Contact clip for connecting a ceramic substrate to a printed circuit board
First Claim
1. A contact clip for mounting a substrate to a printed circuit board, said clip comprising, an elongated length of conductive material, its top section being curved around to provide a downwardly facing surface and having a depending first finger, its lower section having a portion adapted for insertion into a hole in a printed circuit board and further having a second finger extending upwardly and slidingly engaging the first finger to provide an electrical signal path therebetween, and its intermediate section formed into an elongated, outwardly projecting nose consisting of an upper limb attached to and extending obliquely downwardly from the top section, a lower limb attached to and extending outwardly from the lower section, and a bight connecting the two limbs, said downwardly facing surface of the top section cooperating with the top surface of the upper limb to provide a receptacle for an edge of a substrate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a contact clip which may be attached to a ceramic or other type substrate and which may be plugged into a PCB and thereby provide electrical connections between the substrate and the conductive traces on the board. More particularly, the clip includes a receptacle for receiving the edge of a substrate for mechanical retention and electrical contact, a spring arm which protects the substrate from thermal and mechanical stresses, a low force pluggable pin section for insertion into a board'"'"'s plated-through hole, and means establishing redundant short electrical paths between the pad on the substrate and the traces on the PCB.
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Citations
11 Claims
- 1. A contact clip for mounting a substrate to a printed circuit board, said clip comprising, an elongated length of conductive material, its top section being curved around to provide a downwardly facing surface and having a depending first finger, its lower section having a portion adapted for insertion into a hole in a printed circuit board and further having a second finger extending upwardly and slidingly engaging the first finger to provide an electrical signal path therebetween, and its intermediate section formed into an elongated, outwardly projecting nose consisting of an upper limb attached to and extending obliquely downwardly from the top section, a lower limb attached to and extending outwardly from the lower section, and a bight connecting the two limbs, said downwardly facing surface of the top section cooperating with the top surface of the upper limb to provide a receptacle for an edge of a substrate.
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5. A contact clip for mechanically and electrically connecting a substrate to a printed circuit board, said clip comprising:
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a. a top section with its upper portion formed around to provide a downwardly facing convex surface and a lower vertical portion having a first finger depending therefrom; b. a lower section with a lower end adapted for insertion into a plated-through hole in a printed circuit board and an upper portion having a second finger extending vertically upwardly to slidingly engage the first finger; and c. an intermediate section consisting of outwardly projecting, resilient upper and lower limbs with their outer ends joined together and with the inner end of the upper limb attached to the top section and the inner end of the lower limb attached to the upper portion on the lower section, further, the upper limb having an upwardly facing convex surface which cooperates with the downwardly facing convex surface to provide a receptacle for an edge of a substrate. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of making a contact clip for connecting a substrate to a printed circuit board, comprising the steps of:
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a. stamping from flat stock a predetermined shape having top, intermediate and lower sections; b. slitting the free end of the lower section to define three parallel segments; c. forming a pin for insertion into a circuit board by bowing the three parallel segments outwardly with the middle segment being bowed in one direction and the side segments being bowed in the opposite direction; d. bending the free end of the top section into a horizontal S-shaped curve; e. bending the intermediate section to form a laterally extending nose-shaped compliant section, the bending being such so as to bring the top and lower sections closer and in vertical alignment with each other and to form a substrate-edge receptacle between the S-shaped curve and the portion of the intermediate section adjacent its connection with the top section; f. providing a first finger extending downwardly from the top section and a second finger extending upwardly from the lower section; g. bending the second finger into an S-shaped curve; and h. biasing the first and second fingers together to provide sliding electrical engagement therebetween. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification