Surface mounted electrical connector

Details Surface mounted electrical connector Surface mounted electrical connector

2001-03-08

2001-10-30

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Preformed panel circuit arrangement, e.g., pcb, icm, dip,...

Distinct contact secured to panel circuit

C439S607070

Reexamination Certificate

active

06309227

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector which is mounted to a printed circuit board using Surface Mount Technology (SMT).
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable electronic devices are finding more and more applications in human livings with rapid developments of the science and technology nowadays. A portable electronic device needs to get smaller and smaller on one hand for portability and to incorporate as many electronic components therein as possible on the other hand for functioning. Thus, electronic components accommodated in the portable electronic device and electrical connectors accommodated in the portable electronic device to connect peripheral electronic components, which are not put in the portable electronic device, to the portable electronic device are all made as small as possible.
Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors are often used to connect peripheral electronic components, such as Hard Disk Drive and CD ROM, to portable electronic devices. A conventional USB connector
7
as is shown in
FIG. 7
comprises an insulative housing
5
, a plurality of electrical contacts
6
and a conductive shield
8
enclosing the insulative housing
5
. The insulative housing
5
defines a plurality of passageways
51
extending substantially therethrough in a vertical array along a height of the insulative housing
5
and a plurality of channels
52
defined in a rear bottom edge thereof in a horizontal array along a transverse direction of the insulative housing
5
. The channels
52
correspond in number to the passageways
51
. The electrical contacts
6
each comprise a fixing portion
62
, a contacting portion
61
extending forwardly from the fixing portion
62
, a transitional portion
63
extending rearwardly from the fixing portion
62
and a mounting portion
64
depending downwardly from the transitional portion
63
. The contacting portions
61
are received in the passageways
51
, respectively, and the fixing portions
62
are retained in the insulative housing
5
. Each mounting portion
64
extends downwardly through a corresponding channel
52
to be inserted through holes defined in a printed circuit board (not shown), thereby mounting the electrical connector
7
to the printed circuit board using Through Hole Technology (THT).
Since THT requires that the mounting portions
64
of the electrical contacts
6
be inserted into the printed circuit board from a face of the printed circuit board, the channels
52
should be arranged below the passageways
51
and the passageways
51
and the channels
52
of the insulative housing
5
should all be located at least above the face of the printed circuit board, which means that a total height of the electrical connector
7
above the face of the printed circuit board could not be effectively reduced. As a result of that, the electrical connector
7
cannot be used in applications where space is very limited and the height of an electrical connector above a printed circuit board is critical.
Therefore, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A major object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which is mounted to a printed circuit board using Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and which effectively reduces a height thereof above the printed circuit board.
An electrical connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts, a front shield and a rear shield. The insulative housing defines a plurality of passageways extending therethrough in a vertical array and forms a plurality of spaced blocks on a rear face thereof in a horizontal array. The blocks are located above at least the lowest passageway along a height of the insulative housing.
Each electrical contact comprises a curved contacting portion received in the passageways, a fixing portion retained in the insulative housing, and a mounting portion soldered to a printed circuit board. One of the electrical contacts comprises a connecting portion between the fixing and the mounting portions. The connecting portion and corresponding mounting portion of the one contact define a plane perpendicular to a plane defined by the fixing portions of all contacts. The mounting portions of all electrical contacts are coplanar and the connecting portion is coplanar to the mounting portions of all electrical contacts. The other electrical contacts each comprise a transitional portion between corresponding fixing and mounting portions. The transitional portions define a plane perpendicular to the plane defined by the mounting portions and the plane defined by the fixing portions, respectively.
The front and rear shields are assembled to the insulative housing, respectively.
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: 5186633 (1993-02-01), Mosser, III
patent: 5725386 (1998-03-01), Davis et al.
patent: 6135790 (2000-12-01), Huang et al.
patent: 6168468 (2001-01-01), Zhu et al.
patent: 6186830 (2001-02-01), Lin et al.
patent: 6193554 (2001-02-01), Wu
patent: 6210224 (2001-03-01), Wu
patent: 6224422 (2001-05-01), Zhu et al.

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