Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-05
2001-05-22
Bradley, Paula (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
C439S260000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234822
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns a connector designed to come to be engaged on the edge of a printed circuit board and having contacts designed to be supported elastically on either side of the board to establish a direct connection with the conductive connection areas of this board.
The invention concerns in particular a connector of an accessory to be connected directly to the printed circuit of a mobile telephone, this mobile telephone not possessing an input/output connector on its base, but rather a printed circuit (usually soldered to the input/output connector) directly accessible for its connection to an outside accessory or plug.
The closest prior art is EP 0 263,746.
The major technical problem posed with this type of application relates to the degradation, or even destruction of the contacts by the greatly abrasive edges of the printed circuit at the time of insertion, which has for an effect to considerably limit the number of connection/disconnection manipulations.
A second problem is to assure a sufficient contact pressure between the contacts of the accessory and the connection areas of the printed circuit.
The object of the invention is precisely to resolve the above two problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the connector is characterized in that it comprises a base without contacts, designed to be attached onto the edge of the printed circuit board, this base having an opening to receive a plug having two parallel rows of elastic contacts designed to be supported on said conductive areas, after insertion of the plug into the opening of the base, one of the rows of contacts being borne by a first flexible part of the plug that can engage in the opening of the base, the other row of contacts being borne by a second part of the plug separated from the first part by a recess and that can be engaged under the edge of the printed circuit board, inside the base, and the plug having means that cooperate during the insertion of the plug into the base in order to:
guide the introduction of the plug into the base, without the row of contacts touching the edges of the board and the connection areas;
move the plug upward to permit a lining up of the row of contacts borne by the second part of the plug on the conductive areas situated below the edge of the board and simultaneously;
bend the first flexible part of the plug downward, to permit a lining up of the row of contacts borne by this flexible part onto the conductive areas situated on the edge of the board.
Thus, the contacts of the plug do not rub against the outer edges of the board during the engagement of the plug into the base. Moreover, the friction on the connection areas is very limited.
In fact, the contacts are supported elastically on the connection areas of this board only when the socket is almost completely engaged in the edge of the board, without degradation of the contacts upon the insertion of the plug into the base.
Thus one considerably limits the wear of the connection areas of the board.
Moreover, there is a self-cleaning of the contacts after the first insertion phase when these latter rub against the areas of the printed circuit over a short distance for complete engagement.
According to one preferred version of the invention, the base and the plug have complementary means for locking them together at the end of the course of introduction of the plug into the base.
Also preferably, the means for moving the plug upward comprise ascending ramps situated inside the base and projecting above a plane passing through the lower edge of the introduction opening of the plug, these ramps cooperating with the end of the plug to move it upward.
Also preferably, the means for bending the flexible part of the plug downward comprise at least one descending ramp situated inside the base and projecting below a plane passing through the upper edge of the introduction opening of the plug, this ramp cooperating with the end of said flexible part to make it bend downward.
Other particular points and advantages of the invention will appear again in the description below.
In the attached drawings, given by way of non-limiting examples:
REFERENCES:
patent: 4863395 (1989-09-01), Babuka et al.
patent: 0 036 933 (1981-10-01), None
patent: 0 263 746 (1988-04-01), None
patent: 0 405 333 A2 (1991-01-01), None
Gallin Christophe
Klein Michael
Sejourne Damien
Bradley Paula
Framatome Connectors International
McCamey Sun
Perman & Green LLP
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