Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-07-10
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
For direct connection to a flexible tape or printed circuit...
C439S578000, C439S063000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06257912
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Devices for connecting coaxial cables to printed circuit cards are known to be of the type comprising a socket which is fixed to the printed circuit card by soldering or as a force-fit in holes provided for this purpose in the card, and a plug which is designed to be mounted on the end of the coaxial cable and which is inserted in the socket.
Known devices of that type are generally complex in structure.
In addition, when mechanical forces are imposed on the coaxial cable, the plug is subjected to stresses and possibly also to small displacements which spoil its conditions of electrical contact with the printed circuit card and can give rise to the coaxial connection being interrupted.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention seeks to resolve those drawbacks by proposing a device that is reliable and durable.
The present invention provides a device for connecting a coaxial cable to a printed circuit card, the device comprising:
a socket suitable for being fixed to the card;
a plug suitable for being mounted at the end of the coaxial cable, and comprising a central contact designed to be connected to the central conductor of the cable, and a bearing face via which said plug can press against the printed circuit card;
the socket and the plug being organized so that the plug can be inserted into the socket and can be retained by the socket with the bearing face of the plug pressed against the printed circuit card, the central contact of the plug thus being electrically connected to a conductor track of the printed circuit card;
wherein:
the central contact of the plug has a rigid protuberance projecting from the bearing face of said plug; and
the device includes resilient means urging the plug towards the printed circuit card.
It will be understood that by means of its rigid protuberance projecting from the bearing face, the central contact is in direct contact with the desired track of the printed circuit card.
Thus, the force with which the plug bears against the printed circuit card, which force is the result of drive from the resilient means, serves to ensure that the electrical connection between the central contact of the plug and the printed circuit card is good.
In a particular embodiment, the plug has a ground contact designed to be connected to the outer conductor of the cable.
The term “ground contact” is used herein to designate a specific piece or a specific portion of the body of the plug, whose presence is justified solely by this ground contact function, independently of any ability of the plug body for making an electrical connection between the outer conductor of the cable and the ground tracks of the printed circuit card.
In a particular variant of the invention, the ground contact of the plug can likewise include a protuberance projecting from the bearing face of the plug.
In which case, the force exerted by the resilient means on the plug to push it against the printed circuit card serves to ensure contact both of the central contact and of the ground contact on the corresponding tracks of the printed circuit card.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the resilient means is constituted by a spring blade. The spring blade can be carried by the plug or by the socket.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the socket has an electrically conductive body which is designed to be electrically connected to the ground tracks of the printed circuit card.
Advantageously, the plug and the socket are organized so that the outer conductor of the cable is electrically connected to the body of the socket when the plug is inserted in the socket.
To this end, the spring blade can be used as means for putting the body of the socket into electrical contact with the outer conductor of the cable, e.g. by bearing directly against the outer conductor of the cable when said spring blade is carried by the socket.
In a particular embodiment of the invention, the socket is made by cutting and folding metal sheet.
The fact that the socket is an electrically-conductive part presents the advantage that once the plug has been inserted into the socket and the socket has been connected to ground, the socket serves to shield the coaxial line by surrounding it almost completely.
When such a socket carries the spring blade, the blade can be the result of making a special cutout in the socket.
Advantageously, the central contact of the plug is constituted by a metal insert retained in an insulator secured to the body of the plug.
The body of the plug may be constituted by a block of plastics material in which a housing is provided to receive the end of a coaxial cable.
The block of plastics material may be covered in a layer of conductive material, which layer is designed to be electrically connected to the outer conductor of the cable.
Also, the body of the plug may be constituted by a metal block.
In another embodiment, the body of the plug is made by cutting, folding, and/or rolling a sheet of metal.
In this embodiment, the plug may have a portion suitable for being crimped directly onto the outer conductor of the cable.
Apart from this crimping, the electrical connections between the inner and outer conductors of the cable and the central and ground contacts of the plug can be made by any conventional means, in particular by soldering.
In another variant of this embodiment, the body of the plug has an elastically deformable bottom wall suitable for being deformed in a direction that is perpendicular to the general plane of the printed circuit card, the central contact being mounted in said bottom wall.
Thus, when the plug is inserted in the socket, the central contact is firmly pressed against the printed circuit card because of the reaction from the end wall which is deformed towards the inside of the plug.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3910665 (1975-10-01), Stull
patent: 4707040 (1987-11-01), Hansel, III
patent: 4772222 (1988-09-01), Laudig et al.
patent: 5263877 (1993-11-01), Mitani
patent: 5482475 (1996-01-01), Kawaguchi
patent: 5700152 (1997-12-01), Niedzwiecki
patent: 6053743 (2000-04-01), Mitchell et al.
patent: 44 10 072 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 2 748 862 (1997-11-01), None
patent: 2 254 495 (1992-10-01), None
Boillot Laurent
Gonzales Olivier
Leon Edwin A.
Paumen Gary F.
Radiall
Schweitzer Cornman Gross & Bondell LLP
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