Crimp contact for a printed circuit board and method

• US 4,723,925 A
• Filed: 03/02/1987
• Issued: 02/09/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Woven Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Orr, Lawrence W. Jr., Motte, Ray T. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESMOND, EUGENE
• Application Number:
  US07/020,398
• Time in Patent Office: 344 Days
• Field of Search: 29/867, 439/83, 439/879, 439/876-878
• US Class Current: 439/877
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/00 Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures printed connections to, or between, printed circuits H05K1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/585 Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/718 Contact members provided on the PCB without an insulating housing contacts for abutting H01R12/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/18 by crimping H01R4/01, H01R4/2495 take precedence; for coaxial cables H01R9/0518
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/187 combined with soldering or welding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49192 with insulation removal

Abstract

A crimp contact and method for terminating discrete electrical conductor wires with a printed circuit board includes a crimp contact A having a crimp barrel (10) in which wire (16) is crimped. A solder post (24) extends from a widened circular flange (22) which is integral with the crimp barrel. Spacer block (20) spaces circular flange (22) above plated through hole (32) so that a space is provided which may be completely filled with solder. A pair of quarter round seating sections (28 and 30) are formed on opposing surfaces (24a and 24c) of solder post (24). The remaining periphery of solder post is open at (42) to facilitate upward and complete flow of the solder.

Claims

1. A method for terminating electrical conductors having electrical wires surrounded with insulation of the type with multilayer printed circuit board having plated-through holes interconnecting a number of levels of electrical circuitry comprising:

providing a crimp contact having a self-seating solder post and a crimp barrel for firmly holding said electrical conductor;

stripping the insulation from said electrical conductors to expose the electrical wires;

inserting said electrical wires into the crimp barrel of said crimp contact;

crimping said electrical wires inside said crimp barrel to firmly attach and hold said electrical conductor in electrical contact with said crimp contact;

inserting said crimp contact and attached electrical conductor into said plated-through hole on one side of said printed circuit board in a manner that said crimp contact is firmly seated in said hole and said solder post extends generally through said hole; and

soldering said crimp contact into said plated-through hole from the opposing side of said printed circuit board in a manner that said solder flows along the length of said hole interconnecting the levels of electrical circuitry in said printed circuit board with said electrical connector.

2. The method of claim 1 including wave soldering the entire printed circuit board with said crimp contacts inserted in a number of said plated-through holes.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said crimp contact is inserted in said plated-through hole by pressing opposing surfaces about a periphery of said crimp contact into a generally tight fit with said plated-through hole while leaving an axial clearance between said crimp contact and said plated-through hole about the remaining periphery of said crimp contact so that solder may flow upwardly through said clearance to uniformly interconnect said crimp contact and said levels of electrical circuitry.

4. The method of claim 3 including supporting a widened flange surrounding said crimp barrel to create a space above the surface of the printed circuit board during soldering so that solder flows through said plated hole and said clearance against a bottom surface of said widened flange and solder is disposed in said space.

5. The method of claim 1 including inserting said crimp contact by press fitting opposing side surfaces of said contact in a generally tight fit with said plated-through hole.

6. The method of claim 5 including aligning said crimp contact for pressing fitting in said hole by first inserting a solder post into said plated-through hole having planar surfaces intersecting one another at angles to define sharp edges which engage said hole and align and guide said crimp contact into said hole for press fitting.

7. A crimp contact for terminating discrete, electrical conductors to a printed circuit board having plated-through holes comprising:

an elongated crimp barrel having a hollow interior for receiving and crimping an electrical conductor to hold the conductor firmly in electrical contact;

a widened flange surrounding said crimp barrel extending radially outward beyond said crimp barrel providing an enlarged solder contact surface on a lower surface thereof facing said printed circuit board when inserted in the board;

a spacer block integral with said widened flange and disposed below said widened flange for supporting said widened flange above the printed circuit board to create a solder space between said enlarged solder contact surface and said plated-through hole;

a generally square solder post extending from said solder contact surface and said spacer block terminating at a free end;

a pair of round seating sections carried by opposing planar surfaces of said square solder posts for engaging an inside diameter of said plated-through hole and firmly seating said contact within said plated-through hole in a manner that movement in a radial direction is prevented and movement in an axial direction is limited so that the contact is held firmly in the plated-through hole for soldering; and

said solder post having two opposing planar surfaces which are devoid of round seating sections so that a clearance space is formed between said planar post surfaces and said plated-through hole extending from the free end of said solder post to said annular contact surface facilitating the flow of solder along generally the entire length of said solder post through said plated through hole and outwardly through said solder space for complete soldering against said enlarged solder contact surface.

8. A crimp contact for terminating a multilayer printed circuit board of the type having plated-through holes and a number of levels of electrical circuitry comprising:

an elongated crimp barrel having a hollow interior for receiving and crimping an electrical conductor to hold the conductor firmly in electrical contact;

a widened flange extending outwardly beyond said crimp barrel providing a solder contact surface on a lower surface facing said printed circuit board when inserted therein;

contact spacer means for supporting said widened flange above said printed circuit board to create a solder space between said solder contact surface and said plated-through hole;

a solder post extending from said solder contact surface and terminating at a free end;

seating means formed adjacent said spacer means for firmly seating said contact within said plated-through hole preventing movement in a radial direction and limiting movement in an axial direction so that said contact is held securely in said plated-through hole for soldering; and

said seating means being interrupted about a periphery of said solder post to create a clearance between said solder post and said plated-through hole allowing passage of the flow of solder into said solder space between said solder contact surface and said plated-through hole.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said solder post includes planar surfaces which intersect at angles to define sharp longitudinal edges for engaging an opening of said hole and aligning said post for press fitting of said seating means within said hole.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein said seating means includes a generally round section projecting radially to a fit with the opening of said plated-through hole.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein said solder post has a generally square cross section, said round section projecting radially on two opposing surfaces of said square post, and the remaining surfaces of said square post being continuously planar from said free end to said solder contact surface defining said clearance and facilitating solder flow through said plated-through hole and interconnecting of said levels of electrical circuitry and said crimp contact.

12. The device of claim 9 wherein each said round section consists of a quarter round.