Self-aligning electrical connective arrangement

• US 5,620,329 A
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 04/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (General Motors Company), General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Original Assignee: Delco Electronics Corporation (General Motors Company), General Motors Corporation (General Motors Company)
• Inventors: Di Liello, Paul, Dankert, Bobbi S., Kidd, Richard L., Rimko, Robert W., Corso, Anthony J., Siegfried, David G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, TULSIDAS C
• Application Number:
  US08/664,357
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 439/248, 439/496, 439/77, 439/378
• US Class Current: 439/248
• 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

Abstract

A blind assembly electrical connective arrangement is provided for mating an electrical component with a first structure to a flexible circuit, the flexible circuit being positioned adjacent a second structure, the second structure having first and second surfaces penetrated by an aperture, the arrangement including a male slider, the slider having a platform projecting in a first direction, the platform providing a presentation surface for the flexible circuit, the slider also having at least one set of fingers juxtaposing the second structure, at least one of the fingers being compliant, and the male slider also having an alignment post; and a female housing connected with the electrical component, the female housing having a cavity to receive the platform in the alignment post of the male slider, the female housing having at least one terminal biased for contact with the flexible circuit and wherein movement of the electrical component in a second direction opposite the first direction toward the second structure causes the slider to move in a first plane to align itself with the female housing and to establish an electrical connection.

Claims

1. An electrical connective arrangement for mating an electrical component with a first structure to a flexible circuit, the flexible circuit being positioned adjacent a second structure, the second structure having first and second surfaces penetrated by an aperture, the arrangement comprising:

a male slider, the slider having a platform projecting in a first direction, the platform providing a presentation surface for the flexible circuit, the slider also having at least one set of fingers juxtaposing the second structure, at least one of the fingers being compliant, and the male slider also having an alignment post; and

a female housing connected with the electrical component, the female housing having a cavity to receive the platform in the alignment post of the male slider, the female housing having at least one terminal biased for contact with the flexible circuit and wherein movement of the electrical component in a second direction opposite the first direction toward the second structure causes the slider to move in a first plane to align itself with the female housing and to establish an electrical connection.

2. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein the flexible circuit is positioned on a side of the second structure primarily opposite the electrical component.

3. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein there are two sets of fingers on opposites of the male slider and wherein there is a T-shaped slot on the second structure and the male slider can be mounted to the second structure by entrance into the T-shaped slot and then moved to be in position to place the set of fingers on the opposite side of the slider to juxtapose the slot.

4. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 further including at least one spring tab on the male slider insertable within the cavity of the female body for providing stability of the connective arrangement.

5. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein the female housing has terminals to connect with the flexible circuit on opposing sides of the male slider platform.

6. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein the platform has attachment bumps which fit within apertures of the flexible circuit to help attach the flexible circuit to the male slider.

7. An electrical connective arrangement as described in claim 1 wherein the second structure has a socket which a nail of the finger fits into to position the male slider.

8. An electrical connective arrangement for mating an electrical component with on a first structure to a flexible circuit, the flexible circuit being positioned adjacent a second structure, the second structure having a first and second surface penetrated by a generally T-shaped slot and the flexible circuit being primarily on a second side of the second structure opposite the first structure, the arrangement comprising:

a male slider, the male slider having a platform projecting in a first direction, the platform providing on both sides presentation surfaces for the flexible circuit, the slider also having at both ends sets of fingers juxtaposing the second structure, at least one of the fingers being compliant and wherein the male slider is inserted into the T-shaped slot and moved until the fingers juxtapose the first and second sides of the second structure, and the male slider also having along both ends alignment posts, and the slider also having a spring tab;

a female housing connected with the electrical component, the female housing having a cavity to receive the platform, spring tab and alignment post of the male slider, the female housing having spring terminals facing one another for contacting with the flexible circuit and wherein movement of the electrical device in a second direction opposite the first direction toward the second structure causes the slider to move in a plane generally parallel with the second structure to align the male slider with the female housing and to establish the electrical connection between the flexible circuit and the electrical device.