Circuit board connector, bus and system

• US 4,749,357 A
• Filed: 12/23/1985
• Issued: 06/07/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TVM Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Elcon Products International Company
• Inventors: Foley, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Crane, Daniel C.
• Application Number:
  US06/812,797
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 339/14 R, 339/17 LC, 339/14 P, 339/17 LM, 339/17 M, 339/17 L, 339/256 RT, 339/256 R, 439/78-80, 439/81, 439/82, 439/66, 439/74, 439/75, 439/65, 439/92, 439/851, 439/852
• US Class Current: 439/80
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7088 Arrangements for power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/187 with spring member in the socket
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/947 PCB mounted connector with ground terminal

Abstract

A power distribution connector (10) has an insulating block (12) with a bus element (14) supported by the insulating block (12). Contact pins (20) are attached to the bus element (14) and extend through the insulating block (12). An additional contact (38) is electrically connected to the bus element (14) and is configured to engage a mating contact (42).

Claims

1. A power distribution connector system, which comprises first and second power distribution connectors each having an insulating block with a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said additional contact of said first power distribution connector comprising a generally cylindrical male contact extending outward from said bus element of said first power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said second power distribution connector, said insulating block of said second power distribution connector having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector, said additional contact of said second power distribution connector comprising a female contact extending into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said first power distribution connector.

2. The power distribution connector system of claim 1 in which said socket of said second power distribution connector extends from said bus element of said second power distribution connector into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector parallel to an extending direction of said contact pins of said second power distribution connector.

3. The power distribution connector system of claim 1 in which said additional, female contact of said second power distribution connector is generally cylindrical in shape with a centrally disposed segment along a length of the cylinder having a reduced diameter, said additional, female contact of said second power distribution connector being formed from a spring conductive metal.

4. A power distribution connector, which comprises an insulating block, a bus element supported by said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block, and an additional contact eletrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said insulating block having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block, said additional contact being a female contact in said socket, said additional, female contact being generally cylindrical in shape with a centrally disposed segment along a length of the cylinder having a reduced diameter, said additional, female contact being formed from a spring conductive metal and a conductive contact housing in said socket, said additional, female contact being friction fit in said contact housing, said contact housing having a rim extending from said socket to engage said bus element.

5. The power distribution connector of claim 4 in which the rim of said contact housing has an annular cavity on an inside surface of the rim, said connector additionally comprising a split, resilient ring in the annular cavity, said ring being configured to expand when the mating contact is inserted in said socket and to engage a locking groove on the mating contact when the mating contact is fully inserted in said socket.

6. A power distribution connector, which comprises an insulating block having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surface of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said additional contact being a generally cylindrical male contact fixedly attached to said bus element and extending perpendicularly outward away from said insulating block, said bus element being supported by two surfaces of said insulating block and said additional, male contact extending outward perpendicularly to an extending direction of said plurality of contact pins.

7. The power distribution connector of claim 6 in which said plurality of contact pins have a compliant end portion extending beyond a surface of said insulating block away from said bus element.

8. A power distribution connector combination, which comprises a plurality of insulating blocks each having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said insulating block having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block and said additional contact being a female contact in said socket, said additional, female contact being generally cylindrical in shape, said bus element being configured as a bus structure in which said bus element extends between and is supported by said plurality of insulating blocks, said bus element having a planar lower surface resting on and covering one of said rectangular surfaces of each of said plurality of insulating blocks.

9. In combination, first and second printed circuit boards and first and second power distribution connectors, each of said first and second power distribution connectors comprising an insulating block having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said additional contact of said first power distribution connector comprising a generally cylindrical male contact extending outward from said bus element of said first power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said second power distribution connector, said insulating block of said second power distribution connector having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector, said additional contact of said second power distribution connector comprising a female contact extending into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said first power distribution connector, said first power distribution connector being electrically connected to said first printed circuit board by said plurality of contact pins of said first power distribution connector and said second power distribution connector being electlrically connected to said second printed circuit board by said plurality of contact pins of said second power distribution connector, the additional contacts of said first and second power distribution connectors bieng connected together in mating electrical contact.

10. In combination, a printed circuit board and a power distribution connector, which comprises an insulating block having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said power distribution connector being electrically connected to said printed circuit board, in which said printed circuit board is configured for electrical connection to at least two of said power distribution connectors, there are at least two of said power distribution connectors electrically connected to and mounted on said printed circuit board, at least three power cables positioned to be selectively connected to said power distribution connectors, each of said power cables having a mating contact configured to engage said additional contact of said power distribution connectors, and a storage device for a one of said power cables, which comprises an additional insulating block, an additional bus element supported by said insulating block, an additional plurality of contact pins extending through said additional insulating block and mounting said additional insulating block and said additional bus element on said printed circuit board, and a socket in said additional insulating block free of electrical contact to said additional bus element and said additional plurality of contact pins.

11. In combination, first and second printed circuit boards and first and second power distribution connectors, each of said first and second power distribution connectors comprising an insulating block having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said additional contact of said first power distribution connector comprising a generally cylindrical male contact extending outward from said bus element of said first power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said second power distribution connector, said insulating block of said second power distribution connector having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector, said additional contact of said second power distribution connector comprising a female contact extending into said insulating block of said second power distribution connector and being configured as the mating contact for the additional contact of said first power distribution connector, said first power distribution connector being electrically connected to said first printed circuit board by said plurality of contact pins of said first power distribution connector and said second power distribution connector being electrically connected to said second printed circuit board by said plurality of contact pins of said second power distribution connector, in which said first printed circuit board is a mother board, said second printed circuit board is a daughter printed circuit board electrically connected to said mother board, one of said first and second power disribution connectors is configured as a bus structure in which said bus element of said one of said first and second power distribution connectors extends between and has a planar surface supported by a plurality of said insulating blocks, said plurality of contact pins of said one of said first and second power distribution connectors extends from said bus element of said one of said first and second power distribution connectors through said plurality of said insulating blocks to mount said bus structure one of said first and second power distribution connectors on said mother board, another of said first and second power distribution connectors being electrically connected between said bus structure one of said first and second power distribution connectors and said at least one daughter printed circuit oard, the additional contacts of said first and second power distribution connectors being connected together in mating electrical contact.

12. The combination of claim 11 in which said bus structure one of said first and second power distribution connectors is said second power distribution connector, and said another of said first and second power distribution connectors is said first power distribution connector.

13. A power distribution connector, which comprises an insulating block having a plurality of rectangular surfaces, a bus element supported on and covering at least one of the rectangular surfaces of said insulating block, a plurality of contact pins attached to said bus element and extending through said insulating block to an opposite rectangular surface of said insulating block from the at least one rectangular surface of said insulating block supporting said bus element, and an additional contact electrically connected to said bus element and configured to engage a mating contact, said insulating block having a socket which extends from said bus element into said insulating block and said additional contact being a female contact in said socket, said additional, female contact being generally cylindrical in shape with a centraly disposed segment along a length of the cylinder having a reduced diameter, said additional, female contact being formed from a spring conductive metal.

14. The power distribution connector of claim 13 in which said bus element is supported by two surfaces of said insulating block, said plurality of pins extend from said bus element through said insulating block at one of the two surfaces and said socket extends from said bus element into said insulating block at another one of the two surfaces.

15. The power distributionc onnector of claim 13 in whcih said socket exends from said bus element into said insulating block parallel to an extending direction of said contact pins.