Attachable, circuit-terminating, circuit board edge member

Claim 1

A circuit board edge member comprising a generally elongated body of electrically insulative material, the body having two side walls, upper and lower portions and front and back portions, the body having inner, front and back walls, a first chamber formed between the front and inner walls and a second chamber formed between the back and inner walls, a plurality of contact element seats formed in each chamber spaced from each other in a direction extending from one end of the body to the other end, the inner wall having a first portion lying in a first plane essentially parallel to second and third planes in which the front and back walls respectively lie and disposed intermediate the front and back walls, the inner wall having a second portion lying in a fourth plane generally perpendicular to the first three planes, a contact surface carrying tongue having a front and back surface depending from the second portion of the inner wall and extending downwardly from the body and lying in a fifth plane generally parallel to the first three planes, the second portion of the inner wall having a top and a bottom surface, a pair of spaced, vertically extending ribs formed in each contact element seat in the second chamber, a first contact element receivable in each contact element seat in the first chamber, each first contact element having an upper portion culminating in a circuit board contacting end, an intermediate transversely extending portion adapted to be received on the top surface of the second portion of the inner wall, and a lower portion disposed on the front surface of the tongue, the lower portion of each first contact element formed with a protrusion which is adapted to engage one of the inner and the front wall to place a bias on the lower portion of the contact element maintaining it firmly on the tongue surface, the first portion of the inner wall formed with a pair of ribs at each contact element seat, each rib of each pair having a portion spaced from the inner wall and extending in a direction from one side of the body to the other to form a guideway adapted to receive and capture the upper portion of a contact element behind side to side direction extending ribs, each first contact element formed with a protrusion in the upper portion thereof adapted to engage one of the first portion of the inner wall and a pair of side to side direction extending ribs, a second contact element receivable in each contact element seat in the second chamber, each second contact element having an upper portion culminating in a circuit board contacting end, the upper portion of each second contact element formed with a plurality of protrusions which are adapted to engage one of the pair of spaced ribs in the second chamber and the back wall, each second contact element having an intermediate transversely extending portion adapted to be received on the bottom surface of the second portion of the inner wall, and a lower portion disposed on the back surface of the tongue, the bottom surface of the second portion of the inner wall forming a selected angle with the back surface of the tongue, the lower portion of each second contact element prebent to form an angle with the transversely extending portion which is several degrees different from the selected angle in a direction such that when the transversely extending portion is placed in position on the bottom surface of the second portion of the inner wall the lower portion of the second contact element is maintained firmly on the tongue surface.