Circuit board connector

Abstract: A connector connecting two circuit boards of different types comprises an insulative male housing (10) which houses conductive plug contacts (11) therein, a circuit board (20) having conductive receptacle contacts (21) engaged with the housing and making electrical connection with the plug contacts (11) , and a flexible conductor (31) engaged with the housing and making electrical connection with the plug contacts.

Description: The present invention relates to a connector for connecting a circuit board, and more particularly to a connector for connecting two circuit boards of different types. From US-A-3696319 there is known a connector assembly for a flat conductor cable comprising a first insulating body having an elongate recess formed therein with a number of terminals confined at intervals along said recess, each terminal including a contact for forming an electrical connection with one conductor of a flat cable and means for forming an electrical connection with a circuit element, a second insulating body including an elongate nose fitted in the recess, and a number of conductors of a flat conductor cable wrapped around said nose at regular intervals along the length thereof with each conductor engaging a contact of each terminal, each of said terminals including stop means spaced along the recess to one side of the terminal contact and facing toward the mouth of said recess in the path of insertion of said nose into the recess for maintaining a desired relationship between the terminals and the nose. When a rigid circuit board and a flexible circuit board are to be electrically connected, it is a usual practice to secure them by extending a screw through both circuit boards. To this end, however, it is necessary to form holes through which the screw extends in both circuit boards and to form conductive areas around the holes. Accordingly, a substantial space is required. This has been an obstacle for reducing the size of the device or increasing the integration density. It is an aim of the present invention to solve the problems encountered in prior art connectors. It is another aim of the present invention to provide a connector which facilitates positive connection when it is applied to an electronic device having a number of electrodes to be connected. In order to achieve the above aims, the connection of the present invention comprises: an insulative male housing supporting therein a plurality of conductive plug contacts ; a substrate engaged with said male housing, said substrate having a plurality of conductive receptacle contacts making electrical connection with the plug contacts in said housing; and a case member engaged with said male housing, said case member having a conductor making electrical connection with said plug contacts, each of said receptacle contacts comprising a main part attached to said substrate spacedly from a surface thereof, a plate-shaped spring contact projecting upward from said main part and pinching said plug contact thereby making connection with said conductor, and a leg projecting downward from the main part and soldered on a rear surface of said substrate. Specific embodiments of the present invention are now described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 shows a front view of a male housing of a connection of the present invention, Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of the housing of Fig. 1, along viewing lines A-A, Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of the housing of Fig. 1, along viewing lines B-B, Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the connection of the present invention, as connected to a printed circuit board, Fig. 5 shows a partial longitudinal sectional view of the connection of the present invention, as connected to a printed circuit board, Fig. 6 shows a further partial sectional view of the connection of the present invention, as connected to a printed circuit board, Fig. 7 shows a front view of a receptacle contact of the connection of the present invention, and Fig. 8 shows a side elevational view of the receptacle contact of the connection of the present invention. Figs. 1 to 3 show a male housing 10 supporting a plurality of plug contacts 11 therein. The present embodiment is an eight-pole connector in which eight plug contacts are housed in a cavity 16 formed longitudinally of the housing. Contacts (first connecting parts to be described later) which project from the cavity are spaced and insulated from each other by a bulkhead 15. Each of the plug contacts has first and second connecting parts 12 and 14. The first connecting part 12 is a plate-shaped contact which makes electrical connection with a receptacle contact to be described later. The second connecting part 14 is a hook-shaped leaf spring which makes electrical contact to a conductor or an electrode of a circuit board formed on a case member (to be described later) when the case member is engaged with the male housing. The leaf spring has a sufficient return force to assure electrical connection. Each of the plug contacts has a latch 13 to engage with lance-shape latch means 18 formed in the cavity of the housing. As shown in Fig. 1, guide walls 17 project in the same direction as the direction of the plug contacts and are formed on the opposite ends of the housing. Walls 17 serve as a guide for aligning the contacts when the male housing is inserted into the circuit board to be connected, as will be described. Figs. 4 to 6 show connection of two circuit boards of different types by the male housing which houses the plug contact therein. One circuit board 20 is a rigid printed circuit board on which receptacle contacts 21 to be connected with the plug contacts are formed. The other circuit board 32 is a flexible printed circuit board which has a conductor 31 to be electrically connected with the plug contacts. In the present embodiment, the flexible circuit board 32 is arranged on a case member 30 of the male housing. As shown in detail in Figs. 7 and 8, the receptacle contact 21 comprises a main part 22, a plate-shaped spring contact 23 projecting upward from the main part and facing the main part, and a leg 24 projecting downward from the main part. (Fig. 7 shows the leg before it is bent). In Fig. 5, the main part 22 of the receptacle contact is attached to the one circuit board 20 spacedly from the surface thereof. The leg 24 extends through the board and is soldered on a rear surface thereof. As a result, a long distance between the soldering point of the leg and the spring contact is permitted and a problem of deposition of flux flowing to the contact during the soldering is avoided. The spring contact 23 has a sufficiently wide connecting part compared to the plug contact to be electrically connected therewith. The circuit board 20 and the case member 30 have holes 25 and 33, respectively, for receiving the housing 10 thereinto. The hole 25 has a larger inner diameter in one of two crossing directions than a corresponding outer diameter of the housing, and the hole 33 has a larger inner diameter in the other of the two crossing directions than a corresponding outer diameter of the housing. In the embodiments shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the hole 25 of the circuit board 20 has a larger inner diameter in a lateral direction of the housing than a corresponding outer diameter of the housing (see Fig 5). (There is no such play in a longitudinal direction. See Fig. 4). On the other hand, the hole 33 of the case member 30 has a larger longitudinal inner diameter than a corresponding outer diameter of the housing (see Fig. 4). (There is no such play in the lateral direction of the housing. See Fig. 5). Thus, when the housing which houses the plug contacts 11 therein is inserted into the case member 30 and the circuit board 20 to connect the plug contacts 11 with the receptacle contacts 21 (spring contacts), the offset of the insertion position along the longitudinal direction of the housing is absorbed between the housing 10 and the case member 30, and the offset of the insertion position along the lateral direction of the housing is absorbed between the housing 10 and the circuit board 20. (In the illustrated embodiment, since the width of the contact of the receptacle contact 21 is larger than the width of the plug contact 11, no problem arises even if the relative position of the contacts deviates to a certain extent). On the other hand, since there is no such play in the hole 33, the positions are aligned and the offset of the insertion position is absorbed in the lateral direction of the housing between the housing 10 and the case member 30. Further, since there is no such play in the hole in the longitudinal direction of the housing, the positions are aligned between the housing 10 and the circuit board 20. As shown in Figs. 4 to 6, the case member 30 engages with the plug housing 10 and covers the plug housing. The plug housing has lance-shaped latch means 19 for engaging with the case member, as shown in Fig. 6. A sequence to connect the connector of the present invention is now explained. First, the male housing which houses the plug contacts therein is inserted into the hole 33 of the case member 30 to cause the plug contacts 11 to contact the conductor 31 of the case member. Then, the plug housing is further inserted into the hole 25 of the circuit board 20 to make the plug contacts contact the receptacle contacts 21 of the circuit board 20. As shown in Fig. 4, the bulkheads 15 of the housing are inserted between the receptacle contacts to insulate the receptacle contacts. The timing at which the plug contacts make contact to the conductor and the timing at which the plug contacts make contact to the receptacle contacts are offset as described above, and hence peaks of the force required for the connection are split into two parts. This reduces the insertion force. When the connector is connected, the bulkheads 15 of the housing inserted between the receptacle contacts serve to insulate the receptacle contacts. Accordingly, no means for insulating the receptacle contacts is needed on the circuit board, and the arrangement pitch of the contacts may be reduced accordingly. (In the prior connectors, similar means to the bulkheads 15 of the housing are provided on the circuit board so that they intermesh with each other when they are connected). In accordance with the connection of the present invention, two circuit boards can be electrically and mechanically connected in an easy and positive manner by merely engaging the male housing which houses the plug contacts therein to the circuit boards. The effect of the present invention is significant when it is applied, for example, to an automobile meter in which the circuit boards of different types are connected. Since no screw is needed as opposed to known connectors, there is no need for a space therefor, and the size of the device can be reduced or the integration density can be improved.

Claims: A connection comprising: an insulative male housing (10) supporting therein a plurality of conductive plug contacts (11); a substrate (20) engaged with said male housing, said substrate having a plurality of conductive receptacle contacts (21) making electrical connection with the plug contacts in said housing; and a case member (30) engaged with said male housing, said case member having a conductor (31) making electrical connection with said plug contacts, each of said receptacle contacts (21) comprising a main part (22) attached to said substrate spacedly from a surface thereof, a plate-shaped spring contact (23) projecting upward from said main part and pinching said plug contact thereby making connection with said conductor (31), and a leg (24) projecting downward from the main part and soldered on a rear surface of said substrate. A connection according to claim 1 wherein said substrate is a circuit board made of a rigid material and said case member comprises a flexible circuit board (32). A connection acording to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein each of said plug contacts (11) comprises a plate-shaped first connecting part (12) electrically connected to said receptacle contact, a latch (13) engaging said housing and a second connecting part (14) electrically connected to said conductor of said case member, and said second connecting part (14) being a hook-shaped leaf spring making contact with said conductor (31) of said case member. A connection according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said plug contacts (11) are separated and insulated from each other by a bulkhead (15) provided in said housing. A connection according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said substrate (20) and said case member (30) have holes (25) and (33), respectively, receiving said housing thereinto, said substrate hole (25) having an inner diameter in one direction larger than a corresponding outer diameter of said housing, said case member hole (33) having an inner diameter in a direction transverse to said one direction larger than a corresponding outer diameter of said housing.

Inventors: OKUYAMA HIDEKI, SONOBE TOSHIMITSU, YAMAMOTO MASAHIRO, OKUYAMA, HIDEKI, SONOBE, TOSHIMITSU, YAMAMOTO, MASAHIRO
Applicants: THOMAS & BETTS CORP, THOMAS & BETTS CORPORATION
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H01R9
IPC codes: H01R12