Electrical connector having a device retaining means and a method of assembly thereof

• US 5,511,994 A
• Filed: 07/21/1994
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Spectrum Control Incorporated (API Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Minich, Steven E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams, Neil
• Assistant Examiner(s): STANDIG, BARRY
• Application Number:
  US08/278,489
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 439/620, 439/79, 29/876, 29/881
• US Class Current: 439/620.05
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/724 containing contact members forming a right angle
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/7195 with planar filters with openings for contacts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49217 by elastic joining

Abstract

An electrical connector 1 having a mating section 12 and a mounting surface 14. The mounting surface 14 having a device receiving recess 19 therealong with a retaining lip 24. Contacts 40 having contact terminating sections 44 extending through the recess 19 and beyond the mounting surface 14. A device 50 is secured in the recess 19 by a combination of spring forces of the contacts 40 and the retaining lip 24.

A method of assembling an electrical connector 1 having a device 50 secured in a device receiving recess 19 along a mounting surface 14. The method involves first placing the device 50 onto the contact terminating sections 44, moving the device 50 above and then behind the retaining lip 24 by pushing against spring forces of the contacts 40, and then lowering the device 50 behind the retaining 24 lip and releasing the spring forces.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising:

a housing having a mating section for connecting to matable connector, and having a mounting surface for mounting to a circuit board, the mounting surface having a device receiving recess with a retaining lip;

contacts formed of resilient material and being disposed in the housing having contact terminating sections disposed in the device receiving recess; and

a device disposed within the device receiving recess, the device having apertures therethrough, the contact terminating sections extending through the apertures, the device being assembled to the housing by movement along the contact terminating sections until the device snaps behind the retaining lip, and the device being secured in the device receiving recess by a combination of cumulative spring forces of the contacts and the retaining lip, the cumulative spring forces being perpendicular to the contact termination sections.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the device is a ferrite inductor filter.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein said mounting surface has mounting flanges.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein said recess is defined by side walls along the mounting flanges and a bottom wall on which the retaining lip is disposed.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the contacts have resilient middle sections and contact sections disposed in the mating section.

6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the resilient middle section has the spring forces.

7. The connector of claim 1, wherein the connector is a right-angled connector.

8. The connector of claim 7, wherein the contacts are aligned in two rows.

9. The connector of claim 8, wherein one row of contacts prevents the device from moving backwards in the device receiving recess.

10. The connector of claim 1, wherein the connector is a straight through connector having straight contacts.

11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the recess has a back wall and the device is prevented from moving backwards by the back wall.

12. A method of assembling an electrical connector and a device, the connector having a mating section and a mounting surface and contacts formed of resilient material and being secured in the connector, the contacts having contact terminating sections with spring forces perpendicular to the contact terminating sections, the mounting surface having a retaining lip therealong;

comprising the steps of;

placing the device onto the contacts by sliding the terminating sections into apertures in the device;

moving the device above the retaining lip in the mounting surface by pushing the device against he spring forces of the contacts; and

sliding the device further onto the contacts until the device is behind the retaining lip;

whereby the device is then held in place by a combination of the retaining lip and the cumulative spring forces of the contacts.