Abstract:
A plug connector for mounting on a circuit board is proposed, having a carrier body ( 10 ), at least one surface mounting contact member ( 20 ) disposed in the carrier body and at least one pass-through mounting contact member ( 38 ) which is also disposed in the carrier body. In this manner; a good mechanical connection between the carrier body and the circuit board is achieved due to the pass-through mounting contact member, while the surface mounting contact member enables quick signal transmission towards the conductor track.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a plug connector for mounting on a circuit board and having contact members which are to be connected with a conductor track of the circuit board by means of a soldering point. 
     There are known plug connectors whose contact members are formed as pass-through mounting contact members, that is are plugged into a bore through the conductor track of the circuit board. This results in high mechanical strength of the connection between the circuit board and the contact member of the plug connector. 
     There are also known plug connectors whose contact members are formed as surface mounting contact members, that is are soldered onto the conductor track. The resulting soldering point merely offers a comparatively low mechanical strength, more particularly under shear strains. However, a higher signal transmission velocity between the contact member and the conductor track may be achieved. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the object underlying the invention to provide a plug connector which enables a connection between the circuit board and the plug connector with high mechanical strength along with high signal transmission velocity. 
     This object is met by a plug connector for mounting on a circuit board, having a carrier body, at least one surface mounting contact member disposed in the carrier body and at least one pass-through mounting contact member which is also disposed in the carrier body. In this plug connector, the pass-through mounting contact member ensures good mechanical connection of the carrier body with the circuit board while the surface mounting contact member enables quick signal transmission to the conductor track. 
     The pass through mounting contact member is preferably a ground contact. This configuration is advantageous since the lower signal transmission speed has almost no effect. Generally, the pass-through mounting contact member may also be used for signal transmission with signals having a low frequency. 
     Preferably, four surface mounting contact members and one pass-through mounting contact member are provided, the surface mounting contact members being disposed in two groups separated from each other by the pass-through mounting contact member. In this configuration, the pass-through mounting contact member serves as a shielding between the two groups of surface mounting contact members which are used for signal transmission so that there results high channel separation. 
     According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the surface mounting contact member is provided with a connecting region on which there is disposed a connecting member which is displaceable relative to the connecting region. This configuration makes it possible to keep to the thickness of the solder pad between the surface mounting contact member and the conductor track, which is critical in surface mounting technology, in an especially simple manner. Other than with conventional surface mounting contact members which must be manufactured with especially narrow tolerances in order to obtain the required spacing of about 0.1 mm between the contact member and the conductor track after the plug connector has been put onto the circuit board, the required spacing results by itself in this embodiment as the connecting member is displaced correspondingly far on the connecting region. 
     Advantageous configurations of the invention may be taken from the sub-claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following, the invention will be described with reference to various embodiments represented in the enclosed drawings. Therein: 
     FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a plug connector according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a plug connector according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
     FIG. 3 is an isometric view of a connecting member used with the plug connector shown in FIG. 2; and 
     FIGS. 4 a  and  4   b  are each schematic sectional views of a plug connector according to a further embodiment in a condition before and after mounting on a circuit board. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     FIG. 1 shows a plug connector according to a first embodiment of the invention. This concerns an angled multiple-contact strip since the individual contacts are each angled by 90° and configured as contact springs on the connecting side of the plug connector. Correspondingly, the complementary plug connector, which is plugged into the shown plug connector, is a blade-contact strip. Of course, the embodiment shown may also be formed as a blade-contact strip. In any case, the plug connector comprises a plurality of contacts which are disposed in several adjacent columns. Only one of these columns can be seen in the sectional representation of FIG.  1 . 
     The shown plug connector comprises an insulating carrier body  10  in which two groups of two surface mounting contact members  20  are disposed, as well as a pass-through mounting contact member  38  which separates the two groups of surface mounting contact members  20  from each other. The pass-through mounting contact member  38  may be connected with a ground conductor and serves as a shielding between the two groups of surface mounting contact members,  20  which serve for signal transmission. 
     During mounting, the plug connector is inserted with its pass-through mounting contact member in an opening  50  of a circuit board  52  onto which a solder paste had previously been applied at the corresponding locations. In this condition, the plug connector is prefixed. Subsequently, the contact members are soldered so that the desired electrical connection with the conductor tracks is achieved. 
     FIG. 2 shows a plug connector according to a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, three contact members are used, namely an inner pass-through mounting contact member  38  which engages an opening  50  of a circuit board  52 , a central surface mounting contact member  20  which is provided with a connecting region  22  on which a connecting member  24  is disposed, and an outer surface mounting contact member  53  which is provided, at its end facing the circuit board, with a bend which rests on the circuit board and may be connected there with a corresponding conductor track in a surface mounting technique. 
     FIG. 3 shows the connecting member  24  which is used in the surface mounting contact members  20  of the plug connector shown in FIG.  2 . The connecting member  24  is formed as a resilient clamp with two legs  26  being connected to each other by means of a bottom  28 . On the bottom, there is provided, on the side facing away from the connecting region  22 , a spacer  30  which is configured as a stamping in such a manner that a comparatively pointed apex is formed. 
     The connecting member  24  is pushed onto the connecting region  22  of the surface mounting contact member  20  and is fixed thereon by the frictional force resulting from the acting clamping force. In order to prevent the connecting member from slipping off the connecting region  22  which has a rectangular cross-section, bent-off noses  54  are provided on one of the legs  26  of the connecting member  24 , whose opposite surfaces act as guide surfaces  56 . These may engage the narrow outer surfaces of the connecting regions  22  and prevent the connecting member  24  from excessively tilting or even slipping off. 
     In the following, the mounting of a further embodiment of a plug connector on a circuit board will be described upon reference to FIG.  4 . This embodiment concerns a straight multiple-contact strip, surface mounting contact members and pass-through mounting contact members being provided one behind the other in a single row. 
     First, the circuit board is coated with a solder paste at the locations which are provided for connection with the contact members. Subsequently, the plug connector is put onto the circuit board, the pass-through mounting contact member penetrating into the corresponding opening of the circuit board. The mounting position of contact members  24  shown in FIG. 4 a  is selected such that the spacer  30  bears against the circuit board before the pass-through mounting contact member  38  is completely pushed into the circuit board. During the process of putting the plug connector onto the circuit board, the connecting member  24  immerses into the previously applied solder paste, the spacer  30  reliably forcing away and penetrating the solder paste with its apex, so that it rests on the circuit board. This ensures that the bottom  28  in all the remaining regions has a predetermined spacing from the circuit board, which is given by the height of the spacer, preferably is 0.1 mm, and is completely filled with solder paste. In the course of putting on, there also results a relative movement between the connecting member  24  and the connecting region  22 , whereby the legs  26  of the connecting member formed as a clamp are pushed further onto connecting region  22 . This condition, in which the electrical connection between the connecting member  24  and the connecting region  22  as well as the optimum spacing between the bottom of the connecting member and the conductor track are ensured independently of the respectively existing tolerances, is shown in FIG. 4 b.    
     As soon as the plug connector is correctly put onto the circuit board, the surface mounting contact members may be soldered, a reliable soldering being ensured due to the precisely kept spacing between the bottom of the connecting member  24  and the circuit board. This spacing between the bottom  28  of the connecting member  24  and the circuit board is not influenced by tolerances of the plug connector or by an uneven circuit board surface since possible tolerances are compensated in that the contact member is pushed onto the connecting region  22  of the surface mounting contact member in differing lengths.