Patent ID: 6270362
Filing Date: 2001-08-07
Classification: H01R,H05K,Y02P,Y10T

Abstract:
A carrier (16) for surface mounting a plurality of contacts to a circuit substrate (12), each contact having a surface mounting portion (22) to engage the circuit substrate and an opposed mating portion, the carrier formed of an electrically insulative material and comprising:a first side facing the circuit substrate;a second side opposed to the first side;a plurality of contact receiving apertures (30) arranged in an array through the carrier, wherein each of said contacts is adapted to extend through a respective one of said apertures to engage the circuit substrate, with said surface mounting portions disposed adjacent said first side of the carrier and engaging the circuit substrate, said mating portions extending from said second side of the carrier so that the contacts are floatably mountable to said carrier;a plurality of inspection openings (34) in the carrier disposed in a pattern interspersed between a plurality of apertures;wherein each of said openings are located between four adjacent apertures and are at least approximately twice as large as said apertures to allow inspection of solder joints between the surface mounting portions of the contacts and the circuit substrate from said second side of the carrier.