Electrical connector assembly background of the invention

An electrical connector assembly for electrically connecting a lamp device (2) to a printed circuit board (3) includes an insulative housing (10) having a front slot (101) and a rear slot (103), the rear slot adapted to receive a body of the lamp device. A contact terminal (11) includes a pair of separate deflectable arms (112) disposed within the front slot and adapted to clip a front end of the lamp device. An ejecting member (12) within the front slot is set for enabling the clip action of the deflectable arms of the contact terminal. A pick up device (13) is assembled onto the ejecting member, and includes a base having a planar surface for being sucked by a vacuum suction device for easy to be feed the electrical connector assembly into automated machines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the art of electrical connectors, and more particularly to an electrical connector assembly including an electrical connector for electrically connecting a lamp device to a printed circuit board.

2. Description of the Related Art

Nowadays, LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) have become the output device of choice for use in AV (audiovisual) products. The increasing role of LCDs in AV products such as PC (Personal Computer) monitors and TV (Television) displays, has created a need for connectors capable of connecting with a lamp device, wherein the lamp device provides a light source for the LCDs. It is well known that conventional connectors for use with the lamp devices are difficult to be fed into automated machines, because there is no specific device attached onto the connectors for assisting in picking up the connectors. Therefore, there is a need to provide a new electrical connector assembly to resolve the above-mentioned problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A major object of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector assembly easy to be fed into automated machines.

An electrical connector assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable for electrically connecting a lamp device to a printed circuit board. The electrical connector assembly includes an insulative housing having a front slot and a rear slot, with the rear slot adapted to receive a body of the lamp device. A contact terminal is assembled onto the insulative housing, and includes a pair of separate deflectable arms disposed within the front slot. The deflectable arms are adapted to clip a front end of the lamp device so as to be in electrical contact with the lamp device. An ejecting member is movably disposed within the front slot, and includes a pair of opposite side walls with thereon interior protrusions for enabling the deflectable arms to clip the front end of the lamp device. A pick up device is assembled onto the ejecting member, and includes a base having a planar surface for being sucked by a vacuum suction device for easy to feed the electrical connector assembly into automated machines.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description of preferred embodiments, in which:

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring toFIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector assembly1according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown for electrically connecting a lamp device2to a printed circuit board3. The electrical connector assembly1includes an insulative housing10, a contact terminal11, an ejecting member12and a pick up device13.

Referring toFIG. 4, the insulative housing10includes a front slot101and a rear slot103divided by a middle wall102therebetween. The front slot101is further defined by a front wall104, a right wall105, a left wall107and the middle wall102, while the rear slot103is further defined by a rear wall106, the right wall105, the left wall107and the middle wall102. The rear slot103, with the rear wall106and the middle wall102defining U-shaped slots of different sizes, is adapted for receiving a body of a lamp device2. The front slot101, with the right wall105and the left wall107defining rectangular windows108of same sizes, is adapted for receiving the ejecting member12therein and for allowing the ejecting member12to be movable in an up-to-down direction relative to the insulative housing10through the use of spaced exterior protrusions122of the ejecting member12within the windows108of the insulative housing10(to be later described). The middle wall102further defines grooves1020for receiving outside ribs120of the ejecting member12so as to assist in the up-to-down movement of the ejecting member12along the insulative housing10. In addition, the insulative housing10includes a bottom retention aperture109for retaining the contact terminal11onto the insulative housing10.

Referring toFIG. 5, the ejecting member12is of an U-shaped configuration formed by a front wall segment124and a pair of opposite side wall segments125. The opposite side wall segments125are spaced from each other so as to define an elongated slot127therebetween for interferingly receiving the pick up device13therein. The opposite side wall segments125include a pair of stepped interior protrusions1250thereon at opposite sides of the elongated slot127for enabling a pair of separate deflectable arms112to be more closer so as to clip a front end of the lamp device2, when the ejecting member12moves downwardly relative to the insulative housing10. The clip action of the deflectable arms112of the contact terminal11to the lamp device2will cause the contact terminal11to be in direct contact with the lamp device2, thereby establishing an electrical connection between the contact terminal11and the lamp device2. The movement of the ejecting member12relative to the insulative housing10is achieved by the guiding ribs120on the rear ends of the opposite side wall segments125to be slidably engagable with the grooves1020of the insulative housing10, and a pair of exterior protrusions122on each side wall segment125of the ejecting member12to be movable within a predetermined distance determined by a height of each window108of the insulative housing10.

Referring toFIG. 6, the contact terminal11includes a terminal base110, a pair of spaced deflectable arms112disposed in a symmetrical relationship with respect to the terminal base110and extending upwardly from the terminal base110, two solderable plates113and a retention plate115attached to a bottom of the terminal base110. As shown inFIG. 1, the solderable plates113are adapted to be soldered onto the printed circuit board3. The retention plate115further includes a retention tab1150extending upwardly therefrom to be inserted within the insulative housing10so as to retain the contact terminal11onto the insulative housing10. It should be noted that the retention plate115and two solderable plates113are disposed in a common plane to form a triangle arrangement.

Referring toFIG. 7, the pick up device13includes a base having a top planar surface130for being sucked by a vacuum suction device for easy to feed the electrical connector assembly1into automated machines. The base of the pick up device13further includes a first base segment with a first retention leg131extending downwardly therefrom, and a second base segment with a pair of second retention legs133also extending downwardly therefrom. The pick up device13is assembled onto the ejecting member12and the insulative housing10by the first retention leg131interferingly retained within the opening127of the ejecting member12and the second retention legs133engageable with the walls of the rear slot103of the insulative housing10. Such a pick up device13has the first base segment covering the ejecting member12adjacent the opening127, and the second base segment covering the insulative housing10adjacent the rear slot103.

Referring toFIGS. 1-3, in assembly, the contact terminal11is assembled onto the insulative housing10by its retention tab1150received within the insulative housing10, and the terminal base110inserted through the bottom retention aperture109into the insulative housing10. The lamp device2is inserted into the space defined by the deflectable arms112of the contact terminal11. The ejecting member12is then assembled onto the insulative housing10by the guiding ribs120slidably engageable with the grooves1020of the insulative housing10, and the exterior protrusions122movably received within each window108of the insulative housing10. The downward movement of the ejecting member12relative to the insulative housing10causes the deflectable arms112of the contact terminal11to clip the front end of the lamp device2through the use of the interior protrusions1250of the ejecting member12laterally pressing against the pair of spaced deflectable arms112of the contact terminal11. The pick up device13is assembled onto the ejecting member12and the insulative housing10by its first retention leg131interferingly received within the opening127of the ejecting member12, and its second retention legs133engageable with the walls of the rear slot103of the insulative housing10. The electrical connector assembly with the lamp device2disposed therein is then assembled onto the printed circuit board3by the solderable plates113of the contact terminal11soldered onto corresponding regions of the printed circuit board3. As compared with the prior art, the electrical connector with the pick up device13attached thereon is easy to be fed into automated machined by a vacuum suction device.

While the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, the description of the invention is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various of modifications to the present invention can be made to preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.