JPH0616432B2 - Circuit board connector device with independent contact segments - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a circuit board connector device. The invention is particularly suitable for use in a computer system in which a series of slave boards are adapted to be connected to a master board. With the connector device of the present invention, a computer user can easily insert the slave board into the connector device.

(Prior Art) It is known to use a pin connector soldered to each of a master board and a slave board to connect those boards. Alternatively, the pins can be electrically interconnected by a splay type connection. It is also known in the general sense to make a high-density connection between a slave board and a master board.

Several techniques for zeroing or reducing the insertion force are also known. A typical low insertion force connector is given in U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,630 to Scheingold et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,1 granted to Lapraik
79,117; U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,782 to Yeager; U.S. Pat. No. 3,899,234 to Yeager et al .; U.S. Pat. No. 3,130,351 to Giel; Stepowey)
U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,481 to Walkup and U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,317 to Walkup. Similar devices are also disclosed in British patent application 2,028,015A to Otuki and British patent application 2,022,329A to Leather.

In the various patents and patent applications noted above, the connector assembly includes opposed spring-type contact rows. The low insertion force mechanism or the zero insertion force mechanism, although somewhat different, generally includes some mechanism that deflects the spring contacts to separate them in order to facilitate insertion of the printed wiring board into the connector. . The contacts are then engaged with corresponding pads on the printed wiring board to make the desired electrical connections. In some cases, the spring contacts are normally pressed against the printed circuit board and pressed against the printed circuit board, and a low insertion force mechanism unfolds the spring contacts to allow the printed wiring board to be inserted into the connector. In another technique, the contact members are typically separated and deflected by a low insertion force mechanism to engage the printed wiring board. It is also known to use cams and cam followers as low insertion force connector mechanisms. The cam member moves the follower member to deflect the spring contacts as desired, ie,
Operable to close.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) An object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector device having a plurality of segments which are automatically aligned with respect to a circuit board.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention relates to an electrical connector device including a receptacle, the receptacle including a body shell member, a plurality of independent segments having a large number of contact members, and the body shell member. Means for supporting the segment in an independent floating configuration within the body shell member perpendicularly, laterally and longitudinally with a defined range of positional freedom, and a first contact of the contact member. Means for contacting the predetermined contacts of the first circuit board to individually align the segments on the first circuit board to support each of the segments. is there.

The alignment means comprises at least one alignment protrusion extending from the bottom of each segment, the protrusion adapted to be inserted into a corresponding alignment hole of the first circuit board,
Preferably, the body shell member has at least one other alignment protrusion extending from the bottom for insertion into a corresponding alignment hole in the first circuit board.

Further, the supporting means includes at least one supporting protrusion provided so as to project on the first side of each of the segments and the opposite side thereof, and the supporting protrusion is formed on the first side of the body shell member.
Side and the opposite side thereof and corresponding support holes provided to receive the support projections, the support holes being larger than the support projections, so that the support projections move in the support holes. It is desirable to be able to.

Further, the contact members in each of the segments are arranged in at least two rows facing each other, and
It is desirable to form a second contact portion serving as a receiving terminal on the opposite side of the contact portion.

The second invention of the present application has the configuration of the first invention, and the contact members in each segment are arranged in at least two rows facing each other, and a receiving terminal is provided on the side opposite to the first contact portion. A second contact portion is formed, and the second contact portion of the contact member is formed of two rows of contact points facing each other, and an interval between the rows so that the electric plug member can be inserted with a low insertion force. Has a low insertion force means for spreading and connecting the inserted electric plug member and the second contact portion so as to maintain a state of being electrically connected to the respective predetermined contact points. It is a thing.

(Example) First, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The receptacle 10 of the present invention is adapted to densify individual connections to increase the speed of signals within the device. In the field of personal computers,
In addition to maintenance, the ease of use of the user is particularly important. Receptacle 1 of the present invention
0 allows the owner of the personal computer to add additional features by purchasing an additional module or slave board 11 that can be easily inserted into the receptacle 10 of the present invention. In the present embodiment, this sub board is the second circuit board. This connector device can be mounted on the first circuit board, the parent board 12, or backplane, thereby adding more features to the computer. In this embodiment, one side of this sub board is provided with a pad 35 that constitutes an electrical contact, and is itself an electric plug member.

The receptacle 10 of the present invention includes a master board 12 within one plane.
Can be mounted on top. In FIG. 1, a card housing 1
3 and the master board 12 are configured to receive the slave board by sliding the slave board in a direction parallel to the plane of the master board. The receptacle 10 of the present invention acts as a bottom guide for the master board 12. The card housing 13 also includes an upper U-shaped eye or guide 14. Those guides are receptacles 10.
At the same time, it functions to align the slave board 11 slid into the card housing 13 from the side.

It is a feature of the connector device of the present invention that the slave board can be inserted from the side as shown in FIG. 1 or from the top as shown in FIG. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the card housing 15 includes a plurality of receptacles 10 arranged in parallel and mounted in the master 12. The card housing 15 includes a U-shaped lateral guide 16. Those lateral guides are
The card housing 15 is arranged along the side surfaces 17 and 18 so as to coincide with the receptacle 10. In this embodiment, the slave board 11 is inserted into the receptacle 10 by sliding it off along the lateral guide 16 and inserting it into the top of the receptacle 10.

The receptacle 10 of the present invention does not need to be soldered to the master board 12. The pins that are likely to be damaged or bent when connecting to the master board 12 are not included in the receptacle 10. Receptacle 1 so that child board 11 can be easily inserted and withdrawn as desired.
0 is preferably a low insertion force type or a zero insertion force type.

In the embodiment of the invention best shown in FIG. 3, the receptacle 10 has a body shell 19. The body shell is adapted to support the plurality of contact segments 20 in a floating state. Each segment 20 can be tailored to its function in the receptacle 10. One segment 20 can be configured to carry a signal and another segment can be configured to carry power. Thus, various segments 20 can perform quite different functions. Since the segments 20 are supported in a floating structure within the body shell 19, they can align themselves with respect to the master 12. The reason why this is possible is that the various segments 20 can slide inside the body shell 19 so that they can be accurately positioned on the contact pads 21 of the master 12. Thereby, the designer of the circuit can concentrate the contact pads 21 on the master board 12 with high accuracy, while lowering the accuracy inside the receptacle 10 itself.

According to another aspect of the invention, a device 22 is provided within the receptacle 10 for aligning and securing the slave board 11. A schematic of this device is shown in FIGS. Fixed levers 23 and 24 that are aligned and fixed are pivotally supported at both ends of the body shell 19. The slave board 11 has a pair of corresponding alignment holes 25 and 26 (FIG. 4). In FIG. 4, the receptacle 10 is shown in an open position adapted to receive and insert the slave board 11.

FIG. 5 shows the receptacle 10 with the slave 11 fully inserted and the alignment / fixing device 22 in the closed position. In this position, each fixed lever 2
3, 24 protrusions 27 are inserted into the holes 25, 26,
The slave board 11 is aligned with the surface of the master board 12 in a desired relationship. The protrusion 27 of the fixed lever 23 aligns the slave board laterally to a desired position inside the receptacle 10. On the other hand, when the protrusion 29 is formed on the fixing lever 23 and the receptacle 40 is at the closed position, one end of the slot 40 is blocked and the slave board 11 is opened until the receptacle is opened.
Is not allowed to be inserted horizontally or vertically. The notches 28 in the child board 28 provide clearance for the protrusions 29 when the child board is in the correct position and the lever 23 is in the closed position.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, the receptacle 10 uses a zero insertion force or low insertion force device 30 having spring contacts 31, 32, a cam 33 and a follower 34. The cams and followers act on the spring contacts 31 and 32 to reduce or eliminate the force required to insert the slave into the device in the open position shown in the left receptacle 10 in FIG.
On the contrary, in the closed position shown in the receptacle 10 on the right side of FIG. 6, electrical contact is made between the spring contacts and the respective contact pads 35 of the slave board 11.

According to yet another aspect of the invention, each spring contact is alternately raised and lowered to allow for high density electrical contact.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, an actuating device 3 for sequentially actuating each aligning / fixing device 22 and low insertion force device 30.
6 (FIGS. 7 to 16) are provided. The actuating device 36 has an actuating lever 37. The actuating lever includes a tab 38 which is operated as an actuating cam. The actuating device 36 has a follower portion 39 for each of the fixed levers 23, 24. When the actuating lever 37 is turned, the tab 38 and the follower 39 are actuated to cause the aligning / fixing device 22 and the low insertion force device 30 to perform desired sequential operations.

The receptacle 10 and the various aspects of the invention embodied therein will now be described in detail to clarify preferred embodiments of the invention. Here, a connector device having a receptacle for mounting to a first circuit board 12 such as a master board, that is, a backplane is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.
Please refer to FIG. 7, FIG. 12 and FIG. The receptacle 10 is adapted to receive a portion of the sub board 11, which is the second circuit board, which constitutes an electric plug member. In this embodiment, the electrical plug member is configured as a part of an electronic module such as a slave board or a circuit board.

As described above, the receptacle 10 is composed of the body shell 19 and the contact segment 20. The body shell 19 has an elongated slot 40 formed by opposing side walls 41, 42 and an end wall 43. The area 44 facing the end wall 43 of the slot is open. Therefore, the slave board 11 can be inserted into the receptacle 10 from the top or the side in the direction shown by the arrow (FIG. 4).

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 12, contact segment 2
The 0 is inserted into the body shell 19 from the bottom. Body shell 1
9 includes an internal dividing wall 47. This internal dividing wall divides the shell into a plurality of chambers 48. The number of chambers 48 corresponds to the number of contact segments 20 carried by the body shell 19. Side walls 41, 4
A series of depressions 49 in 2 indicate the respective locations of the inner wall 47. A rectangular hole 50 is provided in the center of each side wall 41, 42 of each chamber 48 as a whole. This constitutes a portion of the device that supports the contact segments 20 independently within the body shell 19 in a floating condition, allowing each contact segment 20 to be independently aligned with the master 12.

Another element of the floating support device is the corresponding centrally located projection 52 on the side walls 53, 54 of each contact segment 20. When the contact segment 20 is inserted into the chamber 48, the protrusions 52 are pyramidal shaped so that the protrusions 52 expand their respective sidewalls 41, 42 until they snap into the holes 50. ing. The height and width of the holes 50 are greater than the height and width of the protrusions 52 so that the contact segment 20 has limited freedom in the chamber 48 in the vertical direction, side to side, and front to back. To do. A step 55 on each sidewall 41, 42 forms a corresponding internal stop surface 56 which limits vertical movement of the contact segment 20 when the selectable 10 is mounted on the master 12. This is an effective means for sandwiching the contact segment with the master board 12.

Each contact segment 20 includes a longitudinal ledge 57 on each side wall 53,54. The shelves are on each stop surface 5
6 is engaged. The body shell 19 is at one end (region 44
Alignment protrusions 58 are further included on the side). The alignment protrusion is master board 1
It is designed to fit into two corresponding alignment holes. The contact segment 20 includes an alignment protrusion 61 at one end.
The alignment protrusion 61 has a contact segment 20 with a body shell 1.
When it is inserted into the chamber 48 of No. 9, it is inserted into the corresponding alignment hole 62 of the master board 12. The alignment protrusions 58, 61 extend across the entire receptacle 10 in a spaced apart manner,
When the protrusions are inserted into the alignment holes 59, 62, they provide an effective means of aligning the receptacles on the master 12. Since each contact segment 20 has its own alignment protrusion 61, each contact segment 20 has a body shell 1
It can float within 9 within a limited range.

A very precise alignment of each contact segment can be made with respect to the master 12 and no misalignment accumulates over the length of the receptacle 10. This is a very important feature. This is because it is desirable to implement as many contacts as possible in each contact segment.
It is a unique feature of the invention that very high density electrical contacts can be used while maintaining proper alignment of the parent board 12 with the corresponding contact pads 21.

Each contact segment 20 has a segment body 63. The segment body is configured to support two rows of spring contact members 64 that form spring contacts. One end 65 of each spring contact member constitutes a contact portion that contacts the corresponding contact pad 35 of the slave board 11. The opposite end 66 of the spring contact member 64 constitutes a lever-shaped contact portion that engages with and contacts the contact pad 21 of the master board 12. In this embodiment, the contact portion on the side of the end portion 65 is the second contact portion,
The contact portion on the side of the end portion 66 is the first contact portion. By using the lever-shaped contact portion 66 and the contact pad 21, a high-pressure airtight connection portion can be obtained. The end of the contact portion 66 is pushed into the contact pad 21, and when the contact pad is pushed into the contact pad 21, the oxide on the surface of the pad is broken, so that a good electrical contact is made. This type of contact structure eliminates the need for gold contact pads or gold plating on the contact portion 66. This allows for a much cheaper tin-tin connection.
However, the contact pads 35 of the slave board are usually plated with gold.

As the spring contact member 64, a narrow contact member 32 for transmitting a signal and a relatively wide member 68 for transmitting electric power, that is, electric current can be selectively arranged. Therefore,
Contact segment 20 can be configured as desired to handle signals or power, or perform any other function required.

Maximizing the density of spring contact members 64 within contact segment 20 is a preferred feature of the present invention. Part of that is achieved by alternating the high contact members 32 and the low contact members 31 in each respective contact row. Furthermore,
Each high spring contact 32 in one row is arranged to face the low spring contact 31 in the row of opposing spring contact members 64. Therefore, the low spring contacts 31 in one contact row face the high spring contacts in the opposing contact row. Their high spring contact 32 and their low spring contact 31
As shown in FIG. 1, the contact pads 35 in two rows are staggered as shown in the drawing to be brought into contact with the rows of the contact pads 35 in two rows which are staggered.

The contact portion 65 of each contact segment and the pad 35 can be aligned with a relatively large tolerance to provide a high density of contacts. This minimizes the risk of misalignment between the contact portion 65 of the high spring contact 32 and the contact portion 65 of the low spring contact 31 and the contact pad 35 of each contact segment, as well as the high position of any particular contact row. The wide spacing of the spring contacts reduces the chances of a short circuit if the contact 65 is slightly bent. This is also the case for low contacts. With this configuration, the size of the pads 35 can be reduced, and the importance of the spacing between the pads can be reduced.

A series of receptacles 1 may be provided by any conventional type of retaining or clasping device 70 as shown in FIG.
The 0 can be mounted on the master board 12. The fastening member 71 or 72 is formed by the step 55 of the side wall 41 or 42.
Is engaged with. In order to bring the contact portion 66 of the spring contact member 64 into contact with the pad 21 of the master board 12, a fastening member 71
Alternatively, 72 is fixed to the circuit board, that is, the master board 12 by bolts 73 or the like. As described above, the stop surface 56
Engages the ledge 57 of the segment 20 and holds the segment 20 so that the contact 66 makes good electrical contact with the contact pad 21. The fastening member 71 is adopted between the adjacent receptacles 10, and the fastening member 72 is adapted to fasten a single side surface of the receptacle 10.

With the configuration of this connector device, it is possible to obtain great flexibility in constructing the computer circuit board device. The receptacle 10 can have any number of segments 20, such as 5, 7, 11 etc., if desired. A plurality of receptacles 10 can be arranged adjacent to each other in parallel on the master board, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6.

If desired, the receptacle 10 may be provided with other contact segments to extend the receptacle beyond the parent board 12 for connection to other types of plugs and circuit connectors or elements. For example, the receptacle 10 can receive a completely different type of connection that is located entirely away from the master.

Each contact segment 20 includes a low or zero insertion force mechanism for device 30. The contact members 64 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 are such that when they are in their free state, they will have the right-hand selectable member 10 of FIG.
Is pushed towards the other spring contact of the facing contact row so as to assume the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. The low insertion force mechanism uses a cam 33 and a follower 34.

When the cam 33 is rotated to the position shown in the left-hand side selective gear 10 in FIG. 6, the follower 34 moves upward to separate the one row of spring contact members 64 from the facing row of spring contact members 64. This allows the slave board 11 to be inserted into the slot 40 with low insertion force or zero insertion force. When the cam 33 is rotated to the position shown in the right side receptacle 10 in FIG. 6, the follower 34 is lowered and the contact portions 65 come into contact with the respective contact pads 35 of the slave board 11. Release 64. Each contact segment has its own separate follower 34.
Should be included as much as possible. However, the cam member 33 is
Preferably, an integral member or metal rod extending through all the segments 20 of the receptacle 10 is provided. The cross section of the cam member 33 has an oval shape that should be formed.

The upper surface 74 of the follower contacts the spring contact members 64 to separate the spring contacts from each other, and the spring contact members 64 allow the slave board 1 to move.
1 is formed and arranged to be disengageable for engagement with 1. The upper cross section of the follower 34 is U-shaped. When the follower member 34 is positioned to receive the slave board 11 as shown in the left receptacle 10 of FIG. 6, the U-shaped bottom 75 functions as a stop surface to align the slave board 11 during insertion. To do. The follower is the right receptacle 1 in FIG.
The lower portion of the follower 34, the hook portion 76, is held in the retracted position by the engagement between the cam 33 and the hook portion 76 when retracted as in 0.
Has a hook-like shape.

The contact segment body 63 has an outer support member 77 and an inner support member 78. The spring contact members 64 are held in place between the respective support members 77 and 78. The inner support member 78 also functions to support the cam 33 and the follower 34.

Although a low insertion force mechanism or zero insertion force mechanism 30 has been described with particular reference to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, it is desired, as illustrated by the numerous patents set forth in the background of this application. Any low insertion force mechanism can be adopted. The present invention, as described in the Background of the Invention, preferably pushes one row of spring contact members 64 towards the opposing row of spring contact members 64, although the reverse is also used. it can. In the opposite manner, the follower deflects the spring contact member 64 to move the contact portion 65 into the contact pad 3.
5, or act to release the spring contacts so that they are separated in the free state.

As shown in FIG. 7, the operating lever 37 is fixed to the cam 33. This allows the operator to move the lever 37 to rotate the cam 33 between the open position shown in FIG. 4 and the closed position shown in FIG. The lever 37 can be much better if desired to make it easier to turn. This embodiment also increases the leverage on the cam 33 for ease of operation. An alternative way to be suitable for remote operation is the actuation lever 3
7 may be exchanged for the lever 79. The lever 79 can be operated remotely by using a suitable linkage 80 pivotally attached to the end 81 of the lever 79. For example, the link mechanism 80 may be installed in the card housing 13 (first
It can be put out through the hole at the top of the figure). By pulling up the link mechanism 80, the cam 33 is rotated and the slave board 1
The receptacle can be opened to insert 1.
By depressing the link mechanism 80, the reverse operation can be performed.

Next, the alignment / fixing device 22 and the actuating device 36 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 5 and FIGS. 7 to 16. As described above, the aligning / fixing device 22 includes the fixing lever 2
3, 24. The body shell 19 includes a support extension 82 at its end. The lever 23 is pivotally supported around the extension base 83 by the split cylindrical pins 84 inserted through the holes 85 and 86 of the lever 23 and the extension base 83, respectively.

The second extension base 87 includes a generally square hole 88 through which the cam 33 is inserted. Prior to inserting the cam 33, the actuating lever 37 is positioned such that the extension base 87 is between the legs of the fork 89. The slot 90 of the fork-shaped projection 89 fits snugly into the cross section of the cam 33. After inserting the split pin 91 through the hole 92 of the cam 33 in the slot 93 formed in each contact segment 20, the cam 33 is retained by the receptacle 10. This structure is shown in FIG. The pin 91 acts to lock the cam in place, which locks the actuating lever 37 in place.

Next, the alignment / fixing device 22 and the actuating device 36 at the end of the body shell 19 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. The fixed lever 23 includes a first protrusion 27.
The protrusion 27 is inserted into the alignment hole 25 on one side of the slave board 11. The fixed lever 23 also includes a second protrusion 29.
The protrusion 29 is inserted into the notch 28 on one side of the sub board 11. The fixed lever 23 also includes a follower portion 39 formed by the upper surface of one support leg 95. Its follower 39
Includes notch S. The actuating lever 37 includes a tab 38 that acts as a cam. The follower portion 39 also includes a stop portion 96. The stop operates when the lever 37 is in the vertical position as shown. The cam 33 moves away from the segment follower 34 so that the spring contacts 31 and 32 close to the dial. In this position, the tab or cam 38
Contacts the stop 96 so that the projections 27, 29 enter into their respective holes 25 and slots 28.
3 is rotated with respect to the slave board 11.

When the lever 37 is rotated in the opposite direction to the position shown in FIG. 4, the tab 38 does not rotate the lever 23 until it engages the stop 97 formed by the underside of the notch S. Therefore, when the lever 37 moves its tab 38 from the stop 96 to the stop 97, the lever 23 does not move. However, the cam 33, from its closed operating position,
It is turned to the open operating position. The tab 38 engages the stop 97 before the lever 37 is rotated to its fully open position. When the tab 38 is continuously rotated downward even after the tab 38 is engaged with the stop portion 97, the lever 23 is rotated in a direction to be separated from the circuit board, and the protrusions 27 and 29 are respectively inserted into the holes 25 and the slots 28. Pull away from. Thus, when the lever 37 is moved from its closed position to its open position, the cam 33 and the follower 34.
Under the action of, the contacts are first separated and then the locking lever is separated. Those operations are sequentially performed. When the actuating lever 37 is moved from its open position shown in FIG. 4 to its closed position shown in FIG. 5, the reverse operation takes place sequentially. When lever 37 is in the fully open position,
Due to the pivoting action of the lever 23, the tab 38 is in the position of the notch S. Therefore, when the lever 37 starts to move upward, the upper side wall 98 of the notch S brings the tab 38 of the lever 37 into contact. As a result, when the lever 37 is slightly rotated, the lever 23 is rotated about the pin 84 and is rotated with respect to the slave board 11 to its fixed / aligned position. However, this small rotation is not sufficient to rotate the cam 33 relative to the follower 34 to close the contacts. When the pad 38 comes into contact with the stop portion 96 of the lever 23 by the rotation of the lever 37 and is further rotated, the lever 23 is rotated.
Fully aligned with 1 and fixed.

According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alignment and locking device 22 and the actuating device 36 include a second alignment and locking lever 24 and a second actuating lever 99 (FIG. 12). Second lever 24
And the second lever 99 is arranged at the opposite end 43 of the body shell 19. Due to the support extension 100, the extension 100 comprises a support 101 on which the lever 24 is pivotally supported by a split pin 102. It extends through holes 104, 103 in the base 101 and lever 24. As mentioned above, the cam 33 extends through the slot 93 (FIG. 16) and supports the extension 100 at the support base 10.
6 to a square hole 105 (FIG. 13).

The second actuating lever 99 has a hole 90. The cross section of the hole matches the cross section of the cam 33 well. Lever 99
It is located around the cam 33 between the lever 24 and the support base extension 106. The lever 99 includes a tab 38 corresponding to the tab of the lever 37. Similarly, the lever 24 has a follower portion 39 corresponding to the follower portion of the lever 23. The followers include notches S that include stops 97,98.

The movement of lever 99 is linked to the movement of lever 37 by cam 33. The internal operation of the lever 99 with respect to the lever 24 via the tab 38 is the same as the internal operation described above for the levers 37 and 23 and will not be described again here. When lever 37 is moved between its open and closed positions, lever 99 moves between corresponding positions, interacting with lever 24 in the same way lever 37 interacts with lever 23. To do.

The protrusions 27 that align and secure the slave board 11 within the receptacle 10 are tapered so that slight misalignment of the slave board 11 does not prevent the slave board 11 from aligning and securing within the receptacle. The taper of the protrusion 27 serves to move the board to its properly aligned position. The contacts 67 of the receptacle 10 cannot be closed unless the slave board 11 is properly fixed and aligned in the receptacle 10. The misalignment prevents the protrusions 27, 29 from being inserted into their respective alignment holes 25 and slots 28. This prevents the levers 23, 24 from pivoting to their fully aligned position. If the levers cannot be pivoted to their fully aligned and locked position, the tabs 38 of levers 99 and 37 will contact the stops 96 of their respective followers 39.
This further prevents the lever 37 and the cam 33 from rotating, thereby preventing the contacts from coming into contact with the slave board 11.

Furthermore, it is necessary to insert the bilateral protrusions 27, 29 of the receptacle 10 into their respective holes 25 and slots 28 in order to completely close the contacts 67 of the receptacle 10. Therefore, the lever 37 cannot be completely closed to the position shown in FIG. 5 unless both corners of the slave board 11 are completely inserted into the connector housing. If the position is incorrect, the operator cannot completely close the lever 37, and the slave board 11 must be readjusted so that the lever 37 can be aligned. When the lever 37 is in the position of FIG. 5, it is not possible to pull the slave board out of the receptacle 10, that is to the side of the receptacle 10, unless the lever 37 is first turned to its open position shown in FIG. Can not.

The above description merely illustrates the invention. Various modifications can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the present invention is intended to embrace all such alterations and modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a horizontal insertion card housing using a plurality of connector devices of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a direct insertion or top insertion card housing using a plurality of connector devices of the present invention. FIGS. 3 and 3a are exploded perspective views of the connector device of the present invention including a plurality of contact segments, and FIG. 4 is a backplane in which the low insertion force mechanism is in an open position for inserting a module board or a child board. That is, a perspective view of the connector device of the present invention mounted on the master board, and FIG. 5 are shown in FIG. 3 partially cut away to show the fixing mechanism and the alignment mechanism for the inserted module board. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the connector device, FIG. 6 is an end view and a cross-sectional view of two adjacent connector devices of the present invention in which the low insertion force mechanism is in an open position and a closed position, respectively. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the connector device of the present invention showing the mechanism and the alignment mechanism, FIG. 8 is a top view of one end of the connector device of the present invention, and FIG. 9 is a side view of one end of the connector device shown in FIG. 8 is a view of an end portion of the connector device shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 11 is a front view of a fixing and aligning lever arranged at the end portion of the connector device shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, and FIG. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view of the facing ends of the connector device of the present invention, FIG. 13 is a view of the facing ends of the connector device shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 14 is a fixing lever at the facing ends of the connector device of FIG. FIG. 15 is a top view partially cut away to expose the alignment lever, FIG. 15 is a side view of the opposite ends of the connector device shown in FIG. 12, and FIG. 16 is a view of the opposite ends of the connector device of FIG. It is a bottom view.

10 ... Receptacle, 11 ... Child board, 12 ... Parent board

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. An electrical connector device comprising: (a) a receptacle, the receptacle comprising: (b) a body shell member; (c) a plurality of independent segments having multiple contact members; and (d) Means for supporting the segments in the body shell member in an independent floating configuration perpendicularly to the body shell member so as to have a positional degree of freedom within a predetermined range to the left, right, and front and back, (e) Aligning means for supporting each segment so that the first contact portion of the contact member contacts a predetermined contact of the first circuit board to independently align the segments on the first circuit board. Electrical connector device including. 2. The electrical connector device of claim 1, wherein the alignment means comprises at least one alignment protrusion extending from the bottom of each segment, the protrusion of the first circuit board. Adapted to be inserted into a corresponding alignment hole, the body shell member has at least one other alignment protrusion extending from the bottom for insertion into the corresponding alignment hole of the first circuit board. Electrical connector device. 3. The electrical connector device according to claim 1, wherein said supporting means is provided so as to project on the first side and the opposite side of each segment. A protrusion and a corresponding support hole provided on the first side of the body shell member and the opposite side thereof so as to receive the support protrusion, the support hole being larger than the support protrusion; To this end, the support projection is movable in the support hole. 4. The electrical connector device according to claim 1, wherein the contact members in each of the segments are arranged in at least two rows facing each other, and the contact members are opposite to the first contact portion. An electrical connector device in which a second contact portion that serves as a receiving terminal is formed on the side. 5. An electrical connector device comprising: (a) a receptacle, the receptacle comprising: (b) a body shell member; (c) a plurality of independent segments having multiple electrical contacts; (d) Means for supporting the segments in the body shell member in an independent floating configuration perpendicularly to the body shell member so as to have a positional degree of freedom within a predetermined range to the left, right, and front and back, (e) Aligning means for supporting each of the segments so that the first contact portion of the contact member contacts a predetermined contact of the first circuit board to independently align the segments on the first circuit board. f) The contact members in each segment are arranged in at least two rows facing each other, and a second contact portion serving as a receiving terminal is formed on a side opposite to the first contact portion, g) The second contact portions of the contact members face each other Rows of contact points of the rows, the distance between the rows is widened so that the electric plug member can be inserted with a low insertion force, and the inserted electric plug member and the second contact portion are respectively arranged. Low insertion force means for connecting the contacts so as to maintain the state of being electrically connected. 6. The electrical connector device according to claim 5, wherein the plug member includes at least one electronic module and a second circuit board. 7. The electrical connector device according to claim 6, wherein the one row and the other row of the second contact portion of the electrical contacts are alternately provided with high contacts and low contacts. Electrical connector device. 8. The electrical connector device of claim 7, wherein each high contact of said one row faces each low contact of said opposing row and each low contact of said one row. Is an electrical connector device facing the respective high contacts of the other row. 9. The electrical connector device according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of contacts comprises a spring member supported in the segment, and the low insertion force means deflects the spring member. , An electrical connector device comprising cam means and a follower means for releasing the sled to bring the contacts into or out of contact with each other. 10. The electrical connector device of claim 9, wherein the follower means comprises separate follower members supported by each of the segments, the cam means extending through all of the segments. An electrical connector device made of an integral member that extends vertically. 11. The electrical connector device of claim 10, wherein the spring member is disposed within the segment to push a contact of the second contact portion into contact with the plug member. An electrical connector device wherein the low insertion force means is adapted to push the spring member to separate the respective contact rows of the second contact portion. 12. The electrical connector device according to claim 11, wherein each of the segments has a base wall that limits a depth into which the plug member can be inserted into the segment and into the body shell. An electrical connector device, including a base wall of which forms a part of the follower means. 13. The electric connector device according to claim 12, wherein in order to separate the second contact portion,
The follower member is moved in a direction opposite to the direction in which the plug member is inserted into the connector device, so that the second contact portion can contact the contact of the plug member; The follower member is moved in the opposite direction by the cam when the plug member is inserted, and
An electrical connector arrangement in which the follower member is moved in the opposite direction after which the base wall is moved away from the plug member. 14. The electrical connector device of claim 13, wherein the body shell includes an elongated slot.
Through the slot, the plug member is inserted between the respective contact rows of the second contact portion of the segment, one end of the slot in the body shell is opened, and the plug member is in the first orientation. And an electrical connector device that can be inserted into the connector device from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.