Patent · US Expired

ESD protected electrical connector and ESD grounding clip therefor, and circuit panel connector assembly and method of assembling same

US4925400A · kind A · utility

36Cited by
5References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 30, 1988
Grant dateMay 15, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 30, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10T29/49147
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A connector which has alignment holes to receive alignment posts of a mating connector, includes conductive clips in each alignment hole having forwardly extending spring arms to be engaged and deflected laterally by forward ends of respective alignment posts. The clip spring arms discharge the electrostatic potential between the connectors upon being engaged by the alignment posts to chassis ground, when the clips are in conductive engagement with the shielding of the connector and the alignment posts are conductive and in conductive engagement with the shielding of the mating connector and to conductive framework to which the mating connector is mounted. The clips can have a spring arm extending rearwardly from the connector housing to be engaged by the shielding of the connector upon complete assembly. The alignment posts can be force fit into a metal shell of the mating connector through holes precisely aligned with reference holes of the mating connector housing. When the mating connector is mounted to a support plate of a control unit with the terminals thereof terminated to an array of contact sections of a mother board secured to the support plate, the alignment posts can e…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.