초록 ▼

A card edge connector and a card edge assembly that utilizes the individual card end connectors are disclosed. The card edge connectors have slotted insulation displacement terminals to connect to wires. Each electrical connector has a housing with first mounting project extends from a first sidewal

A card edge connector and a card edge assembly that utilizes the individual card end connectors are disclosed. The card edge connectors have slotted insulation displacement terminals to connect to wires. Each electrical connector has a housing with first mounting project extends from a first sidewall of the housing and a mounting recess extends from an oppositely facing second sidewall. The mounting projection is dimensioned to be received in the mounting recess of a second electrical connector, thereby allowing the connectors to be mounted to each other. This type of connector assembly allows the connector assembly to be built according to the needs of the end user. This modular aspect of the connector assembly adds flexibility while reducing the overall cost of manufacture. In addition, the use of the slotted insulation displacement terminals further enhances the flexibility of the connector assembly, as various wiring schemes can be effectively and cost efficiently utilized.

대표청구항 ▼

The invention claimed is: 1. A card edge connector for electrically connecting wires to contact pads proximate an edge of a circuit board, the card edge connector comprising: a housing having a wire receiving face and a board receiving face, terminal receiving cavities extending from proximate the

The invention claimed is: 1. A card edge connector for electrically connecting wires to contact pads proximate an edge of a circuit board, the card edge connector comprising: a housing having a wire receiving face and a board receiving face, terminal receiving cavities extending from proximate the wire receiving face toward the board receiving face, a board receiving slot extending from the board receiving face toward the terminal receiving face, the board receiving slot extends from the terminal receiving cavities and extends across more than one terminal receiving cavity; terminals positioned in the terminal receiving cavities, the terminals having insulation displacement sections proximate the wire receiving face and board engagement sections, the board engagement sections extending from the terminal receiving cavities into the board receiving slot; whereby the board receiving slot is dimensioned to receive the edge of circuit board therein, such that the board engagement sections are resiliently displaced as the circuit board is inserted into the board receiving slot, causing the board engagement sections to be biased against contact pads proximate the edge of the circuit board providing an electrical engagement between the board engagement sections and the contact pads. 2. A card edge connector as recited in claim 1 wherein each terminal has insulation displacement slots provided thereon, whereby multiple wires are terminated to respective insulation displacement slots to allow for special wire schemes. 3. A card edge connector as recited in claim 2 wherein a wire stuffer cap is movable mounted to the housing, the wire stuffer cap is initially provided in an open position, whereby as wires are inserted into the wire stuffer cap, the wire stuffer cap is moved to a second position, forcing the wires into respective insulation displacement slots thereby providing the wires and the terminals in electrical engagement. 4. A card edge connector as recited in claim 1 wherein the terminals have a mounting sections that provide an interference fit with the housing to maintain the terminals in the housing. 5. A card edge connector as recited in claim 1 wherein the housing has a first mounting projection extending from a first sidewall and a mounting recess provided on a second sidewall. 6. A card edge connector as recited in claim 5 wherein the first mounting projection has an upper wall and a lower wall, the upper wall and the lower wall are sloped toward each other as the upper and lower walls near the first sidewall. 7. A card edge connector as recited in claim 6 wherein the mounting recess has second mounting projections which define the mounting recess, the second mounting projections have sloped walls adjacent the mounting recess, the sloped walls slope away from each other as the sloped walls near the second sidewall. 8. A card edge connector as recited in claim 7 wherein the first mounting projection of the card edge connector is configured to be moved into a mounting recess of a respective second card edge connector, whereby the upper wall and the lower wall of the first mounting projection cooperate with the sloped walls of the second mounting projections to retain the first mounting projection of the card edge connector in a respective mounting recess of the respective second card edge connector. 9. A card edge connector for electrically connecting wires to contact pads proximate an edge of a circuit board, the connector comprising: a housing having a first mating face and a second mating face, terminal receiving cavities extending from proximate the first mating face toward the second mating face, a board receiving slot extending from the second mating face toward the first mating face, the board receiving slot extends from the terminal receiving cavities and extends across more than one terminal receiving cavity, the board receiving slot is dimensioned to receive the edge of circuit board therein; terminals positioned in the terminal receiving cavities, the terminals having first contact sections proximate the first mating face and second contact sections, the second contact sections extending from the terminal receiving cavities into the board receiving slot, such that the second contact sections are resiliently displaced as the circuit board is inserted into the board receiving slot, causing the second contact sections to be biased against contact pads proximate the edge of the circuit board, providing an electrical engagement between the second contact sections and the contact pads; a first mounting project extending from a first sidewall of the housing and a mounting recess extending from an oppositely facing second sidewall; whereby the mounting projection is dimensioned to be received in the mounting recess of a second electrical connector, allowing the connectors to be mounted to each other. 10. A card edge connector as recited in claim 9 wherein the first mounting projection has an upper wall and a lower wall, the upper wall and the lower wall are sloped toward each other as the upper and lower walls near the first sidewall. 11. A card edge connector as recited in claim 10 wherein the mounting recess has second mounting projections which define the mounting recess, the second mounting projections have sloped walls adjacent the mounting recess, the sloped walls slope away from each other as the sloped walls near the second sidewall. 12. A card edge connector as recited in claim 11 wherein the first mounting projection of the card edge connector is configured to be moved into a mounting recess of a respective second card edge connector, whereby the upper wall and the lower wall of the first mounting projection cooperate with the sloped walls of the second mounting projections to retain the first mounting projection of the card edge connector in a respective mounting recess of the respective second card edge connector. 13. A card edge connector as recited in claim 9 wherein each terminal has insulation displacement slots provided at the first contact section, whereby multiple wires are terminated to respective insulation displacement slots to allow for special wire schemes. 14. A card edge connector as recited in claim 13 wherein a wire stuffer cap is movable mounted to the housing, the wire stuffer cap is initially provided in an open position, whereby as wires are inserted into the wire stuffer cap, the wire stuffer cap is moved to a second position, forcing the wires into respective insulation displacement slots thereby providing the wires and the terminals in electrical engagement. 15. A card edge connector assembly for electrically connecting wires to contact pads proximate edges of circuit boards, the connector assembly comprising; at least two electrical connectors, the connectors having housings with first mating faces and second mating faces, terminal receiving cavities extending from proximate the first mating faces toward the second mating faces, board receiving slots extending from the second mating faces toward the first mating faces, the board receiving slots extend from the terminal receiving cavities and extend across more than one terminal receiving cavity, the board receiving slots are dimensioned to receive the edges of circuit boards therein; terminals positioned in the terminal receiving cavities, the terminals having first contact sections proximate the first mating face and second contact sections; first mounting projections extending from first sidewalls of the housings and mounting recesses extending from oppositely facing second sidewalls, the mounting projection of one electrical connector is positioned in the mounting recess of a second electrical connector, the first mounting projection and the mounting recess cooperate to maintain the electrical connectors in position relative to each other; whereby the second contact sections are resiliently displaced as the circuit boards are inserted into the board receiving slots, causing the second contact sections to be biased against contact pads proximate the edges of the circuit boards, providing an electrical engagement between the second contact sections and the contact pads. 16. A card edge connector assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein the first mounting projection of each electrical connector has an upper wall and a lower wall, the upper wall and the lower wall are sloped toward each other as the upper and lower walls near the first sidewall. 17. A card edge connector assembly as recited in claim 16 wherein the mounting recess of each electrical connector has second mounting projections which define the mounting recess, the second mounting projections have sloped walls adjacent the mounting recess, the sloped walls slope away from each other as the sloped walls near the second sidewall. 18. A card edge connector assembly as recited in claim 17 wherein the first mounting projection of first card edge connector is configured to be moved into a mounting recess of a second card edge connector, whereby the upper wall and the lower wall of the first mounting projection of the first card edge connector cooperate with the sloped walls of the second mounting projections of the second card edge connector to retain the first mounting projection of the first card edge connector in a respective mounting recess of the second card edge connector. 19. A card edge connector assembly as recited in claim 15 wherein each terminal has insulation displacement slots provided at the first contact section, whereby multiple wires are terminated to respective insulation displacement slots to allow for respective terminals of the card edge connector assembly to electrically connected to each other through special wire schemes.