Electrical connector assembly with securement device

Details Electrical connector assembly with securement device Electrical connector assembly with securement device

2002-10-07

2004-04-20

Hyeon, Hae Moon (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Comprising or for use with supporting panel

C439S564000, C439S567000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06722920

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a securement device for locking or securing two components together, such as an electrical connector and a card.
2. Description of Related Art
Devices for securement of planar elements such as those utilized in electronic components are well-known and widely employed. In conventional connectors, a securement post is mounted on a connector that protrudes through the connector. The securement post aligns the connector to a pair of planar elements such as a motherboard and daughtercard by holes located in the boards just for this purpose. Examples of such connectors include U.S. Pat. No. 4,309,856 to Varnau et al. which discloses a resilient device for securing panels in parallel spaced relation to a support bracket; U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,140 to Delpech which discloses a support device for printed circuit boards formed by a column having at least one base on which a circuit board is to be supported with the boards and a coupling member fixed by a screw. Referring to
FIG. 1
, an electrical connector assembly for interconnecting a card
70
with a mother board
80
comprises a housing
60
, a plurality of terminals
61
received in the housing
60
, and a securement post
90
. The housing
60
comprises a main body
601
and a pair of arms
610
rearwardly projecting from opposite ends of the main body
601
. The securement post
90
made of metal material is an elongate pin. When the card
70
is assembled to the connector, the securement post
90
extends downwardly through a receiving hole
602
of the arm
610
and a through hole
72
defined in the card
70
, and is finally fixed by a screw
91
. Thus, the securement post
90
locks the card
70
on the housing
60
of the connector.
One problem inherent in such connector as an additional fastening hardware is required to join the assembly of a connector and a card together.
It is thus desirable to provide a securement device of an electrical connector to alleviate or even eliminate the above-discussed problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a securement device that provides fixation of a card and a connector together.
To fulfill the above mentioned object, an electrical connector assembly in accordance with the present invention comprises an electric card, an insulative housing, an upper and lower rows of contacts accommodated in the housing, and a pair of securement devices assembled into the housing. The electric card forms a plurality of conductive traces on an upper face and a lower face thereof, and a pair of through holes defined in the electric card. The housing comprises a main body and a pair of support portions extending from opposite ends of the main body, and each support portion defines a groove on a top face of the support portion and a receiving hole on a bottom face of the groove. The upper and lower row of contacts assembled to the housing, and the contacts electrically connect the corresponding conductive traces of the upper and lower faces of the electrical card. The securement devices are assembled into the receiving holes of the support portions and the through holes of the electric card. Each securement device comprises a base portion, a protrusion protruding downwardly from the base portion for being received into the groove of the support portion and a pair of opposite resilient legs extending downwardly from the base portion. Each leg has an engaging face abutting against the lower face of the electric card to fix the electric card with the housing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4309856 (1982-01-01), Varnau et al.
patent: 4681389 (1987-07-01), Nakazawa et al.
patent: 4875140 (1989-10-01), Delpech
patent: 5201661 (1993-04-01), Ii
patent: 5435750 (1995-07-01), Kosmala
patent: 5980314 (1999-11-01), Roberts
patent: 6024603 (2000-02-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6190201 (2001-02-01), Shih et al.
patent: 6296496 (2001-10-01), Trammel
patent: 6435905 (2002-08-01), Yu et al.

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