Electrical interconnection devices incorporating redundant contact points for reducing capacitive stubs and improved signal integrity

1. Apparatus comprising:

a mating pair of connector bodies, each body having a capturing portion, a leading edge and a groove and a recess between the capturing portion and the leading edge, the recess communicating with the groove;

a pair of elongated, relatively flat-surfaced, metallic contact members; each contact member having two ends, a captured end and a free end; and further having a substantially flat portion and an arcuate portion between said ends;

the substantially flat portion of each contact member mounted in the capturing portion of the connector body and fixed thereby;

the arcuate portion of each contact member aligned with said groove and having its free end located in said recess before mating of the connector pair;

whereby when said pair of connector bodies are mated by sliding the two connector bodies relative to each other, the leading edge of a connector body contacts a respective arcuate portion of the other connector body to force the respective arcuate portions into relatively flat shape; the change in shape bringing the free ends of each contact member from the recess and into wiped contact with the relatively flat surface of the other contact member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each free end further comprises a contacting feature.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a contacting feature has a shape selected from a group consisting of hemispheres, cones, or sharp points.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said contacting feature is located on the side of the contact member facing the other contact member when the two connector bodies are connected.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein a free end of an arcuate member lies in said recess when said arcuate member has a bowed shape prior to the connecting of the two connector bodies; whereby when the two connector bodies are mated by sliding one connector body relative to the other, both free ends of respective contact members lie in their respective recesses until the respective leading edges contact the respective arcuate portions of the other connector body to flattened their shape, thereby lifting their respective free ends out of the recesses and into wiped contact with the relatively flat surface of the other contact member.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said recess is large enough to permit the contacting feature to rest completely within it until said arcuate portion is flattened during mating of the respective connector bodies.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a connector body forms one member of an array of matable connections.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the captured end is shaped for surface mounting the connector to a mounting surface.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the shape is a stub formed at substantially right angles to the flat portion of the contact member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein a mounting surface comprises a stair-step and the array of connector bodies connect to respective steps via the captured ends.

11. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the captured ends are surface mounted to corresponding contacts located on respective steps.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein a junction between the groove and the recess of a connector body comprises a fulcrum about which the contact member pivots when mated with the other connector body.

13. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the arcuate portion of the contact member lies in the groove when flattened by contact with the leading edge of the contact member of the other connector.

14. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein at least one of said contacting features comprises an electrical contact.