초록 ▼

A contact wafer that has a plurality of contacts. Each of the contacts has a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end. The mating end is configured to couple to a mating contact and the tail end is configured to engage a printed circuit board. An overmold surrounds the body portions o

A contact wafer that has a plurality of contacts. Each of the contacts has a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end. The mating end is configured to couple to a mating contact and the tail end is configured to engage a printed circuit board. An overmold surrounds the body portions of the contacts such that the mating ends and the tails ends of the contacts are exposed and extend from opposite ends of said overmold. The overmold has a first side that includes a plurality of recessed surfaces. Each recessed surface is between adjacent body portions of the contacts and sized to receive a corresponding portion of an overmold of another contact wafer.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A contact wafer, comprising: a plurality of contacts, each of said contacts having a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end, said mating end being configured to couple to a mating contact and said tail end being configured to engage a printed circuit board; andan overmold surroun

1. A contact wafer, comprising: a plurality of contacts, each of said contacts having a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end, said mating end being configured to couple to a mating contact and said tail end being configured to engage a printed circuit board; andan overmold surrounding said body portions of said plurality of contacts such that said mating ends and said tails ends of said contacts are exposed and extend from opposite first and second ends of said overmold, said overmold having a first side including a plurality of recessed surfaces, each recessed surface being between adjacent body portions of said plurality of contacts and sized to receive a corresponding portion of an overmold of another contact wafer, and said overmold having a stopping member extending from a third end that extends between said first and second ends, said stopping member extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a length of said plurality of recessed surfaces. 2. A contact wafer according to claim 1, wherein said overmold is a unitary one-piece member. 3. A contact wafer according to claim 1, wherein said overmold has a second side opposite said first side, said second side is substantially flat. 4. A contact wafer according to claim 1, wherein said overmold includes an inwardly extending locking tab. 5. A contact wafer according to claim 1, wherein said tail end is a solder or press fit end. 6. A contact wafer according to claim 1, wherein each of said mating ends includes a mating hood. 7. A connector, comprising: a housing having a mating interface side and a printed circuit board engagement side opposite said mating interface side, and at least one cavity extending between said mating interface and printed circuit board engagement sides;at least one contact received in said at least one cavity, said contact including a body portion with a mating end for coupling to a mating contact and a tail end opposite said mating end for engaging a printed circuit board; andan overmold covering said body portion of said contact such that said mating and tail ends extend from opposite first and second sides of said overmold and said mating end is exposed at said mating interface side of said housing and said tail end is exposed at said printed circuit board engagement side of said housing, and said overmold having a stopping member adapted to abut said housing, said stopping member extending from a third end of said overmold that extends between said first and second ends, said stopping member extending in a direction substantially perpendicular to a length of said plurality of recessed surfaces. 8. A connector according to claim 7, wherein said housing includes an overhang extending substantially along a perimeter of said housing at said printed circuit board engagement side. 9. A connector according to claim 7, wherein said housing is a unitary one-piece member. 10. A connector according to claim 7, wherein said tail end is a solder or press fit end. 11. A connector, comprising: a housing having a mating interface side and a printed circuit board engagement side opposite said mating interface side, a plurality of cavities extending between said mating interface and printed circuit board engagement sides; anda wafer assembly coupled to said housing, said wafer assembly including first and second contact wafers, each of said first and second contact wafers including, a plurality of contacts adapted to be received in said cavities of said housing, each of said contacts having a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end, said mating end being configured to couple to a mating contact and said tail end being configured to engage a printed circuit board, andan overmold surrounding said body portions of said plurality of contacts such that said mating ends and said tails ends of said contacts extend from opposite ends of said overmold and said mating ends are exposed at said mating interface side of said housing and said tail ends are exposed at said printed circuit board engagement side of said housing,wherein said first and second contact wafers are interlocked with one another such that said contacts of said first contact wafer alternate with said contacts of said second contact wafer, andwherein said mating ends of said first and second contact wafers are aligned, and said tail ends of said first and second contact wafers are aligned. 12. A connector according to claim 11, wherein each of said first and second contact wafers includes a first side that has a plurality of recessed surfaces between adjacent body portions of said plurality of contacts that are sized to receive a corresponding portion of an overmold of another contact wafer. 13. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said overmold is a unitary one-piece member. 14. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said first and second contact wafers are identical. 15. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said housing includes an overhang extending substantially along a perimeter of said housing at said printed circuit board engagement side. 16. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said overmold has opposite ends, and said overmold includes a stopping member that extends from one of said ends. 17. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said cavities are arranged in rows and columns. 18. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said housing includes at least one retention plate at said printed circuit board engagement side, said at least one retention plate covering a portion of said overmold of each of said first and second contact wafers. 19. A connector according to claim 11, wherein said housing is a unitary one-piece member. 20. A method of manufacturing of a connector, comprising the steps of: forming a first contact wafer by providing a first group of contacts, each contact including a body portion, a mating end, and a tail end, and applying an overmold to the body portions;forming a second contact wafer by providing a second group of contacts, each contact including a body portion, a mating end, and a tail end, and applying an overmold to the body portions of the of contacts;interlocking the first and second contacts to form a wafer assembly such that the mating ends of the first and second contact wafers are aligned and the tail ends of the first and second contact wafers align; andinstalling the wafer assembly into a printed circuit board engagement side of a connector housing such that the mating ends of the first and second contact wafers are exposed at a mating interface side of the connector housing. 21. A method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of stamping the contacts of the first and second group of contacts. 22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of removing a carrier strip after applying the overmold to the body portions of the contacts. 23. A method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of applying a mating hood to each of the mating ends of each of the contacts. 24. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of securing at least one retention plate to the printed circuit board engagement side of the connector housing. 25. A method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of installing a plurality of wafer assemblies into the printed circuit board engagement side of the connector housing. 26. A connector, comprising: a housing having a mating interface side and a printed circuit board engagement side opposite said mating interface side, a plurality of cavities extending between said mating interface and printed circuit board engagement sides; anda wafer assembly coupled to said housing, said wafer assembly including first and second contact wafers, each of said first and second contact wafers including, a plurality of contacts adapted to be received in said cavities of said housing, each of said contacts having a body portion with a mating end and an opposite tail end, said mating end being configured to couple to a mating contact and said tail end being configured to engage a printed circuit board, andan overmold surrounding said body portions of said plurality of contacts such that said mating ends and said tails ends of said contacts extend from opposite ends of said overmold and said mating ends are exposed at said mating interface side of said housing and said tail ends are exposed at said printed circuit board engagement side of said housing,wherein said first and second contact wafers are interlocked with one another such that said contacts of said first contact wafer alternate with said contacts of said second contact wafer,wherein said housing includes at least one retention plate at said printed circuit board engagement side, and said at least one retention plate covering a portion of said overmold of each of said first and second contact wafers.