ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY

CONNECTEUR ELECTRIQUE

English Abstract

ABSTRACT
Electrical Connector Assembly
To reduce wear on the contact area of contacts of
an electrical connector assembly each of the contacts
of a male connector of the assembly is provided with a
displacement member which is arranged to cooperate with
respective contact members of a corresponding female
connector of the assembly to displace the contact
members during mating of the connectors. In a
particular embodiment a printed circuit board (2)
carries an attachment in the form of a comb which
attachment has a plurality of displacement members (8)
respectively arranged to lie alongside printed contact
areas (9) of the printed circuit board(2). In use a
part (7) of each contact member of a female connector
rides up a forward ramp of the respective displacement
member (8) travels along a plateau and rides down a rear-
ward ramp after the leading edge of the printed circuit
board (2) has passed over the contact area of the
respective female contact. Preferably electrical contact
between the female contact and the contact area (9) of
the printed circuit board (2) is permitted after the
leading edge has passed over the contact area but before
completion of mating of the printed circuit board (2) to
the female connector so as to assist the removal of any
film or debris in the respective contact areas.

Claims

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Claims
1. An electrical connector assembly of the kind
comprising a male connector and a female connector each
of which has at least one respective contact member
and which are detachably connectable one to the other
wherein the or each contact member of a first of the
connectors has at least one displacement member
associated therewith and disposed to one side thereof,
said displacement member being arranged to provide an
inclined surface longitudinally of the direction of
insertion of one connector in the other the or each
contact member of the other one of the connectors has a
portion arranged to cooperate with said displacement
member and said portion and said displacement member
are adapted to cooperate with each other as mating
of the connectors proceeds such that initially contact
between the or each pair of corresponding contact
members is prevented and subsequently contact between the
or each pair of contact members is permitted such that
during mating of the connectors leading edges of each
of the contact members are prevented from scraping
contact areas of the corresponding opposite contact
member.
2. An electrical connector assembly according to
Claim 1 wherein contact between the or each pair of
corresponding contact members during mating is permitted
after the leading edges of each of the contact members
have passed over the contact areas of the corresponding
opposite contact member and before completion of the
mating of the connectors such that the contact areas
wipe across each other to assist displacement of any
film or debris which may be present.
3. An electrical connector assembly
according to Claim 1 wherein the displacement member has
a second inclined surface sloping in the opposed
direction to the first said inclined surface such as to
cause the contact members to come into contact gradually.

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4. An electrical connector assembly according to
Claim 3 wherein said first and second inclined surfaces
of the displacement member are mechanically linked by a
plateau such that the displaced contact member traverses
apart from and substantially parallel to the corres-
ponding opposite contact member for part of the distance
traversed during mating of the connectors.
5. An electrical connector assembly according to
Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the displacement member is
associated with the male connector.
6. An electrical connector assembly according to
Claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the displacement member is
associated with the male connector and the male connector
is either attached to or integral with a printed circuit
board.
7. An attachment for a male connector or a printed
circuit board arranged to provide a displacement member
for a or each contact member of such a connector or
board so as to convert the connector or board for use
in a connector assembly according to Claim 1 the
attachment comprising a moulding which has a forward
ramp member and an integral oppositely-inclined rear-
ward ramp member arranged when attached to a male
connector or circuit board during mating of such a
male connector or board within a female connector
initially to displace a contact member of a said female
connector laterally of the direction of insertion, and
subsequently to permit that contact member to return
substantially to its non-displaced position.
8. An attachment as claimed in Claim 7 wherein said
ramp members are integrally linked by a plateau.
9. An attachment as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8
wherein a plurality of displacement members are
integrally formed in the shape of a comb.

Description

The present invention relates to electrical
connector assemblies and more particularly but not
exclusively to such assemblies comprising a male connec-
tor and a female connector detachably connectable to
5 each other.
~ itherto when a circuit board housing an edge
connector (i.e. a'~ale connector") has been inserted
into its socket (i.e. a "female connector") it has been
usual for the edge of the board to be used to displace
10 the contacts of the socket to permit the insertion~
Thus each time the board is inserted the edge thereof
scrapes the electrical contact area. Whilst some wiping
action of the electrical contact Prea on insertion is
desirable to remove any film which may have built up,
15 the scraping action causes some damage to the contact
area and may, if several insertions and removals of a
particular board are required result in the removal of
the precious metal plating of the contact area.
It is an object of the present invention to provide
20 an electrical connector assembly in which one connector
causes displacement of the contact members of the other
connector on insertion therein without interfering with
the electrical contact area of the contact members.
According to the present invention in an electrical
25 connector assembly of the kind comprising a male connec-
tor and a female connector each of which has at least one
respective contact member and which are detachably connec-
table one to the other, the or each contact member of a
first of the connectors has at least one displacement
30 member associated therewith, said displacement member
being disposed to one side of the contact member and being
arranged to provide an inclined surface longitudinally of
the direction of insertion of one connector in the other,
the or each contact member of the other one of the connec-
35 tors has a portion arranged to co-operate with said dis
placement member, and said portion and said displacement

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member are adapted to co-operate with each other as
mating of the connectors proceeds such that initially
contact between the or each pair of corresponding contact
members is prevented and subsequently contact between the
5 or each pair of corresponding contact members is permitted
so that, during mating of the connectors, leading edges
of each of the contact members are prevented from scraping
contact areas of the corresponding opposite contact member~
Preferably, contact between the or each pair of
10 corresponding contact members is permitted after the
leading edges of each of the contact members have passed
over the contact areas of the corresponding opposite con-
tact member and before completion of mating of the connec-
tors so that the contact areas wipe across each other to
15 assist displacement of any disruptive film which may be
present.
The displacement member may have a second inclined
surface sloping in the opposed ~rections to said inclined
surface so as to cause the contact members to come into
20 contact gradually. The two inclined surfaces of the
displacement member may be mechanically linked by a plateau
such that the displaced contact member traverses apart from
and substantially parallel to the corresponding opposite
contact member for part of the distance traversed during
25 mating of the connectors.
~ he displacement member may be associated with the
male connector which connector l~ay be either attached to
or integral with a printed circuit board.
According to a feature of the present invention an
30 attachment for a male connector or a circuit board arran~ed
to provide a displaceMent member for the or each contact
member of such a connector or board for the purpose of
converting the connector or board for use in a connector
assembly in accordance with the invention comprises a
35 moulding having a forward ramp member and an integral

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oppositely inclined rearward ramp member arranged when
attached to a male connector or a circuit board during
mating of such a male connector or board with a female
connector initially to displace a contact member of a
5 said female connector laterally of the direction of
insertion, a~.d subsequently to permit that contact member
to return substantially to its non-displaced position.
Preferably the attachment provides a plurality of
. displacement members integrall7 formed in the shape of
10 a comb.
A connector assembly in accordance with the inven-
tion will now be described by way of example only with
reference to the accompanying drawingsof which:-
Figure 1 shows a view of the assembly with the
male and female connectors fully
disconnected;
Figure 2 shows a fragmentary view on the line
II-II.of Figure 1;
Figures 3 and 4 show a similar view to Figure 2
with the two connectors at different
stages of mating;
Figure 5 shows a similar view to Figure 2 with
the two connectors fully mated;
Fi~ure 6 shows a fragmentary view at right angles
to the view of Figure 2 of part of a
female connector of the assembly;
Figure 7 shows an isometric view of a part of the
circuit board of Figure 1.
Referring to the drawings the assembly has a male
connector 1 which is shown as integral with a printed
circuit board 2 (only a part of which is shown) and a
35 female connector 3.
,

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~ he female connector 3 is similar in construction
to man~ known connectors, and comprises an
insulated housing holding a number of female contact
5 members 5 in alignment and in pairs. ~ach female contact
member 5 is connected to a respective further member 4
to which connection may be made by soldering or wire
wrapping for example. For the purposes of description
the ~ace of the female connector 3 at the same end as
10 that at which the contact member 5 is not connected to
the further member 4 is referred to as the front of the
female connector 3. It is here noted that the term
mating face as used herein relates to the front end when
applied to the female connector.
Referring particularly to ~igures 2 and 6 each of
the contact members 5 has a contact area 6 (shown shaded
in Figure 6) which is the part of the contact most sus-
ceptible to having its plating removed by the edge of an
inserted male connector. ~he contact members 5 are of
20 resilient material for example phosphor bronze.
the contact area 6 being spot plated with a precious
~etal for example gold.
At the front of each contact member 6 a semicircular
portion 7 is provided which is wider than the contact
25 areas 6 each that, referring alao to ~igure 7, when the
male connector 1 is presented for insertion a respective
displacement member 8 of each corresponding male contact
member 9 causes the contact member 5 to open.
It is here noted that each of the displacement
30 members 8 forms an upper displacement member for one of
the male contact members 9 and a lower displacement member
for an adjacent male contact member.
Referring now to Figures 2 to 5 as the circuit board
; 2 is presented to the female connector 3, the respective
35 displacement ~embers 8 engage with the edges of the semi-

~Z07048
circular portions 7 which as mating of the connectorscontinues are displaced so as to cause the contact member~
5 to provide an opening which is wider than the circuit
board 2. ~hus the semi-circular portions 7 ride up a
5 forward ramp and as the edge of the male connector 1
reaches the respective contact areas 6 so the portions 7
reach (Figure 3) a plateau which is substantially of the
same width as the contact area.
As insertion of the male connector 1 continues
10 (Figure 4) so the portions 7 ride down a rearward ramp
of the displacement members 8 which permits the contact
area 6 of the female contact membeI~5 to come into contact
with the male contact members 9.
It will be appreciated that some wiping of the
15 contact areas 6 on the male co~act members9 is desirable
to remove disruptive film and the like. This wiping
occurs once the semi-circular portions 7 have reached the
end of the rearward ramp of the displacement members 8 as
the circuit board 2 and the male connector 1 are pushed
20 fully home in the female connector 3.
Referring again to Figure 1 the displacement member~
8 may be suitably provided by a moulding of plastics mater-
ial which may be in the form of a comb having a continuous
rear strip for attachment to the male connector 1 or the
25 circuit board 2 by rivetting for example.
It is noted that whilst as described herein the
invention is realised by attachment of a moulding to the
circuit board 2, the invention may be similarly implemented
by attachment of a suitable moulding to a male connector of
30 the kind arranged for subsequent attachment to tracks of a
circuit board or for wiring connections~
In the case of a male connector it will also be
realised that displacement members sould be integrally
moulded with the insulating material of the connector
35 housing.