US 12,444,867 B2
Printed circuit board connector having hermaphroditic contact elements
Jana Büttemeyer, Rahden (DE); Gert Havermann, Wallenhorst (DE); Marc Genau, Lübbecke (DE); and Arno Westpfahl, Espelkamp (DE)
Assigned to HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG, Espelkamp (DE)
Appl. No. 18/038,051
Filed by HARTING Electric Stiftung & Co. KG, Espelkamp (DE)
PCT Filed Nov. 29, 2021, PCT No. PCT/DE2021/100946
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 22, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/127980, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 133 325.0 (DE), filed on Dec. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0411879 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. H01R 12/71 (2011.01); H01R 12/70 (2011.01); H01R 12/72 (2011.01); H01R 12/73 (2011.01); H01R 13/6597 (2011.01); H01R 24/84 (2011.01)
CPC H01R 12/716 (2013.01) [H01R 12/7082 (2013.01); H01R 12/721 (2013.01); H01R 12/732 (2013.01); H01R 13/6597 (2013.01); H01R 24/84 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A hermaphroditic printed circuit board connector for connecting a printed circuit board to a further printed circuit board, comprising:
a housing, including
a rectangular base, and
contact receptacles extending upwardly from the rectangular base, including
first outer contact receptacles extending from a first wide side of the rectangular base, the first outer contact receptacles being separated by gaps,
second outer contact receptacles aligned opposite the first outer contact receptacles and extending from a second wide side of the rectangular base opposite the first wide side, and
center contact receptacles arranged along a center axis of the rectangular base between the first wide side and the second wide side, the center contact receptacles being longitudinally aligned with the gaps between the first outer contact receptacles; and
contact elements, each formed with narrow sides and wide sides having a contact surface for contacting a mating contact element formed in one of the narrow sides,
wherein each of the first outer contact receptacles and each of the second outer contact receptacles includes two of the contact elements facing inwardly,
wherein each of the center contact receptacles includes four of the contact elements facing outwardly, two facing towards the first wide side and two facing towards the second wide side,
wherein the contact elements each have a flexible contact region,
wherein the flexible contact regions of the contact elements are shaped in substantially the same way,
wherein the housing is designed to align the contact elements substantially orthogonally to the printed circuit board,
wherein each contact element has a rigid contact region following the flexible contact region, and
wherein the rigid contact region extends through the rectangular base and fixes the contact element in the housing.