Electrical connector having staggered contacts
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A connector comprising:
- a housing with a plurality of contact cavities arranged in a matrix having M columns and N rows of contact cavities, each of the contact cavities extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the housing configured to interface with a mating connector, and each of the contact cavities being defined by cavity walls extending between the contact loading side and the mating side; and
contacts received within respective ones of the contact cavities, the contacts being surrounded by the walls such that adjacent ones of the contacts are separated from one another along a length of the contacts by the cavity walls, wherein a first group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a first depth with respect to the contact loading side and a second group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a different second depth with respect to the contact loading side, wherein the first group of contacts are located in odd numbered columns of the contact cavities and the second group of contacts are located in even numbered columns of the contact cavities.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A connector includes a housing with a plurality of contact cavities arranged in a matrix having M columns and N rows of contact cavities. Each of the contact cavities extend between a contact loading side and a mating side of the housing. Contacts are received within respective ones of the contact cavities, wherein a first group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a first depth with respect to the contact loading side and a second group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a different second depth with respect to the contact loading side.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A connector comprising:
-
a housing with a plurality of contact cavities arranged in a matrix having M columns and N rows of contact cavities, each of the contact cavities extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the housing configured to interface with a mating connector, and each of the contact cavities being defined by cavity walls extending between the contact loading side and the mating side; and contacts received within respective ones of the contact cavities, the contacts being surrounded by the walls such that adjacent ones of the contacts are separated from one another along a length of the contacts by the cavity walls, wherein a first group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a first depth with respect to the contact loading side and a second group of the contacts are held within the contact cavities at a different second depth with respect to the contact loading side, wherein the first group of contacts are located in odd numbered columns of the contact cavities and the second group of contacts are located in even numbered columns of the contact cavities. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A connector assembly comprising:
-
a receptacle connector comprising a receptacle housing with a plurality of receptacle contact cavities arranged in a matrix and extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the receptacle housing, and the receptacle connector further comprising receptacle contacts held within respective ones of the receptacle contact cavities; and a plug connector comprising a plug housing with a plurality of plug contact cavities arranged in a matrix that complements the matrix of receptacle contact cavities, each of the plug contact cavities extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the plug housing, the plug connector further comprising plug contacts received within respective ones of the plug contact cavities, wherein a first group of the plug contacts are held within the plug contact cavities at a first depth with respect to the contact loading side of the plug connector and a second group of the plug contacts are held within the plug contact cavities at a different second depth with respect to the contact loading side of the plug connector, wherein the plug contacts in the first group are alternately staggered with respect to the immediately adjacent plug contacts in the second group within at least one of a common row and a common column, and wherein the receptacle contacts engage the plug contacts arranged at the first depth prior to engaging the plug contacts at the second depth during mating of the receptacle connector with the plug connector. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A connector assembly comprising:
-
a receptacle connector comprising a receptacle housing with a plurality of receptacle contact cavities arranged in a matrix and extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the receptacle housing, and the receptacle connector further comprising receptacle contacts held within respective ones of the receptacle contact cavities, wherein the receptacle connector comprises a first positive locking member and a second positive locking member, the first and second positive locking members received in opposing sides of the receptacle housing, the first and second positive locking members each having an overlap section that overlaps with one another within the receptacle housing; and a plug connector comprising a plug housing with a plurality of plug contact cavities arranged in a matrix that complements the matrix of receptacle contact cavities, each of the plug contact cavities extending between a contact loading side and a mating side of the plug housing, the plug connector further comprising plug contacts received within respective ones of the plug contact cavities, wherein a first group of the plug contacts are held within the plug contact cavities at a first depth with respect to the contact loading side of the plug connector and a second group of the plug contacts are held within the plug contact cavities at a different second depth with respect to the contact loading side of the plug connector, wherein the receptacle contacts engage the plug contacts arranged at the first depth prior to engaging the plug contacts at the second depth during mating of the receptacle connector with the plug connector. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification