Surface mount connector

Abstract: An electrical connector (10) has electrical contacts (30a, 30b) arranged in cavities (40a, 40b) of a housing (50). The electrical contacts (30a, 30b) include contact sections (31) and termination sections (32a), having plate sections (36) oriented perpendicular to a surface of the contact sections (31) and soldering termination members (37). When the electrical contacts (30a, 30b) are placed in the housing (50), a rear portion (34) of the contact section (31) can be bent due to the fact that cut-outs (47a), corresponding to the rear portion (34) are provided in the inside walls of cavities (40a, 40b) thus allowing for elastic deformation of the rear portion (34). In addition, plate sections (36) have lug (38) accommodated in grooves (55) formed in the housing (50). Because of resilience of the rear sections (34) the lugs (38) engage against bottom surfaces (56) of the grooves (55), thus determining the position of the soldering termination members (37).

Description: This invention relates to surface mount electrical connectors intended for soldering via surface mounting to printed circuit boards (PCB) or other circuit boards and equipped with multiple electrical contacts for electrical connection to circuits formed on such boards and to electrical contacts used in such connectors. Various types of electrical connectors intended for mounting on printed circuit boards having contacts designed for being electrically connected to contact pads formed on the surface of the boards are known. An example of such an electrical connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 94-62949. These electrical connectors comprise a number of electrical contacts having at one end a contact section intended for making electrical contact with a mating electrical contact and a termination section at its opposite end intended for soldering to the contact pads on the board and a housing having cavities retaining the contacts in such a manner that the termination sections are arranged in a straight line. The plate forming the contact section and the termination section is oriented generally in one direction. The connection of the electrical connector to the circuit board is carried out by applying soldering cream having a consistency of a gel and made of solder flux to the contact pads on the circuit board, after which the termination sections of the electrical contacts are pressed against corresponding contact pads and heated thereby effecting electrical connections between the contact pads and the termination sections. However, as a result of variations in the gaps between the inside walls of the cavities and the elctrical contacts due to tolerance in dimensions and inconsistencies in assembly, variation in coplanarity of the termination sections of the electrical contacts also takes place. As a result of such variation in the positioning of the termination sections, there is a danger that some termination sections fail to form an electrical engagement with their respective pads when the termination sections are against the board thereby resulting in faulty soldering connections. In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, in the electrical connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application 94-62949, bosses are provided at least on one of the inside walls of the cavities. When such a boss on one inside wall engages with a surface of the electrical contacts, it deflects the contacts so that their opposite surface engages with the boss made on the opposite inside wall of the cavity. This makes it possible to reduce variation in the position of the termination sections and to achieve an acceptable coplanarity of the soldering termination sections. Another method which can be used for the elimination of variation in the position of the termination sections includes providing bosses on the surface of the electrical contacts by means of embossing. When electrical contacts with bosses are inserted in the housing cavities, the bosses are pressed against one inside wall of the cavities and the opposite side of the contacts are pressed against the opposite wall, thus making it possible to control the variation. A further prior art electrical connector is described in Patent US 4,687,267 (on which the pre-characterizing part of the independent claim is based). The connector incudes conducting members each having a contact section fo: engagement by a plug and a flat plate termination section for soldering to a trace on a circuit board. Each contact section extends in a direction which is perpendicular to its associated termination section and alternate termination sections lie on a common place. Close spacing of the termination sections is not possible due to the width of each termination section, accurate alignment of the terminatior sections is not ensured and the circuit board needs to be provided with plated holes at the terminations of the traces thereon. However, electrical connectors of this type are not well suited for the trends related to the reduction in size of electric and electronic devices or to the increase in the density of circuitry patterns on the printed circuit board which requires reduction in contact pitch, that is in the reduction of the distance between the contacts. In some connectors, termination sections arranged at such a narrow pitch are supposed to make contact with the contact pads on a printed circuit board by engaging them perpendicularly. But since there is no appropriate means for the elimination of the variation in the position of the termination sections relative to the contact pads, there is a possibility of defective connections occurring during the soldering operation. Thus according to the invention there is provided an electrical connector according to claim 1. The connector can be mounted at an edge of a circuit board. The electrical connectors according to this invention preferably comprise a number of electrical contacts having termination sections intended for the soldering to contact pads on a surface of a printed circuit board and a housing accommodating the electrical contacts. Preferably, electrical contacts of the present invention are made by stamping them from a metal sheet with subsequent bending, and at one end they have a contact section intended for electrical engagement with a matable contact, and at the other end, a termination section. The termination section is perpendicular to the plane of the contact section, preferably by bending the back end of the contact section. Preferably, both the contact section and the termination section extend in a longitudinal direction. In the termination section, preferably the middle thereof, a plate section with a lug is provided, and at the back end of the termination section, preferably a soldering termination member is located. The electrical contacts are placed in cavities in a housing. This makes it possible to arrange the contact sections and the termination sections at appropriate pitches. Preferably, recesses are provided in the housing adjacent to the back ends of the contact sections, in order to receive termination sections at the back ends of the contact sections in one direction. Preferably, a number of grooves are provided in the housing opposite to the joining plane. Preferably, plate sections of the electrical contacts are inserted in the grooves and lugs thereof engage a bottom surface of the grooves. If the lugs engage the bottom surfaces, the position of the soldering termination sections remain unchanged even when the back ends of the contact sections are disposed in a direction opposite to that of the termination sections. An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front view of an electrical connector according to the invention. Figure 2 is a bottom view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of Figure 2 taken along line 4-4 thereof. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of Figure 4. Figure 7 is a plan view of one type of electrical contacts used in the connector of Figure 1. Figure 8 is a partly-sectioned top view of Figure 7. Figure 9 is a plan view of another type of electrical contacts used in the connector of Figure 1 and similar to the electrical contacts shown in Figure 7. Figure 10 is a partly-sectioned top view of Figure 9. Figure 11 is an enlarged part cross-sectional view of Figure 4. Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 depict an electrical connector in the form of a surface mount connector and electrical contacts according to this invention. As it is shown in Fig. 1, the electrical connector 10 has multiple electric contacts 30 arranged in a housing 50. The housing 50 comprises a joining section 52 having a shroud 51 and a connecting section 53 to connect it to a printed circuit board via termination sections 32 of electrical contacts 30. Explanations concerning the electrical contacts 30 are set forth below. The housing 50 comprises a board-mounting section 54 having mounting legs 61 and posts 62. The board-mounting section 54 extends from the sides of the housing 50 backwards that is in the direction of the connecting section 53. The position of the printed circuit board 5 is shown schematically in Fig. 3. Mounting legs 61 and posts 62 of the board-mounting section 54 are engaged in holes (not shown in the drawing) provided in the printed circuit board 5, thus securing the electrical connector 10 on the board 5. Electrical contacts 30 are in the form of two types of electrical contacts 30a and 30b shown respectively in Figs. 7 and 9. Both electrical contacts 30a and 30b have a contact section 31 and termination sections 32a and 32b. As can be seen termination sections 32a and 32b are bent nearly perpendicularly to the back end of the contact sections 31, and they extend practically at a right angle with respect to the surface of the contact section 31. In a rear portion of the contact section 31, press-in barbs 33 are provided for the purpose of retention of the contacts in the housing 30, and a rear-end section 34 is in the shape of a tab. At a front end of the contact section 31, hooks 35 are provided. As can be seen from Figs 8 and 10, the hooks 35 are narrower than the contact sections 31, and as depicted in Figs. 7 and 9, they are offset from the plane of the contact section 31. As can be seen from Fig. 7, termination section 32a of the electrical contact 30a extends as a practically straight-line continuation of the contact section 31. The termination 32a includes a flat plate section 36 and a soldering termination member 37. As also shown in Fig. 7, the plate section 36 has a lug 38 extending outwardly therefrom. As can be seen from Fig. 9, termination section 32b of the electrical contact 30b has an intermediate piece 39 which is perpendicular to the contact section 31. Its extension has a plate section 36, soldering termination member 37 and a lug 38 which are similar to the same elements of the electrical contact 30a. As shown in Fig. 4, the housing 50 has a number of cavities 40a and 40b along upper and lower surfaces of a central section 58 in which two types of electrical contacts 30a and 30b are arranged in rows situated one above the other. Electrical contacts 30a are arranged in the upper row cavities 40a, and electrical contacts 30b are arranged in the lower row cavities 40b. The design of the connector is such that when electrical contacts 30a and 30b are placed in the cavities 40a and 40b of the housing 50, all soldering termination members 37 are arrayed in a straight line. In addition, the surfaces of the contact sections 31 of electrical contacts 30a and 30b are facing out so that the contacts can engage with the contacts of a matable connector. During connection with a matable connector, at least a portion of the contact sections is supported by inside walls 41a and 41b of the cavities 40a, 40b (see Figs. 5 and 6). When electrical contacts 30a, 30b are inserted and arranged in the housing 50, hooks 35 perform the role of guiding tips for the contact sections 31. In addition, guiding grooves 45a and 45b are provided with a wall 46 at an outer end of central section 58. As can be seen from Fig. 4, the engagement of hooks 35 within slots in walls 46 prevents the electrical contacts 30a and 30b from moving out of the cavities 40a and 40b when the contacts are fully inserted. At the back end of the cavities 40a and 40b, cut-outs 47a and 47b are provided (see Fig. 11). These cut-outs 47a and 47b make it possible for the tab-shaped end sections 34 of the contact sections 31 to be bent within the limits of elastic deformation. As can be seen from Fig. 4, multiple grooves 55 are made in the upper wall of the connecting section 53 of the housing 50 which form a comb-like structure. As shown in Fig. 4, grooves 55 are dimensioned in such a manner that they envelope plate sections 36 of the electrical contacts 30a and 30b. From Fig. 4, it can be seen that when the electrical contacts 30a and 30b are completely inserted in the grooves 55, lugs 38 of the electrical contacts 30a and 30b engage against the bottom surface 56 of the grooves 55. As indicated above, since the rear portion 34 of the contact section can be bent within the limits of elastic deformation, the plate sections 36 of the termination sections 32a and 32b can be moved in the direction of the plane of the contact section. Therefore, the bottom surfaces 56 of the grooves 55 can serve as a reference plane for the termination sections 32a and 32b. As a result of this, the soldering termination members 37 can be aligned in a straight line, thus ensuring their coplanarity. In such a condition, the plate sections 36 contained in their respective grooves 55 are prevented from deformation which makes it possible to reliably ensure the position of the soldering termination members 37. The above explanation concerning an embodiment of the connector of this invention has been given as an example only, but it is to be assumed that the subject-matter of the claims includes also various changes and modifications which can be made by experts in the art, without departing from the scope of the claims. Preferably, in a surface mount connector according to this invention, soldering termination members of multiple electrical contacts are arrayed perpendicularly to contact pads on a surface of a printed circuit board and arrayed in a straight line using a housing surface as a reference plane. Therefore, the electrical contacts can be arranged at a narrow pitch, while the soldering termination members are distinguished by an excellent coplanarity, which makes it possible to eliminate defects in soldering caused by poor appliation of the soldering termination members to the pads. If the possibility of deformation of plate sections of all electrical contacts is eliminated when they are retained in the grooves of a comb-like structure of the housing, coplanarity of the soldering termination members would be reliably ensured.

Claims: An electrical connector comprising an insulating housing (50) with a central section (58) along which cavities (40a, 40b) extend which cavities are arranged in at least one row, and electrical contacts (30a, 30b) inserted and retained in said cavities, said electrical contacts (30a, 30b) including flat contact sections (31) for electrical engagement with electrical contacts of a matable connector and termination sections (32a, 32b), the contact sections (31) and termination sections (32a, 32b) comprising flat plates being mutually perpendicular, the flat plates of the termination sections (32a, 32b) being mutually parallel, and lugs (38) on the termination sections (32a, 32b) engaging bottom surfaces (56) of grooves (55) in the housing (50) to hold soldering termination members (37) of the termination sections (32a, 32b) arrayed in a straight line, characterised in that : the termination section (32a, 32b) and contact section (31) of each electrical contact (30a, 30b) extend in the same longitudinal direction, and said central section (58) has walls (46) at an outer end thereof, said walls (46) have slots in which hooks (35) of the contact sections (31) are disposed. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flat plates of said termination sections (32a, 32b) include plate sections (36) on which said lugs (38) are located. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein cut-outs (47a, 47b) are located at a back end of said cavities (40a, 40b) in which tab sections (34) of the contact sections (31) are disposed. An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein said cavities (40a, 40b) extend along top and bottom surfaces of said central section, a first row of electrical contacts (30a) are disposed in the top surface cavities (40a) and a second row of electrical contacts (30b) are disposed in the bottom surface cavities (40b). An electrical connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the termination sections (32b) of the second row of electrical contacts (30b) have an intermediate piece (39).

Inventors: FUJIURA YOSHITSUGU, HASHIMOTO SHINICHI, FUJIURA, YOSHITSUGU, HASHIMOTO, SHINICHI
Applicants: WHITAKER CORP, THE WHITAKER CORPORATION
Application year: 1995
Main classification: H01R12
IPC codes: H01R13, H01R12, H01R43