Patent ID: 6712630
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
An electrical connector for connecting a circuit board having a plurality of electrical contacts to another electrical device, said connector comprising:a flexible circuit having a first portion to be attached and electrically mating to said electrical device and at least one free second portion having contacts to make electrical contact to said circuit board; a former shaping said flexible circuit to form a transfer element mating the surface of said electrical device with the surface of said circuit board, a force generator applying a force to said at least one free second portion of said flexible circuit to electrically engage said contacts of said flexible circuit with said contacts of said circuit board, wherein said flexible circuit is arranged within the connector to form a zero insertion slot for said circuit board until said force generator is energized, said free portion of said flexible circuit being movable to electrically engage contacts of said circuit board when the force generator is energized; wherein said flexible circuit extends substantially only over the portion of said circuit board in which said contacts are located; wherein said flexible circuit forms a lever having a free end on which said second portion of said flexible circuit is located; wherein said second portion of said flexible circuit is located such as to substantially reduce the force required to effect the physical engagement of said contacts; wherein said force generator comprises a resilient bladder coupled to a fluid pressure and confined by a chamber, so that the fluid pressure means acting on said bladder cause the bladder to exert a force as a result of the bladder changing its cross section shape rather than primarily by expansion; means for drawing a vacuum on said bladder to cause said bladder to contract to effect a full disengagement of said flexible circuit contacts and said circuit board contacts; wherein said bladder is constrained by the free portion of the flexible circuit having sufficient stiffness and arranged so as to effect a full disengagement of the circuit board and flexible circuit when said force generator is de-energized; wherein said bladder is constrained in a chamber of variable section; wherein the chamber constrains the bladders expansion such that the wall thickness of the bladder cannot reduce by more than 50%.