Electrical connector

• US 4,815,987 A
• Filed: 12/22/1987
• Issued: 03/28/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Murase, Teruo, Kawano, Kyoichiro, Tsuji, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Application Number:
  US07/136,776
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 439/259, 439/260, 439/262-269
• US Class Current: 439/263
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/193 Means for increasing contact pressure at the end of engagement of coupling part , e.g. zero insertion force or no friction
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1007 with means for increasing contact pressure at the end of engagement of coupling parts

Abstract

An electrical connector includes a plug having a number of contact pins and a jack having a number of receptacle contacts corresponding to the contact pins. Each of the receptacle contacts has a parallel portion and a widened portion. A contact pressing member having partition walls is movable in such a manner that, when the contact pressing member is in a first position, the partition walls are positioned at the parallel portions of the receptacle contacts to allow an easy insertion of the contact pins. When the contact pressing member is moved to a second position, the partition walls are moved to the widened portions of the receptacle contacts so that the gaps between the widened portions are narrowed. Therefore, the receptacle contacts are pressed into firm contact with the contact pins.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

(a) a plug assembly having a plurality of contact pins;

(b) a jack assembly including a plurality of receptacle contacts corresponding to said contact pins, each of said plurality of receptacle contacts defining a first gap opening at a top thereof, into which said contact pins are resiliently insertable, said contact pins simultaneously coming into electrical contact with said receptacle contacts, each of said plurality of receptacle contacts having at least one parallel portion and a widened portion in which the width of a second gap at the widened portion is larger than the width of a third gap between said parallel portions, and a contact pressing member having partition walls and being movable between a first position and a second position, said partition walls being positioned at said parallel portions of the receptacle contacts when said corresponding contact pressing member is in said first position so that the first, second and third gaps between said portions of said receptacle contacts are wide enough to permit insertion of said contact pins with a contact force therebetween, said partition walls being movable to said widened portions of said receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is moved to said second position so that the second and third gaps are narrowed thereby pressing said receptacle contacts into firm contact with said contact pins and increasing the contact force therebetween; and

(c) means for simultaneously moving at least a portion of said contact pressing members of said plurality of receptacle contacts between said first position and said second position.

2. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of receptacle contacts comprises a pair of resilient leaves and said first, second and third gaps are defined therebetween.

3. An electrical connector comprising:

(a) a plug assembly including a board and a plurality of contact pins regularly arranged on said board;

(b) a jack assembly including a mother board and a plurality of jack modules regularly arranged on said mother board, each of said jack modules including a housing fixed on said mother board;

a plurality of receptacle contacts regularly arranged on said housing and corresponding to said contact pins, each of said plurality of receptacle contacts being projected from said housing and defining a first gap opening at a top thereof into which said contact pins are resiliently insertable, said contact pins simultaneously coming into electrical contact with said receptacle contacts, each of said plurality of receptacle contacts having at least one parallel portion and a widened portion in which the width of a second gap at the widened portion is larger than a width of a third gap between said parallel portions, and a contact pressing member having partition walls and being mounted movably with respect to said housing between a first position and a second position, said partition walls being positioned at said parallel portions of the receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is in said first position, the first, second and third gaps being wide enough to permit insertion of said contact pins with a contact force therebetween, said partition walls being movable to said widened portions of the receptacle contacts to narrow the third gap between said widened portion thereby pressing said receptacle contacts into firm contact with said contact pins and increasing the contact force; and

(c) means for simultaneously moving at least a portion of said contact pressing members of said receptacle contacts between said first position and said second position.

4. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said plurality of receptacle contacts comprises a pair of resilient leaves projecting from said housing, said first, second and third gaps being defined between said pair of leaves.

5. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 3, wherein said housing has means for slidably guiding each of said contact pressing members between said first position and said second position.

6. An electrical connector comprising:

(a) a plug assembly including a board and a plurality of contact pins regularly arranged on said board;

(b) a jack including a mother board and a plurality of jack modules regularly arranged on said mother board, each of said jack modules including a housing fixed on said mother board;

a plurality of receptacle contacts regularly arranged on said housing and corresponding to said contact pins, each of said receptacle contacts being projected from said housing and defining a first gap opening at a top thereof, each of said receptacle contacts also having a widened portion adjacent to said opening at said top and at least one parallel portion adjacent to said widened portion, a width of a second gap between said widened portions being larger than a width of a third gap between said parallel portions, a contact pin guide fixed to said housing and having a plurality of guide holes corresponding to said contact pins, said contact pins being simultaneously insertable through said guide holes and brought into resilient contact with said receptacle contacts, a contact pressing member having partition walls and being slidingly mounted on said housing to move between an upper position and a lower position, said partition walls being positioned at said parallel portions of the receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is in said lower position so that the first, second and third gaps between said portion of said receptacle contacts are wide enough to permit insertion of said contact pins with a contact force therebetween and, said partition walls being movable up to said widened portions of the receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is moved to said upper position so that said second and third gaps are narrowed thereby pressing said plurality of receptacle contacts into firm contact with said contact pins; and

(c) means for simultaneously moving at least a portion of said contact pressing members of said receptacle contacts between said upper position and said lower position.

7. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said contact pressing members is provided at a side wall thereof with at least one inclined guide groove and said moving means comprises a plurality of sliding members slidably mounted on said mother board, each of said sliding members having projections engagable with said inclined guide grooves of said contact pressing members, said contact pressing members being movable up and down in response to movement of said sliding members.

8. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 7, wherein each of said sliding members is slidably disposed in a fourth gap between said two adjacent jack modules and is provided with said projections on both sides thereof, said projections being engagable with said inclined guide grooves of said two adjacent jack modules.

9. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 6, wherein each of said contact pressing members has two opposite side walls and is provided at both side walls thereof with inclined guide grooves, respectively, and said moving means comprises a plurality of pairs of sliding members slidably mounted on said mother board, each pair of said sliding members having projections engagable with said inclined guide grooves at both side walls thereof, respectively, said contact pressing members being movable up and down in response to movement of said pairs of sliding members.

10. An electrical connector comprising:

(a) a plug assembly including a board and a plurality of contact pins regularly arranged on said board;

(b) a jack assembly including a mother board and a plurality of jack modules regularly arranged on said mother board, each of said jack modules including a housing fixed on said mother board, a plurality of receptacle contacts regularly arranged on said housing and corresponding to said contact pins, each of said plurality receptacle contacts being projected from said housing and defining a first gap opening at a top thereof, each of said plurality of receptacle contacts also having a widened portion adjacent to said top opening and at least one parallel portion adjacent to said widened portion, a width of a second gap at said widened portion being larger than a width of a third gap at said parallel portion, a contact pin guide fixed to said housing and having a plurality of guide holes corresponding to said contact pins, said contact pins being simultaneously insertable through said guide holes and being brought into resilient contact with said receptacle contact, a contact pressing member having partition walls and being slidingly mounted on said housing between an upper position and a lower position, said partition walls being positioned at said parallel portions of the receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is in said lower position so that the first, second and third gaps between said portions of said receptacle contacts are wide enough to permit insertion of said contact pins with a contact force therebetween and, said partition walls being movable up to said widened portions of the receptacle contacts when said contact pressing member is moved to said upper position so that said second and third gaps are narrowed thereby pressing said receptacle contacts into firm contact with said contact pins and increasing the contact force, and said contact pressing member being provided at both side walls thereof with inclined guide grooves, respectively; and

(c) means for simultaneously moving at least a portion of said contact pressing members including a plurality of sliding members slidably mounted on said mother board, each of said sliding members having projections which are engagable with said inclined guide grooves of said contact pressing members; and

, a plurality of cam levers pivotably mounted on said mother board, each of said cam levers having one end engaged with at least one of said sliding members; and

,

(d) a detachably operating means for pivotally moving at least one of the plurality of cam levers, said contact pressing members being movable up and down in response to movement of said cam levers and said sliding members.

11. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 10, wherein said cam levers are connected to each other by a common bar so that said plurality of cam levers are pivotally moved simultaneously and said operating means is detachably attached to said common bar, said contact pressing members of all of said jack modules being movable up and down by a single operation.

12. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 10, wherein a plurality of pairs of said sliding members are slidably disposed along both sides of said jack modules, each pair of said sliding members being connected to an adjacent pair of sliding members and being engaged with at least one of said plurality of cam levers, and said operating means being detachably connected to each individual cam lever, said contact pressing members of at least one of a plurality of rows of said jack modules being movable up and down by a single operation.

13. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 10, wherein each of said cam levers is provided at said one end with at least one shaft having a cylindrical, circular cross-section shape and extending in parallel to an axis about which said cam lever is pivotally moved, each of said sliding members having a U-shaped groove for engaging said cam lever shaft, said sliding members being movable in response to pivotable movement of said cam lever.