Electrical connectors – Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield – Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2001-11-27
Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)
Electrical connectors
Electromagnetic or electrostatic shield
Shielding individually surrounding or interposed between...
C439S101000, C439S108000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06322392
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a PC card connector assembly, and, more particularly, to a simple ground plate structure for a PC card connector assembly that facilitates the assembly of a PC card connector assembly to an underlying printed circuit board.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional PC card connector assemblies, such as those that receive PCMCIA (Personal Computer Memory Card Interface Association)-style cards, are illustrated in
FIGS. 1 and 2
include a connector (C) with signal terminals (
1
B) adapted for connecting signal contacts of the card to corresponding signal traces of an underlying circuit board (B) and a separate ground plate including ground terminals (
1
A) for contacting corresponding ground contacts on the card and a plurality of ground solder tails (
1
C) adapted to be soldered to ground traces of the underlying circuit board to common the ground plate to the ground of the circuit board.
However, many of the grounding plates of prior art PC card connector assemblies are difficult to manufacture and complicated to assemble. Furthermore, many of the ground plates of the prior art include shield portions which extend over portions of the signal terminals of the connector, which makes inspection of the solder joints of the signal contacts to the underlying circuit board difficult, if not impossible. This configuration can also cause open circuit and short circuit conditions, which is undesirable. Still further, in some prior art ground plates, the location of the connection to the printed circuit board is made underneath a portion of the connector and thus visual inspection of the ground terminal solder joint is difficult. Also, many of the ground plates of the prior art include solder tails which extend through the thickness of the circuit board and interfere with component placement on an underside of the board, thus using up valuable surface area of the circuit board and preventing maximum density of components within an electronic apparatus. Finally, many of the prior art ground plates are assembled to their underlying connector in a sliding or horizontal direction and therefore cannot be adapted to automated assembly, which assembles components only in a vertical direction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the object of the present invention to provide a simple ground plate structure for a PC card connector assembly which solves the problems set forth above. That is, the structure of the ground plate in the subject invention is easy to manufacture and assemble to the underlying connector. Furthermore, the ground plate extends across the top of the connector and does not include a portion which extends over the solder tails of the signal terminals, thus allowing for visual inspection of the solder joints of the signal terminals and preventing the occurrence of short circuit conditions. The solder connection between the ground plate and the circuit board is true surface mount, that is, it does not extend through the circuit board, and the location of the connection is outside of the area occupied by the connector, thereby allowing visual inspection of the solder joint between the ground plate and the circuit board. Finally, the ground plate is assembled to the connector and circuit board in a vertical direction, not requiring horizontal assembly or interengagement with the connector, thus facilitating automated assembly of the connector assembly.
The ground plate of the invention comprises a main body, a plurality of mating ground pins extending away from one side of the main body including portions formed thereon for securing the ground plate to the connector, and ground solder tails extending from the opposite ends of the main body for solder connection to the underlying printed circuit board.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5288247 (1994-02-01), Kaufman
patent: 5478260 (1995-12-01), Kaufman et al.
patent: 5688130 (1997-11-01), Huang
patent: 5795190 (1998-08-01), Ono
patent: 5807137 (1998-09-01), Janota et al.
patent: 5934941 (1999-08-01), Hirai et al.
Caldwell Stacey E.
Molex Incorporated
Patel Tulsidas
Prosad Chandrika
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