Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting plural – independent coupling parts
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-11
2003-01-14
Feild, Lynn D. (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting plural, independent coupling parts
C439S637000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06506074
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card edge connector assembly in which daughter boards are mounted, and more specifically, to a card edge connector assembly having daughter board accommodating recesses installed in a plurality of tiers.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A module board electrical connector of the type in which two daughter boards are stacked in horizontal positions, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3022230, is known as a card edge connector assembly in which daughter boards are accommodated in a plurality of tiers (e.g., in which two daughter boards are accommodated). Such an electrical connector has contacts that extend into each of two daughter board accommodating recesses (i.e., upper and lower daughter board accommodating recesses). The tines of all of the contacts (i.e., the leg parts of the contacts that are connected to the mother board) are positioned on the opposite side of the housing from the daughter board insertion side.
In the conventional electrical connector, the tines of the contacts used for the upper daughter board accommodating recess hide the tines of the contacts used for the lower daughter board accommodating recess. Accordingly, the tines of the contacts used for the lower daughter board accommodating recess cannot be visually checked from the outside, making visual inspection of the conditions of soldering to the mother board difficult. Furthermore, even if it is ascertained that the soldering is defective, the soldering tool cannot be inserted into the defective area, making repair of the soldering virtually impossible.
Additionally, the pitch of the tines in the direction in which the tines are lined-up in the respective rows is half the installation pitch of the contacts. Consequently, the spacing of the connecting parts used for connection to the mother board is narrow, so that short circuits between the soldering connections used to accomplish fastening to the mother board (i.e., so-called solder bridges) tend to be generated. As a result, defective products tend to be produced.
It is also conceivable that the tines of the contacts on the lower side among the contacts used for the upper daughter board accommodating recess might be installed on the daughter board insertion side of the housing. In such a case, however, the tines would interfere with the insertion of the daughter board into the lower daughter board accommodating recess.
The present invention provides a card edge connector assembly in which the conditions of soldering of the contacts of a card edge connector assembly that has daughter board accommodating recesses in a plurality of tiers can easily be checked by visual inspection. The present invention also provides a card edge connector assembly in which solder bridges between the tines tend not to be formed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One embodiment of the present invention provides a card edge connector assembly equipped with an insulating housing that is attached to a mother board. The housing has daughter board accommodating recesses that extend parallel to the longitudinal axis and are formed in a plurality of tiers in the vertical direction in the front part of the housing. A plurality of contacts are disposed in rows parallel to the longitudinal axis on the upper and lower sides inside each of the daughter board accommodating recesses.
Each of the contacts has either an upper-side contact part, which is disposed on the upper side, or a lower-side contact part, which is disposed on the lower side. The contacts are connected to the mother board via a tine. The mother board is electrically connected to the daughter boards by mounting the daughter boards in the respective daughter board accommodating recesses and causing the daughter boards to contact the contact parts.
The plurality of contacts consist of a plurality of integral first contacts. The first contacts have contact parts on one of the sides mounted from the rear part of the housing so that the contact parts straddle the respective tiers, and have the tines in the rear part. A plurality of second contacts have a plurality of separate contact members having the contact parts on the other side respectively mounted in the tiers from the front part of the housing. The contact members are connected to each other by a conductive member in the rear part, avoiding the daughter board accommodating recesses. The contact members positioned in the lowest tier have the tines.
Accordingly, the tines can be split into two groups disposed on the front and rear of the housing, so that the conditions of soldering of the tines can easily be checked by visual inspection. Defective products can be excluded, or even if the soldering is defective, the soldering can easily be repaired, so that the quality and yield of products can be improved. Furthermore, by distributing the tines on the front and rear of the housing, it is possible to avoid an excessively narrow pitch, so that solder bridges tend not to be formed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 6126472 (2000-10-01), Choy
patent: 6168458 (2001-01-01), Kraft
patent: 6176737 (2001-01-01), Choy
patent: 6261106 (2001-07-01), Tung
patent: 3022230 (1996-07-01), None
Patent Abstracts of Japan, Publication No. 08-190967, dated Jul. 23, 1996.
Feild Lynn D.
Prasad Chandrika
Tyco Electronics Amp K.K.
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