Claims
- 1. A connector mountable to a panel, said panel having opposed first and second major surfaces and aperture means extending therebetween, said connector comprising:
- a housing having contact receiving passages therein, said housing adapted to be mounted to the panel with said contact receiving passages extending parallel to the major surfaces of the panel, said housing adapted to be movable toward and away from the panel during mating with a complementary connector;
- a spaced pair of resilient first means extending from the housing to first free ends adapted to engage the first major surface of the panel at respective spaced first locations proximate the aperture means;
- a spaced pair of resilient second means extending from the housing to respective forward ends insertable through the aperture means, each said forward end including a bight section and an end section extending from the bight section to a second free end adapted to engage the second major panel surface, said second free ends engageable with the second major surface of the panel at respective second locations proximate the aperture means, and prior to said connector being mounted to the panel, said first free ends extend further from a surface of said connector housing than after mounting to the panel and are deflectable toward said connector housing by the first major surface of the panel upon mounting thereto, and said second free ends extend closer to a surface of said connector housing before said connector is mounted to the panel than after mounting thereto and are deflectable away from said connector housing by the second major surface of the panel upon mounting thereto, whereby upon mounting said connector to the panel, said resilient first means engage the first major surface of the panel such that the connector housing is biased away from the panel by said pair of resilient first means, said resilient second means extend through the aperture means to engage the second major surface of the panel such that the connector housing is biased toward the panel by said pair of resilient second means, said connector housing assuming a first unmated position with respect to the panel and incrementally moveable against said biases to a second position relative to the panel upon mating with a complementary connector.
- 2. A connector as recited in claim 1 wherein the aperture means define wall means and the second resilient means engage the wall means to define a limit on lateral movement of the connector.
- 3. A connector as recited in claim 1 further comprising contacts received in said contact receiving passages.
- 4. A connector as recited in claim 1 further comprising lateral guide means on said housing for engaging a complementary connector and for causing the connector to move laterally in the aperture means to align during mating of the connector with said complementary connector.
- 5. A connector as recited in claim 1 wherein said housing has sidewalls, said pair of resilient first means and said pair of resilient second means extend from said sidewalls.
- 6. A connector mountable to a panel, said panel having opposed first and second major surfaces and aperture means extending therebetween, said connector comprising:
- a housing having contact receiving passages therein, said housing adapted to be mounted to the panel with said contact receiving passages extending parallel to the major surfaces of the panel, said housing adapted to be moveable toward and away from the panel during mating with a complementary connector;
- a spaced pair of resilient first means extending from the housing to first free ends adapted to engage the first major surface of the panel at respective spaced first locations proximate the aperture means;
- a spaced pair of resilient second means extending from the housing to respective forward ends insertable through the aperture means, each said forward end including a bight section and an end section extending from the bight section to a second free end adapted to engage the second major panel surface, said second free ends engageable with the second major surface of the panel at respective second locations proximate the aperture means, whereby upon mounting said connector to the panel, said resilient first means engage the first major surface of the panel such that the connector housing is biased away from the panel by said pair of resilient first means, said resilient second means extend through the aperture means to engage the second major surface of the panel such that the connector housing is biased toward the panel by said pair of resilient second means, said connector housing assuming a first unmated position with respect to the panel and incrementally moveable against said biases to a second position relative to the panel upon mating with a complementary connector.
- 7. A connector as recited in claim 6 wherein the aperture means define wall means and the second resilient means engage the wall means to define a limit on lateral movement of the connector.
- 8. A connector as recited in claim 6 further comprising contacts received in said contact receiving passages.
- 9. A connector as recited in claim 6 further comprising lateral guide means on said housing for engaging a complementary connector and for causing the connector to move laterally in the aperture means to align during mating of the connector with said complementary connector.
- 10. A connector as recited in claim 6 wherein said housing has sidewalls, said pair of resilient first means and said pair of resilient second means extend from said sidewalls.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 897 186, filed Aug. 15, 1986, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,755,149.
US Referenced Citations (17)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0020834 |
Jun 1979 |
EPX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (1)
Entry |
AMP Incorporated Document IS7982, Rel. 02-13-84. |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
897186 |
Aug 1986 |
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