Housing to prevent wicking of molten solder and flux

Details Housing to prevent wicking of molten solder and flux Housing to prevent wicking of molten solder and flux

2000-04-12

2001-09-18

Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)

Electrical connectors

Metallic connector or contact having part permanently...

Adapted to be secured to conductor formed on printed circuit...

Reexamination Certificate

active

06290555

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a connector having improved housing and contacts to prevent molten solder and flux from wicking into the housing when soldering.
2. The Prior Art
FIG. 5
shows a conventional bottom-loading contact
4
received in a bottom-loading contact receiving hole
50
of a conventional insulative housing
5
. For facilitating the insertion of the contact into the contact receiving hole
50
of the housing
5
, the dimension of the hole
50
is usually relatively large. This leaves a relatively large gap T remaining between the contact and the inner walls of the hole, which allows wicking of molten solder and flux into the contact receiving hole and resultant contamination of the contact during wave soldering. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,934,951 and 5,947,778 disclose some approaches to cure this problem. Anyhow, an easy and economic way is still desired to efficiently cure this problem.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved housing and contacts of an electrical connector to prevent the wicking of molten solder and flux into the housing when soldering.
The connector comprises a plurality of contacts and an insulative housing defining a plurality of contact receiving holes for receiving the corresponding contacts. Each contact includes an upper contacting section having a deflected lateral end, a middle fixing section having an embossment on a central portion thereof and barbs on both lateral sides thereof for interferingly fitting with inner walls of the contact receiving hole, and a lower inserting section. Each contact receiving hole forms a protrusion extending laterally a sufficient distance from a bottom of an inner wall of the contact receiving hole toward the fixing section of the contact to reduce the size of a gap between the fixing section and the inner wall of the contact receiving hole. The protrusion defines a vertical face at an upper portion thereof for cooperating with the embossment of the contact to seal the gap, thus preventing molten solder and flux from wicking into the contact receiving hole and contaminating the upper contacting section when soldering the contacts to a printed circuit board. A slope at a bottom portion of the protrusion facilitates the insertion of the contacts into the contact receiving holes.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4857001 (1989-08-01), Nakano et al.
patent: 5692920 (1997-12-01), Banakis et al.
patent: 5934951 (1999-10-01), Lai et al.
patent: 5947778 (1989-08-01), Lai et al.

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