions disposed thereon, comprising: an insulative connector housing having front and rear ends, the connector housing, front end including a receptacle portion for receiving the opposing electronic element male portion; a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in said housing, the terminals being arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said front end, said first terminals including contact portions for contacting corresponding conductive portions of said opposing electronic element male portion, and tail portions for mounting said first terminals to first conductive traces on said circuit board; the second terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said rear end, the second terminals including contact portions for contacting corresponding conductive portions of said opposing electronic element male portion, tail portions for mounting said second terminals to second conductive traces on said circuit board and retention portions for retaining the terminal in place with the connector housing, the terminal retention portions being disposed between said second terminal contact and tail portions, said second terminal retention portions having open sided impedance control openings extending into the retention portion from a rear side thereof, and said second terminal retention portions being of sufficient size so as not to weaken the retention of said second terminals within said connector housing by said second terminal retention portions.

Claim 7

A surface mount connector for providing a connection between a circuit board and an opposing electronic element, the circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon and the opposing electronic element including a male portion having a plurality of conductive portions disposed thereon, comprising: an insulative connector housing having front and rear ends, the connector housing, front end including a receptacle portion for receiving the opposing electronic element male portion; a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in said housing, the terminals being arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said front end, said first terminals including contact portions for contacting corresponding conductive portions of said opposing electronic element male portion, and tail portions for mounting said first terminals to first conductive traces on said circuit board; the second terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said rear end, the second terminals including contact portions for contacting corresponding conductive portions of said opposing electronic element male portion, tail portions for mounting said second terminals to second conductive traces on said circuit board and retention portions for retaining the terminal in place with the connector housing, the terminal retention portions being disposed between said second terminal contact and tail portions, said second terminal retention portions having open sided impedance control openings extending into the retention portion from a rear side thereof, and said second terminal retention portions being of sufficient size so as not to weaken the retention of said second terminals within said connector housing by said second terminal retention portions.

Claim 8

The surface mount connector of claim 5 , wherein said second terminal are stamped and formed from a metal.

Claim 9

The surface mount connector of claim 5 , wherein said connector housing rear end includes a plurality of slots, and said second terminal retention portions are received within said the connector housing rear end slots.

Claim 10

The surface mount connector of claim 5 , wherein said second terminal retention portion openings are elongated slots that extend forwardly into the retention portion.

Claim 11

The surface mount connector of claim 8 , wherein said second terminal retention portion slots extend in the same direction as said second terminal contact portions.

Claim 12

The surface mount connector of claim 5 , wherein said second terminal retention portions include barbs for engaging said connector housing.

Claim 13

The surface mount connector of claim 5 , wherein said second terminal retention portions are disposed within said connector housing at a level beneath said first terminal contact portions.

Claim 14

A connector, comprising: an insulative connector housing having front and rear ends, the connector housing front end including a receptacle portion for receiving a mating portion of an opposing electronic element; a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said front end, said first terminals including contact portions extending into the connector housing receptacle portion, and mounting portions extending out from said connector housing for surface mounting to a circuit board; the second terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said rear end, the second terminals including contact portions extending into said connector housing receptacle portion, mounting portions extending out from said connector housing for surface mounting to the circuit board and retention portions for retaining the terminal in place with the connector housing, the terminal retention portions being disposed between said second terminal contact and mounting portions, and said second terminal retention portions having open sided slots formed therein extending into the retention portion in the same direction as said second terminal contact portions.

Claim 15

A connector, comprising: an insulative connector housing having front and rear ends, the connector housing front end including a receptacle portion for receiving a mating portion of an opposing electronic element; a plurality of conductive terminals arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said front end, said first terminals including contact portions extending into the connector housing receptacle portion, and mounting portions extending out from said connector housing for surface mounting to a circuit board; the second terminals being disposed within said connector housing along said rear end, the second terminals including contact portions extending into said connector housing receptacle portion, mounting portions extending out from said connector housing for surface mounting to the circuit board and retention portions for retaining the terminal in place with the connector housing, the terminal retention portions being disposed between said second terminal contact and mounting portions, and said second terminal retention portions having open sided slots formed therein extending into the retention portion in the same direction as said second terminal contact portions.

Claim 16

The connector of claim 12 , wherein said second terminal contact portion and said retention portion have a general S-shaped configuration.

Claim 17

The connector of claim 12 , wherein said second terminal retention portion is disposed between said second terminal contact and surface mount portions.

Claim 18

The connector of claim 12 , wherein said second terminal retention portions include barbs for engaging said connector housing.

Claim 19

The connector of claim 12 , wherein said second terminal retention portions extends into said connector housing at a level below both of said first and second terminal contact portions.

Claim 20

The connector of claim 12 , wherein said first and second terminal surface mounting portions extends in opposite directions respectively from said connector housing front and rear ends.

Claim 21

The connector of claim 8 in which said elongated slots extend forwardly into said second terminal retention portions in substantially parallel relation to the contact portions of the second terminals.

Claim 22

A connector for providing a connection between a circuit board and an opposing electronic element, the circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon and the opposing electronic element including a male portion having a plurality of conductive members disposed thereon, comprising: an insulative connector housing including a receptacle portion for mating with said opposing electronic element, a plurality of conductive terminals supported by said housing, said terminals being arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first and second terminals each including a contact portion for contacting a corresponding conductive member of an opposing electronic element, a mounting portion for mounting said terminal to a circuit board, and a retention portion for retaining the terminal in place in the connector housing, said first terminals being inserted into said connector housing from one side thereof and said second set of terminals being inserted into said connector housing from a second side thereof, said retention portions of the second terminals each having an elongated open sided opening defined by first and second legs of the retention portion, said first and second retention portion legs each having first and second ends, said first ends of said retention portion legs being electrically interconnected, said first and second retention portion legs and the second ends thereof having a space therebetween that opens to one side of the terminal, and said second end of said first leg being electrically connected to said contact portion and said second end of said second leg being electrically connected to said mounting portion for defining a continuous, uninterrupted directional signal transmission path between said contact and mounting portions via one of the legs of said retention portion, the interconnection between the first ends of said retention portion legs, and then the other leg of the retention portion.

Claim 23

A connector for providing a connection between a circuit board and an opposing electronic element, the circuit board having a plurality of conductive traces disposed thereon and the opposing electronic element including a male portion having a plurality of conductive members disposed thereon, comprising: an insulative connector housing including a receptacle portion for mating with said opposing electronic element, a plurality of conductive terminals supported by said housing, said terminals being arranged in distinct sets of first and second terminals, the first and second terminals each including a contact portion for contacting a corresponding conductive member of an opposing electronic element, a mounting portion for mounting said terminal to a circuit board, and a retention portion for retaining the terminal in place in the connector housing, said first terminals being inserted into said connector housing from one side thereof and said second set of terminals being inserted into said connector housing from a second side thereof, said retention portions of the second terminals each having an elongated open sided opening defined by first and second legs of the retention portion, said first and second retention portion legs each having first and second ends, said first ends of said retention portion legs being electrically interconnected, said first and second retention portion legs and the second ends thereof having a space therebetween that opens to one side of the terminal, and said second end of said first leg being electrically connected to said contact portion and said second end of said second leg being electrically connected to said mounting portion for defining a continuous, uninterrupted directional signal transmission path between said contact and mounting portions via one of the legs of said retention portion, the interconnection between the first ends of said retention portion legs, and then the other leg of the retention portion.

Claim 24

The connector of claim 19 in which said first and second retention portion legs are disposed in parallel relation to each other.

Claim 25

The terminal of claim 19 in said first and second retention portion legs define an elongated slot opening to a side of the terminal.

Claim 26

The terminal of claim 21 in which said first and second retention portion legs and said elongated slot extend from a side of the second terminal in the same direction as said contact portion.