Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Patent
1996-05-02
1998-08-04
Abrams, Neil
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
4397331, H01R 909
Patent
active
057885150
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical connector for mounting on the surface of a printed circuit board, comprising a housing made of electrically insulating material provided with a number of channels for the accommodation of contact elements, and with contact elements made of electrically conducting material which are accommodated in the channels and are provided with a contact end for contacting a further contact element, a connection end projecting beyond the bottom surface of the housing, for connecting the contact element to a corresponding connection face on the surface of the printed circuit board, and a base part extending between the contact end and the connection end.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,903 discloses a contact element which is provided with a connection end for connecting the contact element to a corresponding connection face on the surface of a printed circuit board.
There has recently been an increase in demand for connectors with a large number of inputs/outputs, hereinafter called I/Os, on a small area of the printed circuit board. At the same time there is a need for placing the greatest possible number of components on the printed circuit board, in other words an increase in the number of desired connections by means of the connector. There is also a need for electrical shielding of these connections by providing suitable earth connections, thus by means of the connector. In order to meet the above demands, the use of both sides of the printed circuit board through the use of surface-mounted connectors and components has become a normal requirement.
In order to keep abreast of the technology, new connector designs must take into account ideas for placing the connectors on printed circuit boards by means of robots, while a large number of I/Os are necessary in order to reduce the costs. This usually results in the design of relatively long thin connectors, in particular in view of the trend towards miniaturization, i.e. the reduction in dimensions, of modern devices.
In order to make a generally known electrical connector which is provided with contact elements accommodated in channels suitable for surface mounting on a printed circuit board, the connection end of the contact element must project beyond the bottom surface of the housing, so that the contact end can make contact with a corresponding connection face on the printed circuit board.
During the mounting of such electrical connectors on printed circuit boards problems are encountered in practice, due to the fact that the printed circuit board is not completely flat and has a certain curvature or arch. The curvature of the printed circuit board varies the distance between the connection ends of the various contact elements and the corresponding connection faces on the surface of the printed circuit board. After the soldering process, poor contact resistances often occur between the connection ends of the contact elements and the corresponding connection face on the surface of the printed circuit board, in particular where the distance between them is too great, and contacting breaks can even occur in this case.
In WO 86/07204 and EP-A-0 449 570 it is disclosed that the connection end of the contact element is provided with a connection face facing away from the bottom surface of the housing, which connection face is displaceable relative to said bottom surface from a predetermined mounting starting position in the direction of said surface over a distance which corresponds to the difference between the greatest and smallest distances between the bottom surface of the connector and the printed circuit board with maximum permissible curvature.
Through placing the electrical connector on a printed circuit board with a still oermissible curvature, the connection face of the contact element facing away from the housing thereof is displaced, so that an automatic compensation for the varying distance between the connection ends of the contact elements
REFERENCES:
patent: 5199885 (1993-04-01), Korsunsky et al.
patent: 5395250 (1995-03-01), Englert, Jr. et al.
patent: 5461774 (1995-10-01), Holmes et al.
patent: 5588878 (1996-12-01), Flinchbaugh et al.
Mitra Niranjan Kumar
Phamvan Jean-Marie Denis
Abrams Neil
Berg Technology Inc.
Long Daniel J.
Page M. Richard
Wittels Daniel
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