JPH0150068B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to connector assemblies.

It is often desirable to connect a large number of contact pins protruding from a large scale integrated circuit in a matrix to a printed circuit board. Considering the large number of connections that must be made at once and the relatively weak structure of the contact pins and the printed circuit board, it is desirable to use connectors that can connect the contact pins and the printed circuit board with zero insertion force. .

An object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly that can meet such demands.

The connector assembly of the present invention is a low insertion/extraction force connector assembly for electrically connecting a plurality of contact pins arranged in a matrix of a large-scale integrated circuit, and includes a plurality of columnar contacts arranged in the same pattern as the contact pins. a receptacle member having one end locked to each columnar contact, and a plurality of through sockets arranged in a matrix in the same pattern as the contact pins so as to receive the columnar contacts and the receptacle member. The receptacle member is stamped and formed from a metal sheet, and the other end includes a pair of contact portions spaced apart such that the contact pin can be inserted with zero or low insertion force. at least one of the contact portions comprises a resilient contact arm extending away from the other, the housing member being movable between positions near and far from the printed circuit board; A housing member engages the resilient contact arm during the movement to bring the resilient contact arm into contact with the contact pin inserted into the receptacle member, thereby electrically connecting the contact pin and the post contact. each post-shaped contact has a locking shoulder facing the printed circuit board, and the receptacle member has a clip member at the one end, the shoulder and the clip member The one end of the receptacle member is locked to the columnar contact by the engagement of the receptacle member.

It should be noted that since different printed circuit boards are used depending on the circuit, the connector assembly of the present invention is actually manufactured as a kit including a columnar contact, a receptacle member, and a housing, and is assembled into a desired printed circuit board. .

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 to 7, a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a printed circuit board 11, from one surface of which protrudes a plurality of columnar contacts 12 arranged in a matrix. Each contact 12 is connected to a printed circuit board 11.
a pair of lateral extensions 1 that abut the one surface of the
3. It has a tapered tip 14 and a locking shoulder 15 facing the one surface of the printed circuit board 11, and has an elastic pin part 16 (No. 5a) as shown in Japanese Patent Application No. 119873/1983. (Fig.) is secured to the printed circuit board 11.

The receptacle member 17 is integrally stamped and formed from a metal sheet, and includes a pair of elastic arms 18 extending in the same direction at a distance from each other and sandwiching the columnar contact 12;
It is provided at one end with a clip consisting of a locking barb 19 which engages the shoulder 15 by a snapping action to hold the receptacle member 17 on the post contact 12. A root portion of the elastic arm 18 extends from one end of both side walls of the channel-shaped main body 20, and a pair of elastic contact arms 22 extend from the other end of the both side walls. its contact arm 2
2 are bent inward toward each other at the intermediate portion to form a contact portion 23, and upwardly from that portion they open outward to move away from each other to form a pin guide/cam follower portion 24. A stopper flange 21 is inserted from the base of the main body 20.
is bent.

Housing 25 is formed from a rigid insulating material and includes a plurality of through sockets 26.
The plurality of through sockets 26 are arranged in a matrix in the same pattern as the plurality of columnar contacts 12, and are adapted to receive a pair of receptacle members 17 and columnar contacts 12, respectively. The inner diameter of each socket 26 is smaller than the spacing between the pin guide and cam follower portions 24 of the pair of contact arms 22, but is sized to allow the other portions of the receptacle member 17 to pass freely therethrough. Housing 25 is supported by a rectangular frame 27. The frame 27 has an opening 28 through which a guide rod 29 protruding from the printed circuit board 11 freely passes.
It is equipped with Further, each side of the frame 27 is provided with an opening 30 having a thread on the inner surface.

In manufacturing the connector assembly of this embodiment, support strips 39 are used as shown in FIG. 5a.
A plurality of post-shaped contacts 12 connected by
9 is separated from each contact 12, and the contacts 12 are arranged in a matrix on the printed circuit board 11. Next, as shown in FIG. 5b, the housing 25 is placed on the printed circuit board 11 so that each contact 12 is located at the center of each socket 26. Further, a suitable pushing tool is applied to the flange 21 of the receptacle member 17, and the receptacle member 17 is
The receptacle member 17 is locked onto each contact 12 by pushing the receptacle member 17 into each socket 26. Next, as shown in FIG. 5c, a plurality of contact pins 40 of the large-scale integrated circuit 31 are simultaneously connected to each receptacle member 1.
Insert within 7. There is no resistance to insertion at this time. Next, as shown in FIG. 5d, the housing 25
the contact arm 22 of the receptacle member 17 is deflected inwardly by pulling upward;
Receptacle member 17 and contact pin 40 are in electrical contact. This may be done, for example, by attaching a heat sink to printed circuit board 11, as described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7, the heat sink 33 has cooling fins 34.
It is equipped with The heat sink 33 is attached to the threaded tip of the guide rod 29 from above the integrated circuit 31. A threaded opening 3 in which a bolt 36 passes through an opening 35 provided in its heat sink 33 into the inner surface of the frame 27.
Screwed into 0. By turning this bolt 36, the housing 25 is pulled upwardly, and the contact arms 22 are deflected inwardly by the walls of the socket 26 of the housing 25, as described above, to connect each pin 40 of the integrated circuit 31. is brought into electrical contact with.

A screw hole 37 is provided in the heat sink 33, a bolt 38 is screwed into the screw hole 37, and the bolt 38 is turned to protrude from the bottom surface of the heat sink 33.
Push the frame 27 towards the printed circuit board 11, thereby pushing the contact arm 22 into the housing 2.
The pin 40 may be removed from the receptacle member 17 by removing the pin 40 from the socket 26 of the receptacle member 17.

In the event of failure or damage, receptacle member 17 can be removed from contact 12 by rotating receptacle member 17 through 90 degrees. When the receptacle member 17 is rotated through 90 degrees, the elastic arms 18 of the receptacle member 17 are expanded by the lateral extensions 13 of the contacts 12, and the barbs 19 are disengaged from the shoulders 15, so that the barbs 19 are disengaged from the shoulders 15. Pull the receptacle member 17 upward until 19 is above the shoulder 15 and then
By rotating it through 90 degrees, the receptacle member 17 can be freely removed from the contact 12.

As explained above, the connector assembly of the present invention uses a housing with a metal part that can be easily stamped and formed and a constant diameter socket that can be manufactured with only one drilling step. It can be manufactured at low cost from Also, connector assemblies of different sizes can be easily manufactured without making many complex molds.

Furthermore, according to the connector of the present invention, the problem of alignment between pins and sockets that occurs when several thousand connections are made simultaneously is solved by the expanded portion (pin guide and cam follower portion 24) of the contact arm 22 of the receptacle member 17. has been done.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a columnar contact and a receptacle member used in a connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a rear view thereof, FIG. 3 is a rear view of the upper portion of the columnar contact, and FIG. Schematic plan view of Figure 1,
5a to 5d are diagrams for explaining the step-by-step process of assembling the connector assembly shown in FIG. 1 and attaching it to a large-scale integrated circuit, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the process of assembling the connector assembly shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a partially sectional side view of FIG. 6. 11...Printed circuit board, 12...Column contact, 1
3... Lateral extension part, 15... Locking shoulder part, 1
7... Receptacle member, 25... Housing,
26...Socket, 31...Large scale integrated circuit, 4
0...Contact pin.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A low insertion/extraction force connector assembly for electrically connecting a plurality of contact pins 40 arranged in a matrix of a large-scale integrated circuit 31, comprising: a printed circuit board 11 equipped with a plurality of columnar contacts 12;
A receptacle member 17 whose one end is locked to each of the columnar contacts 12, and a plurality of through sockets arranged in a matrix in the same pattern as the contact pins 40 so as to be able to receive each of the columnar contacts 12 and the receptacle member 17. 26, the receptacle member 17 is stamped and formed from a metal sheet, and the other end has a pair of housing members 25 arranged at a distance such that the contact pin 40 can be inserted with zero or low insertion force. A contact portion 23 is provided, and the contact portion 23
at least one of which comprises a resilient contact arm extending away from the other so that the housing member 25 can be moved between a position close to and a position away from the printed circuit board 11; , during said movement, engages said resilient contact arm to bring it into contact with said contact pin 40 inserted into said receptacle member 17, thereby connecting said contact pin 40 and said columnar contact 12. A locking shoulder 15 is provided with a wall for electrical connection, and each of the columnar contacts 12 faces the printed circuit board 11.
The receptacle member 17 is provided with clip members 18 and 19 at the one end, and the engagement of the shoulder portion 15 with the clip members 18 and 19 causes the one end of the receptacle member 17 to be connected to the columnar contact point. 12. 2. A connector assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that a lateral extension (13) is provided between the shoulder (15) of each columnar contact (12) and the printed circuit board (11).