Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-16
2001-10-02
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296496
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector with grounding tails which are coplanar with the solder tails of terminals thereof. The present invention further relates to a method for attaching the connector to a printed circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Interconnect systems that are electrically invisible are popularly needed for transmitting high-speed signals. Greatest concentration has been put on Ground-Signal-Ground configurations for differential applications. To achieve an invisible connector system, connector systems have been developed for straddle and vertical mount applications.
An example of a prior art electrical connector is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,199,885. As shown in
FIGS. 4 and 5
, an electrical connector comprises two rows of terminals
10
defining a space therebetween for receiving a circuit board
12
. The terminals
10
engage with conductive pads
14
formed on the circuit board
12
to establish electrical connection between the connector and the circuit board
12
. A plurality of through holes
16
are defined in the circuit board
12
proximate and spaced along an edge
18
of the circuit board
12
received in the space between the terminals
10
. Each through hole
16
has an inner plating electrically connected to a grounding path of the circuit board
12
. The connector has a plurality of grounding pins
20
arranged in the space between the terminals
10
for extending through the edge
18
of the circuit board
12
to intersect the corresponding through holes
16
to electrically engage the plating, thereby grounding the pins
20
to the circuit board
12
.
This connector establishes a grounding engagement with the circuit board
12
via the engagement between the grounding pins
20
and the plating in the through holes
16
. Since the holes
16
are close to the edge of the printed circuit board
12
, slits bridging the holes
16
and the edge have to be cut before the connector is attached to the printed circuit board.
Furthermore, the process of connecting the grounding pins
20
with the through holes
16
of the circuit board
12
via the slits is complicated.
Additionally, pre-machining the edge
18
of the circuit board
12
to establish slits for insertion of the grounding pins increases the overall cost of assembly.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having contacts and ground tails which are arranged in a straddle-mount configuration for easy integration with a printed circuit board (PCB).
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a simplified manufacture and reduced cost.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method to conveniently mount (or assemble) the connector to a PCB while ensuring a reliable signal transmission.
An electrical connector according to the present invention comprises a die-cast metal housing and a pair of terminal inserts assembled in the housing. Each terminal insert includes a first and a second terminal cores, and a ground plate sandwiched between the first and second terminal cores. Each of the first and second terminal cores has a plurality of signal contacts insert-molded therein. The ground plates are horizontally aligned with each other. Each ground plate forms a plurality of ground tails extending out of the housing and alternatingly bending upwardly and downwardly to form a space for straddle mounting to a PCB. Each signal contact has a contact tail coplanar with a ground tail. The signal contacts in first and second terminal cores face each other for mounting the PCB therebetween.
The PCB forms a plurality of signal pads and ground pads on both an upper and a lower faces thereof. The PCB has an edge connecting the upper and the lower faces thereof, allowing the connector to be straddle mounted to the edge, the contact tails and the ground tails being engaged with upper and lower faces of the PCB.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4678250 (1987-07-01), Romine et al.
patent: 4806110 (1989-02-01), Lindeman
patent: 4920074 (1990-04-01), Shimizu et al.
patent: 5085595 (1992-02-01), Koegel et al.
patent: 5294039 (1994-03-01), Pai et al.
patent: 5577936 (1996-11-01), Hahn
patent: 5897386 (1999-04-01), Baxter et al.
patent: 6059608 (2000-05-01), Benes
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Patel Tulsidas
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