Connector adapted for hermaphroditic construction

• US 5,575,674 A
• Filed: 07/29/1994
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Shirk, Michael E., Whiteman, Robert N. Jr., Davis, Wayne S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/283,132
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 439/284, 439/286, 439/288, 439/347, 439/573, 439/247, 439/248
• US Class Current: 439/284
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/28 Contacts for sliding cooperation with identically-shaped contact, e.g. for hermaphroditic coupling devices H01R24/84 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/6315 allowing relative movement between coupling parts, e.g. floating connection for coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, H01R12/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/84 Hermaphroditic coupling devices

Abstract

An electrical connector (2) comprising: an insulating housing (3) a mating face (9) extending laterally and rearward of a front mating end (6), electrical contacts (4) along the mating face (9), the mating face (9) laterally overlapping a mating face (9) on a mating connector (2), and opposing fingers (7) on the two connectors (2) that press against each other to bias the mating faces (9) laterally toward each other during mating.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

an insulating housing and electrical contacts in the housing, wherein the contacts are on a blade portion that extends toward a front of the housing, the blade portion is beside a finger receiving recess adapted to receive a guide finger of another duplicate housing, and a guide finger is beside the blade portion to register in a finger receiving recess of another duplicate housing, the housing including a pair of openings extending through a body portion remote from the housing front for receipt of pins having shanks of smaller diameter than said openings and extending to leading ends adapted to be fastened to a panel thus enabling float mounting of the housing to the panel, such that said guide finger is receivable into a corresponding said finger receiving recess of said another housing and bears against bearing surfaces thereof to adjust the position of said housing incrementally laterally to precisely align said housing with said another housing.

2. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

a mating end of the housing, the finger projecting further forwardly in a direction toward the mating end than the contacts.

3. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

a mating end of the housing, the blade portion projecting further forwardly in a direction toward the mating end than the contacts on the blade portion.

4. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

a mating end of the housing, the finger projecting further forwardly in a direction toward the mating end than the contacts, and the blade portion projecting further forwardly in a direction toward the mating end than the contacts on the blade portion.

5. A connector as recited in claim 1, and further comprising:

beveled surfaces extending along a mating of the finger, said beveled surfaces engaging a mating end on the finger of said another housing during pivotal movement of the beveled surfaces toward said mating end on said finger of said another housing.

6. A connector assembly comprising:

a pair of low profile insulating housings, having a low profile between opposed base surfaces orthogonal to mating ends thereof, thin blade portions extending to the mating ends on the housings, mating faces on first sides of the blade portions extending laterally and rearward of the mating ends, electrical contacts on the housings extending along the mating faces, the mating faces laterally overlap to engage said contacts laterally side to side with one another, and each housing including at least one thin finger laterally of the blade portion thereof extending to the mating end and a low height finger-receiving recess extending to the mating end along each said at least one finger adjacent the blade portion, whereby a low profile connector assembly is defined wherein the blade portions of the pair of housing overlap each other and each said at least one finger overlaps a finger of the other connector upon receipt into the low height finger-receiving recess.

7. A connector assembly as recited in claim 6, wherein the housings are of hermaphroditic construction.

8. A connector assembly as recited in claim 6, further comprising a second side of each blade portion, a first base on each housing extending along the second side, and each said at least one finger on each housing being elevated from the first base.

9. A connector assembly as recited in claim 8, comprising:

a second base on each housing extending along the respective finger.

10. A connector assembly as recited in claim 8, comprising:

at least a first pivot pin receiving opening extending through one of said housings remote from the mating end thereof, and a pin extending therethrough having a shank of smaller diameter than said first opening and extending to a leading end adapted to fasten to a panel, whereby the housing is adapted to be mounted to a panel in a manner permitting incremental adjustment movement upon surfaces of said mating end engaging and bearing against corresponding surfaces of the other said housing at the mating end thereof during initial stages of mating, and thereby defining a float mounted low profile matable connector assembly.

11. A connector assembly as recited in claim 10, comprising:

a second pivot pin receiving opening in the housing having the first opening, and a pin extending therethrough having a shank of smaller diameter than Said second opening and extending to a leading end adapted to be fastened to a panel.

12. An electrical connector comprising:

an insulating housing, a mating end on the housing, a mating face on the housing extending laterally and rearward of the mating end, electrical contacts on the housing extending along the mating face, the mating face laterally overlapping a mating face on another insulating housing of another electrical connector to engage said contacts laterally side to side with additional contacts on said another insulating housing of said another electrical connector, at least one finger on said housing, the finger on said housing extending toward another finger on said another electrical connector, and the fingers laterally overlapping each other when said mating faces laterally overlap and on Opposite sides from those on which the mating faces overlap such that the connectors straddle each other.

13. An electrical connector as recited in claim 12 comprising:

the housing being of hermaphroditic construction to provide said another electrical connector.

14. An electrical connector as recited in claim 13 wherein the finger on said housing extends beside the mating face on said another housing when the mating faces laterally overlap to move associated ones of said contacts superimposed against each other, and each finger presses laterally against the other finger to urge said blade portions toward each other and to urge said contacts toward and against each other.