Abstract:
A socket and plug connector are shown where the socket connector has a plurality of tab terminals positioned on a printed circuit board, and a shroud in surrounding relation thereto. The shroud housing does not have a floor, and thus the shroud wall can extend to the printed circuit board. An alignment plate is positioned over the tab terminals and is movable from an upper position where the alignment plate member protects the tab terminals and holds them in an array, to a lower position where the alignment plate member floats to a position adjacent to the printed circuit board to receive the plug connector.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a connector assembly comprised of a socket and plug assembly, particularly for automotive use. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Automotive connection systems exist in the form of socket and plug connectors, where the socket connector includes a plurality of upstanding pins and/or tabs to provide a plurality of signal and/or power lines to various parts of the automobile. Many times harnesses must be assembled and/or preassembled, where one part of the connector is not mated with the corresponding connector until some time further in the overall automobile assembly process. Thus, this requires a great deal of care for socket connectors of the type having a header and a plurality of upstanding tabs and/or pins. 
     In some connection systems, the headers are provided with freestanding pins without any type of support surrounding the pins. In other connection systems, alignment plates are provided but are cumbersome in nature, as they add overall height to the socket connector. In other words, adding a vertical dimension of an alignment plate requires the overall height of the socket to increase, thereby increasing the overall material cost, as well as the area required to house the connection system. 
     Thus, the object of the invention is to provide the advantages of the alignment plate and the overall protection which it provides with a low-profile outline of a connection system. 
     The objects of the invention have been accomplished by providing an electrical connector comprising an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals. The housing provides a protective shroud around the terminals. An alignment plate is movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals when mated with a complementary electrical connector. The terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board, with the housing being attached to the printed circuit board. The alignment plate is movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position adjacent the printed circuit board. 
     The connector further comprises locating elements on the alignment plate and on the protective shroud to position the alignment plate relative to the terminals. The locating elements can comprise locating lugs on the alignment plate, and channels surrounding a perimeter of the protective shroud profiled to receive the lugs. The alignment plate also includes stand-off features to hold the plate portion of the alignment plate slightly up off of said printed circuit board. 
     The electrical connector further comprises a latching element to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The electrical connector can also further comprise posts extending upwardly from the alignment plate for alignment with a complementary connector when mated to prevent misalignment. 
     In another aspect of the invention, an electrical connector assembly, comprises a socket connector comprising a plurality of socket terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board; an insulative socket housing providing a protective shroud around the terminals; and an alignment plate being movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals, the alignment plate being movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position adjacent the printed circuit board. A mating plug connector comprises a plug housing profiled for mating reception in the protective shroud; and a plurality of plug terminals electrically connectable with the socket terminals. 
     The socket terminals are profiled as a plurality of posts upstanding from the printed circuit board. The plug housing has a front mating face with apertures complementarily located to receive the socket posts. The alignment plate further comprises insulative aligning posts upstanding therefrom and extending outwardly, and the plug housing front mating face including alignment openings to receive the aligning posts. The aligning posts extend out a distance greater than the socket terminal posts. 
     The plug and socket connectors have latching detents cooperatively provided on the socket and plug housings to temporarily hold the housings together in an unmated condition. The detents are provided on exterior endwalls of the plug housing, and on interior endwalls of the socket housing. The detents are so positioned on the socket and plug housings such that when the housings are held by the detents, the aligning posts are partially inserted in respective alignment openings, but the socket and plug terminals are disengaged. 
     The electrical connector assembly further comprises a latching assembly cooperatively provided by the socket housing and the alignment plate to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The plug housing includes a disengagement element to disengage the latching assembly, to allow the alignment plate to be moved to the second position by the movement of the plug housing. 
     In yet another embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector, comprises a plurality of socket terminals being mounted in an array on a printed circuit board; an insulative shroud around the terminals; and an alignment plate being movable along the terminals in a mating direction of the terminals, the alignment plate being movable from a first position adjacent to free ends of the terminals, to a second position against the printed circuit board. 
     The electrical connector further comprises locating elements on the alignment plate and on the protective shroud to position the alignment plate relative to the terminals. The electrical connector further comprises a latching element to latch the alignment plate in the first position. The electrical connector further comprising posts extending upwardly from the alignment plate for alignment with a complementary connector when mated to prevent misalignment. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the socket and plug connector housings; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1 from a below different perspective; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view through lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1 showing the module housing and alignment plate in cross section; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the plug housing from a perspective showing the end wall in greater detail; 
     FIG. 5 is a cut-away view of the printed circuit board, module housing and alignment plate; 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view through lines  6 — 6  of FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 7 is a view similar to that of FIG. 5 showing the plug housing poised for receipt within the module housing; 
     FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of the plug housing cooperating with the latches on the alignment plate, but less the module housing and printed circuit board; and 
     FIG. 9 shows a view similar to that of FIG. 8 showing the plug housing in the fully latched position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference first to FIG. 1, a socket housing assembly is shown at  2  as an exploded view, which is profiled to receive a plug assembly shown generally at  4 . The socket housing  2  is composed of a printed circuit board assembly  6 , a module housing  8 , and an alignment plate  10 . With respect now to the various drawings, the individual components will now be described in greater detail. 
     With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the printed circuit board assembly includes a printed circuit board  12  having mounted thereon, an array of terminals, for example, large tab terminals  14 , tabs  16 , and pin contacts  18 . It should be appreciated that the various tabs  14 ,  16  and pin contacts  18  can be connected to traces on the circuit board for interconnection to other various components in a known manner. For example, the printed circuit board  12  could include edge, traces to which edge card connectors are connected to printed circuit board  12 , or other pin contacts could be established in another array for interconnection to the contacts  14 - 18 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the module housing  8  generally includes an open frame wall  20  including end walls  22 ,  24  and side walls  26  and  28 . The module housing  8  further includes a lower flange portion  30 , which circumscribes an interior opening  32  within the module housing  8 , as will be described herein. As shown best in FIG. 2, module housing  8  includes two alignment ribs  36  positioned on an inside of wall  26 , and two alignment ribs  38  positioned adjacent to wall  28 , as will be described further herein. As also shown in FIG. 2, module housing  8  includes alignment channels  40  at one end and channels  42  at the opposite end, both sets of channels being positioned within an inside surface of wall  26  and  28 , respectively. 
     With respect now to FIG. 3, which is a cross-sectional view through lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 1, an inside view of wall  24  is shown to include two elongated alignment ribs  44 , which flank a detent member  46 , having ramped surfaces  48  and  50 , and a latch projection  52  having a ramped surface at  54  and a horizontally extending latch surface  56 . Two latched detents  60  are also provided having a ramp portion at  62 , which enlarges to an upstanding portion at  64 . The enlarged portion  64  has a V-shaped upper surface at  66  and lateral projections extending therefrom at  68 . 
     With respect now to FIGS. 1 and 3, alignment plate  10  is shown in greater detail as including a plate portion  70  having upstanding anti-scoop members  72  and a plurality of passageways through the plate, for example, at  74 ,  76 , and  78 . It should be appreciated that the apertures  74  are profiled to receive tabs  14 ; apertures  76  profiled to receive tabs  16 , and apertures  78  profiled to receive pins  18 . As shown now in FIG. 3, alignment plate  10  further includes two flexible spring arm latches shown generally at  80 , where the latches are comprised of upstanding spring arms, for example, at  82  and  84 . It should be appreciated that the latch arms  82 ,  84  are identical to each other but a mirror image of each other. As shown in FIG. 3, spring arms  82 ,  84  include ramped surfaces at  86 , lower locking surfaces  88 , and an outer overlapping wall at  90 . Alignment plate  10  also includes an intermediate flexible latch  94  including two upstanding leg portions  96  and a horizontal bar section at  98 . It should be appreciated that the alignment plate has latches  80  and  94  at each end of the plate, as shown in either of FIG. 1 or  2 . Finally, as shown in FIG. 1, alignment plate  10  includes locating lugs at  100 ,  102 . As shown best in FIG. 8, lugs  100 ,  102  provide laterally extending portions  104 ,  106  and standoff surfaces  107 ,  108 . 
     As shown in FIG. 4, plug housing  4  is shown in greater detail as having general side walls at  110 ,  112  and end walls  114 ,  116 . Socket housing  4  further includes a top wall  118  and a lower wall  120  (FIG. 2) having apertures  124 ,  126 , and  128 , where apertures  124 ,  126 , and  128  are profiled to receive respective terminals  14 ,  16 , and  18 . Side wall  110  includes an alignment rib  130  and wall  112  includes a similar rib (not shown), and wall  110  includes spacer ribs at  132 ; and end wall  116  includes spacer ribs at  134 . Each end wall  114 ,  116  includes a central detent member  140  having upper and lower ramp surfaces  142  and  144 . Furthermore, both end walls  114  and  116  include a pair of diamond-shaped projections  150 , where each projection includes upper surfaces  152  having little slope and surfaces  154  having a large slope, as will be described herein. Finally, upper surface  118  and lower surface includes openings  160  extending therethrough, and which are profiled to receive anti-scoop protection members  72 . With the above description of the various components, the assembly of the connectors will now be described herein below. 
     With reference first to FIG. 6, the printed circuit board is shown with the various tabs (only tabs  14  are shown) positioned within cavity  32  and with alignment plate  10  shown partially inserted therein. As shown, alignment plate  10  has tabs  14  partially inserted within apertures  74 . Alignment plate  10  is also shown fixed in a preliminarily locked position by way of latch members  80  and  94 . More particularly, latch shoulders  90  (FIG. 3) are hanging on the V-shaped surface  66  (FIG. 3) and bar portion  98  of latch  94  is snapped beneath latch surface  56 . It should be appreciated from FIG. 6, however, that the resilient arms  82 ,  84 , particularly at the position of surfaces  86 , has a greater depth or thickness than latch body portion  64 . When in the position of FIG. 6, plug housing  4  can be positioned within cavity  32  such that apertures  160  align in all three axes with anti-scoop features  72  to align the plug housing  4  with the socket housing  2  prior to any engagement with the various tab contacts. As best shown in FIG. 7, it should be clear that the anti-scoop features extend higher than any of the tab contacts  14 ,  16 ,  18 . 
     With respect now to FIG. 8 (which is shown without the printed circuit board  6  and housing  8 ), continued movement of the plug housing causes diamond-shaped lugs  150  to engage surfaces  86  of flexible latch arms  82  and  84 . Further movement downward of plug housing  4  causes outward rotation or bowing of arms  82  and  84  such that plug housing  4  moves from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG.  9 . When in the position of FIG. 9, the standoff surfaces would contact the printed circuit board in a bottom-out position. It should be appreciated that the printed circuit board and tab contacts may have solder fillets, and the standoffs prevent the alignment plate  10  from sticking to the fillets. The lugs also provide stability generally to the alignment plate, and help prevent the alignment plate from binding in the socket housing  8 . 
     Furthermore, as mentioned above, the slope of the ramped surfaces  152  (FIG. 4) is much less than that of surfaces  154 . The slope of surfaces  152  is chosen such that the force to extract the plug connector from the position of FIG. 9 is greater than the sum of the forces to withdraw the plug housing as it relates to the frictional engagement of the various contacts. Thus, during the first portion of the retraction of the plug connector  4 , the alignment plate is also retracted back to the position shown in FIG.  6 . Continued retraction of the plug housing  4  causes the interference of surfaces  152  (FIG. 4) and surfaces  88 , again spreading the arms  82  and  84  apart, allowing the full retraction of the plug housing  4 . 
     In the preferred embodiment, the insertion and retraction mechanism can be a rack and pinion system including a rotatable lever member on posts  70 , which is cooperable with rack teeth  172 , although any type of assist feature could be employed. It should also be noted that the connector assembly could also be hand mateable, where the plug and socket connectors are merely pushed together by hand. 
     Advantageously then, and as best shown in FIG. 6, the design offers a simplified module, which is more cost effective, easier to assemble, and has a lower profile. Because the socket module  8  does not include a floor, the alignment plate  10  can move vertically downward to the position where it reaches the printed circuit board  12 . If the socket module contained a floor, the alignment plate would only have the vertical clearance to reach the top of the floor. This would also create a situation where the tab and pin terminals would require a longer length upstanding into the socket module causing greater probability of stubbing and/or damage to the contacts, as well as increased material cost. Moreover, due to the nonexistence of the floor on the module housing, the design is greatly simplified and assembly is made much simpler.