Contact element support in particular for a thin smart card connector

• US 6,190,213 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH (Amphenol Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Amphenol-Tuchel Electronics GmbH (Amphenol Corporation)
• Inventors: Braun, Gerhard, Reichart, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KHIEM M
• Application Number:
  US09/343,554
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 439/630, 439/862, 439/736, 439/331, 439/71, 439/79
• US Class Current: 439/736
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/57 surface mounting terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/2442 with a single cantilevered beam
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members

Abstract

A contacting apparatus comprising: a contact element support and fixedly mounted in said contact element support at least one contact element, wherein A) said contact element comprises: a contact cusp portion, a mounting section adapted to be enclosed by said contacting element support, and a contacting portion, said mounting section forming a step adapted to be located within said contact element support; and B) said contact element support being designed such, that it encloses said contact element only in locations where a load is generated by a contacting force exerted onto said contact cusp portion.

Claims

1. A contacting apparatus (10) comprising:

a contact element support (30) and fixedly mounted in said contact element support (30) at least one contact element (20), wherein

A) said contact element (20) comprises;

a first horizontal portion (22) forming at a free end thereof a contact cusp portion (21),

a mounting section (23) adapted to be enclosed by said contacting element support (30), and

a second horizontal portion (24) forming at a free end thereof a contacting portion (24),

said mounting section (23) forming a step adapted to be located within said contact element support (30); and

B) said contact element support (30) being designed such, that it encloses said contact element (20) only in locations where a load is generated by a contacting force exerted onto said contact cusp portion, and forms in the area and across widths (26) of said contacting element (20) a mounting region (28) comprising a first frontal mounting region portion (31) and a second rearward mounting region portion (32) separated by said step of said contact element (20), and

wherein said contact element support (30) supports with its first mounting region portion (31) the contact element (20) including its inclined portion (23) from below, and wherein said second mounting region portion (32) of the contact element support (30) supports the contact element inclusive of its inclined portion (23) from above and, wherein in the area of the first horizontal portion (22) of the contact element (20) no contact element support material is provided above the contact element and wherein in the area of a second horizontal portion (24) of the contact element (20) no contact element support material is provided below said contact element.

2. The contacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said contact elements (20) are mounted in said contact element support (30) at the time the contact element support is injection molded.

3. The contacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said first mounting region portion (31) and the second mounting region portion (32) of the contact element (30) are unitary with an intermediate portion (29) of said contact element support located between said contact elements.

4. The contacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said step includes an inclined portion (23).

5. The contacting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the step of the contact element (20) is designed such that the contact portion (24) for contacting the printed circuit board (12) is coplanar with an upper surface (12) of the printed circuit board (11) and a bottom surface (61) of the contact element support (30).

6. The contacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the inclined portion of the step has an angle (25) between 30 and 90 degrees.

7. The contacting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said contacting portion 24) is adapted to contact a printed circuit board (11).

8. The contacting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first horizontal portion and the second horizontal portion are planar.