Abstract:
A compression connector for connecting two PCBs includes an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in the housing. Each terminal includes a retaining section and two spring contacting sections extending from opposite ends of the retaining section and exposing beyond mating surface of the housing. The insulative housing includes a base housing and a pair of matching housing sandwich the base housing from opposite directions to retain the retaining sections in said three housings such that the terminals can be well retained therein.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates generally to a compression connector which is configured with three housings to retain terminals therebetween. 
         [0003]    2. Description of Related Arts 
         [0004]    An electrical connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,878,818 issued to Cheng et al. on Feb. 1, 2011. Said connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in the housing. The housing has a top surface and a bottom surface opposite to each other. A number of terminal passageways are disposed through the top and bottom surfaces. Each of the terminals includes a base portion and two retaining portion extending from opposite sides of the base portion for securing the terminals in the terminal passageways. However, securing the terminals by this way generally causes the terminals break off the housing. 
         [0005]    Hence, a compression connector to prevent terminals from breaking off the housing is desired. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector to prevent terminals from breaking off the housing. 
         [0007]    To achieve the above object, a compression connector for mounting to two print circuit boards comprises an insulative housing and a plurality of terminals received in the housing. The insulative housing defining a first mating surface, a second mating surface opposite to the first mating surface, and a plurality of passageways disposed between and running through the first and second mating surfaces, the insulative housing comprising at least a base housing and a matching housing assembled to the base housing. A plurality of terminals received in the passageways, each of the terminals comprising a retaining section, two spring sections formed at two opposite sides of the retaining section, and a pair of contacting sections extending from the spring sections and projecting outwards the first and second mating surfaces respectively. The matching housing match with the base housing in a matching direction to form said passageways, the retaining sections of the terminals are retained between the base housing and the matching housing in a matching direction. 
         [0008]    Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a compression connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the compression connector shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the compression connector shown in  FIG. 1 , the terminals are arrange at the base housing; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross section view of the compression connector taken along a broken line  4 - 4  in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a compression connector in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of the compression connector shown in  FIG. 5 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 7  is a cross section view of the compression connector taken along a broken line  7 - 7  in  FIG. 5 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail. 
         [0017]    Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a compression connector  100  of the present invention, used for connecting with two print circuit boards (not shown), includes an insulative housing  1  and a plurality of terminals  2  received in the housing  1 . The insulative housing  1  includes a first mating surface  11  and a second mating surface  12  opposite to the first mating surface  11 , and defines a plurality of passageways  13  disposed between and running through the first and second mating surface. Each of the terminals  2  includes two contacting sections projecting outwards the first and second mating surfaces respectively. The insulative housing  1  includes a base housing  14  and a pair of matching housings  15  combining with the opposite sides of the base housing  14 , said matching housings  15  match with the base housing  14  to form the passageways  13 , and a matching direction is defined between the base housing  14  and the matching housing  15 . The base housing  14  defines a tuber  142  and the matching housing  15  defines a notch  151  matched with the tuber  142  in the matching direction, said the terminals  2  are retained between the tuber  142  and the notch  151  in the matching direction. 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 4 , the base housing  14  is a lengthwise housing, Each matching housing  15  defines a first matching surface  140  for combining with one of the opposite sides of the base housing  14 . The first matching surface  140  defines a plurality of first partitions  143  in the lengthwise direction and a plurality of slots  141  located between each two adjacent partitions. Each of the first partitions  143  extends in a height direction of the first matching surface  140 , a tuber or protrusion  142   a  is protruded from a bottom surface of the slot  141  and a tuber or protrusion  142   b  is protruded from a bottom surface of the first partition  143  and each of the tuber is located in the middle of the first matching surface  140 . The matching housing  15  has a second matching surface  150  matched with the first matching surface  140 , said notch  151  is formed on the second matching surface  150  in a lengthwise direction and the notch  151  running through an opposite sides of the matching housing  15  in the lengthwise direction. A plurality of second partitions  152  are formed on a top surface of the matching housing  15 . Each of the second partitions  152  is perpendicular to the second matching surface  150  for matching with the first partition  143 . When the matching housing  15  combines with the base housing  14 , said tubers  142   b  of the first partition  143  extend in the notch  151  and the slots  141  to form said passageways  13 , said tuber  142   a  is lower than the tuber  142   b  so as to make the passageways  13  is through. 
         [0019]    Each terminal  2  includes a retaining section  21 , two spring sections  22  bending and extending symmetrically from upper and lower portions of the retaining section  21 , and two contacting sections  23  extending from the spring sections  22 . Said terminal roughly present as a “bow” shape. Combination with  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the spring section  22  has a first spring arm  221  bent and formed on the retaining section  22  and a second spring arm  222  bent and formed on the first spring arm  221  in an opposite direction, the first spring arm  221  and the second spring arm are commonly formed a opening having a “V” shape and the opening faces to the second matching surface  150 . When the two matching housings are matched with the opposite sides of the base housing respectively, the retaining section  21  is retained in the notch  151  through the tuber  142   a,  the retaining section is limited between the tuber and the notch so as to prevent terminals  2  from coming off the insulative housing  1 . In a direction of the terminal  2  extending, the notch  151  has a larger size than the tuber  142   a  and a part of the spring section is movably located between the notch  151  and the tuber  142   a  in the height direction. Back referring to  FIG. 4 , a limit rib  153  is formed on opposite sides of the notch  151  of the second matching surface  150  in height direction for protruding into the “V”-shaped opening of the spring section  22 . Said “V”-shaped spring section  22  can make the terminals  2  have a good elasticity, the size of the notch  151  is larger than the tuber  142   a  so as to make the spring section  22  of the terminals  2  have a activity space in the height direction and also can prevent terminals  2  from coming off the insulative housing  1 . The tuber  142   b  of the first partition  143  is higher than the tuber  142   a  of the slot  141  in the matching direction and the height difference is equal to the thickness of the retaining section  21  of the terminals  2  and that is not only can retain the terminals  2  in the insulative housing  1  but also can prevent the adjacent terminals  2  moving in the lengthwise direction. The terminals  2  are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base housing and each row of the terminals  2  is retained by a matching housing, the two rows of the contacting section of the terminal  2  are bent in an opposite direction. 
         [0020]    A set of retaining hook arms  144  protrude from opposite sides of the first matching surface  140  and a set of retaining hook slots  154  are formed on opposite sides of the second matching surface  150  so as to make the base housing  14  reliably engage with the matching housing  15 . Said tuber  142   b  defines a hole  145  and the notch  151  defines a post  155  combining with the hole  145 , the hole  145  and the post  155  are used to improve the accuracy of combine the base housing  14  with the matching housing  15 . 
         [0021]    One side of the retaining section  21  abuts against the notch  151  and the other side abuts against the tuber  142   a,  said the retaining section is higher than the tuber  142   a  but lower than the notch  151  so that the retaining section  21  can do a slight movement between the tuber  142   a  and the notch  151 . The slight movement allow the terminals adjust to a preferred work statue during the terminals are pressed inwards by the PCB. 
         [0022]    Referring to  FIGS. 5 to 7 , a second embodiment of the present invention. A compression connector  100 ′ includes an insulative housing  1 ′, said insulative housing includes a lengthwise base housing  11 ′, two lengthwise matching housings  12 ′ combined on opposite sides of the base housing  11 ′ and a plurality of terminals  2 ′ received between the base housing  11 ′ and the matching housing  12 ′. Said terminals  2  defines a “V”-shaped retaining section  21 ′ and two spring arms  22 ′ extending on opposite sides of the retaining section to form a retaining section, each of the spring sections has a contacting section  23 ′. A pair of first matching surfaces  111 ′ are defined on opposite sides of the base housing  11 ′ and a plurality of “V”-shaped tuber  112 ′ protrude on the first matching surface  111 ′, a slot  113 ′ is located between two adjacent tuber  112 ′. A first partition  114 ′ is defined on the opposite sides of the tuber  112 ′, said matching housings  12 ′ defines a second matching surface  121 ′ matched with the first matching surface  111 ′, said matching surface  121 ′ has a “V”-shaped notch  124 ′ for matching with the “V”-shaped tuber  112 ′ and a second partition  122 ′ defined on opposite sides of the notch  124 ′ in the height direction for matching with the first partition  114 ′, said second matching surface  121 ′ protrudes a third partition  123 ′ for retaining between two adjacent tuber  112 ′ and a convex edge  1231 ′ is protruded from the third partition  123 ′. When the matching housing  12 ′ combines with the base housing  11 ′, one side of the retaining section  21 ′ abuts against the notch  124 ′ and the other side abuts against the tuber  112 ′, said first partition  114 ′ abuts against the second partition  122 ′ and the third partition  123 ′ abuts against between two adjacent tuber  112 ′ and the convex edge  1231 ′ of the third partition  123 ′ is inserted into the slot  113 ′, said these partitions setting is to prevent the terminals  2 ′ moving in the lengthwise direction of the insulative housing. The spring arm  22 ′ and the retaining section  21 ′ commonly form an opening, a set of limiting ribs  125 ′ are formed on opposite sides of the “V”-shaped retaining section  21 ′ in the height direction for protruding into the opening so as to prevent the terminals  2 ′ from coming off the insulative housing  1 ′. A hole  126 ′ is defined on a bottom surface of the “V” shape notch  124 ′, said hole  126 ′ runs through the matching housing for receiving part of the retaining section during the terminals pressed by the PCB. In other words, the terminals has a large compression through the hole  126 ′, said the large compression allow the terminals  2 ′ adjust to a preferred work statue during the PCB is skew. 
         [0023]    While a preferred embodiment in accordance with the present invention has been shown and described, equivalent modifications and changes known to persons skilled in the art according to the spirit of the present invention are considered within the scope of the present invention as described in the appended claims.