Electrical connectors – With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in... – Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-04
2001-04-03
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...
Coupling part for receiving edge of planar board moving...
Reexamination Certificate
active
06210194
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to double deck connector assemblies, and particularly to the connector including the unitary housing with at least two different type contacts respectively and alternately insertably received within the corresponding passageways from opposite sides of the housing.
2. The Related Art
The copending parent application Ser. No. 09/084,809 filed May 26, 1998, discloses a duplex profile connector assembly including stacked upper and lower housings. Each housing defines two rows of passageways by two sides of the central slot, and two rows of contacts are respectively inserted into the corresponding passageways from two sides of the housing. Each housing is adapted to receive therein a module wherein the module defines conductive pads on two opposite surfaces respectively mechanically nd electrically connected to the corresponding contacts by two sides of the central slot. Understandably, based on this design, four-line solder tails, of which two lines are of the upper housing and the other two lines of for the lower housing, can be applied to the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated, thus achieving an incredibly high density arrangement of the contacts/conductors with a relatively compact connector assembly.
Even though the parent application discloses the arrangement which may satisfy the high density or complicate/delicate requirements, some simplified, economic type arrangements are also desired for some mother board design manufacturers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 discloses another type double deck connector assembly including a unitary housing with two types contacts alternately inserted into the housing from the back wherein each contact extends into both the upper housing and the lower housing for simultaneous engagement with both the upper and lower modules in respective housings. It can be understood that under this application, only one solder tail of each such contact is soldered to the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated, and such solder tail is the sole means for each contact to transmit signals between the mother board and both two modules. In other words, the upper module and the lower module share the same transmission path (i.e., the contact) with each other for communication with the mother board.
The design used in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 is too simply to be practical because all of the contacts are inserted into the unitary housing from the back. Installation of the contacts from only one side inevitably results in a low density arrangement of the contacts which may not quite satisfactorily meet the modern system specification defined by the computer manufacturer.
Therefore, it is desired to have a medium design essentially characterized between the parent application with a relatively complicate arrangement and U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802 with a relatively simple arrangement, wherein such a medium design may own the medium density contact arrangement with regard to the housing while keeping simplified structures of each contact for engagement with both the two modules respectively in the upper and lower housings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention, a double-deck connector assembly includes a unitary housing defining upper and lower sections with upper and lower central slots for respectively receiving the corresponding modules therein. A pair of latching arms extend from two opposite ends of each section for retaining the corresponding module in position. A row of first passageways are formed in the front half portion of the housing wherein each of the first passageways extends into both the upper section and the lower section and simultaneously communicates with both the upper and the lower central slots. A row of second passageways are formed in the rear half portion wherein each of the second passageways extends into both the upper section and lower section and simultaneously communicates with both the upper and the lower central slots. The first passageways and the second passageways are arranged in a staggered manner with one another along the lengthwise direction of the housing. A plurality of first type contacts are respectively inserted into said first passageways from a front-to-back direction wherein each first type contact includes a first main body, upper and lower first spring arms respectively extending forwardly therefrom and into the upper and the lower central slots, and an SMT type first solder tail forwardly extending therefrom. A plurality of second type contacts are respectively inserted into one of said second passageways from a back-to-front direction wherein each second type contact includes a second main body, upper and lower second spring arms respectively extending forwardly therefrom and into the upper and the lower central slots, and an SMT type second solder tail rearwardly extending therefrom.
In each of some predetermined first passageways, the first type contact is replaced by a pair of third and fourth type contacts, of which both are inserted into the same corresponding first passageway from a front-to-back direction, wherein the third type contact is positioned in the lower section with a third spring arm extending into the lower central slot, and an SMT type forwardly extending third solder tail, while the fourth type contact is positioned in both the upper and the lower sections with a fourth spring arm extending into the upper central slot, and a through hole type vertically extending fourth solder tail. Similarly, in each of some predetermined second passageways, the second type contact is replaced by a pair of fifth and sixth type contacts, of which both are inserted into the same corresponding second passageway from the back-to-front direction, wherein the fifth type contact is positioned in the lower section with a fifth spring arm extending into the lower central slot, and a through hole type vertically extending fifth solder tail, while the sixth type contact is positioned in both the upper and the lower sections with a sixth spring arm extending into the upper central slot, and an SMT type rearwardly extending sixth solder tail.
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patent: 5641295 (1997-06-01), Koyama
patent: 5697802 (1997-12-01), Kawabe
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patent: 5915979 (1999-06-01), Schell et al.
patent: 5993234 (1999-11-01), Yodogawa
patent: 6077098 (2000-06-01), Yu et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Paumen Gary F.
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