Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-30
2001-03-13
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
C029S883000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06200171
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a connector with an over-molded housing member.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,708 discloses an electrical connector with a premold and a molded cover. U.S. Pat. No. 4,865,562 discloses molding a strip onto contacts. Berg Electronics sells a right angle receptacle electrical connector known as the VHDCI. The housing of the connector is a multi-piece housing which must be carefully assembled with the electrical contacts to prevent damage to the contacts and, must still form a rigid holding of the contacts between housing pieces. A need exists for manufacturing a right angle receptacle connector that is easier and less expensive to manufacture. For connectors having contact ends at relatively small spacings or pitch, such as 0.4 mm or less, precision or tolerances must be very precise. Because of this, over-molding of housing components was not used. This is because contact ends could be disturbed by over-molding thereby preventing proper connection to other components. For example, the contact ends could be misaligned because of over-molding such that they are not easily inserted into an array of holes in a printed circuit board. As another example, the opposing contact ends on opposite sides of rows could be positioned too close to each other, thereby blocking an insertion path into a receiving area between the rows and possibly causing stubbing, or could be positioned too far away from each other, thereby preventing proper wiping, normal force or connection with a mating connector. It would be desirable to use over-molding of a housing component if these problems could be overcome.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided comprising an electrical contact; and a housing. The housing comprises a first member and a second member. The first member comprises a contact receiving channel. The second member is over-molded onto the first member. The electrical contact is located in the channel and retained on the housing by a capture of the contact between the first and second members. The first member and the contact extend past a first end of the capture of the contact between the first and second members.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an electrical connector is provided comprising electrical contacts and a housing connected to the electrical contacts. The housing comprises a first member and a second member over-molded onto the first member. The first member comprises first elongate contact receiving channels with open elongate sides along a first exterior side of the first member. The electrical contacts are inserted into the channels at the exterior side of the first member through the open sides of the channels and the over-molded second member covers the electrical contacts along a majority of the open sides of the channels. The first member supports three sides of the electrical contacts in the channels.
In accordance with one method of the present invention, a method of manufacturing an electrical connector is provided comprising steps of providing a first housing member with a first contact receiving channel; inserting a first electrical contact into the contact receiving channel, a portion of the contact extending out of the first housing member at a first end of the first housing member; and over-molding a second housing member onto the first housing member, wherein the first housing member forms a first seal with an over-molding die at the first end of the first housing member during the step of overmolding to prevent material which forms the second housing member from contacting the portion of the contact located past the end of the first housing member to prevent the portion from being deformed during the step of over-molding.
REFERENCES:
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6 page Product Datasheet, Berg Electronics, Apr. 9, 1997.
Fusselman David F.
Gale Robert D.
Horchler David C.
Berg Technology Inc.
Hyeon Hae Moon
Nguyen Khiem
Perman & Green LLP
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