Electrical connectors – Preformed panel circuit arrangement – e.g. – pcb – icm – dip,... – With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-20
2003-06-03
Bradley, P. Austin (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...
With mating connector which receives panel circuit edge
C439S636000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06572385
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to a low profile electrical connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
More and more low profile electrical connectors are being used in compliance with the miniaturization trend in the present electronic field. Referring to
FIGS. 9-11
, one type of low profile electrical connector
1
comprises an insulative housing
2
having a mating portion
20
and a mounting portion
22
, and a plurality of electrical contacts
3
. A height D is defined between a mating face
200
of the mating portion
20
and a mounting face
220
of the mounting portion
22
. The mating portion
20
defines a longitudinal slot
203
therein and a plurality of passageways
201
extending vertically therethrough and communicating with the slot
203
through longer and shorter openings
206
,
205
defined in lower sections of inner side walls
207
of the passageways
201
.
The electrical contacts
3
are inserted into the passageways
201
, respectively, and each has a curved contact section
30
protruding through the openings
205
,
206
into the slot
203
and a vertical retention portion
31
having an engaging section
32
engaging with the mating portion
20
. The curved contact section
30
of the electrical contact
3
corresponding to the shorter opening
205
is situated vertically lower than the curved contact section
30
of the electrical contact
3
corresponding to the longer opening
206
, and the length B of the engaging section
32
of the electrical contact
3
corresponding to the shorter opening
205
is smaller than the length A of the engaging section
32
of the electrical contact
3
corresponding to the longer opening
206
.
As is clearly shown in
FIGS. 9
to
11
, the retention portion
31
of the electrical contact
3
corresponding to the shorter opening
205
has still a section which is located below the engaging section
32
without engaging with the mating portion
20
, so the retention therebetween is unreliable. In addition, both the length A and the length B of the engaging sections
32
, through which the electrical contacts
3
engage with the mating portion
20
, are small due to the limited height D, as determined by practical applications or industrial standards, thereby further reducing the reliability of the retention between the electrical contacts
3
and the insulative housing
2
.
It has been proposed to improve the retention between the electrical contacts
3
and the insulative housing
2
by increasing the height D of the insulative housing
2
or changing the shapes of the electrical contacts
3
. However, increasing the height D of the insulative housing
2
unavoidably increases a total height of the electrical connector
1
, which is undesired to most practical applications or industrial standards. In addition, changing the shapes of the electrical contacts
3
always results in complicated manufacturing procedures and increased manufacturing cost.
Therefore, an improved low profile electrical connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A major object of the present invention is to provide a low profile electrical connector having electrical contacts reliably retained to an insulative housing thereof.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a low profile electrical connector which improves the retention between electrical contacts thereof and an insulative housing thereof without changing a total height thereof and the electrical contacts themselves.
A low profile electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts and a pair of boardlocks retained to the insulative housing. The insulative housing comprises a pair of slots and a plurality of passageways extending vertically therethrough and communicating with the slots through longer and shorter openings. Each electrical contact comprises a retention portion completely engaging with the insulative housing, a transitional portion extending from the retention portion, and a curved contact section protruding through the longer and the shorter openings into the slots. The curved contact sections of the electrical contacts corresponding to the longer openings are located vertically higher than the curved contact sections of the electrical contacts corresponding to the shorter openings and the transitional portions of the electrical contacts corresponding to the longer openings engage with the insulative housing.
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: 5876214 (1999-03-01), McHugh et al.
patent: 6174187 (2001-01-01), Yamagami et al.
patent: 6296491 (2001-10-01), Pickles
Bradley P. Austin
Chung Wei Te
Gilman Alexander
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
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