Claims
- 1. A connector system which includes first and second matable connectors, wherein each connector has a housing with an open mating end for mating with the other connector by moving each connector in a corresponding mating direction toward the other connector until said connectors are fully mated, and wherein each connector has a plurality of rows of contacts with each contact including a forward end portion comprising an elongated beam of constant thickness, said beam having a straight rear part extending parallel to said mating direction and having a forward part that is bent to form a protuberance projecting sidewardly, with the extreme side of said protuberance forming a mating location which substantially engages the straight inner part of a corresponding mating contact when said connectors are fully mated, characterized by:
- each said connector housing includes an insulator with a wall extending on a side of said beam opposite the direction of projection of said protuberance;
- said rear part of each contact extends straight and parallel to said mating direction, said rear part is longer than said forward part, and said forward part has a free tip region which is positioned to engage said wall during mating.
- 2. The connector system described in claim 1 wherein:
- each of said contact forward parts has a tip region extending parallel to said rear part.
- 3. The connector system described in claim 1 wherein:
- each said connector housing includes an insulator with a base and a support wall extending in said mating direction of said base, said support wall having an outside surface and a plurality of elongated grooves in said outside surface with said grooves extending in said mating direction, each groove having a bottom wall and opposite side walls lying about most of said beam;
- said rear part of each contact has an outer side lying substantially flush with said support wall outside surface from said base and along said mating direction therefrom.
- 4. The connector system described in claim 1 wherein:
- said wall has an outside surface and a plurality of elongated grooves extending in said mating direction, each groove having a bottom wall portion extending parallel to said beam rear part and positioned to engage said contact free tip region during mating, with each extending largely parallel to said rear part but lying closer to said bottom wall portion than said rear part, to facewise engage said bottom wall during mating.
- 5. The connector system described in claim 1 wherein:
- said first connector housing includes a one-piece molded insulative member forming a base with holes through which said contacts pass and also forming a support wall having a plurality of contact-protecting elongated grooves each extending in said mating direction and largely surrounding one of said beams of a contact lying in a row, said one-piece insulative member also including a locating pin projecting in said mating direction;
- said second housing includes a one-piece molded second insulative member forming a base with holes through which said contacts of said second connector pass and also forming a support wall with grooves that largely surround on three sides each of a plurality of contacts that lie in a row, said one-piece member of said second housing having a pin-receiving recess which closely receives said pin prior to mating of said contacts.
- 6. The connector system described in claim 1 including first, second and third circuit boards lying in parallel planes with each having opposite faces, with said first and second connectors mounted respectively on said first and second boards, wherein:
- said second connector has upper and lower connector parts projecting from opposite faces of said second board;
- said second board has a plurality of holes and said contacts of said second connector each projects through one of said holes to leave opposite contact end portions extending from the opposite faces of said second board, said opposite end portions being substantially identical with each end portion including an elongated beam having a forward part forming a protubernace.
- 7. The connector system described in claim 1 including:
- a circuit board having a plurality of plated-through holes, said first connector being mounted on said circuit board;
- means for generating a plurality of signals and transmitting each signal through a different one of a first plurality of said contacts, with each signal consisting primarily of pulses having a predetermined clock rate R of at least 50 million pulses a second;
- each of said first plurality of contacts has a mount part extending through one of said plated holes of said circuit board and each of said forward portions extends from a face of said board by a distance H where ##EQU2## wherein R is the clock rate in pulses per second, c is the speed of light, and n is a whole number.
- 8. The connector system described in claim 7 wherein:
- said clock rate is at least 300.times.10.sup.6 pulses per second, and said number n is chosen from the group consisting of the numbers 7, 8, 9 and 10.
- 9. A connector system for connecting first and second circuit boards lying in parallel planes with each having opposite faces and a plurality of holes, comprising:
- first and second connectors mounted respectively on said first and second boards;
- each said connector comprises a plurality of contacts projecting through said holes in the corresponding board to leave opposite contact end portions substantially extending from said opposite board faces;
- both of said opposite contact end portions of the contacts of said second connector and at least the contact end portion projecting from a first face of said second connectors, are substantially identical, with each said identical contact end portion including an elongated beam extending away from a corresponding board face and having a forward part with a mating protuberance projecting largely perpendicular to the length of said beam.
- 10. The connector system described in claim 9 wherein:
- said circuit boards lie closely spaced and in substantially parallel planes, with each of a plurality of contact end portions extending from a first face of said first board being mated with each of a plurality of contacts extending from said first face of said second board;
- said first and second connectors each includes an insulator with a base having holes through which a plurality of said contacts extend, with the portion of each contact extending forwardly from said base forming one of said beams;
- each of said identical contact end portions is constructed so its beam has a rear part that extends along most of the length of the beam and that extends straight and forwardly from one of said bases up to the beginning of the contact protuberance;
- each of said mated contact end portions is positioned with its beam extending substantially parallel to the beam of the mating contact end portion, and with its protuberance substantially engaged with the rear part of the beam of the other contact portion.
- 11. The connector system described in claim 10 wherein:
- each of said insulators includes a support wall having an outside surface and a plurality of grooves extending parallel to said outside surface and in a forward direction away from a corresponding board face, each groove surrounding one of said contact end portions on three sides with one face of each beam rear part lying flush with said outside surface and the opposite face lying within the groove.
- 12. A module system which includes a mother board having at least one connector and a plurality of modules that can be stacked on said mother board, with each module having a module board with conductive traces that include plated-through holes and a connector that can be mated to a connector of another boards, wherein each connector includes a housing with an insulator having a base with a plurality of rows of base holes and each connector also includes a plurality of rows of contacts with each contact having a mount portion with a part lying in one of said plated-through holes and another part lying in one of said base holes, and with each contact having an elongated beam of uniform thickness and width extending forwardly away from said base, characterized by:
- first and second of said connectors each has contacts whose beams have rear parts that extend forwardly and with each beam having a forward part with a sidewardly projecting protrusion and with a tip region furthest from said rear part, said contacts of said first and second connectors being matable to each other;
- each of said insulators has a plurality of elongated support walls extending forwardly from said base and extending along one of said rows, with each support wall having a plurality of grooves spaced along one of said rows;
- each pair of said support walls being spaced to form a slot therebetween which receives a support wall of the other connector until the tips of each support wall lies adjacent to the base of the other connector insulator, and each said groove extends around the entire length of each beam except for said protrusion.
- 13. The module system described in claim 12 wherein:
- each said beam forward part includes a free tip region furthest from said rear part and lying deeper in said groove than said beam rear part.
- 14. The module system described in cliam 12 wherein:
- each contact has a base-received part lying in interference fit with the walls of one of said base holes.
- 15. A connector comprising:
- a member having opposite faces and forming a plurality of through holes;
- a plurality of contacts each having a mount portion mounted in one of said holes and a pair of substantially identical opposite end portions extending in opposite directions from said mount portion;
- each contact end portion includes an elongated beam having a straight rear part extending along a predetermined mating direction and having a forward part with a protuberance projecting sidewardly.
- 16. The connector described in claim 15 wherein:
- each said beam rear part extends along most of the length of the beam, and said forward part includes a tip region;
- said member includes a wall which lies beside said tip region to engage it when said protuberance is pushed toward said wall during mating of said contact with a contact of another connector.
- 17. A connector system comprising:
- a circuit board having a plurality of plates through holes;
- a plurality of contacts each having a mount portion mounted in one of said holes and an elongated end portion projecting substantially perpendicular to said board along a predetermined height H;
- a generator for generating pulses having a predetermined clock rate R of at least 50 million pulses per second;
- circuitry coupling said generator to each of a first plurality of said contacts to pass pulses of said clock rate R therethrough;
- the length H of said end portions of each of said first plurality of contacts is given by the equation: ##EQU3## where C is the speed of light, and n is a whole number chosen from the group consisting of the numbers 6, 7 , 8 , 9 and 10.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/771,276 filed Oct. 3, 1991, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (27)
Foreign Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Date |
Country |
207069 |
Oct 1979 |
DEX |
902464 |
Aug 1962 |
GBX |
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
771276 |
Oct 1991 |
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