Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-17
2001-05-01
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
Distinct contact secured to panel circuit
C439S064000, C439S083000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224398
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an IC card connector to be mounted in an apparatus of which use requires insertion and ejection of the IC card, as well as an IC card connector mounting structure.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The construction of a conventional IC card connector will be described with reference to
FIGS. 5 and 6
.
A housing
21
, which is formed by molding with use of a synthetic resin, comprises a base portion
21
a
, a pair of side walls
21
b
extending to the front side from both sides of the base portion
21
a
, a bottom wall
21
c
formed so as to provide a connection between the paired side walls
21
b
, a pair of vertical through holes
21
d
formed near both transverse ends of the base portion
21
a
, a pair of lugs
21
e
formed on the lower surface of the base portion
21
a
in proximity to the holes
21
d
, and a pair of projections
21
f
projecting downward at positions near both transverse ends of the bottom wall
21
c.
A plurality of metallic pin terminals
22
, each have a contact portion
22
a
located at a front position and a terminal portion
22
b
located at a rear position. The plural pin terminals
22
are embedded in the base portion
21
a
of the housing
21
so as to be arranged side by side and extend longitudinally of the housing
21
.
In the pin terminals
22
thus mounted to the housing
21
, the contact portions
22
a
extend forward of the housing, while the terminal portions
22
b
, which are L-shaped, project backward from the bottom of the housing
21
.
The IC card connector thus constructed is mounted into an apparatus of which use requires insertion and ejection of the IC card. A mounting structure for the IC card connector will be described with reference to
FIGS. 7 and 8
. A circuit board
23
used in the apparatus has holes
23
a
and a desired conductive pattern
24
formed on the upper surface thereof.
The lugs
21
e
of the housing
21
are inserted into the holes
23
a
of the circuit board
23
to effect positioning of the housing, then in this state the paired projections
21
f
are brought into abutment with the upper surface of the circuit board
23
and the terminal portions
22
b
projecting backward from the bottom of the housing
21
are brought into abutment with the conductive pattern
24
.
The terminal portions
22
b
of the plural pin terminals
22
are arranged transversely in a row on the bottom of the housing
21
. The terminal portions
22
b
are slightly different in the amount of downward projection from the housing bottom, and one terminal portion
22
b
which is the largest in the amount of downward projection is in abutment with the conductive pattern
24
.
That is, as shown in
FIG. 8
, the IC card connector disposed on the circuit board
23
is supported at three points which are the two points of the paired projections
21
f
on the housing
21
side and one point of the one terminal portion
22
b
on the pin terminal
22
side.
Next, a creamy solder (not shown) is applied to the terminal portions
22
b
and the conductive pattern
24
and thereafter the connector-board combination is conveyed to a reflow soldering apparatus, allowing the creamy solder to be melted to solder the terminal portions
22
b
to the conductive pattern
24
.
After the soldering, mounting members (not shown) such as screws are inserted into the holes
21
d
of the housing
21
and further into holes formed in the circuit board
23
to secure the housing strongly to the circuit board. Thus the mounting of the housing is completed.
An IC card (not shown) is inserted into the housing
21
of such an IC card connector so as to come into contact with the contact portions
22
a
of the pin terminals
22
.
In fabricating the housing
21
, there usually occur variations due to a mold error during molding, shrinkage of a synthetic resin used, or a dimensional error during machining, with consequent difference in the height of the paired projections
21
f.
When the housing
21
is put on the circuit board
23
, if the right-hand projection
21
f
is higher than the left-hand projection
21
f
in
FIG. 8
, the right-hand side of the housing
21
rises a larger distance from the circuit board
23
than the left-hand side thereof.
Consequently, the terminal portions
22
b
of the pin terminals
22
mounted on the right-hand side of the housing
21
are also spaced largely away from the conductive pattern
24
, thus resulting in that the soldering becomes unsatisfactory.
According to the conventional IC card connector and the IC card connector mounting structure, since the paired projections
21
f
are formed on the housing
21
, there occurs a difference in height between the projections
21
f
when the housing
21
is put on the circuit board
23
. The terminal portions
22
b
of the pin terminals
22
located on the associated side become largely spaced from the conductive pattern
24
and are therefore not soldered to the same pattern to a satisfactory extent.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the first arrangement adopted by the present invention for solving the problem, there is provided an IC card connector including a housing formed by molding with use of a synthetic resin, the housing having a base portion and a bottom wall, and a plurality of pin terminals attached to the housing and each having a contact portion and a terminal portion. A single supporting projection projecting downward is formed on the bottom wall of the housing, the plural pin terminals are attached to the base portion of the housing so as to be arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the housing while each extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the terminal portions of the pin terminals are projected backward from the bottom of the housing.
According to the second arrangement adopted by the invention there is provided, in combination with the above first arrangement, an IC card connector wherein the supporting projection is formed at a central position in the transverse direction of the bottom wall of the housing.
According to the third arrangement adopted by the invention there is provided, in combination with the above first arrangement, an IC card connector wherein the supporting projection is formed at a position opposed to a central portion of the plural pin terminals arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the housing.
According to the fourth arrangement adopted by the invention there is provided, in combination with the above first arrangement, an IC card connector wherein projections lower than the supporting projection are formed on the bottom wall of the housing in such a manner that the supporting projection is positioned between the lower projections.
According to the fifth arrangement adopted by the invention there is provided a structure for mounting an IC card connector. The IC card connector includes a housing formed by molding with use of a synthetic resin. The housing has a base portion and a bottom wall, a plurality of pin terminals attached to the housing and each having a contact portion and a terminal portion, and a single downwardly projecting, supporting projection formed on the bottom wall of the housing, the plural pin terminals being secured to the base portion of the housing so as to be arranged side by side in the transverse direction of the housing while each extending in the longitudinal direction of the housing, and the terminal portions of the pin terminals being projected backward from the bottom of the housing, the IC card connector mounting structure including a circuit board having a conductive pattern and wherein the single supporting projection is brought into abutment with the upper surface of the circuit board and at least two of the terminal portions projecting backward are brought into abutment with the upper surface of the conductive pattern.
According to the sixth arrangement adopted by the invention there is provided, in combination with the above fifth arrangement, an IC card connector mounting s
Kobayashi Masato
Uchiyama Atsushi
Alps Electric Co. ,Ltd.
Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione
Nguyen Truc
Vu Hien
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