Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-16
2001-07-17
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S636000, C439S660000, C439S862000, C439S941000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261107
ABSTRACT:
BACK OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to surface mount connectors mounted by soldering, to printed circuit boards, and more particularly to a surface mount connector having a terminal structure with an improved pitch arrangement of the connector solder tails.
Conventional surface mount connectors use insulative housing with a plurality of terminals. The terminals have contact portions on ends thereof that line a slot formed in the connector housing. Solder tail portions are formed on the other ends of the terminals and extend on both sides of the connector housing. The solder tail portions are arranged substantially flush with the bottom surface of the connector housing so as to contact conductive pads on the circuit board. In these connectors, increasing the number of contact portions of the terminals causes a corresponding reduction in the pitch of the solder tails and of the contact portions of the terminals. This occurs when the overall size of the connector is reduced.
In this conventional connector, reducing the pitch of the solder tails requires that the pitch of the terminal contact portion also be reduced. In order to reduce the pitch between the terminals, the clearances between adjacent terminal contact portions are also reduced. Reducing these clearances increases possibility of causing of causing shorting between the adjacent terminal contact portions when the surface mount connector is mated with a counterpart opposing connector, which possibly degrades the security of the connection obtained between the two connectors.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a surface mount connector that overcomes the aforementioned disadvantages.
Therefore, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a surface mount connector which avoids shorting between adjacent terminal contact portions, but while maintaining a high-density terminal arrangement with a decreased pitch of the solder tails.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a surface mount connector wherein the pitch of the terminal solder tail portions is decreased while the number of terminal contact portions is increased and wherein the terminal contact portions are provided at a greater pitch than that of the solder tail portions.
In order to accomplish the above objects and in accordance with a principal aspect of the present invention, a surface mount connector is provided having an insulative connector housing and a plurality of terminals disposed in the connector housing, the terminals having contact portions formed along one set of ends thereof, the contact portions being arranged in parallel along a slot formed in the connector housing in a predetermined pitch. The terminals of each solder tail portion extend out of the connector housing along only one side of the connector, but in a parallel arrangement having a pitch equal to one-half the pitch of the contact portions. The solder tail portions extend substantially flush along a bottom surface of the connector housing and extend outwardly therefrom.
In accordance with another principal aspect of the present invention, a surface mount connector is provided that includes an elongated connector housing formed from an electrically insulative material and a plurality of conductive terminals loaded in the connector housing on opposite sides of an opposing connector-receiving passage, the terminals including contact portions that face inwardly of an opposing connector engaging slot formed in the connector housing. The terminals also include solder tail portions for attaching the connector to the surface of a printed circuit board by way of soldering, the solder tail portions extending outwardly from the connector housing along a bottom surface thereof.
The terminals in the connector are arranged so that the contact portions of each pair of terminals lie in opposing alignment with each other. The terminals are configured such that the solder tails of one of the terminals in a chosen pair of opposing terminals extending out of the connector housing along a bottom surface thereof, while the solder tails of the other terminal in the chosen pair of terminals extend under the one terminals, with both of the two solder tail portion arranged in a parallel relationship. In this manner the solder tails of the terminals on both sides of the passage, but extend out of the connector on only one side of the connector. The contact portions of the terminals are arranged in a predetermined pitch, and the solder tail portions are arranged in a pitch that is one-half of the predetermined pitch.
In a preferred embodiment, the connector housing may be formed as a receptacle connector housing having two parallel slots, or receptacles that engage portions of an opposing connector. The terminal contact portions of the two rows of terminals line opposite sides of each slot. The solder tail portions of the terminals lining the sides of one of the two slots extend outwardly along only one side of the connector housing, while the solder tail portions of the terminals lining the sides of the other of the two slots extend outwardly along the other side of the connector housing.
In this manner, the terminal contact portions are provided with a predetermined pitch that is twice the pitch of the terminal solder tail portions. With such a structure, the pitch between the adjacent terminal contact portions is relatively wide, and shorting between adjacent terminal contact portions can be successfully avoided in order to ensure a secure electrical connection between the connector and an opposing connector. Likewise, the pitch between adjacent solder tail portions may be made relatively narrower, thereby increasing the density for connecting of circuits on a printed circuit board. The solder tail portions extended outwardly from the bottom surface of the connector housing, and thus inspection of the soldering of the solder tail portions to the circuit board contact pads may be performed without interference of the connector housing.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5636999 (1997-06-01), Hirai et al.
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patent: 5775923 (1998-07-01), Tomioka
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patent: 9937000 (1999-07-01), None
patent: 9936995 (1999-07-01), None
Ikesugi Hiroshi
Ito Yoshikazu
Takase Hisato
Yagi Masanori
Bradley Paula
Cohen Charles S.
Molex Incorporated
Nguyen Truc
Paulius Thomas D.
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