Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Supporting plural – independent coupling parts
Reexamination Certificate
2001-11-20
2003-06-24
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Supporting plural, independent coupling parts
C439S371000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06582250
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Certain embodiments of the present invention generally relate to connector module packs and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for organizing and retaining groups of connector modules in predetermined orders and alignments.
Connector modules have been developed that are manually installed onto printed circuit boards and other structures. Often, a large number of connector modules, such as up to twenty connector modules, are installed on a single printed circuit board. Installation of a connector module can involve inserting hundreds of pins located on the connector module into corresponding pin receiving holes in a printed circuit board or other structure. There are several different types and sizes of connector modules that are mountable on a printed circuit board. Customers often want custom arrangements of connector modules for installation onto printed circuit boards. In order to attain a desired custom arrangement of modules on a printed circuit board, a customer may manually install the different desired modules one by one onto the printed circuit boards which can be very time consuming.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,172 describes an electrical connector stiffener device for use with electrical connector modules. The stiffener device is a rigid L-shaped piece of extruded metal. The stiffener device has a groove in which connector modules are slidingly received. The stiffener device also has locking clips, which are frictionally received in a channel of the stiffener device, for attaching to the connector modules and preventing relative movement between the stiffener device and the connector modules. The stiffener device provides structural support for the connector modules as well as a means for positioning the connector modules in a desired pattern.
However, there are at least two known problems with stiffener devices. The first problem is that a specific type of stiffener device must be created for each different custom arrangement of modules, or, alternatively, a bulkier and more expensive universal stiffener must be used. The locking clips are positioned along the stiffener device in an orientation specific for attaching to different sized modules in a specifically desired order. Each different custom arrangement of modules requires locking clips at different intervals along the stiffener device.
A second problem with stiffener devices is that if, after installation of the connector module pack onto a printed circuit board, one module becomes defective, replacement of that defective module is difficult. The modules are loaded onto the stiffener device from one of the ends and slid down the stiffener device to final resting positions. The modules can only be removed from the stiffener device at one the ends. Thus, instead of removing and replacing just the defective module, the entire assembly of the stiffener device and the attached connector modules must be removed from the printed circuit board. After removal from the printed circuit board, the defective module as well as every other module on one of its sides must be slid off the stiffener device. A replacement for the defective module can then be slid onto the stiffener device. After replacing the defective module, the other non-defective modules must also be slid back onto the stiffener device. Finally the stiffener device with the attached modules can be reinstalled onto the printed circuit board.
A need remains for an improved connector module organizer.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method of organizing, stiffening, and retaining connector modules in a connector module pack, which includes a predetermined arrangement of connector modules retained in the predetermined arrangement by an adhesive medium adhered to walls of the connector modules. The connector modules are aligned side by side and may be in direct contact with each other. Optionally, there may be a gap between any of the adjacent modules. Each module may have the same width, height, and depth as every other module, but need not. Adjacent modules may have walls aligned in common planes, but need not. The adhesive medium may be one or more tape strips attached to at least one of top, side, and back walls of each module. The tape strips can be attached to exposed top, side, and back walls of the modules in a general longitudinal direction with respect to the connector module pack so that the tape strips overlap two or more of the modules. Optionally, double-sided tape strips can be attached to unexposed abutting side walls of the connector modules so that one or more tape strips is located between any two modules.
An advantage of certain embodiments of the present invention is that connector modules can be organized, retained, and stiffened in connector module packs of varying pre-configured arrangements. Thus, connector module packs for varying customer applications can be manufactured for customers ready to install.
A second advantage of certain embodiments of the present invention is that if a module becomes defective after installation of the connector module pack onto the printed circuit board, the defective module can be removed from the printed circuit board without disturbing any of the other modules. The customer can cut the tape that holds the defective module to adjacent modules within the connector module pack, thereby freeing the defective module from the rest of the connector module pack. Once the defective module is freed, the defective module can be removed and replaced.
Another advantage of certain embodiments of the present invention is that once a connector module pack is installed onto a printed circuit board, the tape can be removed for enhanced heat dissipation during use. Alternatively, the tape could be metalized and remain on the connector module pack during use to shield electromagnetic interference.
These and other features and embodiments of the present invention are discussed or apparent in the following detailed description of embodiments of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4550959 (1985-11-01), Grabbe et al.
patent: 4952172 (1990-08-01), Barkus et al.
patent: 5104331 (1992-04-01), Goble
patent: 5378166 (1995-01-01), Gallagher, Sr.
patent: 5610472 (1997-03-01), Schmitt, Jr.
patent: 6292986 (2001-09-01), Provan et al.
Henry Randall R.
Taylor Attalee S.
Bradley P. Austin
Hammond Briggitte
Tyco Electronics Corporation
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