What is claimed is:
1. A connector providing tuning fork type contacts that attain a state of contact by inserting planar shaped male contacts between pairs of beams provided on female contacts, wherein the width direction of said male contacts is angled relative to the direction of separation between said pairs of beams.
2. A connector according to claim 1 wherein the angle of the width direction of said male contacts with respect to the direction of separation between said pairs of beams is equal to or greater than 30 and equal to or less than 60.
3. A connector according to claim 1 wherein at least on one housing that anchors said male contacts or on the other housing that anchors said female contacts, ribs are provided on either said one housing or said other housing so as to partition the interior space in which said male contacts and female contacts are disposed.
4. A connector according to claim 3 wherein the external shape of the one housing that anchors said male contacts is an equilateral polygon, but not a square, and said male contacts are disposed so that said width direction is parallel to one side of said one housing, and the external shape of the other housing that anchors said female contacts has an isomorphic shape that can engage with said one housing, and said female contacts are disposed so that said direction of separation is parallel to one side of said other housing.
5. A connector according to claim 4 wherein ribs are provided on at least one of said one housing and said other housing so as to partition the interior space in which said male contacts or female contacts are disposed.
6. A connector, comprising, a first connector, having a housing with a mating area defined by a perimeter in the shape of a polygon; and a plurality of contacts in said mating area of said housing, wherein said plurality of contacts is angled relative to at least one side of said polygon.
7. The connector according to claim 6, further comprising, a second electrical contact mateable with said first contact, said second contact having a housing with a mating area substantially similar to said mating area of said first contact; and a plurality of contacts in said mating area of said housing, wherein said plurality of contacts are generally parallel to or generally perpendicular to at least one side of said polygon corresponding to said at least one side of said perimeter of said polygon that defines said mating area of said first contact.
8. The connector according to claim 6, wherein said first connector and said second connector are ball grid array-type connectors.
9. The connector to claim 6, wherein said plurality of contacts of said first connector are tuning fork-type contacts.
10. The contact according to claim 6, wherein said polygons are rectangular.
11. The connector according to claim 6, wherein said polygons are equilateral.
12. The connector according to claim 6, wherein said polygons have an even number of sides.
13. An connector system, comprising:
a first connector, having a housing; and a plurality of generally planar contacts in said housing; and
a second connector mateable with said first connector, said second contact having a housing; and a plurality of generally planar contacts in said housing, wherein, during mating, said plurality of contacts of said first connector are angled relative to said contacts of said second connector.
14. A connector, comprising, a first connector having a housing and at least one substantially planar contact blade mounted in the housing; and a second connector having a housing configured to mate with said housing of said first connector and at least one substantially planar dual beam, tuning fork contact mounted in the housing, with a plane of said tuning fork disposed angularly with respect to a plane of said contact blade, whereby, upon insertion of said contact blade into said tuning fork contact along a mating axis, the beams of said tuning fork contact twist torsionally about axes generally parallel to said mating axis.
15. The connector according to claim 7, wherein said contacts form a number of rows in said first connector and said contacts in said second connector form an equal number of rows.
16. The connector according to claim 6, wherein said plurality of contacts comprise at least one signal contact surrounded by six ground contacts.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A computer, comprising:
a chassis;
a system board attached to said chassis and having a plurality of electrical sockets;
a cage having a plurality of receptacles and a first attachment mechanism for releasably attaching said cage to said chassis; and
a plurality of fans adapted to fit within the receptacles and each fan having a plug to attach to one of said sockets and a second attachment mechanism to releasably attaching the fan to said cage.
2. The computer of claim 1 wherein said fans are hot-pluggable.
3. The computer of claim 1 wherein said first and second attachment mechanisms can be engaged and disengaged without tools.
4. The computer of claim 1 wherein said plurality of fans can be installed or removed from said system board simultaneously with said cage.
5. The computer of claim 1 wherein each individual fan of said plurality of fans can be installed or removed from said system board independently of other individual fans of said plurality of fans.
6. A fan cage capable of holding a plurality of fans, comprising:
a first and second side panel having openings allowing the free flow of air through a plurality of fans;
a first and second end panel, each panel having a latch mechanism attached thereto; and
a base panel attached to said side and end panels forming the bottom of a rectangular, open-top enclosure, wherein said base panel allows electrical communication between a socket on a system board and a plug on one of the plurality of fans and said latch mechanisms maintain the relative position between the fan cage and the system board.
7. The fan cage of claim 6 wherein each of the fans has a releasable attachment that interfaces with said cage and that can be manipulated without tools.
8. The fan cage of claim 6 wherein the fans are hot-pluggable.
9. The fan cage of claim 6 wherein said plurality of fans can be connected or disconnected from said system board simultaneously with said cage.
10. The fan cage of claim 6 wherein each individual fan can be installed or removed from said cage independently of other individual fans.
11. A computer, comprising:
a chassis;
a system board attached to said chassis and having a plurality of electrical sockets;
a plurality of fans connected to said electrical sockets; and
a means for supporting said fans and interfacing with said chassis and said system board that enables all of said plurality of fans to be installed or removed from said system board simultaneously.
12. The computer of claim 11 wherein said means for supporting said fans enables individual fans of said plurality of fans to be installed or removed from said system board independent of other individual fans of said plurality of fans.