Header cover

Abstract: Disclosed is a cover (6) for use in automatically mounting electric connectors (4) to a printed-circuit board with the aid of a vacuum-suction nozzle (5). The cover comprises a top plate (7) to which the vacuum-suction nozzle can be applied, and opposite hooks (11) integrally connected to the opposite ends of the top plate which catch the opposite side walls (8) of the connector housing. The fitting cover may be easily attached to an electric connector having pin-like terminals (3) projecting from its upper surface to cover the pin-like terminals of the electric connector. The attaching of the fitting cover to the electric connector will provide a smooth, flat surface to the connector-and-cover combination, thereby facilitating the use of the vacuum suction nozzle to hold electrical connectors regardless of the contour of their upper surface.

Description: The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a method of positioning an electrical connector assembly on a mounting surface of an electrical apparatus. As is well known, a soldering reflow vessel is often used in automatically mounting electric connectors to printed-circuit boards. Specifically, an electric connector is secured by a vaccum-suction nozzle, and the electric connector is adjusted in position and brought to a selected position in a printed-circuit board by the vaccum-suction nozzle. The electric connector is then released from the vaccum-suction nozzle by stopping application of negative pressure thereto. Then, gas is released inside the soldering reflow vessel, or infrared rays are radiated therein until the solder applied to selected conductors in the printed-circuit board has been melted, thereby soldering the solder tails of the electric connector to the selected conductors in the printed-circuit board. If the electric connector has a flat top surface, such top surface is convenient for securement by a vacuum-suction nozzle as described above and shown in US-A-5,003,692. Many electric connectors, however, have pin-like terminals projecting from their top surface, thus preventing the direct use of vacuum-suction nozzles. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to position an electrical connector on a mounting surface of an electrical apparatus regardless of the configuration of the top surface of the electrical connector. The invention is defined in claims 1 and 5. A fitting cover according to the present invention comprises a top plate to which the end of a vacuum-suction nozzle can be applied, and opposite hooks integrally connected to the opposite ends of said top plate. These hooks catch the opposite side walls of the connector housing. The attaching of the fitting cover to the electric connector provides a smooth, flat surface to the electric connector convenient to the suctioning-and-holding of the electric connector by a vacuum-suction nozzle, regardless of irregular contours on the top surface of the electric connector. Thus, existing vacuum-suction nozzles can be used to hold different electric connectors without modification. According to one aspect of the present invention, the fitting cover may have hooks with an engagement projection integrally connected thereto to fit in the engagement recess of each of the opposite side walls of the connector housing. This arrangement facilitates the reliable holding and release of electric connectors from their associated covers. According to another aspect of the present invention, the rear side of the top plate of the fitting cover is designed to be brought in contact with the tips of the pin-like terminal of the electric connector when the engagement projection of each hook of the cover fits in the engagement recess of each of the opposite side walls of the connector housing. The pin-like terminals of equal height are pushed against the lower side of the top plate of the fitting cover, thereby permitting the electric connector to be held in horizontal position, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the vacuum suction nozzle. This facilitates controlling the position of the electric connector handled by the vacuum suction nozzle. The pressure caused by the vacuum suction nozzle is distributed equally to all pin-like terminals, and therefore, there is no fear of deformation of selected pin-like terminals, which may be caused in case of pin-like terminals of unequal heights. According to still another aspect of the present invention, the width l of the top plate of the dover is selected to be smaller than the tip-to-tip lateral distance L of opposite solder tails of the electric connector. This arrangement permits the complete exposure of all solder tails of the electric connector to infrared rays for soldering without being concealed behind the fitted cover. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of a fitting cover according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in accompanying drawings: Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electric connector and fitting cover according to the present invention prior to attaching of the fitting cover to the electric connector; Fig. 2 is a front view of the integral combination of the electric connector and the fitting cover; Fig. 3 is a side view, partly in section, of the integral combination of the electric connector and the fitting cover; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, showing how the fitting cover is engaged with the electric connector; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the integral combination of the electric connector and the fitting cover; Fig. 6 shows the manner in which a vacuum-suction nozzle is initially suctioning and holding an electric connector while in packaging utilized for shipping of the connector; Fig. 7 shows the manner in which the electric connector having an associated fitting cover attached thereto is aligned in lateral position by a pair of opposite positioning arms; and Fig. 8 shows the manner in which the electric connector and fitting cover combination is aligned in longitudinal position by another pair of opposite positioning arms. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment As seen from drawings and in particular Fig. 1, an electric connector 4 comprises a housing 1 and pin-like terminals 3 project from the upper surface 2 of the housing 1. The electric connector 4 is to be mounted to a printed-circuit board (not shown) with the aid of a vacuum-suction nozzle 5. A cover 6 is used in automatically mounting such electric connector 4 to the printed-circuit board. The cover comprises a top plate 7, to which the end 16 of a vacuum-suction nozzle 5 can be applied, and opposite arms 9 integrally connected to the opposite ends of the top plate 7 which latch the opposite side walls 8 of the connector housing 1. Each arm 9 has an engagement projection or hook 11 to fit in the engagement recess 10 of each side wall 8 of the connector housing 1 in order to latch the cover 6 to connector 4. As best seen from Fig. 2, the underside 13 of the top plate 7 of the fitting cover 6 is designed to be brought into contact with the tips 14 of the pin-like terminals 3 of the electric connector 4 when the cover 6 is positioned on connector 4 and engagement projection 11 fits in the engagement recess 10 of each of the opposite side walls 8 of the connector housing 1. As best seen from Fig. 3, the width or lateral dimension l of the ceiling plate 7 of the cover 6 is selected to be smaller than the tip-to-tip lateral distance L of opposite solder tails 12 of the electric connector 4. In use, the cover 6 is fitted on the electric connector 4 with the underside of the cover 6 pushed against the pin-like projections 14 of the electric connector 4 and with the opposite hooks 9 of the cover 6 caught by the recesses 10 of the opposite sides of the electric connector 4. A printed-circuit board on which the electric connector is to be placed will be parallel to the top surface of the cover 6, which is fitted on the electric connector 4 as just described. As described earlier, the width or lateral dimension l of the top plate of the cover is smaller than the tip-to-tip lateral distance L of opposite solder tails 12 of the electric connector 4. An integral combination of electric connector and cover is attracted to the vacuum suction nozzle 5 by applying negative pressure to the cover 6. Specifically, the end 16 of the vacuum nozzle 5 is put in contact with the top plate 7 of the cover 6 and negative pressure is applied to the ceiling plate 7 of the cover 6, thereby causing the connector and cover combination to be held by the vacuum suction nozzle 5. Then, as seen from Figs. 7 and 8, the connector-and-cover combination is adjusted in position to reduce lateral and longitudinal deviations, if any, relative to the center of the connector 4 with the aid of two pairs of positioning arms 15. The connector and cover combination is brought to a selected position on the printed-circuit board where the electric connector 4 is placed. Then, application of negative pressure to the top 7 of the cover 6 is stopped, thereby releasing the connector. The printed-circuit board having the electric connector 4 placed thereon is brought to a reflow vessel in which, for instance, infrared rays are radiated to melt the solder applied to selected conductors of the printed-circuit board. Gas may be used in place of infrared rays for soldering in the reflow vessel. Thus, the solder tails 12 of the electric connector 4 are soldered to the selected conductors of the printed-circuit board. After attaching the electric connector 4 to the printed circuit board, the cover 6 is removed from the electric connector 4. As may be understood from the above, a fitting cover may be easily attached to an electric connector having pin-like terminals projecting from its upper surface with its opposite hooks caught in the recesses of the opposite sides of the electric connector, thus covering the pin-like terminals of the electric connector. The attaching of the fitting cover to the electric connector will provide a smooth, flat surface to the connector and cover combination, thereby facilitating the use of a vacuum-suction nozzle to hold the electrical connector regardless of an irregular contour on the top surface of the electrical connector.

Claims: An electrical connector assembly adapted for being positioned on a mounting surface of an electrical apparatus by a vacuum-suction nozzle (5), said connector assembly comprising a connector (4) which includes an insulative housing (1) having a first surface which is to be positioned adjacent said mounting surface of said electrical apparatus, a second surface (2) opposite of said first surface, and side walls including a pair of opposed sidewalls (8) generally perpendicular to said first surface, a plurality of terminals (3) mounted in said housing (1), each terminal having a tail portion (12) for interconnection to said electrical apparatus, and a free end (14) extending from said second surface (2) in direction to said vacuum-suction nozzle (5), characterized in that said connector assembly further comprises a cover (6) which includes a generally planar, smooth top surface (7) adapted to be engaged by said vacuum-suction nozzle (5), and a pair of cantilevered arms (9) adapted to engage said pair of sidewalls (8), and in that said sidewalls (8) and said arms (9) are provided with releasable retention means (10, 11) which are complementary to one another for releasably securing said cover (6) to said housing (1). The connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein said retention means (10, 11) include a hook or projection (11) on each of said arms (9) and each a recess (10) in said sidewalls (8). The connector assembly according to claims 1 or 2 wherein said arms (9) are of such length that the lower surface (13) of said cover (6) engages the free ends (14) of said terminals (3) when the cover (6) is secured to said housing (1). The connector assembly according to one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said tail portions (12) extend beyond the perimeter of the housing (1) to a width (L) which is greater than the width (1) of the cover (6) in the same direction. A positioning method for an electric connector assembly of claim 1 on a mounting surface of an electric apparatus, comprising the steps of positioning the cover (6) onto said connector (4) so as to overlie a central region thereof and form said connector assembly, enganging the retention means (11) of the cover (6) into the retention means (10) of the connector housing (1), engaging the top surface (7) of the cover (6) with a vaccum-suction nozzle (5), positioning said connector assembly on said mounting surface, soldering said tail portion (12) of said terminals (3) to said electrical apparatus and removing said cover (6) from said connector (4) to expose said free ends (14) of said terminals (3). The method of claim 5 wherein said connector (4) is engaged and aligned by alignment means (9, 15) prior to said positioning step. The method of claim 6 wherein said aligning step includes engaging said connector (4) on first opposite sides (8) thereof and then engaging said connector (4) on its second opposite sides (at 12).

Inventors: MIYAZAWA JUNICHI, MIYAZAWA, JUNICHI
Applicants: MOLEX INC, MOLEX INCORPORATED
Application year: 1992
Main classification: H05K13
IPC codes: H01L21, H01R12, H05K5, H05K1, H05K13