Electrical connectors – With insulation other than conductor sheath – Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-29
2001-07-17
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With insulation other than conductor sheath
Metallic connector or contact secured to insulation
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261132
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a future bus electrical connector, and more particularly to a header connector of a future bus receiving pins such that contact portions of the pins are prevented from being scratched during assembly.
2. Related Art
Communication systems commonly consist of a variety of electrical components which transmit and receive information at high speeds. Electrical connectors which facilitate high frequency signal transmission are thus required to interconnect the components of the system. A future bus electrical connector, which is effective in applications requiring high frequency signal transmission, is commonly used in communication systems for connecting an electrical card to a printed circuit board.
The future bus consists of a header connector electrically connected with and securely mounted on the printed circuit board, and a receptacle connector received in the header and electrically engaged therewith. The card is electrically engaged with the receptacle connector and retained thereto. Thus the card is electrically connected to the printed circuit board by means of the future bus. Such future bus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,084.
An insulating housing of the header connector has a base defining a plurality of receiving holes therethrough for receiving a corresponding plurality of pins therein. The pins are received in corresponding holes defined in the printed circuit board at one end, and engage with conductive contacts of the receptacle connector at the other end. The pins are retained within the housing by means of a retaining portion formed on each pin, for interferential engagement with inner walls of the corresponding receiving hole. The retaining portion commonly consists of barbs protruding from opposite sides of each pin, whereby an interference area between the barbs and the inner walls of the corresponding receiving hole is established along a longitudinal direction of the housing. However, the interference area is insufficient to securely retain the pins therein. In addition, the force of the barbs acting on the inner walls of each receiving hole results in a deformation of the housing along the longitudinal direction thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,980,271 discloses an improved pin to solve the above-mentioned problem. The pin provides embossments on a face of the retaining portion thereof, so that the embossments exert an interferential force on an inner wall of a rectangular receiving hole of the housing during inserting the pin into the hole. Such interferential force is perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the housing. In order to obtain a sufficient interference force or a sufficient interference area, the height of the receiving hole is designed to be less than the thickness of the retaining portion, and approximately equal to the thickness of the contact portion of the pin. Thus, the contact portion of the pin unavoidably skids along inner walls of the receiving hole. This results in scratches on the contact portion and diminished signal transmission. Furthermore, the pin and the hole cannot be easily aligned. Handling of the pin assembly is troublesome, and the assembly may even be thereby distorted.
Therefore, it is desired to provide an improved header connector of a future bus to overcome the above disadvantages and problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved header connector for a future bus having receiving holes with opposite end portions and an intermediate portion wider than the end portions in the insulative housing, the connector receiving corresponding pins such that scratching of contact portions of the pins is prevented.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved header connector for a future bus having receiving holes with opposite end portions and an intermediate portion wider than the end portions in the insulative housing, the connector readily receiving corresponding pins such that distortion of the pins is prevented.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved header connector for a future bus which is easy to manufacture.
These and other objects are achieved by a header connector of a future bus in accordance with the present invention. The header connector includes an insulative housing having a bottom wall defining a plurality of receiving holes therethrough for receiving a corresponding plurality of pins therein, and two side walls projecting upwardly from two opposite sides of the bottom wall. Each pin includes a contact portion for engaging with a corresponding contact of a receptacle connector of the future bus, a retaining portion having a retention mechanism formed thereon for securing the pin in the corresponding receiving hole, and a plurality of tail portions for reception in corresponding holes defined in a PCB. Each receiving hole has opposite end portions, and an intermediate portion wider than the end portions. A width and a length of the intermediate portion are greater than a thickness and a width of the contact portion of each pin, respectively. Thus the contact portion can freely pass through the receiving hole during assembly. A width of the end portions is less than a thickness of the retention mechanism, for firm engagement therewith.
These and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent after reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3621444 (1971-11-01), Stein
patent: 5516301 (1996-05-01), Kawakita
patent: 5910031 (1999-06-01), Goto
patent: 5980271 (1999-11-01), MacDougall et al.
patent: 6165027 (2000-12-01), Huang et al.
Koseki Yoshitsugu
Yu Hung-Chi
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Ta Tho D.
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