Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2003-04-30
2004-05-18
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S541500, C439S540100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06736651
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to an electrical connector that permits simultaneous insertion of a plurality of mating electrical connectors for electrical connection with a circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The applicant of this application filed previously an application, which discloses an electrical connector
1
, as shown in
FIGS. 5
,
6
and
7
, for insertion of a mating electrical connector (not shown). The connector
1
is connected electrically to a circuit board
3
so that the mating electrical connector and the circuit board
3
can transmit electrical signals.
The electrical connector
1
includes an insulating housing
10
, a set of conductive terminals
2
, and two locking units
15
. The insulating housing includes an H-shaped main body
11
, an insert wall
12
connected to the main body
11
, a guide wall
13
, a support wall
16
, and two connecting portions
14
.
The main body
11
includes a first surface
111
to contact with a mating electrical connector, a second surface
112
opposite to the first surface
111
, two opposite first and second end portions
113
,
114
that extend respectively along the length of the main body
11
, two opposite first and second lateral surfaces
115
,
116
that connect respectively first and second surfaces
111
,
112
and that extend respectively from the first end portion
113
to the second end portion
114
, and a plurality of terminal through holes
117
that extend respectively through first and second surfaces
111
,
112
. The first and second lateral surfaces
115
,
116
can be directed toward the circuit board
3
during assembly. In this embodiment, the second lateral surface
116
is faced toward the circuit board
3
.
The insert wall
12
is positioned on and protrudes outwardly away from the first surface
111
of the main body
11
, and includes an abutment surface
121
and a rear surface
122
. The abutment surface
121
includes a plurality of terminal receiving slots
1211
that correspond respectively to the terminal through holes
117
, and a protruding piece
1212
fixed to the abutment surface
121
. The rear surface
122
includes a retaining groove
1221
.
The guide wall
13
is similarly situated on and protrudes outwardly from the first surface
111
of the main body
11
, and the guide wall
13
and the insert wall
12
forms therebetween a gap. The guide wall
13
includes a guide passage
131
that is proximate to one side of the insert wall
12
.
The support wall
16
is provided on and protrudes outwardly away from the first surface
111
of the main body
11
, which is proximate to the second end portion
114
of the main body
11
.
The two connecting portions
14
are disposed on the second surface
112
of the main body
11
respectively adjacent to the first and second end portions
113
,
114
of, and protrude outwardly away from the second surface
112
. Each connecting portion
14
has a bottom surface
142
that is in contact with the circuit board
3
, a top surface
141
opposite to the bottom surface
142
, and a connecting hole
143
that extends through the top and bottom surfaces
141
,
142
. The connecting hole
143
in each of the connecting portions
14
is aligned with a respective one of the fixing holes
32
in the circuit board
3
.
The conductive terminal set
2
includes a plurality of conductive terminals
21
that are arranged in parallel to each other. Each conductive terminal
21
has two opposite first contact portion
211
and second contact portion
212
. The first contact portion
211
of each conductive terminal
21
is positioned fixedly in a corresponding one of the terminal receiving slots
1211
in the abutment surface
121
of the insert wall
12
. The second contact portion
212
of each conductive terminal
21
extends into a corresponding one of the terminal through holes
117
, protrudes out of the second face
112
of the main body
11
, and is positioned between the two second connecting portions
14
.
Each locking unit
15
includes a blocking portion
151
, and an engaging portion
152
opposite to the blocking portion
151
. An end of the engaging portion
152
of each blocking unit
15
is formed with two opposed outwardly protruding elastic hook portions
1521
. The engaging portions
152
of the blocking units
15
extend respectively from the top surface
141
of the connecting portion
14
into the fixing holes
32
in the circuit board
3
through the connecting holes
143
so that the hook portions
1521
are hooked respectively on the edges of the hole at the other side of the fixing holes
32
. The blocking portions
151
of the blocking units
15
are stopped in the connecting hole
143
.
When the electrical connector
1
and the circuit board
3
are assembled for use, the circuit board
3
is formed at its side with a rectangular cut-out portion that matches the shape of the electrical connector
1
. The circuit board
3
is further provided with a plurality of soldering points
31
corresponding to the position of the conductive terminals
21
, and two fixing holes
32
that are aligned respectively with the connecting holes
143
in the connecting portions
14
so that bottom surfaces of the two connecting portions
14
are in contact with the circuit board
3
simultaneously. Furthermore, the second contact portions
212
of the conductive terminals
21
are welded and connected electrically to the soldering points
31
on the circuit board
3
. Afterwards, the engaging portions
152
of the locking units
15
pass respectively through the connecting holes
143
in the connecting portion
14
. Because the hook portions
1521
are retained in the fixing holes
32
in the circuit board
3
, the electrical connector
1
is fixed on the circuit board
3
correspondingly.
The mating electrical connector, through coordination of the guide passage
131
in the guide wall
13
with the retaining groove
1221
in the insert wall
12
, is guided into and positioned on the circuit board
3
so that it contacts electrically the first contact portions
211
of the conductive terminals
21
and connects electrically the circuit board
3
so as to transmit an electrical signal.
Since the two locking units
15
can limit the position of the insulating housing
10
relative to the circuit board
3
, when a user applies force to insert the mating electrical connector, or when the mating electrical connector is hit by a horizontal force after insertion, the locking units
15
can bear most of the forces. As such, while the standard structure of the electrical connector is maintained, retention of the insulating housing
10
on the circuit board
3
is also strengthened, thereby preventing damage to the conductive terminals
21
, and failure of the electrical connector
1
.
Although the above-described electrical connector
1
has the two locking units
15
for limiting the position of the insulating housing
10
relative to the circuit board
3
, and although the electrical connector
1
can endure forces induced due to the applied force for insertion of the mating electrical connector or due to the impact after insertion of the mating electrical connector, the electrical connector
1
permits insertion of only one mating electrical connector to connect electrically with the circuit board
3
. Therefore, when electrical connection with a plurality of mating electrical connectors is required, a plurality of fixing holes must be drilled in the circuit board
3
at suitable positions. Following the above-mentioned method, the plurality of electrical connectors
1
are electrically connected to the same side of the circuit board
3
in a consecutive order, or connected to the opposite sides of the circuit board
3
in an alternate order so as to permit insertion for a plurality of mating electrical connectors. But, as such, the area of the circuit board
3
has to be relatively increased, leading to an increase in the volume of final electrical product, which does not meet the
Bradley P. Austin
Hammond Briggitte R.
Molex Incorporated
Zeitler Robert J.
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