Receptacle connector

• US 6,007,359 A
• Filed: 11/25/1997
• Issued: 12/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc. (ITT, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosmala, Michael Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US08/977,602
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 439/92, 439/95, 439/101, 439/108, 439/259, 439/260, 439/329, 439/607
• US Class Current: 439/329
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/707 Soldering or welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/722 coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 2107/00 Four or more poles
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/62 Sliding engagements with one side only, e.g. modular jack coupling devices

Abstract

A receptacle connector (12) is provided for mounting on a circuit board (14) and for receiving a plug (30) to deflect the plug contacts (32) against contact pads (20) on the board, wherein a receptacle connector of simple design provides EMI (electromagnetic interference) shielding, means for fixing itself to the board in a simple and accurate manner, and means for secure plug latching. The receptacle connector includes a die cast metal housing and a plastic molded cam wall (26) fixed to the housing. The housing has three solder pad projections (100, 102, 104) at its bottom which are soldered to ground traces (110, 112, 114) on the circuit board to hold the housing in place and with its horizontal plane accurately parallel to the plane of the circuit board. The metal of the die cast housing provides EMI shielding and provides metal strikes (54) against which plug latches (50) are latched.

Claims

1. A receptacle connector which is designed to be mounted on a circuit board over a row of contact pads on the circuit board and to form a forwardly-opening plug receiving space in cooperation with said board, with said space designed to receive a plug connector that has a row of contacts that are intended to engage said row of contact pads, wherein:

said receptacle connector includes a housing with walls that at least partially surround said space and a cam wall with a camming surface spaced from said circuit board to directly engage said contacts and deflect them against said contact pads;

said housing is formed of electrically conductive material, said walls of said housing form at least one mount hole, and said cam wall is formed of dielectric material and has at least one projection that projects into said mount hole and is rigidly fixed to the walls of said mount hole to thereby fix said cam wall to said housing so they form an integral part that can be handled as a single piece.

2. The receptacle connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said housing is an integral cast metal member.

3. The receptacle connector described in claim 1 wherein:

said housing has a vertical rear wall with said at least one mount hole in it, and said cam wall projection is a rearward projection that lies in and is trapped in said mount hole.

4. A combination of a circuit board and a receptacle connector, for receiving a plug that has deflectable contacts and a pair of latches, wherein:

said circuit board has a forward board edge and has a surface region adjacent to said board edge, with said surface region having a row of traces forming contact pads;

said receptacle connector includes a one-piece metal housing mounted on said board, said housing have opposite side walls lying on opposite sides of said row of contact pads, and a rear wall spaced rearwardly of said board edge and extending between said side walls, with said side and rear walls and said circuit board forming a forwardly-opening space for receiving said plug;

said receptacle connector also includes a cam wall of dielectric material mounted on said housing and lying directly over said row of contact pads, said cam wall having cam surfaces for downwardly deflecting the plug contacts against said contact pads as the plug is inserted into said space;

said housing side walls forming metal strikes with largely rearwardly-facing walls for engaging said latches.

5. The combination described in claim 4 wherein:

said one-piece molded housing is molded with at least one mount hole in said rear wall, and said cam wall has a rearward projection that projects rearwardly into said mount hole and that is fixedly captured therein.

6. The combination described in claim 4 wherein:

said housing in an integral cast metal member.

7. A method for constructing a receptacle for a plug that has electrical contacts, comprising:

forming, in a mold, a metal housing which has a rear wall and opposite side walls, with said walls having bottoms constructed to mount on a circuit board;

forming a dielectric cam wall with an inclined lower surface portion, and fixedly mounting said cam wall on said housing so said cam wall lies between said side walls and is spaced above said circuit board.

8. A receptacle connector which is designed to be mounted on a circuit board over a row of contact pads and to form a forwardly-opening plug receiving space in cooperation with said board, with said space designed to receive a plug connector that has a row of contacts that are intended to engage said row of contact pads, wherein:

said receptacle connector includes a housing with walls that at least partially surround said space including opposite side walls and a rear wall and a cam wall positioned to directly engage said contacts and deflect them against said contact pads;

said housing is formed of electrically conductive material, and said cam wall is formed of dielectric material and is fixed to said housing;

said housing has a bottom extending along said side walls and rear wall, with said bottom having a plurality of downward solder pad projections including at least one at each of said side walls and at said rear wall for lying on said circuit board.

9. The receptacle connector described in claim 8 wherein:

said plurality of solder pad projections consists of three, with one at the bottom of each of said side and rear walls.

10. The receptacle connector described in claim 8 including said circuit board, and wherein:

said circuit board has a plurality of ground pads, and each of said projections lies against and is soldered to one of said ground pads.

11. A combination of a circuit board and a receptacle connector, for receiving a plug that has deflectable contacts, wherein:

said circuit board has a forward board edge and has a surface region adjacent to said board edge, with said surface region having a row of traces forming contact pads;

said receptacle connector includes a one-piece electrically conductive housing mounted on said board, said housing have opposite side walls lying on opposite sides of said row of contact pads, a rear wall spaced rearwardly of said board edge and extending between said side walls and a front wall strip that lies directly in front of said board edge, with said side and rear walls and said circuit board forming a forwardly-opening space for receiving said plug;

a cam wall of dielectric material mounted on said housing and lying directly over said row of contact pads, said cam wall having cam surfaces for downwardly deflecting the plug contacts against said contact pads as the plug is inserted into said space;

said housing has a bottom and has a plurality of integral downwardly-projecting pads at said bottom;

said circuit board has a plurality of ground pads, with said projections lying on said ground pads and soldered thereto.

12. A method for constructing a receptacle for a plug that has electrical contacts, comprising:

forming, in a mold, a metal housing which has a rear wall and opposite side walls, with said walls having bottoms constructed to mount on a circuit board and with said bottoms of said rear and side walls having downward projections;

forming a dielectric cam wall with an inclined lower surface portion, and fixedly mounting said cam wall on said housing;

forming a circuit board with an upper face and with electrically grounded ground pads and with a row of contact pads all on said board upper face;

positioning said housing so said projections lie against said ground pads and said cam wall lies spaced over said contact pads, and soldering said projections to said ground pads.

13. A combination of a circuit board, a receptacle connector, and a plug that has deflectable contacts, wherein:

said circuit board has a forward board edge and has a surface region adjacent to said board edge, with said surface region having a row of traces forming contact pads;

said receptacle connector includes a one-piece metal housing mounted on said board and a cam wall lying over said contact pads, said housing had laterally-spaced opposite side walls lying on opposite sides of said row of contact pads and a rear wall spaced rearwardly of said board edge and extending between said side walls, and said side and rear walls and said circuit board form a forwardly-opening space for receiving at least the contacts of said plug;

said cam wall is formed of dielectric material, said cam wall is mounted on said housing and said cam wall has cam surfaces for downwardly deflecting the plug contacts against said contact pads as the plug is inserted at least partially into said space;

said housing side walls are spaced apart and laterally locate said plug as said plug is inserted rearwardly into said fowardly-opening space;

said metal housing side walls have strikes with largely rearwardly-facing walls, and said plug has latches with largely forwardly-facing walls that engage said largely rearwardly-facing walls of said strikes when said plug is fully inserted into said forwardly-opening space.