US3846737A — Electrical connector unit for leadless circuit de…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 404 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base having walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving and locating said circuit device in predetermined position extending across the top of the receptacle; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, each of said contact members including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to an external circuit and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, the active contact elements of said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of said receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including two key projections extending outwardly of the opposed ends thereof, each key projection having an upwardly inclined positioning surface, said cover further having an elongated slot extending parallel to one edge of said cover closely adjacent one of Said key projections to form, with said one key projection, a releasable latch; and two keyways, formed in the upper edges of opposed walls of said base above the adjoining inserted device, for receiving said key projections, each keyway having an upwardly inclined retaining surface complementary to and engageable with the positioning surface of one of said key projections; said key projections including a given key projections with opposite ends and a second inclined surface to form two upwardly inclined converging positioning surfaces at said opposite ends and said keyway for said given key projection includes a second inclined surface to form two upwardly inclined converging retaining surfaces complementary to and engageable with the positioning surfaces of said given key projection; said resilient contact members biasing said device and said cover upwardly outwardly of said receptacle, when said connector unit is assembled with said circuit device inserted in said receptacle and said cover mounted on said base with said key projections extending into said keyways, to force the inclined positioning surfaces of said key projections into snug engagement with the inclined retaining surfaces of said keyways and thereby lock said cover and said device firmly in said base.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 404 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base having walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving and locating said circuit device in predetermined position extending across the top of the receptacle; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, each of said contact members including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to an external circuit and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, the active contact elements of said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of said receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including two key projections extending outwardly of the opposed ends thereof, each key projection having an upwardly inclined positioning surface, said cover further having an elongated slot extending parallel to one edge of said cover closely adjacent one of Said key projections to form, with said one key projection, a releasable latch; and two keyways, formed in the upper edges of opposed walls of said base above the adjoining inserted device, for receiving said key projections, each keyway having an upwardly inclined retaining surface complementary to and engageable with the positioning surface of one of said key projections; said key projections including a given key projections with opposite ends and a second inclined surface to form two upwardly inclined converging positioning surfaces at said opposite ends and said keyway for said given key projection includes a second inclined surface to form two upwardly inclined converging retaining surfaces complementary to and engageable with the positioning surfaces of said given key projection; said resilient contact members biasing said device and said cover upwardly outwardly of said receptacle, when said connector unit is assembled with said circuit device inserted in said receptacle and said cover mounted on said base with said key projections extending into said keyways, to force the inclined positioning surfaces of said key projections into snug engagement with the inclined retaining surfaces of said keyways and thereby lock said cover and said device firmly in said base.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 51 words

An electrical connector unit according to claim 1, in which each key projection has two upwardly inclined converging positioning surfaces at the opposite ends thereof, and in which each keyway has two upwardly inclined converging retaining surfaces complementary to and engageable with the positioning surfaces of one of said key projections.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 77 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 2, in which said one key projection and its mating keyway are much shorter in length than the length of the base wall in which said mating keyway for said one key projection is formed, and in which the other key projection and its mating keyway extend for a major portion of the length of the base wall in which said mating keyway for said other key projection is formed.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 67 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 2, in which the central portion of said one key projection has a recess formed therein having a downwardly inwardly inclined locating surface, and in which the base wall containing the keyway for said one key projection includes a central boss projecting upwardly into said recess and having an inclined locating surface complementary to said locating surface in said recess.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 72 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 1, in which each of said metal contact members includes a cantilever spring arm extending in spaced relation to said substrate connection surface, the fixed end of said cantilever spring arm comprising an integral extension anchored to and projecting outwardly of said base to afford said terminal element, and the free end of said spring arm comprising an integral extension forming said active contact element.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 46 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 1, and further comprising latch release means including two recesses formed in said cover, one on each side of said slot, of a size small enough to preclude access by human fingers but affording access to small-tipped assembly pliers.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 1, in which said base further includes internal locating means limiting downward movement of said cover into said base and thereby precluding damage to said circuit device or said contact members when said cover is mounted on said base.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 41 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 7, in which said internal locating means comprises two internal locating walls, within said base, spaced from said two opposed walls incorporating said keyways, said internal locating walls defining two sides of said receptacle.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 45 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 1, in which two opposed walls of said base, other than the walls incorporating said keyways, are each provided with a downwardly inwardly inClined guide surface for guiding said circuit device into said predetermined position over said receptacle.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 37 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 1, in which the top surface of said cover is essentially coplanar with the top edges of the walls of said base when said cover is mounted on said base.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 281 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base including walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving said circuit device and locating said device in predetermined position in the receptacle and slightly below the upper edges of the walls; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, said contact members each including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to external circuit elements and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of the receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including a pair of opposed ends and an elongated slot extending generally parallel to one of said ends and adjacent thereto, forming an inwardly yieldable releasable latching arm; and said opposed ends and adjacent upper edges of said walls of said base including releasable latching means for locking said cover in said base, said latching means including a key projection extending outwardly of said latching arm, a complementary keyway with an outer boss to limit access thereto formed in the upper edge of the adjacent base wall, and two recesses in said cover, including one of said recesses in said latching arm, of a size small enough to preclude access by human fingers.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 281 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base including walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving said circuit device and locating said device in predetermined position in the receptacle and slightly below the upper edges of the walls; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, said contact members each including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to external circuit elements and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of the receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including a pair of opposed ends and an elongated slot extending generally parallel to one of said ends and adjacent thereto, forming an inwardly yieldable releasable latching arm; and said opposed ends and adjacent upper edges of said walls of said base including releasable latching means for locking said cover in said base, said latching means including a key projection extending outwardly of said latching arm, a complementary keyway with an outer boss to limit access thereto formed in the upper edge of the adjacent base wall, and two recesses in said cover, including one of said recesses in said latching arm, of a size small enough to preclude access by human fingers.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 79 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 11, in which said key projection and keyway each include a pair of inwardly inclined positioning surfaces oppositely positioned in a direction transverse to the movement of the latching arm and combining with the action of the resilient contacts on the conductive pads to force said surfaces of said key projection into snug engagement with said surfaces of said keyway and thereby lock said cover and said device firmly in said base.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 41 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 12, in which said releasable latching means includes a pair of key projections on said opposed ends of said cover and a pair of complementary keyways in said upper edges of said adjacent walls.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 37 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 11, in which the top surface of said cover, when said cover is locked in said base, is essentially coplanar with the tops of the outer walls of said base.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 378 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base having walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving and locating said circuit device in predetermined position extending across the top of the receptacle; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, each of said contact members including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to an external circuit and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, the active contact elements of said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of said receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including a pair of opposed ends with outer edges and an elongated slot extending generally parallel and closely adjacent to one of said edges of said cover to form a releasable latching arm; and said opposed ends and upper ends of said walls of said base including releasable latching means for locking said cover in said base, said latching means including a key projection extending outwardly of said latching arm and a complementary keyway formed in the upper edge of the wall adjacent said latch with limited outward access to said key projection through said wall, said key projection having opposite ends and two upwardly inclined converging positioning surfaces at said ends and said keyway having two upwardly inclined converging retaining surfaces complementary to and engageable with the positioning surfaces of said key projection; said resilient contact members biasing said device and said cover upwardly outwardly of said receptacle, when said connector unit is assembled with said circuit device inserted in said receptacle and said cover mounted on said base with said key projection extending into said keyway, to force the inclined positioning surfaces of said key projection into snug engagement with the inclined retaining surfaces of said keyway and thereby lock said cover and said device firmly in said base.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 378 words

An electrical connector unit for supporting and for completing electrical connections to a leadless circuit device comprising a thin, flat substrate and a plurality of conductive pads arranged in a predetermined pattern on a substantially planar connection surface of that substrate, said connector unit comprising: an insulator base having walls with upper edges defining an open-top receptacle for receiving and locating said circuit device in predetermined position extending across the top of the receptacle; a plurality of individual resilient metal contact members mounted in said base, each of said contact members including a terminal element projecting outwardly of said base for connection to an external circuit and an active contact element projecting upwardly into said receptacle, the active contact elements of said contact members being arranged in a pattern providing for contact between said contact members and said conductive pads when said device is positioned in said receptacle; an insulator cover for closing the top of said receptacle to enclose said device in said receptacle, said cover including a pair of opposed ends with outer edges and an elongated slot extending generally parallel and closely adjacent to one of said edges of said cover to form a releasable latching arm; and said opposed ends and upper ends of said walls of said base including releasable latching means for locking said cover in said base, said latching means including a key projection extending outwardly of said latching arm and a complementary keyway formed in the upper edge of the wall adjacent said latch with limited outward access to said key projection through said wall, said key projection having opposite ends and two upwardly inclined converging positioning surfaces at said ends and said keyway having two upwardly inclined converging retaining surfaces complementary to and engageable with the positioning surfaces of said key projection; said resilient contact members biasing said device and said cover upwardly outwardly of said receptacle, when said connector unit is assembled with said circuit device inserted in said receptacle and said cover mounted on said base with said key projection extending into said keyway, to force the inclined positioning surfaces of said key projection into snug engagement with the inclined retaining surfaces of said keyway and thereby lock said cover and said device firmly in said base.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 39 words

An electrical connector unit, according to claim 15 and further comprising latch release means including a recess formed in the latching arm and of a size small enough to preclude access by human fingers for release of said latch.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-11-04	1978-05-06	1978-11-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-11-04	1982-05-06	1982-11-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-11-04	1986-05-06	1986-11-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Electrical connector unit for leadless circuit device

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