Zero force type connector block

Claim 2

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body; a series of terminals attached to said body; the body including means for positioning a support carrying a number of contacts with a contact adjacent each terminal; each terminal including a tention leg secured to and extending from the body, a compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs toward and away from the adjacent contact, and; and means for stressing each terminal to effect relative movement of the axis of the tention leg past the coMpression leg stop and thereby bring the terminal contact into engagement with the adjacent contact.

Claim 3

A zero force type connector block as in claim 1 including a second terminal associated with each of said terminals; each second terminal being secured to the body and including a spring leg with a contact point on the free end thereof located between the said associated terminal a second contact on the support, the spring leg being biased toward said terminal; and a movable insulating spacer between the spring leg and said terminal whereby each second terminal is moved toward and away from the adjacent second contact by movement of the associated said terminal.

Claim 4

A zero force type connector block as in claim 2 wherein said insulating spacers are secured to said second terminals.

Claim 5

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body; a series of terminals attached to said body; the body including means for positioning a support with a contact on the support adjacent each terminal; each terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body adjacent a contact, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop located a distance from the connection between the legs less than the length of the tension leg outwardly of the body, and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs toward and away from the adjacent contact; a recess in the body communicating with each of the terminals; and means in said recess for engaging each of the terminals and effecting relative movement of the free end of the compression leg past the tension leg to snap the terminals and bring the terminal contacts into engagement with the adjacent support contacts.

Claim 6

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body; a series of terminals attached to said body; the body including means for positioning a support with a contact on the support adjacent each terminal; each terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body adjacent a contact, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop located a distance from the connection between the legs less than the length of the tension leg outwardly of the body, and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs toward and away from the adjacent contact; a recess in the body communicating with each of the terminals; and means in said recess for engaging each of the terminals and effecting relative movement of the free end of the compression leg past the tension leg to snap the terminals and bring the terminal contacts into engagement with the adjacent support contacts.

Claim 7

A zero force type connector block as in claim 4 wherein said means includes a cam operable to move the terminals serially.

Claim 8

A zero force type connector block as in claim 5 wherein the recess includes a cam path extending along the body past each of the terminals and wherein the cam comprises an elongate cam bar longitudinally movable along the cam path and having a single rise surface to move the terminals.

Claim 9

A zero force type connector block as in claim 6 wherein said means includes a plurality of slides engagable with said terminals, each slide extending from a terminal to the cam path and including a follower surface engagable with said rise surface to shift the slide and thereby move the terminal.

Claim 10

A zero force type connector block as claim 6 wherein each terminal includes a portion extending into said cam path and directly engagable with said cam rise surface to move the terminal.

Claim 11

A zero force type connector block as in claim 4 including an electrically isolated follower terminal associated with each terminal and movable therewith to engage a contact on the support.

Claim 12

A zero force type connector block as in claim 4 including a second terminal associated with each of said terminals; each second terminal including a spring portion secured to the block with a terminal contact on the free end thereof; a movable insulating spacer confined between each of the terminal pairs; each of the second terminals being biased away from the support and toward the associated second terminal whereby each second terminal is moved toward and away from an adjacent second contact by movement of the associated said terminal.

Claim 13

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body; a series of terminal recesses formed in the body and extending along the body adjacent a circuit board support; a snap-over-center type terminal and a follower terminal in each recess with a portion of the follower terminal between the snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and a movable insulating spacer between the terminals to electrically separate the same; and terminal shifting means for engaging each of the snap-over-center terminals to move the same toward a circuit board in the circuit board support with a pair oF contacts on the circuit board opposite each recess to snap the terminals and bring contacts on the snap-over-center terminals into engagement with contacts on the circuit board, movement of the snap-over-center terminals by said means operating to move the follower terminals to bring the contacts thereon into engagement with contacts on the circuit board.

Claim 14

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body; a series of terminal recesses formed in the body and extending along the body adjacent a circuit board support; a snap-over-center type terminal and a follower terminal in each recess with a portion of the follower terminal between the snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and a movable insulating spacer between the terminals to electrically separate the same; and terminal shifting means for engaging each of the snap-over-center terminals to move the same toward a circuit board in the circuit board support with a pair oF contacts on the circuit board opposite each recess to snap the terminals and bring contacts on the snap-over-center terminals into engagement with contacts on the circuit board, movement of the snap-over-center terminals by said means operating to move the follower terminals to bring the contacts thereon into engagement with contacts on the circuit board.

Claim 15

A zero force type connector block as in claim 11 wherein said terminal shifting means comprises a cam bar having a single rise surface movable along said block for serially movement of the snap-over-center terminals to the engaged position.

Claim 16

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal recesses extending along a circuit board support; a snap-over-center terminal and a follower terminal confined in each recess; each snap-over-terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg and extending back generally parallel to the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs into and out of the recess for forming an electrical connection with a contact outside of the recess; each follower terminal including an elongate spring member extending from the block with a contact at the free end thereof, a part of the spring member being located between the tension leg of the adjacent snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and biased toward the tension leg; a movable insulating spacer confined between the portion of the follower terminal and the tension leg; an elongate cam bar movable along the block past the recesses and including a rise surface; and an operative connection between each of the snap-over-center terminals and the rise surface as the same is moved past the terminal to snap the terminal and thereby move the contacts of both snap-over-center terminals and the associated follower terminals out of the recesses and into engagement with associated contacts on a circuit board in the support.

Claim 17

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal recesses extending along a circuit board support; a snap-over-center terminal and a follower terminal confined in each recess; each snap-over-terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg and extending back generally parallel to the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs into and out of the recess for forming an electrical connection with a contact outside of the recess; each follower terminal including an elongate spring member extending from the block with a contact at the free end thereof, a part of the spring member being located between the tension leg of the adjacent snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and biased toward the tension leg; a movable insulating spacer confined between the portion of the follower terminal and the tension leg; an elongate cam bar movable along the block past the recesses and including a rise surface; and an operative connection between each of the snap-over-center terminals and the rise surface as the same is moved past the terminal to snap the terminal and thereby move the contacts of both snap-over-center terminals and the associated follower terminals out of the recesses and into engagement with associated contacts on a circuit board in the support.

Claim 18

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal recesses extending along a contact support; a snap-over-center terminal and a follower terminal confined in each recess; each snap-over-terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg and extending back generally parallel to the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs into and out of the recess for forming an electrical connection with a contact outside of the recess; each follower terminal including an elongate spring member extending from the block with a contact at the free end thereof, a part of the spring member being located between the tension leg of the adjacent snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and biased toward the tension leg; a movable insulating spacer confined between the portion of the follower terminal and the tension leg; and means for snapping the snap-over-center terminals and thereby moving the contacts of both the snap-over-center terminals and the associated follower terminals out of the recess and into engagement with contacts on the contact support.

Claim 19

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal recesses extending along a contact support; a snap-over-center terminal and a follower terminal confined in each recess; each snap-over-terminal including a tension leg secured to and extending from the body, a bowed compression leg secured at one end to the free end of the tension leg and extending back generally parallel to the tension leg with the other end thereof engaging a stop and a terminal contact movable with movement of the legs into and out of the recess for forming an electrical connection with a contact outside of the recess; each follower terminal including an elongate spring member extending from the block with a contact at the free end thereof, a part of the spring member being located between the tension leg of the adjacent snap-over-center terminal and the mouth of the recess and biased toward the tension leg; a movable insulating spacer confined between the portion of the follower terminal and the tension leg; and means for snapping the snap-over-center terminals and thereby moving the contacts of both the snap-over-center terminals and the associated follower terminals out of the recess and into engagement with contacts on the contact support.

Claim 20

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal locations therein; means for positioning a contact adjacent each terminal location; a two position snap-over center type terminal secured to the block in each terminal location, each terminal including a tension leg, a compression leg and a contact movable with the legs;and a cam engagable with the terminals to snap the same to move the terminal contacts from a position remote from the adjacent contacts to a position against the adjacent contacts.

Claim 21

A zero force type connector block comprising an insulating body having a series of terminal locations therein; means for positioning a contact adjacent each terminal location; a two position snap-over center type terminal secured to the block in each terminal location, each terminal including a tension leg, a compression leg and a contact movable with the legs;and a cam engagable with the terminals to snap the same to move the terminal contacts from a position remote from the adjacent contacts to a position against the adjacent contacts.