Make-first-break-last ground connections

An electrical connector assembly (2) comprises blade connector (4) and a receptacle connector (6) mating with the blade connector. The blade connector (4) comprises an insulating housing (8) containing power or signal blade contacts having contact blades (70) and a ground blade contact having a cont...

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Bibliographische Detailangaben
Hauptverfasser: BUCHTER, RANDOLPH L
Format: Patent
Sprache:eng
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:An electrical connector assembly (2) comprises blade connector (4) and a receptacle connector (6) mating with the blade connector. The blade connector (4) comprises an insulating housing (8) containing power or signal blade contacts having contact blades (70) and a ground blade contact having a contact blade (42). A tab (64) projects in the mating direction from the forward edge (66) of the ground contact blade (42). The receptacle connector (6) has an insulating housing (72) with receptacle contacts (96) disposed in respective cavities (82, 84) in the housing (72). Each receptacle contact (96) has contact springs (108, 114) having contact surfaces (110, 120). The receptacle contact (96) in the center cavity (82) is a ground receptacle contact, whilst the receptacle contacts (96) in the remaining cavities are power or signal contacts. When the connectors (4, 6) are mated, the tab (64) first engages the ground receptacle contact (96) in the center cavity (82) and thus makes the ground circuit of the connector assembly (2). The forward edges (66, 71) of the contact blades (42, 70) then pass substantially simultaneously between the contact surfaces (110, 120) of the respective receptacle contacts (96) and the tab (64) is received in an opening (124) defined between the contact springs (108, 114) of the ground receptacle contact (96). Upon unmating of the connectors (4, 6) the tab (64) is withdrawn from the contact surfaces (110, 120) of the ground receptacle contact (96) after the contact blades (42, 70) have been withdrawn from the receptacle contact (96).