Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-27
2004-09-14
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06790055
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a straddle electrical connector having a two-stage connecting clamp attached to an edge of a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB).
2. Description of Prior Art
So-called straddle electrical connectors are connected to edges of circuit boards, the circuit boards having electrical traces on both surfaces thereof. The straddle electrical connector has two rows of electrical contacts, each contact having a contact section. The edge of the circuit board is inserted between the rows of contact sections of the straddle connector. The contacts are connected to corresponding electrical traces using soldering techniques such as surface mount technology (SMT).
An example of a conventional straddle connector is shown in FIG.
6
. The connector
8
is for being attached to an edge of a printed circuit board (PCB)
85
. The connector
8
comprises an insulative housing
80
, and a number of electrical contacts
81
arranged in two rows in the housing
80
. Under normal conditions, contact sections
811
of the contacts
81
are inclined toward each other due to their resilience. The circuit board
85
comprises conductive pads
851
,
852
, and solder coatings
853
,
854
attached to the conductive pads
851
,
852
respectively. A distance between the soldering sections
812
of the contact sections
811
is less than an overall thickness of the circuit board
85
at the solder coatings
853
,
854
. Once the connector
8
is engaged on the edge of the circuit board
85
, the contact sections
811
are soldered to corresponding conductive pads
851
,
852
using an infra red light source or another kind of heat source.
When the connector
8
is mounted on the circuit board
85
, the contact sections
811
are prone to scrape the solder coatings
853
,
854
off from the conductive pads
851
,
852
. This is because the distance between the soldering sections
812
of the contact sections
811
is less than the overall thickness of the circuit board
85
at the solder coatings
853
,
854
. On the other hand, if the distance between the soldering sections
811
were greater than the overall thickness of the circuit board
85
, it would be highly problematic or impossible to solder the soldering sections
811
to conductive pads
851
,
852
via the solder coatings
853
,
854
. Yet when the solder coatings
853
,
854
are scraped off, adequate soldering of the soldering sections
812
to the conductive pads
851
,
852
cannot be obtained. Therefore, the reliability of the soldered connections may be substantially reduced.
A number of efforts have been made to improve the reliability of SMT techniques. For example,
FIG. 7
shows a straddle connector
9
as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,708. The connector
9
comprises an insulative housing
91
, electrical contacts
92
arranged in two rows in the housing
91
, and a dielectric separator
93
movably located in a channel
923
of the housing
91
. The housing
91
is molded from a suitable insulative plastic, and has a flat configuration for insertion of an edge of a circuit board
95
into the channel
923
. Spaced conductive pads
951
are located on both surfaces of the circuit board
95
at the edge thereof. The conductive pads
951
are coated with solder (not shown). Connection sections
921
of the contacts
92
are brought to a position suitable for SMT connection. A distance between the opposite connection sections
921
of the contacts
92
is less than a thickness of the circuit board
95
. Guide ends
9211
of the connection sections
921
are cooperatively flared for facilitating insertion of the circuit board
95
.
Before the connector
9
is connected to the circuit board
95
, the separator
93
is retained in the channel
923
near a mating face of the connector
9
. The separator
93
keeps the connection sections
921
spaced apart so as not to touch the conductive pads
951
of the circuit board
95
. When the circuit board
95
is inserted in the channel
923
, a leading edge of the circuit board
95
comes into contact with the separator
93
, and pushed the separator
93
further into the channel
923
. When the circuit board
95
is completely inserted in the channel
923
, the separator
93
is disposed in an inmost part of the channel
923
. As a result, the connection sections
921
resiliently rebound and press onto the conductive pads
951
. That is, when the connector
9
is connected to the edge of the circuit board
95
, the distance between the connection sections
921
automatically changes to freely receive and then engage the circuit board
95
. During this process, the connection sections
921
do not scrape solder from the conductive pads
951
.
However, the connector
9
requires the flared guiding ends
9211
at distal ends of the contacts
92
in order to guide the circuit board
95
into the channel
923
. Therefore, when the contacts
92
are soldered to the circuit board
95
, the molten solder cannot completely cover the guiding ends
9211
. As a result, when the connector
9
transmits high-frequency signals in operation, the guiding ends
9211
are prone to produce cross talk. The performance and specifications of the connector
9
are diminished.
A new straddle electrical connector that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a straddle electrical connector for attachment to a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the connector does not scrape solder coatings off from conductive pads of the PCB during attachment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a straddle electrical connector for attachment to a circuit substrate such as a PCB, wherein the connector greatly reduces or even eliminates cross talk during transmitting high-frequency signals.
To achieve the above-mentioned objects, a straddle electrical connector in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is for being attached to a PCB. The electrical connector comprises an insulative housing, upper contacts and lower contacts accommodated in the housing, and a clamp attached with the housing. Each upper contact comprises a bent portion. During insertion of the PCB, the bent portions of the upper contacts are received in the clamp; thereby the upper contacts are raised. Then, the PCB is inserted between the upper contacts and the lower contacts with zero insertion force. The PCB then pushes the clamp so that the bent portions of the upper contacts are disengaged from the clamp. The upper contacts accordingly rebound and engage the PCB cooperatively with the lower contacts.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
REFERENCES:
patent: 5584708 (1996-12-01), Leong
patent: 6644995 (2003-11-01), Jones et al.
patent: 6679716 (2004-01-01), Nakagawa et al.
Pickles Chuck
Shiu Guo-Jiun
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
McCamey Ann
Ta Tho D.
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