Electrical connector and method for manufacturing the same

• US 5,975,914 A
• Filed: 03/17/1998
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Original Assignee: The Whitaker Corporation (Meggitt PLC)
• Inventors: Uchida, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Stephan, Steven L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYEON, HAE M
• Application Number:
  US09/043,437
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 439/74, 439/44, 439/66, 439/733.1
• US Class Current: 439/66
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/52 connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/7023 integral with the coupling device
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2435 with opposite contact points, e.g. C beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2464 characterized by the contact point

Abstract

An electrical connector including an insulating housing (20) having surfaces (22,24) for facing mutually facing circuit boards, electrical contacts (50,52) disposed in contact press-fitting holes (26,28) in the insulating housing (20) with central sections of the contacts secured within the insulating housing (20). Contact sections of the electrical contacts (50,52) extend outwardly from the surfaces (22,24) of the insulating housing (20) and are bent to extend along the respective board-facing surfaces (22,24) and spaced therefrom defining spring contact members (54,58) for electrical engagement with conductive pads on the circuit boards.

Claims

1. An electrical connector for disposition between mutually facing circuit boards and for electrical connection with conductive pads on the circuit boards comprises an insulating housing (20) having surfaces (22,24) for facing the respective circuit boards and holes (26,28), electrical contacts (50,52) disposed in the holes (26,28) including contact members (54,58) characterized by:

said holes (26,28) are contact press-fitting holes in which the electrical contacts (50,52) in linear form are inserted with central sections of the contacts secured inside the insulating housing and contact sections extend from the central sections beyond the respective surfaces (22,24) of the insulating housing, said contact sections being bent to extend along the respective surfaces and spaced therefrom defining spring contact members (54,58) for electrical engagement with the conductive pads on the circuit boards, and

each said contact press-fitting hole (26,28) includes a constriction inwardly from entrances along said surfaces (22,24), and each said contact central section includes a first projection (62) and a second projection (60) spaced axially therefrom that cause an interference fit within said constriction.

2. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 wherein said contact press-fitting holes (26,28) extend from respective said surfaces in rows adjacent to respective opposing sides of said insulating housing.

3. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the contact press-fitting holes (26) along one said side of the insulating housing (20) are offset with respect to the contact press-fitting holes (28) along the other side of the insulating housing (20).

4. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein the spring contact members (58) of electrical contacts (50) extend along surfaces (22, 24) in one direction whereas the spring contact members (54) of electrical contacts (52) extend along surfaces (22, 24) in an opposite direction from said one direction.

5. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein engaging members (40, 42) are provided in said insulating housing (20) which define fulcra against which the contact sections engage for bending the contact sections so that they extend along the surfaces (22, 24) as spring contact members (54, 58).

6. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein positioning bosses (30) and flexible legs (32) are provided on insulating housing (20) for positioning the connector on the circuit boards.

13. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 1 wherein said constriction is T-shaped in cross-section.

14. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 13 wherein each said contact (50,52) includes a board-connecting projection (58a, 58b) at an end of said contact section (58), and said first central section projection (62) is higher than said board-connecting projection (58a, 58b) permitting said contact section to pass freely through said constriction during connector assembly.

15. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 14 wherein each said second projection (60) is spaced axially from said first projection (62) toward an end of said contact that is inserted into said housing (20) during assembly, and each said central section further includes barbs (64) that extend outwardly from opposing side edges thereof to penetrate adjacent wall surfaces of said housing (20) along said constriction upon insertion of said contact (50,52) in a respective said contact press-fitting hole (26,28).

16. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 15 wherein each said contact central section includes a first pair of barbs adjacent said second projection (60) and a second pair of barbs adjacent said first projection (62), and said barbs of said second pair extend outwardly farther than said barbs of said first pair.

7. An electrical connector for disposition between mutually facing circuit boards and for electrical connection with conductive pads on the circuit boards, comprising:

an insulating housing having surfaces for facing the respective circuit boards and holes, electrical contacts in linear form disposed in respective said holes and including respective contact members at opposed ends thereof;

said holes being contact press-fitting holes in which said contacts are inserted with central sections of said contacts secured inside said housing and said contact sections extend from said central sections beyond respective said surfaces, said contact sections being bent to extend along and spaced from said respective surfaces defining spring contact members deflectable toward said respective surfaces upon electrical engagement with said conductive pads on said circuit boards, and

each said contact press-fitting hole includes a constriction inwardly from entrances along said surfaces, and each said contact central section includes a first projection and a second projection spaced axially therefrom that cause an interference fit within said constriction.

8. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 7 wherein said contact press-fitting holes (26,28) extend from respective said surfaces in rows adjacent to respective opposing sides of said insulating housing.

9. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 8 wherein said contact press-fitting holes along one side of said housing are offset with respect to said contact press-fitting holes along an opposed side of said housing.

10. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 9 wherein said spring contact members of alternating ones of said contacts extend along said respective surfaces in opposing directions.

11. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 7 wherein engaging members are provided in said housing that define fulcra against which said contact sections engage for bending said contact sections to extend along said respective surfaces to become spring contact members.

12. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 7 wherein positioning bosses and flexible legs are provided on said housing for positioning the connector on said circuit boards.

17. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 7 wherein said constriction is T-shaped in cross-section.

18. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 17 wherein each said contact includes a board-connecting projection at an end of said contact section, and said first central section projection is higher than said board-connecting projection permitting said contact section to pass freely through said constriction during connector assembly.

19. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 18 wherein each said second projection is spaced axially from said first projection toward an end of said contact that is inserted into said housing during assembly, and each said central section further includes barbs that extend outwardly from side edges thereof to penetrate adjacent wall surfaces of said housing along said constriction upon insertion of said contact in a respective said contact press-fitting hole.

20. An electrical connector as set forth in claim 19 wherein each said contact central section includes a first pair of barbs adjacent said second projection and a second pair of barbs adjacent said first projection, and said barbs of said second pair extend outwardly farther than said barbs of said first pair.