Interconnect module

• US 6,511,330 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Issued: 01/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CommScope Technologies, LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ADC Telecommunications Incorporated (TE Connectivity Limited)
• Inventors: Norris, Jeffrey J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luebke, Renee
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHI T
• Application Number:
  US09/939,203
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 439/76.1, 439/83, 439/79, 439/660, 439/701, 439/66, 439/82, 439/853, 439/378, 439/682, 439/686, 439/688, 439/709, 439/723, 439/76.2
• US Class Current: 439/76.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/585 Terminals having a press fit or a compliant portion and a shank passing through a hole in the printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1452 Mounting of connectors; Switching; Reinforcing of back panels

Abstract

A mount apparatus includes a separate spring contact and wire wrap pin assembly as well as having a sandwich construction to prevent the spring contact and wire wrap pin from being pushed out of their retention positions. In one embodiment, a mount apparatus includes a front cover having a plurality of receptacles, a back cover having a plurality of through holes, and a circuit board assembly sandwiched between the front cover and the back cover. The circuit board assembly includes a board having a plurality of through holes aligned with the receptacles of the front cover and the through holes of the back cover, a plurality of contacts retained in a first set of the through holes of the board of the circuit board assembly, and a plurality of pins retained in a second set of the through holes of the board of the circuit board assembly. A first end of each contact is extended towards and exposed in a corresponding receptacle of the front cover and stopped by the front cover, and a second end of each contact is extended towards and stopped by the back cover. A first end of each pin is extended towards and stopped by the front cover, and a second end of each pin is extended towards and projected from a corresponding through hole of the back cover. Further, the circuit board assembly includes a trace electrically connecting each contact to each corresponding pin.

Claims

1. A mount apparatus for use in a cross-connect system, comprising:

a front cover having a plurality of receptacles;

a back cover having a plurality of through holes;

a circuit board assembly sandwiched between the front cover and the back cover, the circuit board assembly comprising;

a board having a plurality of through holes aligned with the receptacles of the front cover and the through holes of the back cover;

a plurality of contacts retained in a first set of the through holes of the board of the circuit board assembly, a first end of each contact being extended towards and exposed in a corresponding receptacle of the front cover and stopped by the front cover, a second end of each contact being extended towards and projecting toward the back cover;

a plurality of pins retained in a second set of the through holes of the board of the circuit board assembly, a first end of each pin being extended towards and stopped by the front cover, a second end of each pin being extended towards and projected from a corresponding through hole of the back cover; and

a trace electrically connecting each contact to each corresponding pin.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receptacles of the front cover form a plurality of arrays of channels.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front and back covers are made of a plastic material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts include:

a first section that receives an electrical contact, the first section including first and second spring arms proximate to each other at a contact point and configured to exert a first spring force to retain the electrical contact;

a second section adapted for insertion into the through hole of the circuit board, the second section including first and second pin members proximate to each other and defining slots configured to exert a second spring force to retain the electrical terminal in the through hole of the circuit board, the second spring force being exerted in a direction perpendicular to the first spring force; and

a third section integral with the first and second sections.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts include:

a first section that receives an electrical contact;

a second section adapted for insertion into the through hole of the circuit board, the second section including first and second pin members proximate to each other and defining slots configured to exert a spring force to retain the electrical terminal in the through hole of the circuit board; and

a third section integral with the first and second sections, the third section including a plurality of stop members configured to prevent the electrical terminal from being pushed through the through hole of the circuit board.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the front and back covers further comprise mating male and female members to press fit the front and back covers together.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuit board assembly further comprises a hole through which the mating male member extends towards the mating female member so that the circuit board assembly is sandwiched between the front and back covers.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each pin comprises a pair of enlarged sections disposed on first and second sides of the pin, respectively, and a pair of recessed sections disposed on third and fourth sides of the pin, respectively, each of the enlarged sections being disposed next to each of the recessed sections, the enlarged sections and the recessed sections being disposed proximate the first end of the pin, a portion of the enlarged sections and the recessed sections being press-fit in the through hole of the board.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first end of the pin is disposed adjacent to the front cover, and the front cover is arranged and configured such that the front cover is capable of preventing the pin from being pushed out from a front cover side.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each contact comprises a pair of spring arms, each spring arm having a first contact section proximate a first end of the spring arm, the first contact section of the two spring arms being spring-biased against each other in a normal mode, and the first end of the spring arms being configured to be a receiving end for receiving an electrical contact.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein each spring arm has a second contact section proximate a second end of the spring arm, the second contact section of the two spring arms being spring-biased against each other in an operation mode where the first end of the spring arms receives the electrical contact.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each spring arm has a third contact section proximate a middle portion of the spring arm, the third contact section of the two spring arms being spring-biased against each other in the operation mode where the first end of the spring arms receives the electrical contact.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the contact further comprises a stop member integrally connected to the third contact section of the two spring arms and extended along a longitudinal axis of the contact, the stop member being disposed between the front cover and the board and being capable of preventing the contact from being pushed out of the through hole of the board either from a front cover side or from a back cover side.

14. A mount apparatus comprising:

a front cover having a plurality of receptacles;

a back cover having a plurality of through holes; and

a circuit board assembly sandwiched between the front cover and the back cover, the circuit board assembly comprising;

a board having a plurality of through holes aligned with the receptacles of the front cover and the through holes of the back cover;

a plurality of contacts retained in a first set of the through holes of the board of the circuit board assembly, a first end of each contact being extended towards and exposed in a corresponding receptacle of the front cover and stopped by the front cover, a second end of each contact being extended towards and projecting toward the back cover.