IP Library › Granted Patent US 8,465,320
Granted Patent B2
US 8,465,320 · App. 12/971,128 · Granted Jun 18, 2013

Dual stacked connector

Inventor: Jerry A. Long (Elgin, IL)
Assignee: Molex Incorporated
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,465,320
App. No.
12/971,128
Granted
Jun 18, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

A connector has a housing and two edge card-receiving slots disposed in a stacked arrangement on a first face of the housing. The housing supports a plurality of wafers, each wafer supporting a plurality of terminals and including two grooves, the grooves aligned with the terminals supported by the wafer. The housing may be positioned in a cage that includes receptacles on a front face of the cage. A light pipe may extend toward the front face of the cage.

Claims (22)

1. An electrical connector, comprising:

an insulative housing, the housing including a first face, the first face including a first and second card-receiving slot spaced vertically apart thereon, the first and second card-receiving slots being sized to receive mating ends of the mating portions of a component that is mateable with the connector;

a set of frames supported by the insulative housing, each frame of the set of frames including a first and second groove; and

a first terminal and a second terminal supported by each frame, the first terminal extending into the first card-receiving slot and the second terminal extending into the second card receiving slot, wherein the first and second grooves in each of the frames is aligned with the first and second terminal and wherein the first and second grooves respectively expose a substantial portion of the first and second terminals to air and each of the first and second grooves have a first portion that extends horizontally and a second portion that extends at an angle to the first portion.

2. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each frame further comprises a third and fourth terminal, the third terminal extending into the first card-receiving slot and the fourth terminal extending into the second card-receiving slot.

3. The connector of claim 2 , wherein the first and third terminal are configured to translate in opposite directions when a mating portion is inserted into the first card-receiving slot.

4. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each frame further comprises a third and fourth terminal, the third terminal extending into the first card-receiving slot and the fourth terminal extending into the second card-receiving slot and wherein each frame further comprises a third and fourth groove respectively aligned with the third and fourth terminal.

5. The connector of claim 4 , wherein the third and fourth grooves respectively expose a portion of the third and fourth terminals to air.

6. The connector of claim 5 , wherein the grooves expose a substantial portion of the third and fourth terminals to air.

7. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each card-receiving slot includes a plurality of terminal-receiving grooves.

8. The connector of claim 1 , wherein each frame further comprises a clip configured to engage the housing.

9. The connector of claim 1 , further comprising a cage positioned around the housing, the cage including a front face, a rear face and a plurality of side faces and two receptacles in the front face, the two receptacles each configured to receive a mating connector.

10. The connector of claim 9 , wherein each receptacle is aligned with one of the card-receiving slots.

11. The connector of claim 9 , further comprising a light pipe extending toward the front face of the cage.

12. The connector of claim 1 , wherein the first and second groove substantially follow the entire path of the respective terminals in the respective frames so as to allow the first and second grooves to expose a substantial majority of the terminals that are positioned in the frame.

13. An electrical connector, comprising:

a cage assembly including a front face, a plurality of side faces and a rear face, the cage assembly further including two receptacle portions configured to receive mating portions of two distinct corresponding opposing members, the two receptacle portions space vertically apart from each other within the cage assembly so as to provide an upper receptacle portion and a lower receptacle portion, wherein the cage assembly includes a first shield associated with one of the two receptacle portions and a second shield associated with the other of the two receptacle portions, wherein the shields extend from a rear of the receptacle portion to the front face and the shields define an intervening space between the upper and lower receptacle portions;

at least one light pipe that extends in the intervening space between the first and second shield toward the front face;

a housing positioned within the cage assembly, the housing including a first face, the first face including a pair of card-receiving slots spaced vertically apart thereon, the pair of card-receiving slots being sized to receive mating ends of the mating portions of a component that is mateable with the connector, the pair of card-receiving slots each including a plurality of terminal-receiving channels, wherein the light pipe extends forward of the housing; and

a plurality of conductive terminals supported by the housing, the terminals configured to be positioned in corresponding terminal-receiving channels in the pair of card-receiving slots.

14. The connector of claim 13 , wherein the plurality of conductive terminals are supported by frames.

15. The connector of claim 14 , wherein each frame supports at least four terminals.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 8, 2016
From: LONG, JERRY A.
To: MOLEX INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 038226/0302 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Apr 8, 2016
From: MOLEX INCORPORATED
To: MOLEX, LLC
Reel/Frame 038391/0828 →
Continuity (8)
Continuation 12502785 · Jul 14, 2009
Continuation 12341325 · Dec 22, 2008
Continuation 11881869 · Jul 30, 2007
Continuation 11130854 · May 16, 2005
Provisional Application 60571375 · May 14, 2004
Provisional Application 60584420 · Jun 30, 2004
Provisional Application 60584421 · Jun 30, 2004
Related Publication 20110318956A1 · Dec 29, 2011