Patent ID: 7121874
Filing Date: 2006-10-17
Classification: H01R

Abstract:
1. A connector comprising: a rectangular substrate member having a thickness, a first longitudinal edge and a second longitudinal edge, the substrate member further including a plurality of conductors wherein each conductor of the plurality of conductors extends from a location proximate to the first longitudinal edge across the substrate member to a location proximate to the second longitudinal edge, wherein the substrate member is taken from the group consisting essentially of: a printed circuit board (PCB) and a flexible printed circuit (FPC); a plurality of contact beams, wherein each contact beam is coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of conductors of the substrate member; an insulative housing that has a substantially rectangular bottom side and a printed circuit edge (PCE) receiving side, the housing defining an PCE receiving slot in the PCE receiving side, the PCE receiving slot having an elongated opening at the PCE receiving side, the elongated opening extending longitudinally in a direction parallel to the bottom side of the housing and in a direction perpendicular to each of the contact beams, the opening of the PCE receiving slot also having a height dimension in a direction perpendicular to the bottom side of the housing, the height dimension being approximately equal to the thickness of the substrate member so that the PCE receiving slot can receive an edge of a printed circuit member that has the same approximate thickness as the thickness of the substrate member, the housing retaining the substrate member therein such that the contact beams are aligned in a row along a bottom of the PCE receiving slot proximate to the opening, wherein the plurality of conductors of the substrate member are couplable through the bottom side of the housing to a surface of a second printed circuit board when the bottom side of the housing is placed down on the surface of the second printed circuit board; and a metal stiffening member that is retained in the housing such that the stiffening member forms at least a part of a ceiling of the PCE receiving slot and at least one of the contact beams is not electrically coupled to the stiffening member, when the edge of the printed circuit member is received into the PCE receiving slot then the contact beams press against the printed circuit member and the printed circuit member contacts the stiffening member and the contact beams are electrically connected to the second printed circuit board.