Electrical connectors – Self aligning contact – Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-26
2002-02-19
Nguyen, Khiem (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Self aligning contact
Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder
C439S062000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06347950
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a floating connector that enables an electrical connection between electronic components even when the components are misaligned.
2. Description of the Invention
Electronic equipment, such as a car stereo, is typically assembled from a plurality of units. The units may include a CD unit, a MD unit, and a tuner unit depending on the user's tastes. The selected units are arranged in a chassis in multiple stages. Connectors electrically connect each unit to the required input equipment. The input equipment may be multiple switches allowing user operation through a panel.
Referring now to
FIG. 13
, an equipment chassis
1
includes units
2
,
3
, and
4
, such as a CD unit, a MD unit, and a tuner unit. Units
2
,
3
, and
4
are arranged in three vertical stages and have different functions. Units
2
,
3
, and
4
internally include respective sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
. Sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
, and
3
b
mount manufacturer selected electronics (not shown) and have corresponding conductive patterns
2
b,
3
b
,
4
b
. Conductive patterns
2
b
,
3
b
, and
4
b
, are printed on externally projecting end surfaces of each corresponding unit
2
,
3
, and
4
. Conductive patterns
2
b
3
b
, and
4
b
constitute external terminals electrically connected to corresponding printed circuit board connectors
100
,
110
,
120
.
Printed circuit board connectors
100
,
110
,
120
include corresponding insulated housings
102
,
112
,
122
. Insulated housings
102
,
112
,
122
include corresponding connection recess
102
a
,
112
a
,
122
a
shaped to receive corresponding sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
. Each connection recess
102
a
,
112
a
,
122
a
, includes a corresponding contact
101
,
111
,
121
. Terminal portions
101
a
,
111
a
,
121
a
, are on a first side of each respective contact
101
,
111
,
121
, and correspond to respective connection recess
102
a
,
112
a
,
122
a
. Lead-out portions
101
b
,
111
b
, and
121
b
, are on a second side of each contact
101
,
111
,
121
.
Leg portions (not shown) of insulated housings
102
,
112
, and
122
penetrate through printed circuit board
130
and locate insulated housings
102
,
112
,
122
, opposite to sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
of units
2
,
3
, and
4
. Printed circuit board connectors
100
,
110
,
120
thus connect to printed circuit board
130
to allow sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
to insert into connection recesses
102
a
,
112
a
, and
122
a.
Lead-out portions
101
b
,
111
b
,
121
b
are soldered to a lead portion (not shown) of printed circuit board
130
. During assembly, sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
insert into connection recess
102
a
,
112
a
,
122
a
and terminal portions
101
a
,
111
a
,
121
a
contact conductive patterns
2
b
,
3
b
,
4
b
for electric connection.
In this structure, printed circuit board
130
and the equipment chassis
1
are assembled together and units
2
,
3
,
4
connect to the corresponding printed circuit board connectors
100
,
110
,
120
.
In this structure when an assembly error occurs and the insertion angle(pitch) is not optimized, sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
of units
2
,
3
,
4
cannot simultaneously insert into printed circuit board connectors
100
,
110
,
120
. If sub-substrates
2
a
,
3
a
,
4
a
, are forcibly inserted, equipment damage may result. Accordingly, a floating connector is frequently used which allows the components to absorb the attachment error.
Additionally referring now to
FIGS. 14 and 15
, showing a conventional floating connector described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-15747.
A floating connector
150
includes a front housing
160
and a rear housing
170
. Front housing
160
includes a joining projection
161
. Rear housing
170
includes a horizontal long joining hole
171
. During assembly, joining projection
161
inserts into joining hole
171
to fix front housing
160
to rear housing
170
. Joining hole
171
has a shape that retains joining projection
161
while allowing adjustment in a linear direction, as will be explained.
Rear housing
170
is positioned and fixed to a printed circuit board
190
by leg portions
173
. Leg portions
173
are at opposite ends of rear housing
170
. Leg portions
173
extend through printed circuit board
190
. In an assembled state, front housing
160
can be moved in a linear direction, as shown by an arrow A, relative to rear housing
170
.
It should be understood that printed circuit board
190
corresponds to the printed circuit board
130
for purposes of this disclosure.
A contact
180
includes a horizontal terminal portion
181
, a vertical leadout portion
182
, and a flexing portion
183
. It should be understood that multiple contacts
180
may be employed with this assembly. Flexing portion
183
is between horizontal terminal portion
181
and vertical lead-out portion
182
.
Lead-out portion
182
extends through a slits
172
in a rear portion of rear housing
170
to penetrate printed circuit board
190
. Lead-out portions
182
connect to printed circuit board
190
by soldering to printed circuit board
190
.
Terminal portion
181
penetrates through a contact through-hole
162
formed in front housing
160
and contacts a contact
220
. Contacts
220
constitute external terminals of connectors
210
and are mounted on a printed circuit board
200
. Thus, contact
180
achieves electrical connection with circuit board
200
.
During assembly, when front housing
160
moves along the direction shown by the arrow A, flexing portions
183
of contacts
180
flex to maintain electrical connection between printed circuit boards
190
and
200
. Thus, despite an error in assembly, front housing
160
moves to absorb the error, and enables printed circuit boards
190
and
200
to remain electrically connected.
Floating connector
150
, however, has several functional and reliability problems:
First, since the movement of front housing
160
is only in one single direction, the single lateral direction shown by arrow A, error in another nonlateral single direction cannot be accommodated.
Second, since contacts
180
are soldered to printed circuit board
190
, a soldering step is required, thereby increasing the number of connection steps and manufacturing costs.
Third, soldering and soldering byproducts may adversely affect the environment.
Fourth, since front housing
160
can move in only one direction and contacts
180
are fixed by soldering, when an external force such an impact or vibration causes front housing
160
to move cracks may occur in the solder and cause a faulty electrical connection.
The present invention has been provided in view of these conventional problems, and it is an object thereof to provide a floating connector that can be moved in multiple directions to accommodate a wide range of attachment errors and that requires no soldered portion while making the connection more reliable.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a floating connector that accommodates movement and maintains an electrical connection between an electrical connector and an equipment chassis.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a floating connector that allows elastic contact with at least one of a plurality of land patterns on a printed circuit board.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a floating connector having a cover that surrounds and sandwiches an insulated housing between the cover and a printed board in a substantially locked but transversely and orthogonally adjustable state.
It is another object of the present invention to provide lead-out portions of contacts that are in elastic slidable contact with a printed circuit board.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an embodiment that allows slidable, two-dimensional adjustment along a surface of a printed circuit board.
It is another object of the present inventi
Ishibashi Iwao
Nakata Kenji
Sugimori Kenji
Yokoyama Katsuharu
Morrison Law Firm
Nguyen Khiem
SMK Corporation
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