Electrical connectors – Contact terminal – Having treated surface or distinct contact surface layer
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-22
2002-04-09
Paumen, Gary (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
Contact terminal
Having treated surface or distinct contact surface layer
C439S607070, C029S885000, C029S876000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06368167
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of making an electrical connector, and particularly to a method including a unique step of plating a conductive shield of the connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connectors related to the present invention each typically include a contact module having a plurality of contacts therein, an insulative housing engageably enclosing the contact module therein and a conductive shield shrouding the housing. The shield typically has a body portion and integral solder tails downwardly extending from the body portion for electrically and mechanically connecting to a printed circuit board (PCB).In manufacture of the shield, after stamping and forming, the body portion and the solder tails of the shield are both plated with either a nickel material only for good anti-corrosion performance, or a nickel plating followed by a tin-lead alloy plating to improve solderability of the solder tails to solder pads in the PCB.
However, various problems are encountered in usage of the connectors. If the shield is only plated with a nickel material, connections between the solder tails and the solder pads of the PCB are not secure due to poor soldering characteristics of the nickel material to tin-lead alloy. If the shield is plated with a tin-lead alloy material after the nickel plating, the body portion is not resistant enough to corrosion and scratching because the tin-lead alloy is relatively soft. Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method of making an electrical connector, the electrical connector having a conductive shield no only resistant to corrosion and scratching but also easily soldered to a printed circuit board.
To obtain the above object, a method of the present invention comprises the steps of:
a. Forming an insulative housing;
b. Making a contact module;
c. Stamping and forming a conductive shield having a body portion and a pair of integral solder tails on the body portion;
d. Applying a plating of nickel material on both the body portion and the integral solder tails of the conductive shield;
e. Applying a plating of tin-lead alloy material on only the integral solder tails by selective plating; and
f. Assembling the contact module, the insulative housing and the conductive shield together.
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:
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patent: 6007390 (1999-12-01), Cheng et al.
patent: 6086429 (2000-07-01), Wu
patent: 6095865 (2000-08-01), Wu
patent: 6125535 (2000-10-01), Chiou et al.
patent: 6155878 (2000-10-01), Chen
Ma Xuedong
Shi Guang Xing
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