Electrical connector with elastomeric element and restrainer member to offset relaxation of the elastomer

• US 6,939,144 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2004
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kuczynski, Joseph, Tofil, Timothy Jerome, Vermilyea, Paul Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): TA, THO DAC
• Application Number:
  US10/929,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 439/67, 439/77, 439/492, 439/493, 439/73, 439/66, 439/586, 439/591, 439/86
• US Class Current: 439/67
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/62 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/79 connecting to rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/365 by abutting, i.e. without alloying process

Abstract

An electrical connector includes contact pads on a printed circuit board and contact members on a substrate. The contact members are pressed against the contact pads by a compression mat having compressor fingers. A clamping arrangement forces the compressor fingers against the substrate and thereby presses the contact members against the connector pads. The compression mat is made of elastomeric material, which has a tendency to relax and thus reduce the pressure after the clamping arrangement is tightened. A restrainer member is used to offset this tendency of the polymer to relax. The restrainer member has holes through which the compressor fingers of the compression mat extend.

Claims

1. A connector for providing electrical connections to wiring on a printed circuit board, comprising:

connector pads disposed within a contact region on the printed circuit board;

an insulating substrate having first and second sides;

contact members disposed within a contact region on the first side of the substrate, the contact region of the substrate being aligned with the contact region of the printed circuit board;

a compression mat having compressor fingers that contact the second side of the substrate in alignment with the contact regions on the first side;

a clamping arrangement that presses the compression mat toward the printed circuit board; and

a restrainer member having holes through which the compressor fingers extend, the restrainer member being made by depositing a precursor material in a liquid state on the compression mat and then curing the precursor material.

2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible plastic strip.

3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the restrainer member is resilient.

4. The connector of claim 3, wherein the restrainer member has a Shore hardness of about A30.

5. The connector of claim 1, wherein the precursor material comprises polyurethane, and is cured at an elevated temperature.

6. A method for electrically connecting connector pads that are disposed within a contact region on a printed circuit board to contact members that are disposed within a contact region on a first side of an insulating substrate, comprising:

(a) bracing compressor fingers of a compression mat with a restrainer member having holes through which the compressor fingers extend;

(b) placing the contract region of the substrate in face-to-face relationship with the contact region of the printed circuit board;

(c) positioning the compression mat adjacent a second side of the substrate, with the contact fingers being aligned with the contact members on the first side; and

(d) pressing the compression mat toward the printed circuit board, wherein step (a) comprises depositing a liquid material on the compression mat, and hardening the liquid material to form a resilient body through which the compressor fingers extend.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid material is a heated polyurethane composition, and the step of hardening the liquid material comprises curing the polyurethane composition at an elevated temperature for a predetermined period of time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the liquid material is selected from the group consisting of polyurethane, silicone, and flexibilized epoxies.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein step (d) comprises tightening fastening members of a clamping arrangement which secures the substrate and the compression mat to the printed circuit board.

10. A connector for providing electrical connections to wiring on a printed circuit board, comprising:

connector pads disposed within a contact region on the printed circuit board;

an insulating substrate having first and second sides;

contact members disposed within a contact region on the first side of the substrate, the contact region of the substrate being aligned with the contact region of the printed circuit board;

a compression mat having compressor fingers that contact the second side of the substrate in alignment with the contact regions on the first side;

a clamping arrangement that presses the compression mat toward the printed circuit board; and

means for bracing the compressor fingers with a restrainer member formed by curing precursor material that was deposited on the compression mat in a liquid state.

11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a flexible plastic strip.

12. The connector of claim 10, wherein the precursor material comprises polyurethane, and is cured at an elevated temperature.

13. The connector of claim 10, wherein the restrainer member is resilient.

14. The connector of claim 13, wherein the restrainer member has a Shore hardness of about A30.