Dual readout extended socket

Abstract: An auxiliary socket (1) comprises a housing (2) having multiple electrical terminals (3) in terminal receiving slots (4), the terminals (3) being relatively widely spaced apart, and a panel receiving slot (5) adapted for receiving circuit traces that are intolerant of relatively dense spacing with other circuit traces.

Description: The invention relates to a connector system having an extented socket for use as an auxiliary socket for a circuit panel, for example, a circuit panel of a Single In Line Memory Module, or SIMM. US-A-5 082 459 discloses a dual readout SIMM socket with two rows of electrical terminals for engaging independent circuit traces routed on opposite sides of a SIMM circuit panel. Panel support members of the socket project upwardly and support the panel when the panel is received by the socket. The circuit traces of the circuit panel are relatively densely spaced. The terminals of the SIMM socket are relatively densely spaced, and provide high density interconnections of the SIMM circuit traces and a circuit card to which the socket is mounted. Further technical advances in the SIMM have increased requirements of some of the active circuit traces to carry increased signal frequencies and transmission speeds, which would result in these active circuit traces emanating electrical influences on other circuit traces nearby. The circuit traces nearby would undergo adverse changes in electrical impedance, affecting the speed and the attenuation of signals being transmitted thereby. The electrical emissions from active circuits would be detrimental to other circuit traces, unless the other circuits were out of range of the emissions. The active circuits need to be spaced apart from one another farther than the existing spacing between densely spaced terminals of the dual readout SIMM socket. Such active circuit traces are intolerant of such dense spacing of the terminals, especially when other circuit traces are routed to adjacent terminals of the dual readout SIMM socket. Latest advances of the SIMM has required the use of individual wires soldered to the active circuit traces and connection of the wires to a wire receiving connector for mounting on a circuit card on which the dual readout SIMM socket is mounted. In JP-A-62-190652, a circuit board is organized by routing groups of circuit traces onto different sections of the circuit board, and the different sections of the circuit board are connected to respective connectors. The invention was developed with a recognition that the contacts of the dual readout SIMM socket will not accommodate the spacing requirements of the relatively widely spaced apart, active circuit traces. It was further recognized that the SIMM has outgrown the dual readout SIMM, and requires an auxiliary connector and a connector system, that uses the dual readout SIMM socket, and embodies changes of the system with an auxiliary connector. The present invention consists in a connector system as defined in claim 1. US-A-4 579 406 discloses a connector system comprising a main socket and an auxiliary socket on a circuit board. One of the sockets receives an edge of another circuit board and the other socket mates with a connector on the other circuit board. An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a auxiliary socket; FIGURE 2 is an elevation view of the socket shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the socket shown in Figure 1; FIGURE 4 is an end elevation view of the socket shown in Figure 1 together with a portion of a circuit card, with parts broken away to illustrate details; FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevation view with parts broken away of the auxiliary socket shown in Figure 1, together with a main socket and a circuit panel of a SIMM; and FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view of the structure shown in Figure 5. With reference to Figures 1 through 4 , an auxiliary socket 1 comprises, an insulative housing 2 having multiple, conductive, electrical terminals 3 , Figure 4, in terminal receiving slots 4 intersecting opposite, long sides of respective, one or more, panel receiving slots 5 longitudinally extending in the housing 2. The auxiliary socket 1 further comprises, a panel support member 6 at one end 7 of the housing 2 projecting upwardly from each of the panel receiving slots 5. An opposite end 8 of the auxiliary socket 1 is adapted without a panel support member, such as the member 6, so as position the terminal receiving slots 4 relatively close to a main socket 9 , Figure 5. Further details of the main socket 9 are disclosed in US-A-5 082 459. The main socket 9 is a dual readout SIMM socket, comprising, Figure 5, an insulative housing 10 , panel receiving slots 11 , panel support members 12 , similar in construction to the post 6, at respective ends 13 of the housing 10, and each of two grooves 14 in the panel support members 3, 12 to receive and retain a corresponding circuit panel 15 , particularly, a SIMM circuit panel. Electrical terminals 3, duplicates of the terminals 3, are in terminal receiving slots 16 , and intersect and project into the panel receiving slots 11 for engaging circuit traces 17 on both sides of a circuit panel 15 . As shown in Figure 5, the terminals 3 have depending electrical leads 18 projecting downwardly from the housing 10 for insertion and solder connection in holes 19 of a circuit card 20 on which the main socket 9 and the auxiliary socket 1 are mounted. The terminals 3 are in adjacent terminal receiving slots 16. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, adjacent terminal receiving slots 16 are relatively densely spaced apart, with adjacent slots 16 on a 0.050 inch (1.27 mm.) center line spacing, for example. In the auxiliary socket 1, Figure 5, duplicate ones of the electrical terminals 3 in the terminal receiving slots 4 intersect and project into the corresponding panel receiving slot 5 for engaging circuit traces 21 on both sides of the circuit panel 15, Figure 5. The terminal receiving slots 4 are relatively densely spaced apart, with adjacent terminal slots 4 on a 0.050 inch (0.127 mm.) center line spacing, for example. The terminals 3 are in less than all of the terminal receiving slots 4, so as to be relatively widely spaced apart, especially as compared with the terminals 3 of the main socket 9. This is illustrated in Figure 5, wherein the electrical leads of the terminals 3 in the auxiliary socket 1 are more widely spaced apart than the leads of the terminals 3 in the main socket 1. For example, the terminals 3 are in alternate ones of the slots 4, so as to be spaced apart on 0.10 inch (0.254 mm.) centerline spacing. Each panel receiving slot 5 is adapted for longitudinal alignment with the main socket 9 to receive a portion 22 of a corresponding circuit panel 15 projecting away from the main socket 9, and on which the circuit traces 21 that are intolerant of relatively dense spacing with other circuit traces 17 are routed on the portion 22 of the circuit panel 15 in relatively widely spaced alignment corresponding with the alignment of the relatively widely spaced terminals 3. The main socket 9 has one of the panel support members 12 projecting upwardly to engage in a notch 23 of the corresponding panel 15. The portion 22 of the panel 15 extends past the notch 23 and along a corresponding panel receiving slot 5 of the auxiliary socket 1. The circuit traces 21 that are intolerant of relatively dense spacing with other circuit traces 17 extend along said portion 22 of the panel 15 that projects beyond an end 13 of the main socket 9 and into the panel receiving slot 5 of the auxiliary socket 1, wherein they are in alignment with the terminals 3 of the auxiliary socket 1. The housing 2 of the auxiliary socket 1 further comprises, depending mounting posts 24 for insertion into apertures 25 of the circuit card 20, Figure 4. To facilitate unitary formation of the mounting posts 24 by molding, Figure 1, the housing 2 comprises, at the end 8, a hollow core 26 extending downwardly toward each corresponding post 24. The housing 2 of the auxiliary socket 1 is of unitary construction, Figure 4, with the terminal receiving slots 4 being enclosed by longitudinal sidewalls 27 of the housing 2, centerwalls 28 extending longitudinally along the bottom of the panel receiving slots 5, transverse walls 29 bridging between a corresponding centerwall 28 and a side wall 27 to partition the terminals 3 from one another, and terminal retaining bars 30 bridging across the terminal receiving slots 4 and between corresponding transverse walls 29 of the terminal receiving slots 4. Each of the terminals 3 of the auxiliary socket 1, Figure 4, is of unitary construction, for example, stamped and formed from a strip of metal, and comprising, a base section 31 from which depends an electrical lead 32 projecting downwardly from the housing 2 for insertion and solder connection in a corresponding plated through hole 33 of the circuit card 20, spaced retention posts 34 , 35 projecting upwardly from the base section 31, with one of the posts 34 for frictional retention between a corresponding bar 30 and sidewall 27, and with another of the posts 35 in forced engagement against a corresponding centerwall 28, and a resilient spring section 36 projecting upwardly from the base. The spring section 36 is doubly reversely curved, in an S shape, and provides an electrical spring contact extending into a corresponding panel receiving slot 5 to make resilient electrical contact with a corresponding circuit trace 21 of the circuit panel 15. The terminal receiving slots 4 are on opposite sides of the panel receiving slot 5, and the terminals 4 on one side of the panel receiving slot 5 are electrically independent of the terminals 3 on the other side of the panel receiving slot 5. The terminals 3 of the auxiliary socket 1 and of the main socket 9 are duplicates of one another for permitting the circuit traces 17, 21 of the circuit panel 15 to be adapted with the same design and engineering considerations for connection to respective terminals 3, whether the respective terminals 3 are of the auxiliary socket 1 or of the main socket 9. Further details of the terminals 3 are described in US-A-5 082 459.

Claims: A connector system consisting of a main socket (9) and an auxiliary socket (1) each for receiving a portion of a circuit panel (15) having traces (17,21) thereon, the auxiliary socket (1) comprising a housing (2) having multiple, relatively widely spaced, electrical terminals (3) in terminal receiving slots (4), for engaging similarly spaced first circuit traces (21) on both sides of the circuit panel (15), the main socket (9) having multiple electrical terminals (3) which are densely spaced relative to the terminals (3) of the auxiliary socket for engaging similarly spaced second circuit traces (17) on the circuit panel (15), the auxiliary socket (1) having a panel receiving slot (5) adapted for longitudinal alignment with the main socket (9) to receive a portion of the circuit panel (15) projecting away from the main socket (9), a panel support member (6) projecting upwardly from one end (7) of the auxiliary socket housing (2) for supporting the circuit panel (15), and the opposite end (8) of the auxiliary socket housing (2) being devoid of a panel support, for positioning said terminal receiving slots (4) close to the main socket (9). A connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal receiving slots (4) are more densely spaced than the terminals (3) of the auxiliary socket housing (2), in that the slots (4) are more numerous than said terminals (3). A connector system as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one depending mounting post (24) is provided at an end of the housing (2) adjacent to the main socket, and a hollow core (26) extending downwardly toward the post (24) to facilitate unitary formation of the post (24) with a main socket. A connector system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the terminal receiving slots (4) of the auxiliary socket are relatively densely spaced, and the terminals of the socket are received in alternate ones of the terminal receiving slots.

Inventors: BILLMAN TIMOTHY BRIAN, THRUSH ROGER LEE, BILLMAN, TIMOTHY BRIAN, THRUSH, ROGER LEE
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H01R23
IPC codes: H01R12, H01R13