Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-06
2001-05-08
Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06227874
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electronic card connector, and in particular to a structure of an electronic card connector that eliminates undesired deformation of contacts thereof when mounting the connector to a circuit board.
2. The Prior Art
As high-density electrical devices become increasing popular, pitch between contacts of electrical connectors is getting smaller whereby the contacts are positioned very close to each other. However, if the contacts become deformed a short circuit may be formed between adjacent contacts when mounting the connector on a circuit board. Electronic card connectors, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,290,174 and 5,297,966 and Taiwan Patent Application No. 84101873, comprise contacts having tail sections that are not well supported and protected from undesired deformation when mounting the connector to a circuit board.
FIG. 4
shows a conventional electronic card connector
100
. The electronic card connector
100
comprises an insulative header
10
retaining a plurality of contacts
11
therein. The contacts
11
have L-shaped tail sections
110
for insertion into apertures
14
defined in a circuit board
13
to be soldered thereto. The tail sections
110
are only supported by a spacer plate
12
and thus have a substantial unsupported portion whereby when the tail sections
110
are inserted into the apertures
14
of the circuit board
13
, the unsupported portions of the tail sections
110
may become deformed leading to improper signal transmission.
Furthermore, the electronic card connector
100
is provided with a shielding member (not shown) attached thereto for shielding the contacts
11
from electromagnetic interference. The shielding member has grounding pins separately connected to the circuit board, which complicates manufacture of the electronic card connector
100
.
It is thus desirable to have an electronic card connector that eliminates the problems mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card connector having contacts supported and protected from undesired deformation when mounting the electronic card connector to a circuit board.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card connection system comprising a connector releasably mounted to a mounting member fixed on a circuit board, contacts and grounding pins of the connector being electrically connected to the circuit board by secondary contacts arranged in the mounting member thereby eliminating the requirement of separately mounting the grounding pins to the circuit board.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an electronic card connector comprising contacts which are protected from the adverse affects of external forces.
To achieve the above objects, an electronic card connection system in accordance with the present invention comprises a connector adapted to engage with an electronic card and a mounting member fixed on a circuit board. The connector retains two rows of first contacts therein with a tail section of each first contact extending beyond the connector. A spacer is attached to the connector and defines a chamber bound by two side walls. A number of holes are defined in the spacer in communication with the chamber for extension of the tail sections of the first contacts into the chamber. The tail sections are supported by inner surfaces of the side walls. The mounting member defines two slots for receiving the side walls of the spacer. Each slot has second contacts arranged therein for engaging with the tail sections of the first contacts. A shielding member is attached to the connector and has grounding pins received in the chamber of the spacer and alternately arranged with the tail sections. The grounding pins are also engaged with the second contacts of the mounting member with the second contacts that engage with the grounding pins being connected to grounding paths of the circuit board.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4869677 (1989-09-01), Johnson et al.
patent: 5636999 (1997-06-01), Hirai et al.
patent: 5688130 (1997-11-01), Huang
patent: 5915976 (1999-06-01), McHugh
patent: 6116920 (2000-09-01), Yu et al.
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai Aprecision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Sircus Brian
Zarroli Michael C.
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