Two-piece right angle contact edge card connector

• US 6,790,054 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sullins Electronic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Sullins Electronic Corporation
• Inventors: Boonsue, Nop
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US10/392,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 439/79, 439/701, 439/636, 439/637, 439/942
• US Class Current: 439/79
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/721 cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/725 containing contact members presenting a contact carrying strip, e.g. edge-like strip
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/22 End caps, i.e. of insulating or conductive material for covering or maintaining connections between wires entering the cap from the same end

Abstract

An edge card electrical connector is used for receiving the edge of a printed circuit board having contact pads on one or both sides adjacent to the so described edge. This two-piece right angle edge card connector includes an elongated dielectric housing having a receiving face with an elongated slot running the length of the connector creating a card insertion cavity. A plurality of PCI connector pins (peripheral component interconnect), on one or both sides of the card insertion cavity make contact with the pads located on the printed circuit board when it is inserted into the cavity. The PCI connector pins may also be stepped within the card insertion cavity with the primary engagement connectors forward of the secondary engagement connectors allowing for a staggered positioning and increased separation. This edge card electrical connector is uniquely constructed of two high density dielectric parts, a first segment and a second segment mated together with the PCI connector pins bent at a right angle to the elongated slot running the length of the connector and holding the two parts together. Each PCI connector pin is housed within a separate trough with sidewalls and alternating depths of the troughs to insure a proper separation and eliminate any possibility of contact or interference. A crimped nib on either side of the PCI connector pin restrains the connectors in place when they are inserted into the square PCI connector pin orifice. This new assembly process, along with the unique design of the two-piece right angle contact edge card connector allow the device to be used in a wider variety of applications than previous models of edge card connectors along with the ability of holding varying thickness of the edge cards and used with currents up to and exceeding three amperes. This right angle contact edge card connector has been designed for use in applications where computer peripherals, and add-on cards need to be mounted parallel to the motherboards due to limited space.

Claims

1. A right angle edge card connector, comprising:

a set of connector pins, each having a card contact portion and a shank portion;

a first housing for containing said card contact portions of said set of connector pins in a predetermined arrangement within a card insertion cavity formed in said housing; and

a second housing, mateable with said first housing, formed to insulate and provide spatial separation between said shank portions of said set of connector pins, wherein said second housing provides a fixture having a radius point for bending said shank portions of said connector pins when said first housing is mated with said second housing.

2. A right angle edge card connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said first housing has a series of tabs and said second housing has a series of matching rectangular slots for mateable engagement with said tabs.

3. A right angle edge card connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said set of connector pins comprise a set of primary engagement connector pins and a set of secondary engagement connector pins.

4. A right angle edge card connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said first housing and said second housing are formed from a dielectric material.

5. A right angle edge card connector as recited in claim 1, wherein said second housing has a trough like section formed therein having a sequential pattern of ridges and rows.

6. A right angle edge card connector as recited in claim 5, wherein said shank portions extending past said assembled connector are formed over individual radius points in said trough like section.

7. A right angle contact edge card connector, comprising:

a housing having first and second mateable segments;

a plurality of primary engagement and secondary engagement connector pins spaced along both sides of the card insertion cavity of said first segment, each having a card contact portion and a shank portion, said shank portions of said connector pins insertable through orifices in said second segment; and

a trough like housing formed in said second segment for providing a fixture having a radius point for bending portions of said connector pins protruding past said assembled first and second segments.

8. A connector as recited in claim 7, wherein said second segment has a plurality of rectangular orifices and said first segment has a plurality of matching rectangular tabs for engagement with said orifices.

9. A method of assembling a right angle contact edge card, comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having first and second segments, said second segment having a trough like housing;

inserting primary engagement connector pins into a first side of said first segment;

inserting secondary engagement connector pins into a second side of said first segment;

mating said second segment with said first segment by inserting the connector pin shank end portions through orifices in said second segment;

joining said first segment with said second segment by mating a plurality of orifices in the second segment with matching tabs of the first segment; and

bending said connector pins protruding past said mated first and second segments over individual radius points in the trough like housing of said second segment, forming right angle parallel rows of connector ends.

10. A method of assembling a right angle contact edge card, comprising the steps of:

providing a housing having first and second segments;

inserting primary engagement connector pins into a first side of said first segment;

inserting secondary engagement connector pins into a second side of said first segment;

joining said first segment with said second segment by mating at least one orifice in one segment with a corresponding tab of another segment; and

bending said connector pins protruding past said mated first and second segments over individual radius points in said second segment.