Modular connector system with high contact element density
First Claim
1. A connector for mounting to a printed circuit board comprising a housing of electrically insulative material, a plurality of contact elements arranged in said housing in rows and columns, said rows disposed substantially parallel to the circuit board and said column disposed substantially transverse to the circuit board, each of said contact elements having a base section with a contact portion and a connecting portion extending from opposite sides of said base section, the connecting portion projecting from one side of the housing facing the circuit board and adapted for mounting to contact surfaces on said circuit board, one row of openings formed in said one side of the housing and extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing and adjacent a side wall thereof, the connecting portions of adjacent contact elements in the same column being displaced in the direction of the row so as to contact surfaces on said printed circuit board offset relative to one another.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A modular connector system wherein modules with high contact element density may be surface mounted to a printed circuit board. The connector modules achieve high contact element density by mutually displacing or offsetting the ends of adjacent contact elements in the same column in the direction of the row which extends in the longitudinal direction of the connector housing. The displaced ends are connected by surface mounting means to contact surfaces on the printed circuit board. A unique contact design is disclosed which can be used also in cable and other types of connectors. The modules construction permits many and different types of connectors to be mounted readily to a printed circuit board.
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Citations
34 Claims
- 1. A connector for mounting to a printed circuit board comprising a housing of electrically insulative material, a plurality of contact elements arranged in said housing in rows and columns, said rows disposed substantially parallel to the circuit board and said column disposed substantially transverse to the circuit board, each of said contact elements having a base section with a contact portion and a connecting portion extending from opposite sides of said base section, the connecting portion projecting from one side of the housing facing the circuit board and adapted for mounting to contact surfaces on said circuit board, one row of openings formed in said one side of the housing and extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing and adjacent a side wall thereof, the connecting portions of adjacent contact elements in the same column being displaced in the direction of the row so as to contact surfaces on said printed circuit board offset relative to one another.
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22. A modular connector system comprising a plurality of connector modules mounted to a printed circuit board, each said connector modules having a housing of electrically insulative material, a plurality of contact elements arranged in said housing in rows and columns, said rows disposed substantially parallel to the circuit board and said columns disposed substantially transverse to the circuit board, each of said contact elements having a base section with a contact portion and a connecting portion extending from opposite sides of said base section, the connecting portion projecting from one side of the housing facing the circuit board and adapted for mounting to contact surfaces on said circuit board, the connecting portions of adjacent contact elements in the same column being displaced in the direction of the row so as to contact surfaces on said printed circuit board offset relative to one another, one of said connector modules having contact elements wherein the connecting portions are contact pins, at least one cable connector module for ribbon cable being mated to said connector module having contact pins, said cable connector module including a housing of electrically insulating material with a plurality of contact elements arranged in rows and columns, each contact element having a connecting portion formed as a plug-on contact for connecting a conductor of the ribbon cable, said cable connector having a plurality of open channels extending in the column direction of the contact elements, from one side of the housing to the other side of the housing, said channels receiving the conductors of the ribbon cable from said one side, only one plug-on contact being located in each channel, the contact element being arranged in a manner such that, if two cable connector modules are positioned so that said other side of the housing of each said connector module is adjacent each other, the respective contact elements in the same column will be separated from each other by a distance of at least one position.
- 23. A modular connector system comprising a plurality of connector modules mounted to a printed circuit board, each said connector modules having a housing of electrically insulative material, a plurality of contact elements arranged in said housing in rows and columns, said rows disposed substantially parallel to the circuit board and said column disposed substantially transverse to the circuit board, each of said contact elements having a base section with a contact portion and a connecting portion extending from opposite sides of said base section, the connecting portion projecting from one side of the housing facing the circuit board and adapted for mounting to contact surfaces on said circuit board, a protective plate extending parallel to said circuit board and having teeth disposed along an edge of said protective plate, said teeth adapted for insertion in a row of openings formed in said one side of the housing of the connector modules, the connecting portions of adjacent contact elements in the same column being displaced in the direction of the row so as to contact surfaces on said printed circuit board offset relative to one another.
Specification