Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Patent
1995-09-19
1997-04-01
Nguyen, Khiem
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
439 83, 439572, H01R 909
Patent
active
056160356
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector and, in particular, to an electrical connector of a type solderable to a board such as a printed circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A method, referred to in the art as "hot riveting", is known for fixing an electrical connector to a printed circuit board. The hot riveting method involves the use of a connector housing comprising a housing body made of plastic and a plastic peg (leg) downwardly extending from the lower surface of the housing body. To fix the connector to the circuit board, the peg is inserted through a peg insertion bore in the printed circuit board until the lower surface of the housing body lies flat on the board surface. Then, the distal end of the peg, which protrudes from the insertion bore on the opposite side of the circuit board, is contacted with a mold taking surface of a heated mold pushing rod so as to melt and deform the peg. The mold taking surface of the mold pushing rod has a spherical recess with a greater diameter than that of the insertion bore in the board. As a result, the distal end of the peg is spherically deformed to a diameter greater than that of the insertion hole, thereby fixing the connector to the board.
Unfortunately, however, the peg does not always deform to the predetermined spherical shape of the mold taking surface due to the nonuniformity of heat conduction from the mold pushing rod to the peg or due to the nonuniformity, etc., of the inner mechanical properties of the peg resulting from the nonuniform hardness of the resin inside the peg. In such cases, the housing-to-board connection force becomes unstable, thus posing a reliability problem.
Additionally, with the prior art hot riveting method, it is often necessary to design or adjust the dimension of the peg in accordance with different insertion hole diameters in the board. The melting means, such as the mold pushing rod, must also be adjusted. Therefore, the manufacturing and mounting operations become more complex.
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which can readily and positively be fixed to a board, such as a printed circuit board, and can eliminate the necessity of providing any melting means, such as a mold pushing rod.
It is also another object of the present invention to provided an electrical connector which requires less design restriction to the peg and requires no adjustment of the peg.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to achieve the aforementioned objectives, there is provided an electrical connector to be soldered to a board having a through hole. The electrical connector comprises a housing body to be attached on one surface of the board. A plurality of contact terminals are arranged in the housing body for electrically connecting the electrical connector to the board. A peg is projected from the housing body and adapted to fit through the through hole. The peg has a solder means to enable the peg to be soldered to the opposite side of the circuit board. Thus, when the housing body is placed on the surface of the board, the peg extends through the through hole in the board and protrudes outward from the opposite surface of the board. The protruding portion of the peg is then soldered to the board, thereby fixing the housing body to the board.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the peg is soldered to the circuit board by means of a cylindrical metal ring fitted over the peg and through the through hole in the circuit board such that it occupies the space between the peg and the surface of the through hole. In another embodiment, the solder means may comprise a solderable coating formed on the peg. Preferably, the peg is soldered to the board during the same soldering step as the plurality of contact terminals.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become evident hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, is
REFERENCES:
patent: 4583807 (1986-04-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 4802862 (1989-02-01), Seidler
patent: 5029748 (1991-07-01), Lauterbach et al.
Berg Technology Inc.
Nguyen Khiem
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