Electrical connectors

Abstract: Electrical connector devices are provided for interconnecting external conductors with a connecting member such as a circuit which has upwardly projecting components that are adjacent contact areas on an exposed surface. The connector device comprises an insulator body for supporting a plurality of conductor elements in spaced relation to one another. The insulator body includes a plurality of cantilever hollow projections which have a length that exceeds the height of the components above the contact surfaces. The projections extend from the conductor sites generally parallel to one another and are disposed to mate the contact surfaces while providing spaces therearound to receive and accommodate the components. The insulator body preferably is a unitary molded body which includes the projections. An axially compressible conductive means extends through each of the hollow projections from the respective conductor site to an exposed end at the distal end of the respective projection. Preferably each compressible conductive means includes a wadded wire contact button and an exposed end plunger.

Description: This invention relates to electrical connectors and particularly to electrical connector devices for making direct connections between a plurality of external conductors and the leads on a device which has exposed contact areas and adjacent components that extend above the contact areas, such as on a hybrid circuit or printed circuit board. The illustrated preferred embodiment is an engine control connector assembly for mounting and connecting a control circuit to an automotive engine. Background of the Invention Hybrid circuits, integrated circuit chips, printed circuit boards and like devices, which will be referred to as circuits, often have discrete circuit components mounted on and extending above a major planar surface. Conductor traces disposed internally of the device or on its surface interconnect the components and provide access for connection to external circuit conductor leads. In various uses of such devices, a surface on which the components are mounted presents the most readily accessible area for joining external conductors. One example is in automotive engine connector devices wherein a control circuit or hybrid circuit is mounted on a heat sink plate. In the past, wire leads were soldered or welded to contact lugs provided on the front face of the control device, between upstanding circuit components, and to external connector leads in the connector device. The soldered or welded connection techniques are tedious and expensive. For example, the soldered or welded connections are prone to failure during the manufacturing of the device and during the use of the device by the customer. These failures result in higher manufacturing costs due to rejects and in higher costs due to warranty claims and customer dissatisfaction. The failure or the reduction in the integrity of the soldered or welded connections can occur due to vibration, shock, thermal stress and mechanical stress. Furthermore, the manufacture and assembly of the devices, including the soldering or welding operation, is time consuming and expensive in comparison to the present invention. In addition, the upstanding components on the exposed surfaces of such devices present impediments to application of alternative simplified connective techniques, e.g. such as are disclosed in U.S. Patents 4,988,306, 4,992,053, 5,013,249 5,127,837. Published European patent application EP-A-525 604 discloses input-output connectors for coupling of a plurality of conductors of different configurations with an electronic component, such as an integrated circuit chip and header connectors, that are on the outer side of a printed circuit board, by through terminals. It is the object of this invention to provide an electrical connector device by which electrical connections can be effected easily and inexpensively. Summary of the Invention This object is achieved by the electrical connector device according to claim 1. Particular embodiments of this electrical connector device are defined in claims 2 to 22. Claims 23 and 24 relate to an automotive control device comprising an electrical connector device according to any of claims 1 to 22. Claim 25 relates to an electrical connector assembly comprising an electrical connector device as defined in any of claims 1 to 22. In a particular embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector device is provided for interconnecting external conductors with a connecting member such as a chip, circuit or board which has upwardly projecting components as referred to above that are adjacent contact areas on an exposed surface. The connector device comprises an insulator body for supporting a plurality of conductor elements in spaced relation to one another. The insulator body includes a plurality of cantilever hollow projections which have a length that exceeds the height of the components above the contact surfaces. The projections extend from the conductor sites generally parallel to one another and are disposed to mate the contact surfaces while providing spaces therearound to receive and accommodate the components. The insulator body preferably is a unitary molded body which includes the projections. An axially compressible conductive means extends through each of the hollow projections from the respective conductor site to an exposed end at the distal end of the respective projection. Preferably each compressible conductive means includes a wadded wire contact button and an exposed end plunger. Direct conductive connection between the external conductors and the contact surfaces of the connecting member are obtained by pressing the connector device and connecting member together with the projections aligned with the contact surfaces and the components being accommodated beside the projections. Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and appended claims, and upon reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief Description of the Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector employing teachings of this invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective of the opposite side of the connector device of Fig. 1, with the cover plate and circuit removed. Figs. 3-6 are a top view, a left side view, a right side view and a bottom view of the connector device of Fig. 2, respectively. Fig. 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view taken on irregular line 8-8 of Fig. 6, with the projection contacts omitted. Fig. 9 is a further enlarged partial cross-sectional and side view of two adjacent contact projections generally as seen along line 7-7 in Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a cover plate and a circuit thereon for connecting with the device of Fig. 1. Fig. 11 is an enlarged side view of a plunger contact element of the connector of Fig. 1. Figs. 12 and 14 are cross-sectional views corresponding to Figs. 7 and 8 respectively, each including the circuit and plate in position with a contact pad of the circuit beneath each of the plunger points. Fig. 13 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view corresponding to Fig. 9, with the buttons and plungers in place, the end of the contact projections staked inward to retain the plungers and with the corresponding portions of the plate and circuit assembled thereagainst. Detailed Description Of Embodiments Of The Invention Referring to the enclosed drawings, the connector device 16 includes basically a molded frame body 20 which includes a pair of sockets 22 and 24 and which forms a recess or a well 26 in one side of the body between these sockets. Several conductor strips 28, 30 form contact prongs 28p, 30p in the sockets 22 and 24 and extend to predetermined positions in the body wall 27 at the inner side of the recess 26. Other than the prong-ends 28p, 30p which are exposed for engagement with suitable plug-in types of circuit connectors that mate in the sockets 22, 24, the conductors 28, 30 are embedded in the molded body 20. Within the well 26, the body 20 includes hollow cylindrical chimney-like projections 34 which extend parallel to one another from the wall 27. One of these projections is aligned with each of the conductors 28, 30. The body defines a bore, opening or aperture 36 which extends from the outer distal end of each of these projections to the respective conductor 28, 30, with the conductor being exposed at the inner end of that bore; see particularly Figs. 9, 12, 13 and 14. As further illustrated in Figs. 11, 12, 13 and 14, an axially resilient button-plunger column contact 37, comprising a resilient wadded wire button 38 and a reciprocal plunger 40, is mounted in each of the bores 36. U.S. Patent No. 5,127,837 further illustrates and describes contacts using similar combinations of resilient wire buttons and reciprocal plungers, and its disclosure thereof is incorporated herein by this reference. The buttons 38 and plungers 40 are mounted by insertion into the open ends of the bores 36. Then the outer ends of the projections are modified, as by cold-form staking inwardly, as at 39 in Fig. 13, to retain the larger body portion 41 of the plunger 40 in the respective bore 36 while permitting free passage of the smaller diameter end portion 42 as illustrated in Figs. 12, 13 and 14. The buttons 38 and plungers 40 are sufficiently freely movable axially of the bores 36 such that the buttons 38 maintain contact with the adjacent surface of the respective conductor 28, 30 and with the inward end of the respective plunger 40 while permitting and providing resilient axial movement of each plunger within the ambit of axial movement corresponding generally to the length of the projecting end 42. A metal mounting cover plate 50 as in Fig. 10 carries a circuit 52 adhered to its inward surface. The circuit 52 includes a number of electronic control components C and appropriate conductors (not shown) which connect those components to one another and to contact pads 54 exposed on the inward face of the circuit, among the electrical components C. The conductors of the circuit 52 may be traces on the surface or within laminations of the circuit. The location of the projections 34 carrying contacts 38, 40 are correlated to the location of the respective contact pads 54 such that each conductor 28, 30 is connected to the appropriate portion of the circuit 52 when the plate 50 is mounted on the housing 20 over the recess 26 with the circuit in appropriate registry. Because the projections 34 are of relative small cross-section, they can be and are appropriately located so as to traverse the recess 26 to the respective pad 54 without contacting or interfering with the various components C which extend from the circuit upwardly into the recess 26 beside and among the projections 34. The metal cover plate 50 serves as a heat sink and transfer path. Slots or openings 55 mate with pins 56 on the body 20 for registration positioning of the plate 50 and particularly the attached circuit 52 relative to the projections 34. The pins 56 extend through the openings 55 and above the plate 50. The upper portions of the pins 56, which extend above the plate 50, are deformed by a staking process, a rolling process, a spinning process or another appropriate process in order to create a head on the upper portions of the pins 56. The deformation of the upper portions into a head secures the plate 50 and the body 20 together in mating relation. An annular shoulder surface 60 on the body 20, around the recess 26, provides a mating seat for the plate 50. A gasket material is applied to one or both of the mating face 62 of the plate or the body 20 on the shoulder surfaces 60 (Figs. 12 and 14), to assist in providing a sealed joint therebetween. Securing means, such as screws or bolts, may be applied through openings 58 for mounting the assembled connector, as on an automotive engine. Appropriate circuit leads are attached through connectors that mate at the sockets 22, 24. Also, the recess 26 may be filled with a permanently soft potting compound for further sealing against humidity and environmental factors and to serve as a shock absorber to protect the various components against vibrations applied to the connector in use, such as when mounted on automobile engines. The frame body 20 can be molded of a thermoplastic material. By way of one specific illustrative example, a frame body 20 is molded of thermoplastic glass reinforced polyester manufactured by Hoechest Celanese of 26 Main Street, Chatham, New Jersey, U.S.A. under compound number 3310. The body 20 was formed with a well 26 about 2 inches (51 mm) by about 2 inches (51 mm) in plan and about .200 inches (5 mm) deep. The inner wall 27 was about .200 inches (5 mm) thick, with the conductors 28, 30 approximately at its mid-plane as illustrated in Figs. 7, 8 and 12-14. The side walls forming surfaces 60 were about .300 inches (7.5 mm) thick. The projections 34 were about 0.200 inches (5 mm) long and of about 0.100 inches (2.5 mm) outside diameter, with the apertures 36 being of circular cylindrical configuration of about 0.045 inches (1.1 mm) inside diameter and 0.280 inches (7 mm) length from the adjacent surface of the respective conductor 28, 30 to the distal end of the projection. The projections were spaced about 0.280 inches (7 mm) between rows. The wadded buttons 38 were formed from Molybdenum wire of .002 in (.05 mm) diameter, with each button being .110 inches (2.8 mm) in length and of .040 inches (1 mm) nominal outside diameter. Each plunger 40 was formed of brass and had a cylindrical main body 41 of about .041 inches (1 mm) outside diameter and about .200 inches (5 mm) long, with a central axial projection 42 of about .022 inches (0.5 mm) outside diameter and about .060 inches (1.5 mm) long. The circuit 52 was about 1 inch (25 mm) by 1.75 inches (44.5 mm) and .040 inches (1 mm) thick with components C extending as much as about .100 inches (2.5 mm) from its contact surface which carried the contact pads 54. The circuit 52 was adhered to a planar plate 50 which was seated on the outer shoulders 60 of the well walls. The space between the rows of the projections 34 and the space therearound within the well 26 readily accommodated the components C when the contact pads 54 were seated against the resiliently retractable contact ends 42. In the illustrated preferred embodiment the external conductor leads 28, 30 are molded in place in the body 20. However, it will be appreciated that the conductors may be separately applied, as by insertion in appropriate positioning cavities or channels on the rear wall 27 in registration with the projections 34. It also will be appreciated that the projections 34 may be located in any desired array according to the available locations of the contact surfaces 54 on the device to be connected. The pattern and locations of the external conductors 28, 30 should be correspondingly adjusted to place them in opposed relation to the respective contact surfaces 54, at the inward ends of the apertures 36. Plunger-button contacts have been described as preferred for obtaining the desired axially compressive conductive contacts because of the wearability and ruggedness of the exposed plunger contact ends. However, other compressible contact core arrangements may be utilized in appropriate circumstances. For example, there may be a fixed core-piece extending from the conductor 28, 30 to the resilient contact column components, such as to the components 38, 40. Also, each resilient contact column may be a single elongated wadded wire button, or a button-slug-button arrangement or a plunger-button-plunger arrangement as in U.S. Patents No. 4,988,306, 4,992,053 and 5,013,249 which are incorporated herein by this reference or other arrangements to provide the desirable resilient compressive and uniform conductive contact action. It will be seen that electrical connector devices have been provided which meet the objects aforestated. While particular embodiments of the invention have been shown, it will be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since modifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly in light of the foregoing teachings. It is, therefore, contemplated by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as incorporate those features which constitute the essential features of these improvements within the scope of the invention.

Claims: An electrical connector device (16) for interconnecting external circuits with a mating connecting member (52) which includes electrical conductors and has a mating face that includes generally planar conductive contact surfaces (54), said connector device (16) comprising: an electrical insulator body (20) having a wall (27) with a wall surface for receiving such a mating connector member thereover, at least one externally exposed socket (22, 24) including at least one conductor element (28P, 30P) exposed for engagement by a conductor of an external circuit connector, an electrical conductor (28, 30) joined to each of said conductor elements (28P, 30P) and extending within said insulator body (20) to predetermined positions in said wall (27), said insulator body (20) defining openings (36) extending from said electrical conductors (28, 30) through said wall surface, and an electrically conductive contact (37) disposed in each of said openings and retained and supported by said insulator body, each of said electrically conductive contacts (37) having a proximal end engaging the respective electrical conductor (28, 30) and a distal end (42) exposed above said wall surface and being resiliently compressible axially of the respective opening for compressive engagement with a contact surface (54) of such a mating connector member (52) disposed over said wall surface. An electrical connector device as in claim 1 wherein said insulator body (20) defines a recess (26) having an open side for receiving thereover said mating connector member (52), said mating connector member (52) including components (C) which extend upwardly above said contact surfaces (54), said insulator body including projections (34) which are aligned with said conductor positions and extend from said wall towards said open side a distance which exceeds the extension of such components above such contact surfaces of such a mating connector member, and said openings extending through said projections, whereby such components (C) are accommodated in said recess beside said projections when such a mating connector member is received over said open side. An electrical connector device as in claim 2 wherein said projections (34) extend from said wall surface generally normal thereto, and each of said projections and the respective adjacent portion of said wall (27) define one of said openings (36), each of said openings extending from the respective electrical conductor (28, 30) to the distal end of the respective projection. An electrical connector device as in claim 3 wherein said projections (34) are disposed in said recess (26) in a predetermined array which corresponds to the array of the contact surfaces (54) of such a mating connector member (52). An electrical connector device as in any of claims 1 to 4 wherein such a mating connector member (52) includes components (C) adjacent such contact surfaces (54) and extending upwardly above said contact surfaces, wherein said wall (27) of said insulator body (20) supports said mating connector member in generally spaced relation to said wall surface to accommodate said components between said mating connector member and said wall surface. An electrical connector device as in any of claims 1 to 5 wherein said electrical conductor (28, 30) is integral with the respective conductor element (28P, 30P). An electrical connector device as in any of claims 1 to 6 wherein said conductor elements (28P, 30P) are conductor prong elements. An electrical connector device as in claim 2 wherein said projections (34) extend into said recess (26) from said wall surface. An electrical connector device as in claim 2 wherein the distal ends of said projections (34) are within said recess (26). An electrical connector device as in claim 2 wherein said insulator body (20) includes support sections, said support sections and said projections (34) being spaced from one another for accommodating the upwardly extending components (C) of such a mating connector member (52) therebetween. An electrical connector device as in claim 10 wherein said support sections form side walls of said recess (26). An electrical connector device as in claim 11 wherein said side walls are unitary with said wall (27) of said insulator body (20). An electrical connector device as in claim 2 wherein said wall (27) is at the bottom of said recess (26) and said projections (34) extend from said wall towards said open side. An electrical connector device as in claim 13 wherein said insulator body (20) defines a planar surface (60) around the open side of said recess (26). An electrical connector device as in claim 14 wherein said planar surface (60) supports such a mating connector member (52) in generally spaced relation to said wall surface with such components (C) therebetween. An electrical connector device as in claim 1 wherein said insulator body (20) defines a recess (26) with said wall surface forming the inner end of said recess. An electrical connector device as in claim 1 wherein said electrical conductor (28, 30) is embedded in said wall (27) of said insulator body (20). An electrical connector device as in claim 17 wherein said electrical conductor (28, 30) is a strip which extends parallel to said wall surface. An electrical connector device as in any of claims 1 to 18 wherein each of said electrically conductive contacts (37) is supported by the walls of the respective opening (36). An electrical connector device as in claim 19 wherein each of said electrically conductive contacts (37) includes a wadded wire button element (38). An electrical connector device as in any of claims 1 to 20 wherein each of said electrically conductive contacts (37) includes a plurality of elements and at least one of said elements is a wadded wire button element (38). An electrical connector device as in claim 20 or in claim 21 wherein each of said wadded wire button elements (38) has one end abutting the respective electrical conductor (28, 30) and each of said electrically conductive contacts (37) includes a plunger element (40) abutting the other end of said wadded wire button element, said plunger element being resiliently reciprocable axially of the respective opening (36) by the resilient spring action of the respective wadded wire button element. An automotive control device comprising an electrical connector device according to any of claims 1 to 22 wherein such a mating connector member (52) is an automotive engine control circuit. An automotive control device as in claim 23 wherein said circuit is mounted on a metal heat conductive plate, said insulator body (20) and said plate (50) having cooperative seating means for joining said plate and said insulator body with said contact surfaces of said connector member in compressive registered relation with contact means at the distal ends of said openings (36). An electrical connector assembly comprising: a connector member (52) having a mating face that includes generally planar conductive contact surfaces (54) and components (C) extending upwardly above said contact surfaces; and an electrical connector device as defined in any of claims 1 to 22.

Inventors: BAILEY WILLIAM R, GARAY ANTONIO A, ROSBOROUGH KEITH A, BAILEY, WILLIAM R., GARAY, ANTONIO A., ROSBOROUGH, KEITH A.
Applicants: CINCH CONNECTORS INC, CINCH CONNECTORS, INC.
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H01R13
IPC codes: H01R12, H01R24, H01R13, B60R16, H01R4