Methods for controlling contact height

• US 7,210,225 B2
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Issued: 05/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Original Assignee: FCI Americas Technology Incorporated (FCI)
• Inventors: Johnescu, Douglas M., Stoner, Stuart C., Kolivoski, Christopher J., Daily, Christopher G., Olson, Stanley W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abrams; Neil
• Application Number:
  US10/997,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20050124187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 439/71, 439/66, 439/862, 439/736, 439/885, 298/82, 298/84, 324/754, 324/758
• US Class Current: 29/882
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/52 connecting to other rigid printed circuits or like structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/714 with contacts abutting directly the printed circuit; Button contacts therefore provided on the printed circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 43/205 with a panel or printed circuit board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1069 with spring contact pieces
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49218 with deforming

Abstract

Methods for setting contact height in an electrical connector are disclosed. Each of a plurality of electrical contacts may be seated in a connector housing such that each contact has a respective initial height relative to the housing. At least one of the contacts is pressed on such that, after the pressing, each of the contacts has approximately the same height relative to the connector housing. The pressing may bend the at least one contact at least until it has set. Before the pressing, the initial contact heights have a first tolerance. After the pressing the pressed contact heights have a second tolerance that is smaller than the first tolerance. The pressing operation bends the contacts to a point that exceeds the yielding limit of the contact material, and may deform the contacts such that the several contacts have about the same contact height relative to the connector housing.

Claims

1. A method for setting contact height in an electrical connector, the method comprising:

seating respective retention portions of first and second electrical contacts in separate contact wells of a connector housing such that each of said first and second electrical contacts has a respective mating end extending from a first end of the connector housing and a respective mounting end recessed within a second end of the connector housing that is opposite the first end thereof, wherein each said mating end is adapted to receive an electrical device, and each said mating end has a respective initial contact height relative to the connector housing, wherein the first and second electrical contacts are made of a material having only one stress-strain yield point; and

pressing simultaneously on each said mating end in a direction toward said connector housing while the first and second contacts are unconnected from any electrical device such that, after the pressing, each said mating end has an approximately similar respective pressed contact height relative to said connector housing, wherein pressing on the mating ends comprises pressing on the mating ends at least until each of the first and second electrical contacts bends to a point exceeding the yield point and sets at the point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein pressing on the mating end of the first electrical contact comprises bending the mating end of the first electrical contact a predefined distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein pressing on the mating end of the first electrical contact comprises bending the mating end of the first electrical contact until a distal end of the first electrical contact is approximately a predefined distance from the connector housing.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising pressing on and bending the mating end of the second electrical contact until a distal end of the second electrical contact is approximately the predefined distance from the connector housing.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective initial contact heights of the first and second electrical contacts have a respective first tolerance, and wherein, after the simultaneous pressing, each of the first and second electrical contacts have a respective pressed contact height relative to the connector housing, the respective pressed contact heights of the first and second electrical contacts having a second tolerance that is smaller than the first tolerance.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each said mounting end is adapted to receive a solder ball, wherein the solder ball would thereby extend from the connector housing.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressing is performed with a tool having no circuit function.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the pressing bends at least one of the mating ends beyond a yield limit of the respective electrical contact, the respective mating end not returning to the initial contact height after the pressing.

9. A method for setting contact height in an electrical connector, the method comprising:

seating first and second electrical contacts in a connector housing such that each of the first and the second electrical contacts has a respective center portion fixed within the connector housing, and has a respective mating end extending from the connector housing, the respective mating end being acutely angled in relation to a first surface of the connector housing, each said mating end having a respective initial contact height relative to the first surface of the connector housing, the respective initial contact heights of the mating ends of the first and the second electrical contacts having a respective first tolerance,

wherein the first and second electrical contacts are made of a material having only one stress-strain yield point; and

pressing on at least the mating end of the first electrical contact until exceeding the yield point of the first electrical contact while the first electrical contact is unconnected from an electrical device such that, after the pressing, each of the mating ends of the first and the second electrical contacts has a respective pressed contact height relative to the first surface of the connector housing, the respective pressed contact height of each of the mating ends of the first and the second electrical contacts having a second tolerance that is smaller than the first tolerance.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein pressing on the mating end of the first electrical contact comprises pressing on a distal end of the first electrical contact.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein seating the first and second electrical contacts comprises seating the first and second electrical contacts such that the first electrical contact has an initial contact height that is greater than the initial contact height of the second electrical contact.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein pressing on the mating end of the first electrical contact comprises bending the first electrical contact a predefined distance.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein pressing on the mating end of the first electrical contact comprises bending the first electrical contact until a distal end of the first electrical contact is approximately a predefined distance from the connector housing.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising pressing on the mating end of and bending the second electrical contact until a distal end of the second electrical contact is approximately the predefined distance from the connector housing.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and the second electrical contacts are each seated in a separate contact receiving well.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein each of the first and the second electrical contacts also have a respective mounting end recessed within the connector housing and adapted to receive a solder ball, whereby the solder ball would extend from the connector housing.

17. A method for setting contact height in an electrical connector, the method comprising:

seating a first electrical contact in a connector housing such that the first electrical contact has a first stem extending therefrom, the first stem having an initial contact height, and being acutely angled, relative to the connector housing wherein the first stem is made of a material having only one stress-strain yield point; and

bending the first stem, while the first electrical contact is unconnected from an electrical device, until the first stem has bent beyond the yield point of the first stem and set such that, after the bending, the first stem has a contact height relative to the connector housing that is less than the initial contact height.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein bending the stem of the electrical contact comprises pressing on a distal end of the electrical contact.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising seating a second electrical contact in the connector housing such that the second electrical contact has a second stem extending therefrom, the second stem having an initial contact height that is less than the initial contact height of the first stem.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein bending the first stem comprises bending the first stem a predefined distance.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein bending the first stem comprises bending first stem until a distal end of the first electrical contact is approximately a predefined distance from the connector housing.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising seating a second electrical contact in the connector housing, and pressing on and bending a second stem of the second electrical contact until a distal end of the second electrical contact is approximately the predefined distance from the connector housing.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the first electrical contact is seated in a contact receiving well.

24. A method for setting contact height in an electrical connector, the method comprising:

seating a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact in a connector housing, a center portion of the first and the second electrical contacts being fixed therein, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact each has a respective tab that extends therefrom at an acute angle with respect to a first surface of the connector housing, each tab has a respective initial contact height defined between the tab and the first surface of the connector housing, and the respective initial contact height of the tab of said first electrical contact is not substantially equal to the respective initial contact height of the tab of the second electrical contact,

wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are made from a material having only one stress-strain yield point;

applying, after the seating step, a uniformly distributed compression force simultaneously to the tab of the first electrical contact and the tab of the second electrical contact in a direction toward the first surface of the connector housing; and

relieving the compression force applied to the tab of the first electrical contact and the tab of the second electrical contact, wherein at least one of the tabs was bent and set beyond the yield point of the respective contact, and wherein a final first contact height defined between the tab of the first electrical contact and the first surface of the connector housing substantially equals a final second contact height defined between the tab of the second electrical contact and the first surface of the connector housing after the step of relieving the compression force and prior to electrically connecting the tabs to an electrical device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the compression force is applied with a tool having no circuit function.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the compression force bends at least one of the tabs beyond the yield point of the respective electrical contact, the tab not returning to the respective initial contact height after application of the compression force.