Abstract:
A socket connector is bonded to a circuit board by solder materials. The solder materials are well arranged so that no short circuits occur. The socket connector can be applied in a wide range of uses with high yield and reduced cost. The socket connector has an insulative housing having a plurality of terminals and a solder material therein. The socket connector is characterized by the insulative housing being provided with a plurality of overflow holes in a direction along which the insulative housing and terminals apply pressure to the solder material.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This Application is a Continuation-in-Part of application Ser. No. 10/627,268, filed Jul. 24, 2003 now abandoned, and entitled SOCKET CONNECTOR. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to a socket connector, and more particularly to a socket connector having an insulative housing with a stopper, the stopper having an overflow hole formed therein. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a conventional socket connector includes an insulative housing  2  with a plurality of sockets  1 , a terminal  3  and a plurality of solder materials  4  located inside the sockets  1 . In order to prevent the solder material  4  from climbing up along the terminals  3  after being melted, which may result in soldering failure, a stopper  5  is formed in each socket  1 . However, this causes another problem: the solder material  4  is squeezed by a circuit board  6  to flow upward if the circuit board  6  is not perfectly flat. There is no space to accommodate the solder material or to ventilate the air  7 , so that the solder material  4  is forced to flow out through sides of the corresponding socket  1 . In this manner, the solder material in adjacent sockets  1  may come into contact with one another to cause a short circuit and degrade electrical performance.  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  illustrate another conventional socket connector in which a tail of each of terminals  8  is bent horizontally to prevent soldering failure; however, contact of solder materials  9  in adjacent sockets still occurs to cause short circuits and degrade electrical performance. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 2003/0216067 discloses a battery connector. The battery connector includes a number of connector blocks  1 . Each of connector blocks  1  has an insulative housing  10  and a terminal  3  retained therein. The terminal  3  projects beyond a mating face  11  of the insulative housing  10  to couple with complementary contacts. Each terminal  3  forms a base section  32  with a hole  321  for facilitating soldering of the terminal  3  to a PCB. The provision of the hole  321  promotes an efficient and accurate surface mounting process whereby excessive solder will not overflow beyond outer edges of the base section  32  of the terminal  3  resulting in a possible short circuit. However, during the surface mounting process, the excessive solder will quickly flow into the housing from the hole  321  of the terminal, so that any part of the solder will generate great temperature difference. Furthermore, the insulative housing  10  has a pair of apertures  18  for positioning a pair of protrusions  331  of the terminal  3 , and the terminal  3  projected out the insulative housing  10 . Hence, the connector blocks  1  cannot arrange together in matrix shaped. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a socket connector that prevents solder material in adjacent sockets from coming into contact with one another and, thereby, prevents short circuit. 
   In order to achieve the above and other objectives, the socket connector of the invention includes an insulative housing, a plurality of terminals and solder materials. The insulative housing has a plurality of longitudinal terminal slots arranged adjacent to one another, and a plurality of stoppers. Each of the stoppers is protruded inwardly from one interior surface of each terminal slot, and has an overflow hole formed therein. Each of the terminals has a contact section projected out an upper opening of each terminal slot, a fixed section being fixed between each stopper and other interior surface of each terminal slot, and a soldering section projected out a lower opening of each terminal slot. The solder materials are located in each overflow hole, and covered around each soldering section during a soldering procedure. Wherein, during the soldering procedure, any parts of the solder material are able to receive outside temperature of the insulative housing from the upper opening and the lower opening of each terminal slot, respectively. During the soldering procedure, the solder material automatically flows from the lower opening of each terminal slot into each overflow hole. 
   To provide a further understanding of the invention, the following detailed description illustrates embodiments and examples of the invention, this detailed description being provided only for illustration of the invention. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The drawings included herein provide a further understanding of the invention. A brief introduction of the drawings is as follows: 
       FIG. 1  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the conventional socket connector; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the conventional socket connector; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of another conventional socket connector; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the conventional socket connector bonded to a circuit board; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the battery socket connector; 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective, assembled view of the insulative housing of the socket connector according to the invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the socket connector according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the socket connector bonded to a circuit board according to a first embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the socket connector according to a second embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the socket connector according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 11  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the socket connector bonded according to a third embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 12  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the socket connector according to a fourth embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional view of a portion of the socket connector according to a fifth embodiment of the invention; and 
       FIG. 14  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the socket connector bonded to a circuit board according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   Wherever possible in the following description, like reference numerals will refer to like elements and parts unless otherwise illustrated. 
     FIG. 6  shows a perspective, assembled view of the insulative housing of the socket connector according to the invention. The socket connector includes an insulative housing  10  having a plurality of longitudinal terminal slots  11  arranged adjacent to one another. 
   Referring to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , the present invention provides a socket connector. The socket connector includes an insulative housing  10   a  having a plurality of terminal slots  11   a . A plurality of reversed U-shaped terminals  20   a  and solder materials  30  are respectively mounted inside the terminal slots  11   a . A stopper  13   a  is formed inside each terminal slot  11   a  to contact with a tip of each terminal  20   a . An accommodating space  12   a  is defined above the stopper  13   a  for receiving solder materials  30   a . An overflow hole  14   a  is formed approximately at a center of stopper  13   a . When the circuit board  40   a  is to be assembled, the solder material  30   a  is melted. If the circuit board  40   a  is not perfectly flat, then the solder material  30   a  is squeezed and consequently spreads out. With the overflow holes  14   a , the solder materials  30   a  flow along the overflow holes  14   a , preventing the solder materials  30   a  from spreading and, consequently, avoiding a short circuit. Thereby, electrical performance of the socket connector is ensured. 
   Referring to  FIG. 9 , the present invention provides a socket connector. The socket connector includes an insulative housing  10   b , a plurality of terminals  20   b  and solder materials  30   b . The insulative housing  10   b  has a plurality of longitudinal terminal slots  11   b  arranged adjacent to one another, and a plurality of stoppers  13   b . Each of the stoppers  13   b  is protruded inwardly from one interior surface of each terminal slot  11   b , and has an overflow hole  14   b  formed therein. 
   Each of the terminals  20   b  has a contact section  201   b  projected to an upper end  111   b  of each terminal slot  11   b , and a fixed section  202   b  being fixed between each stopper  13   b  and other interior surface of each terminal slot  11   b . The solder materials  30   b  are located under each overflow hole  14   b , and received in an accommodating space  12   b  of each terminal slot  11   b . Wherein an upper surface and a lower surface of the solder material  30   b  receive outside temperature of the insulative housing  10   b  from the upper opening  111   b  and a lower opening  112   b  of each terminal slot, respectively. During the soldering procedure, the solder material  30   b  automatically flows from the lower opening  112   b  of each terminal slot  11   b  into each overflow hole  14   b.    
   Moreover, each of insulative housings  10   b  has a gap  16   b  formed between each stopper  13   b  and the other interior surface of each insulative housing  10   b.    
   Each of terminals  20   b  has a flat tip that forms an accommodating space  12   b  with an interior of an insulative housing  10   b  for receiving a solder material  30   b . The overflow holes  14   b  are formed inside the insulative housing  10   b  above the solder materials  30   b . The overflow holes  14   b  prevent the adjacent solder materials  30   b  from contacting with one another. Thereby, short circuit is avoided and electrical performance of the socket connector is ensured. 
   Referring to  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , each of terminals  20  is bent as a solder section  203   c . The soldering section  203   c  is located beneath the insulative housing  10   c . A solder material  30   c  is applied over a bottom of the insulative housing  10   c . A through hole  24   c  is formed approximately at a center of the insulative housing  10   c . A stopper  13   c  is further formed on the bottom of the insulative housing  10   c . An overflow hole  14   c  is formed in the insulative housing  10   c  to communicate with the through hole  24   c . The socket connector of this embodiment also prevents the adjacent solder materials  30   c  from spreading after being melted, thus preventing a short circuit. 
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , the present invention provides a socket connector. The socket connector includes an insulative housing  10   d , a plurality of terminals  20   d  and solder materials  30   d . The insulative housing  10   d  has a plurality of longitudinal terminal slots  11   d  arranged adjacent to one another, a plurality of stoppers  13   d  and a plurality of accommodating spaces  12   d . Each of the stoppers  13   d  is protruded inwardly from one interior surface of each terminal slot  11   d , and has an overflow hole  14   d  formed therein. Each of the accommodating spaces  12   d  are formed in each terminal slot  11   d  and under each stopper  13   d.    
   Each of the terminals  20   d  has a contact section  201   d  projected out an upper opening  111   d  of each terminal slot  11   d , a fixed section  202   d  being fixed between each stopper  13   d  and other interior surface of each terminal slot  11   d , and a soldering section  203   d  received in each accommodating space  12   d  and having a through hole  24   d  formed thereon. The solder materials are located in each overflow hole  14   d , and received in an accommodating space  12   d  of each terminal slot  11   d . Wherein an upper surface and a lower surface of the solder material  30   d  receive outside temperature of the insulative housing  10   d  from the upper opening  111   d  and the lower opening  112   d  of each terminal slot  11   d , respectively. During the soldering procedure, the solder material  30   d  automatically flows from the lower opening  112   d  of each terminal slot  11   d  into each overflow hole  14   d.    
   Moreover, each through hole  24   d  of the terminals  20   d  is located below the overflow hole  14   d  of the corresponding one of the stoppers  13   d . Each of insulative housings  10   d  has a gap  16   d  formed between each stopper  13   d  and the other interior surface of each insulative housing  10   d.    
   Referring to  FIG. 12 , a plurality of solder slots  15   d  is formed near a bottom of an insulative housing  10   d . Each of terminals  20   d  has a flat tip as a soldering section  203   d . The soldering section  203   d  is secured above the solder slot  15   d  to contact the solder  30   d  inside the solder slot  15   d . The soldering section  203   d  has a through hole  24   d  approximately at a center thereof. A stopper  13   d  is formed above the solder slot  15   d  in the insulative housing  10   d . An overflow hole  14   d  is formed above the stopper  13   d  to communicate with the through hole  24   d . The socket connector of this embodiment also prevents the adjacent solder materials  30   d  from spreading after being melted. 
   Referring to  FIG. 13 , the present invention provides a socket connector. The socket connector includes an insulative housing  10   e , a plurality of terminals  20   e  and solder materials  30   e . The insulative housing  10   e  has a plurality of longitudinal terminal slots  11   e  arranged adjacent to one another, and a plurality of stoppers  13   e . Each of the stoppers  13   e  is protruded inwardly from one interior surface of each terminal slot  11   e , and has an overflow hole  14   e  formed therein. 
   Each of the terminals  20   e  has a contact section  201   e  projected out an upper opening  111   e  of each terminal slot  11   e , a fixed section  202   e  being fixed between each stopper  13   e  and other interior surface of each terminal slot  11   e , and a soldering section  203   e  projected out a lower opening  112   e  of each terminal slot  11   e . The solder materials  30   e  are located in each overflow hole  14   e , and covered around each soldering section  203   e  during a soldering procedure. Wherein, during the soldering procedure, any parts of the solder material  30   e  are able to receive outside temperature of the insulative housing  10   e  from the upper opening  111   e  and the lower opening  112   e  of each terminal slot  11   e , respectively. During the soldering procedure, the solder material  30   e  automatically flows from the lower opening  112   e  of each terminal slot  11   e  into each overflow hole  14   e.    
   Moreover, the solder material  30   e  extends from within the insulative housing  10   e  to an exterior of the insulative housing  10   e . The soldering section  203   e  is separated relative to the overflow hole  14   e  of each stopper  13   e  to define a gap therebetween. Each of insulative housings has a gap  16   e  formed between each stopper  13   e  and the other interior surface of each insulative housing  10   e.    
   Referring to  FIG. 13  and  FIG. 14 , each of terminals  20   e  is bent horizontally and inserted in a solder material  30   e . An overflow hole  14   e  is formed above the stopper  13   e . With the overflow hole  14   e , the socket connector prevents the adjacent solder materials  30   c  from spreading after being melted. Thereby, electrical performance of the socket connector is ensured. 
   Although the overflow holes in the above embodiments are located above the solder materials, the location of the overflow holes is not particularly limited to the above embodiments. 
   As described above, the invention is characterized in that the socket connector having a plurality of terminals is further provided with a plurality of overflow holes, particularly in a direction along which the insulative housing and terminals apply pressure on the solder materials. 
   It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above description is only illustrative of specific embodiments and examples of the invention. The invention should therefore cover various modifications and variations made to the herein-described structure and operations of the invention, provided they fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the following appended claims.