AU614361B2 - Electrical connector - Google Patents

Description

I

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Patent Act 1 952 14 3~ CO0M P LE TE S PEGC I F I CA TI0N

(ORIGINAL)

Class Int. Class Application Numher Lodged Complete Specification Lodged Accepted Published Priority: 25 May 1988 Related Art Name of Applicant AMP INCORPORATED Address of Applicant 470 Friendship Road, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania United States of America Actual Inventor Paketaro Doi, TaMotsu Yonebayashi Addreso& for service F.B. RICE CO., Patent Attorneys, 28A Montague Street, BALMAIN. 2041.

Complete Specification for the invention entitled: "ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR~" Thro following statement is a full description of this invention in. luding tht best method of performing it known to us: 1 a This invention relates to electrical connectors and more particularly to an electrical connector having a contact support and alignment memxber for supporting vertical parts of post sections of electrical contacts that ex~ten~d outwardly from a dielectric housing and aligning the vertical parts for insertion into holes in a circuit board.

In known electrical connectors for connection -to a printed circuit board, electrical contacts are secured in rows of passageways of a dielectric hcusing and the contacts have post sections that extend outwardly from a rear su-rface of the housing. The post sections have rows of parallel horizontal sections and rows of parallel vertical sections. The rows of horizontal sections are in 0 0 U alignment with the rows of passageways with the horizontal sections of the upper row being longer than the horizontal sections of the middle row w4hich arze in turn longer than 000 the horizontal sections of the bottom row. The rows of vertical sections of the various rows of hcrizontal sactions are likewise of similar construction with the vertIcal sections oE the outermost row being longer than thoso oE the middle row which in turn are longer than those of the innerwost row, The post sections are also vertically aligned and tha. eos ~acoplanar so as to be -2inserted into holes in the circuit board for electrical connection thereto.

The post sections are large in number and must be properly aligned for insertion into the respective holes of the circuit board. This is a general problem because they can become misaligned as a result of shipping, handling and other factors which prevents them from being easily inserted into the holes without having to align them. This is especially true if the connectors re to be mounted onto circuit boards by automated insertion equipment.

Moreover, the contact sections of the contacts are usually frictionally secured in the passageways and they can be pushed outwardly when the contacts are mated with the contacts of a complementary connector which can result Sin bad electrical connections or possible shortening of contacts.

A planar contact support and alignment member of dielectric material has been used through holes of which the vertical sections of the rows of post sections extend which will generally maintain the vertical sections of the post sections in alignment with respect to each other.

It would be advantageous to provide an electrical connector which eliminates the difficulty of inserting the 25 post sections of the connector in holes in a printed circuit board. A further preferred embodiment would serve to maintain the contact sections within the passageways of the housing when the connector is mated with a complementary connector.

In one broad form the present invention provides an electrical connector for electrical connection to a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric housing having rows of passageways extending from a front surface to a rear surface thereof, electrical contacts having contact sections located in the passageways and post 1" p sections extending outwardly from the rear surface, horizontal sections of the post sections extending axially from the passageways and vertical sections of the post sections extending generally parallel to the rear surface such that free ends of the post sections are disposed in parallel rows and are generally coplanar, a support and alignment member having holes through which the free ands of the post sections extend, wherein: said support and alignment member has a stepped configuration with step sections each comprising one or more of said holes for receiving the vertical section of a respective one of said post sections with the up-aqr surfaces of the step sections engaging the horizontal sections of the post sections for supporting the post sections, maintaining the contact sections in their passageways and aligning the free ends for insertion into holes in the printed circuit board.

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t------tm-r-ew--a--elee-t-ri---ppo--t--and--al-ig nin -n-t--membr having stepped sections has holes along each stepped section through which the vertical sections of th po-ost sections of each row extend and each step pe6section engages the upper ends of the ver al sections adjacent the horizontal sections tsupport the post sections thereby preventing- he contact sections from being pushed rearwardlyfn the passageways and aligning the vertical s c-ons with holes in a printed circuit board for l; t- o0 0 o" The invention will now be described by way of example e' with reference to the following detailed description of o.io the invention in conjunction with the accompanying Sdrawing.

Figure 1 is a perspective and exploded view of an electrical connector and a support and alignment member.

o.*o Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 1.

4. Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 with the a 4 4o a support and alignment member assembled onto the post sections of thM electrical contacts.

As shown in Figures i and 2, an electrical connector comprises a dielectric housing 11 and electrical contacts 12 secured therein. Housing 11 is molded from a suitable dielectric material and has parallel rows of pasyageways 13 that are aligned horizontally and vertically at a prescribed pitch.

*r M^ t Electrical contacts 12 are stamped and formed in accordance with conventional practice from a suitable metal having the desirable electrical, and spring characteristics. Contacts 12 include contact sections 12a disposed within respective passageways 13 and post sections 121) that ex~tend outwardly from a rear surface 14 of housing 11.

complementary electrical contact sections of a complementary electrical connector are electrically 4 00 lO matable with contact sections 12a through openings 13a 0 located in a front surface of housing 11 when connector is electrically connected with the complementary connector. Contact sections 12a are secured in respective passageways 13 viat secu~ring sections 12e of conitact sections 12a frictionally engaging the wall or walls of passageways 13, Post sections 12b of contacts 12 include horizQW.,il 0 sections which at bights 12d1 are bent to right angle vertical sections with the free ends 12c being located in the same plane below the bottom surface of housing 11 so 4,s to be inserted into respective holes in a printed ctrauit board (n~ot shown) when connector 10 is mounted tnereon. The number of post sections 12b are quite, large In electrical connectors of this typo, thus it is important that the free ends 12c of the rows of post sections 1.2b be accurately aligned for easy insertion intQ -6the holes of the circuit board when the connector 10 is mounted thereon either manually or by automated equipment.

As can be discerned, the horizontal sections of post sections 12b of each row of contacts 12 extend outwardly in alignment with passageways 13 and the horizontal sections of the upper row along with the vertical sections of the outer row of post sect Lons 12b are longer than the horizontal and vertical sections of the post sections 12b of the middle row which are in turn longer than the o 00l0 horizontal and vertical sections of the post sections 12b 0 of the inner row. Thus, the outer, middle and inner 3 vertical sections of post sections lb of contacts 12 are 0i a disposed in parallel rows 12' with free ends 12c thereof Sbeing coplanar as shown in Figures 1-3 and the horizontal and vertical sections of post sections 12b and their respective contact sections 12a in passageways 13 of i housing 11 are disposed in parallel planes oxtending Sn throucjh the axes of vertically cilicjnecd passaijways 13 of housing 11.

A support and alignment member 15 is molded from a l o l suitable dielectric material and it has a stepped or terraced configuration with sections 15a, 15b, 15c being located at upper, middle and lower staggered positions with section 15a being spaced rearwardly and upwardly relative to sections 15b and 15c respectively. Holes 16 extend through each of sections IEi, 15b, 15c from '-he top -7surfaces to the bottom surfaces thereof. The spacing of holes 16 in each of sections 15a, 15b, 15c corresponds to the spacing of the vertical sections of the post sections 12b of the outer, middle and inner rows thereof. Each of holes 16 has a front tapered surface 16a at the entrances thereto which act as guides for guiding free ends 12c of the vertical sections of post sections 12b into holes 16 of support and alignment member 15 when it is positioned onto the vertical sections as shown in Figure 3. Spaced legs 17 extend between sections 15b and 15c and the bottom 00 3 surfaces thereof and section 15c are coplanar with a o bottom rear surface ila of housing 11 which engage an ooe upper surface of the circuit board when the coQnnector is mounted thereon, As shown in Figure 2, the free ends 12c of the outer, middle and inner rows of the vertical sections of post sections 12b are aligned with holes 16 of the sections 15a, 15b and 15c of the support and alignment member 15 which is then moved upwardly so that free ends 12c move into the respective holes 16 and sections 15b and 15c move along the respective rows of the vertical sections of post sections 12b until they reach bights 12d as shown in Figure 3. Tn this position, upper flat surfaces of sections 15a, Sb, 15 c ngage the respective upper, middle and lower horizontal sections of the post sections 12b while the upper parts of the respective 7a outer, middle and inner vertical sections of the post sections 12b extend along holes 16 thereof.

The support and alignment member 15 supports both the horizontal and vertical sections of post sections 12b, helps to maintain the contact sections 12a in their respective passageways thereby providing additional resistance to the contact sections 12a o'f I; -8- Sutr e nd i'nr ticl a 1 c tic n of -the-e-t ps sections 12b extend along holes 16 thereof.

The support and alignment mneinb supports the horizontal and vertic Qctions of post sections 12b, mainta' e contact sictions 12a in their respective passa-gays thereby preventing the contact-sec-tions-l-2 from being moved rearwardly when mating with complementary contact sections during the connection between connector and the complementary connector and aligns the vertical sections of post sections 12b so that free ends 12c can be easily inserted into the holes in the circuit board.

Support and alignment member 15 is maintained in position an the vertical sections of post sections 12b via 0 .On frictional engagement of the vertical sections with the walls of selected holes 16. The front surface of section engages with the part of rear surface 14 of housing 11 below the lower row of the horizontal sections of the post sections 12b between mounting sections 18 of housing 11 which include holes 19 through which securing members, e.g, screws or other conventional securing members, pass for securing connector ~o on the Oircuit board whereafter post sections 12b are electrically connected to the conductive areas of the circuit board. Instead of Lrictionally securing member 15 onto selected post sections 12b, latching means can be located on mounting sections 13 and member

Claims (4)

1. An electrical connector for electrical connection to a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric housing having rows of passageways extending from a front surface to a rear surface thereof, electrical contacts having contact sections located in the passageways and post sections extending outwardly from the rear surface, horizontal sections of the post sections extending axially from the passageways and vertical sections of the post sections extending generally parallel to the rear surface such that free ends of the post sections are disposed in parallel rows and are generally coplanar, a support and alignment member having holes through which the free ends of the post sections extend, wherein; said support and alignment member has a stepped configuration with step sections each comprising one or more of said holes for receiving the vertical section of a respective one of said post sections with the upper surfaces of the step sections engaging the horizontal sections of the post sections for supporting the horizontal and vertical sections of the post sections and aligning the free ends for insertion into holes in the printed circuit board.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein upper entrances'of the holes in the stepped configuration sections are each tapered for guiding the free end of the respective one of the vertical sections therein.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein one or more of said holes frictionally engage the vertical section of the post section received therein for retaining the member thereon.

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claims 1, 2 or 3, wherein a front surface of said member engages said rear surface of the housing for maintaining the contact sections in their passageways. 64W i -l ii ur, r An electrical connector as claimed in claims 1 or 2 wherein the support and alignment member is latched to the housing for maintaining the contact sections in their passageways. 6, An electrical connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein there is further provided spaced legs on the support and alignment member and wherein bottom surfaces of the spaced legs are generally coplanar with a bottom surface of said housing, 7, An electrical connector as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings, DATED this 13 day of June 1991 AMP INCORPORATED Patent Attorneys for the Applicant. FB, RICi CO. Mr