Press-fit connector

Abstract: The press-fit connector comprises a pin-like contact element (2) held in an insulating plastic body (1) with projecting press-fit contact region (4) on the underside, wherein, for force transfer of the pressing-in force onto the contact element (2), at least one section (6) of the contact element (2) anchored in the plastic body and running in the longitudinal direction is taken through as far as the upper surface of the plastic body (1) opposite the press-fit contact region and terminates flush with the upper surface of the plastic body (1). The pressing-in can be performed with a simple flat pressing tool, because the pressing-in force is transferred only over a surface area.

Description: The invention relates to a press-fit connector, in which a pin-like contact element is held in an insulating plastic body, said contact element having a projecting press-fit contact region on the pinside. Multipole press-fit connectors, for example such connectors with 48 or 96 contact pins arranged closely spaced in several rows in the manner of a matrix, which are used to establish a plugable connection in predrilled and through-plated holes of a printed circuit board, are known. As a single contact element, the so-called C-PRESS® contact has become known in particular, this contact ensuring by its resiliently yielding contact region good contact-making with substantially uniform bearing pressure over the entire contact region of a contact hole. However, a particular problem is the pressing-in of the part of the multipole connector to be connected to the printed circuit board. This requires a comparatively high pressing-in pressure on the part of the plug housing in which the contact elements are held. Since the plug housings are generally made of plastic, without special precautionary measures rupturing of the plastic part of the plug and/or deformations of the contact elements occur. Therefore, until now the pressing-in of such press-fit connectors has generally required a tool which engages in the plug housing via an opening running parallel to the contact element and presses on a press-in shoulder formed on the contact element and lying inside the plug housing. The tool may also be shaped such that pressure is applied at the same time to the upper surface of the insulating plug housing. If simply a flat tool is provided for the pressing-in operation, it is essential that the metallic contact elements contact the insulating plug body over sufficiently large areas in order to be able to transfer the required forces. Such a large-area anchoring of the contact element inside the insulating body is, however, at odds with the wish for ever greater miniaturization of such connectors. In spite of the large-area anchoring of the contact elements in the insulating body, rupturing of the plug housing, with the consequence of corresponding projection not only of plug material but occasionally also of (usually already loaded) circuit boards, occurs nevertheless. EP-A-0 065 146 discloses a preassembled press fit connector comprising a connector housing and first and second adjacent rows of contacts mounted within the housing. Each contact has a press shoulder portion within the housing and a press fit section extending downwardly below of the housing. A removable insert includes a plate portion for defining an external connector press surface above the housing and first and second rows of integral teeth extending downwardly into the housing. The rows of teeth engage one each with the press shoulder portions of the first and second row of contacts. This allows the press fit sections of the contacts to be simultaneously forced into mating engagement with the plated thru holes of the printed circuit board by applying pressure to the connector press surface. Such a press fit connector offers the advantage of having a metal - to - metal contact between a pressing-in tool and the contact element. The invention is consequently based on the object of improving a multipole press-fit connector with pin-like contact elements in such a way that rupturing of the insulating plug body during the pressing-in operation can be ruled out. The invention provides that, for even force transfer of the pressing-in force onto the contact element, at least one section of the contact element anchored in the plastic body and running in the longitudinal direction extends right through as far as the surface of the plastic body opposite the press-fit contact region and terminated preferably flush with the surface of the plastic body. The measure according to the invention of taking one or more longitudinally extending sections of the contact element right through as far as the upper surface of the insulating part of the plug housing, on which the pressing-in tool is brought to bear, provides the advantage that pressing-in can now be performed with a simple flat type of pressing-in tool, without there being the risk of rupturing the insulating body, because the pressing-in force is transferred over a surface area and evenly. The invention and advantageous details are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. The single figure shows a single contact in an insulating body, i.e. the plug housing holding a multiplicity of contact elements. A pin-like contact element 2 is shaped in the example represented as a so-called C-PRESS® contact having a crescent-formed or C-formed press-in zone 4, which in the longitudinal extent follows on from a lower conically running insertion region 8. The contact element 2 is anchored in an insulating body 1 (represented diagrammatically in the drawing) together with a multiplicity of contact elements of the same type (not shown). In the upward vertical direction, the press-in zone 4 goes over into two vertically running limbs 6, which are connected to each other at the rear by means of a region 3. This region 3 bears the contact spring 5. As in the case of previously known press-fit connectors of this type, there is formed in the insulating body 1 a shaft-like hole 9, into which the contact pin intended for contacting is inserted. However, the particular shaping of the contact element and of the insulating housing 1 is of no significance in relation to the invention. What is important, on the other hand, in relation to the invention is that sections of the contact element running in the longitudinal direction, in the given example the limbs 6, are taken through as far as the upper surface of the insulating body 1 and terminate at the surface (shown cross-hatched) flush (cross-sectional area 7) with the upper surface of the insulating body 1. This measure according to the invention of taking longitudinally extending sections of the contact element through as far as the upper surface of the insulating body provides the following important advantage for the pressing-in operation: A flat pressing-in tool is used. The pressing-in force is now no longer transferred from the insulating body 1 onto the anchoring regions of the respective contact element, that is to say indirectly, but, by virtue of the flush cross-sectional areas 7, directly onto the contact element. On account of the measure according to the invention, ruptures and deformations of the insulating body 1 of the plug housing and deformations of the individual contact elements during the pressing-in operation are avoided. In spite of a simple flat pressing-in tool, the force transfer takes place directly from metal to metal.

Claims: Press-fit connector, in which a pin-like contact element (2) is held in an insulating plastic body (1), said contact element having a projecting press-fit contact region (4) on the pin side. wherein, for force transfer of the pressing-in force onto the contact element (2), at least one section (6) of the contact element (2) anchored in the plastic body and running in the longitudinal direction extends right through as far as the surface of the plastic body (1) opposite the press-fit contact region. The press fit connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the section (6) of the contact element (2) extending right through terminates flush with the surface of the plastic body (1)

Inventors: SCHEMPP OTTO, SCHEMPP, OTTO
Applicants: MOLEX INC, MOLEX INCORPORATED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: H01R9
IPC codes: H04N7, H01R12, H01R43