Electrical connector assembly
First Claim
1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
- an insulative housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front side, and a rear side;
a compartment in the housing defined by a longitudinal opening in the top surface and an opening in the rear side;
an aperture in the housing communicating between the front side and the compartment; and
a spring contact element disposed in the compartment and comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg;
wherein the cantilevered portion extends through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends through the aperture to form a front terminal lead, and the rear leg extends through the opening in the rear side to form a rear terminal lead.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrical connector assembly facilitates the establishment of an electrical connection with a terminal on an electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a first orientation relative to the component, and for inhibiting the establishment of an electrical connection with the terminal on the electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a second orientation relative to the component, opposite the first direction. In a preferred embodiment, the connector assembly comprises an insulative housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front side, and a rear side; a compartment in the housing defined by a longitudinal opening in the top surface and an opening in the rear side; an aperture in the housing communicating between the front side and the compartment; and a spring contact element disposed in the compartment and comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg. The cantilevered portion extends through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends through the aperture to form a front terminal lead, and the rear leg extends through the opening in the rear side to form a rear terminal lead. The cantilevered portion is sloped away from the housing as the it extends in the direction from the front side of the housing to the rear side of the housing.
77 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrical connector assembly, comprising:
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an insulative housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front side, and a rear side; a compartment in the housing defined by a longitudinal opening in the top surface and an opening in the rear side; an aperture in the housing communicating between the front side and the compartment; and a spring contact element disposed in the compartment and comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg; wherein the cantilevered portion extends through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends through the aperture to form a front terminal lead, and the rear leg extends through the opening in the rear side to form a rear terminal lead. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method of manufacturing an electrical connector assembly, comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing an insulative housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front side, a rear side, a compartment defined by a longitudinal opening in the top surface and an opening through the rear side, and an aperture through the front side communicating with the compartment; (b) providing a spring contact element comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg; (c) installing the spring contact element in the compartment so that the cantilevered portion extends upwardly through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends forwardly through the front side of the housing, and the rear leg extends rearwardly through the rear side of the housing; and (d) forming the front and rear legs into front and rear terminal leads, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. An electrical connector assembly for establishing an electrical connection with a terminal on an electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a first orientation relative to the component, and for inhibiting the establishment of an electrical connection with the terminal on the electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a second orientation relative to the component, opposite the first direction, the connector assembly comprising:
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an insulative housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front side, and a rear side; a compartment in the housing defined by a longitudinal opening in the top surface and an opening in the rear side; an aperture in the housing communicating between the front side and the compartment; and a spring contact element disposed in the compartment and comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg; wherein the cantilevered portion extends through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends through the aperture to form a front terminal lead, and the rear leg extends through the opening in the rear side to form a rear terminal lead, and wherein the cantilevered portion is sloped away from the housing as the cantilevered portion extends in the direction from the front side of the housing to the rear side of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An electrical connector assembly for establishing an electrical connection with a terminal on an electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a first orientation relative to the component, and for inhibiting the establishment of an electrical connection with the terminal on the electrical component when the component and the connector assembly are brought toward each other with the connector assembly in a second orientation relative to the component, opposite the first direction, the connector assembly comprising:
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an insulative housing having a top surface with a longitudinal opening therein, a bottom surface, a front side, and a rear side; and a spring contact element installed in the housing and comprising a cantilevered portion defined between a front leg and a rear leg; wherein the cantilevered portion extends through the longitudinal opening, the front leg extends through the front side of the housing to form a front terminal lead, and the rear leg extends through the rear side of the housing to form a rear terminal lead, and wherein the cantilevered portion is sloped away from the housing as the cantilevered portion extends in the direction from the front side of the housing to the rear side of the housing. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification