Abstract:
A conducting terminal mounting structure is disclosed to include a housing having an accommodation chamber and an insertion hole, a circuit board, which is mounted in the accommodation chamber inside the housing and has multiple electric contacts and an adapter interface electrically connectable to an external electronic apparatus, and a terminal set, which comprises multiple conducting terminals and an electrically insulative locating block formed integral with the conducting terminals and fastened to the circuit board to hold the conducting terminals in connection with the circuit board electrically.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to conducting terminal mounting arrangement and more particularly, to such a conducting terminal mounting structure, which enables conducting terminals to be easily and detachably installed in a circuit board without soldering, saving much the installation time and avoiding false soldering and solder overflow. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    Following fast development of high technology, innovative consumer electronic products are continuously created and digitalized. Modern digital electronic products, such as digital TVs, digital audio systems, MP3 players, digital cameras, electronic dictionaries, digital video cameras, PDAs, and etc. commonly have a memory card connector for receiving a memory card for storing document data and/or audio-visual data. Commercial memory cards are numerous, including MMC (MultiMedia Card), SD (Secure Digital Memory Card), SMC (Smart Media Card), CF (CompactFlash card), MS (MemoryStick), and other series based on these memory cards. Further, a circuit board of the memory card connector has soldered thereto a plurality of conducting terminals for the contact of the inserted memory card so that data signal can be transmitted from the memory card to the electronic apparatus that carries the memory card connector. Therefore, the positioning between the inserted memory card and the conducting terminals at the circuit board is quite important. Nowadays, it is the market trend to create electronic devices having light, thin, short and small characteristics. In consequence, small-sized (mini) memory card connectors are developed. In a small-sized memory card connector, a gap between each two adjacent conducting terminals is narrow. According to conventional techniques, conducting terminals are soldered to the circuit board. Installing conducting terminals in a circuit board by soldering has numerous drawbacks as follows: 
         [0005]    1. Either spot soldering or reflow soldering, soldering conducting terminals to a circuit board requires much labor and time. In case spot soldering is adopted, the problem solder overflow may occur. A solder overflow may cause a short circuit among conducting terminals, lowering the yield rate. In case reflow soldering is adopted to attach small-sized conducting terminals to a small-sized circuit board, reflowing the solder in the conveyorized oven may be unable to melt the solder completely, resulting in a false soldering. Further, conducting terminals may be biased or forced out of position due to an accidental impact or vibration during reflow soldering, thereby prolonging the processing time and increasing the defective rate. 
         [0006]    2. When soldering conducting terminals to a circuit board, heat energy may be transmitted to the surrounding circuits and electronic components, causing damage to the surrounding circuits and electronic components or lowering their performance. 
         [0007]    3. The modern society pays much attention to environmental protection. To dispose of a waste circuit board, the components and conducting terminals must be detached. Removing conducting terminals from a circuit board requires a high-temperature solder removal process. This conducting terminal dismounting procedure wastes much time and labor. 
         [0008]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a conducting terminal mounting structure that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is therefore one object of the present invention to provide a conducting terminal mounting structure, which enables conducting terminals to be quickly installed in a circuit board without soldering, avoiding false soldering and other drawbacks resulted from a soldering process. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the conducting terminal mounting structure comprises a housing, a circuit board and a terminal set. The housing comprises an accommodation chamber, and an insertion hole in communication with the accommodation chamber. The circuit board is mounted in the accommodation chamber inside the housing, comprising multiple electric contacts and an adapter interface electrically connectable to an external electronic apparatus. The terminal set comprises multiple conducting terminals, and an electrically insulative locating block formed integral with the conducting terminals and fastened to the circuit board to hold the conducting terminals in connection with the circuit board electrically. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is an elevational view of a part of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, showing the terminal set fastened to the circuit board. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a sectional side view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a schematic sectional view, showing a status of the preferred embodiment before insertion of a memory card. 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  corresponds to  FIG. 5 , showing a memory card partially inserted into the insertion hole. 
           [0016]      FIG. 7  corresponds to  FIG. 6 , showing the inserted memory card set into position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1-4 , a conducting terminal mounting structure in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of a housing  1 , a circuit board  2  and a terminal set  3 . 
         [0018]    The housing  1  comprises a top shell  11 , a bottom shell  12  and an end cap  13 . The top shell  11  has an insertion hole  111 , a top slide  112 , a push block  1121  downwardly extending from the top slide  112  and movable with the top slide  112  toward/away from the insertion hole  111 , a vertical through hole  116  near one end remote from the insertion hole  111 , a coupling open chamber  113  disposed at the top adjacent to the vertical through hole  116 , two pivot rods  114  aligned at two sides of the coupling open chamber  113 , and a lifting cover  115 , which has two pivot holes  1151  bilaterally disposed at one end and respectively coupled to the pivot rods  114  for enabling the lifting cover  115  to be turned downwards and to outwards to close/open the insertion hole  111 . Further, the top shell  11  defines with the bottom shell  12  an accommodation chamber  121 . 
         [0019]    The circuit board  2  comprises a plurality of electric contacts  21  on the top wall, an adapter interface  22  forwardly extending from the front side, an indicator light  23  for indicating the operation status of the adapter interface  22 , two retaining notches  24  symmetrically disposed at two opposite lateral sides, and a plurality of vertical mounting through holes  25 . 
         [0020]    The terminal set  3  comprises a material bar  31 , a plurality of conducting terminals  32  perpendicularly extending from the material bar  31  in a parallel manner, and an electrically insulative locating block  33  formed integral with the conducting terminals  32  adjacent to the material bar  31  by insert molding. The conducting terminals  32  each extend perpendicularly from the material bar  31  in horizontal and terminate in a press portion  321  and then extend obliquely upwards from the press portion  321  and then terminate in a downwardly curved contact portion  322 . The locating block  33  comprises two retaining hook portions  331  symmetrically disposed at the two distal ends, and a plurality of bottom mounting rods  332 . 
         [0021]    During installation, the circuit board  2  is mounted in the accommodation chamber  121  in the bottom shell  12  with the adapter interface  22  suspending outside the bottom shell  12 , and then the locating block  33  is fastened to the circuit board  2  by hooking the retaining hook portions  331  on the retaining notches  24  and the bottom mounting rods  332  into the mounting through holes  25  to keep the press portions  321  of the conducting terminals  32  respectively pressed on the electric contacts  21  of the circuit board  2  and the contact portions  322  of the conducting terminals  32  suspending in the insertion hole  111  and the indicator light  23  disposed in the vertical through hole  116 . 
         [0022]    The adapter interface  22  of the circuit board  2  can be an IEEE 1394 connector or USB connector. Further, the electrically insulative locating block  33  can be formed of two symmetrical parts. During installation, the two symmetrical parts of the electrically insulative locating block  33  are attached to the conducting terminals  32  at the top and bottom sides adjacent to the material bar  31  and then fixedly fastened together. By means of the electrically insulative locating block  33 , the conducting terminals  32  can be installed in the circuit board  2  easily and directly without a soldering process, and it is not necessary to break the material bar  31  from the conducting terminals  32  during installation. Because the installation of the conducting terminals  32  in the circuit board  2  does not require a soldering process, the invention saves much conducting terminal installation time, and avoids false soldering and solder overflow. Further, this conducting terminal installation method allows quick dismounting of the conducting terminals. 
         [0023]    Referring to  FIGS. 4-7 , when a memory card  4  is inserted into the insertion hole  111  in the top shell  11 , the inserted memory card  4  pushes the push block  1121  and the top slide  112  backwards, and the metal contact side  41  of the memory card  4  is electrically pressed on the contact portions  322  of the conducting terminals  32  to impart a downward pressure to the press portion  321  of the conducting terminals  32 , thereby forcing the press portions  321  of the conducting terminals  32  into positive contact with the electric contacts  21  of the circuit board  2 . After installation, the memory card  4  is electrically connected to the adapter interface  22  of the circuit board  2  through the conducting terminals  32 , enabling the electronic apparatus to which the adapter interface  22  is connected to access to the memory card  4 . Further, the user can move the top slide  112  outwards, pushing the memory card  4  out of the insertion hole  111 . 
         [0024]    Further, when wishing to change the status of use of the circuit board  2 , the user can disconnect the electrically insulative locating block  33  from the circuit board  2  and then directly bond the conducting terminals  32  to the circuit board  2 . 
         [0025]    As stated above, the invention provides a conducting terminal mounting structure in which an electrically insulative locating block  33  is directly formed integral with a set of conducting terminals  32  by insert molding and then fastened to a circuit board  2  by forcing retaining hook portions  331  and bottom mounting rods  332  of the electrically insulative locating block  33  into engagement with retaining notches  24  and mounting through holes  25  of the circuit board  2  so that the conducting terminals  32  are held down on the circuit board  2  by the electrically insulative locating block  33  to keep the respective press portions  321  of the conducting terminals  32  in contact with respective electric contacts  21  at the circuit board  2  for transmitting signal. 
         [0026]    In general, the invention has the following features and advantages: 
         [0027]    1. The conducting terminals  32  and the material bar  31  are directly fastened to the circuit board  2  by the electrically insulative locating block  33 . This installation procedure does not use a soldering process (spot soldering or reflow soldering), avoiding false soldering and solder overflow. Further, this installation facilitates quick positioning of the small sized conducting terminals  32  on the circuit board  2 , saving much installation time, and ensuring positive contact between the conducting terminals  32  and the respective electric contacts  21  at the circuit board  2  for signal transmission. 
         [0028]    2. Because the installation of the conducting terminals  32  eliminates a soldering process, the invention shortens the conducting terminal installation time and avoids thermal damage to components of the circuit board  2 . Therefore, the electronic components of the circuit board  2  are kept in an excellent condition for high performance for long. 
         [0029]    3. When the mounting positions of the conducting terminals  32  on the circuit board  2  are to be changed for a different application, the terminal set  3  can be separated from the circuit board  2 , and then the conducting terminals  32  can be directly bonded to the circuit board  2 . 
         [0030]    Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be limited except as by the appended claims.