Electrical connectors – With supporting means for coupling part – Flange on coupling part
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-09
2002-01-01
Ta, Tho D. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With supporting means for coupling part
Flange on coupling part
C439S064000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06334789
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to surface-mount connectors to be surface-mounted on a printed circuit board or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some surface-mount connectors are attached to a printed circuit board by placing the connection sections of contact terminals and fixing metal members on the corresponding conductor traces and soldering pads of the PCB, respectively, and subjecting them to reflow soldering.
The attaching sections of the fixing metal members are secured to the engaging section of the connector body by press-fitting or the like. This firmly securing method presents the following problem.
FIG. 11
shows a conventional surface-mount connector
10
being surface-mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)
1
. The surface-mount connector
10
comprises an insulating connector body
11
and contact terminals
12
provided at a terminal arranging section
11
A of the connector body
11
. A lock arm
11
B is provided at either side of the terminal arranging section
11
A to lock a mating connector or printed circuit board. A fixing metal member
13
is provided near the front end of the lock arm
11
B. The fixing metal member
13
is secured at one end to the lock arm
11
B by press-fit and has at the other end an attaching section
13
A to the PCB
1
.
Reflow soldering is made under such conditions that the connection sections of the contact terminals
12
and the attaching section
13
A of the fixing metal member
13
are put on the corresponding soldering traces. The heat of reflow soldering can deform the mold of the terminal arranging section
11
A and the lock arm
11
B, and separate the fixing metal member
13
from the PCB
1
. Such separation of the fixing metal member
13
is illustrated in FIG.
12
. The contact terminals
12
move downwardly owing to the flexure of the mold. When the lock arm
11
B is tilted in this way, the fixing metal member
13
secured to the lock arm
11
B is lifted up. Consequently, the attaching section
13
A of the fixing metal member
13
is separated from the PCB
1
by a distance H, resulting in the poor soldering of the contact terminal
12
and/or the fixing metal member
13
to the PCB
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a surface-mount connector capable of solving such a problem as described above.
According to the invention there is provided a surface-mount connector which comprises a connector body having an engaging section; a fixing metal member having an attaching section to a board and a securing section for engagement with the engaging section of the connector body such that when the connector body moves relative to the board, the attaching section is rotatable at the engaging section.
According to one embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet such that the securing section has a C-shaped form and the attaching section has a flat plate-like form, and the engaging section has a C-shaped groove for receiving the C-shaped securing section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal is provided with a stopper near the attaching section to prevent inward bend of a lock lever of the connector body.
According to still another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet so as to provide the securing section with an opening and the attaching section with a flat plate-like form and the engaging section has a pivot for engagement with the opening to permit rotation of the fixing metal member about the pivot.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made by stamping and bending a metal sheet so as to provide the securing section with a G-shaped form, the attaching section with a flat plate-like form, and the engaging portion has a G-shaped groove for slidably receiving the G-shaped securing section.
According to another embodiment of the invention, the fixing metal member is made from a metal block so as to provide the securing section with a flat plate-like form having a seesaw shaft, the attaching section with a C-shaped form, and the engaging section having a cavity for receiving the securing section for seesaw movement of the fixing metal member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5626482 (1997-05-01), Chan et al.
patent: 5795187 (1998-08-01), Sipe
patent: 5928031 (1999-07-01), Chishima
patent: 5961347 (1999-10-01), Hsu
Hirose Electric Co. Ltd.
Kanesaka & Takeuchi
Nguyen Phuong
Ta Tho D.
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