Method of making an electrical connector

• US 6,379,161 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2001
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Ma, Hao-Yun
• Primary Examiner(s): PAUMEN, GARY F
• Application Number:
  US09/755,396
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 298/48, 298/60, 298/43, 298/84, 298/85, 439/83, 439/876, 439/885, 439/886
• US Class Current: 439/83
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/16 for manufacturing contact members, e.g. by punching and by bending
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/24 Assembling by moulding on contact members
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3426 characterised by the leads
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49179 by metal fusion bonding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49222 forming array of contacts or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49224 with coating

Abstract

A method of making an electrical connector includes the steps of: a. stamping and forming a contact strip (10) and a number of contacts (12) on the contact strip; b. defining a recess (16) in a tail (14) of each contact; c. applying a first finish of nickel material on portions of the contact having the recesses followed by a second finish of tin-lead alloy material; d. injection molding an insulative housing (20) to the contacts; e. bending the tails outwardly; f. severing the contact strip from the contacts at the recesses.

Claims

1. A method of making an electrical connector comprising steps of:

a. stamping a metal sheet to form a contact strip and a plurality of contacts on the contact strip, the contacts being arrayed in a row and being distanced from each other a predetermined distance;

b. defining a recess in a tail of each contact;

c. applying a finish on at least portions of the tails having the recesses for facilitating soldering the tails to circuit pads on a printed circuit board (PCB);

d. forming an insulative housing and engaging the contacts within the housing; and

e. severing the contact strip from the contacts;

wherein, in step a, the contacts connect to the contact strip via the tails thereof;

wherein, in step c, a first finish of nickel material is applied on the portions having the recesses and is followed by a second finish of tin-lead alloy material;

wherein the solder tails are soldered to the circuit pads using soldering tin;

wherein, in step d, the housing defines a plurality of contact receiving cavities and the contacts are respectively inserted into corresponding cavities;

wherein the contacts are arranged in first and second rows and the recesses of the first row of contacts confront the recesses of the second row of contacts;

further including a step of bending the tails of the contacts to abut against a bottom surface of the housing after step d;

wherein, in step e, the contact strip is severed from the contacts at the recesses and the tails of the contacts retain the recesses.