Abstract:
An electrical connector comprises an insulative housing ( 10 ), and a member of contacts ( 30 ) received in the housing. The insulative housing has a mating portion ( 13 ) and a mounting portion ( 110 ). Each contact includes an intermediate retention section ( 32 ), an upper mating section ( 31 ) adapted for mating with an engaging contact of a complementary connector, and a lower mounting section ( 36 ) adapted for inserting into a printed circuit board. The mounting section includes a first flexible portion ( 36 ), a bent portion, and a second flexible portion ( 37 ) extending upwardly from the bent portion.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB), and particularly to such connector having improved contacts for reliably securing the connector to the PCB. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     With the development of electronics technology, the technique of manufacturing and assembling is more and more mature so that cost can be reduced to promote the competitiveness in the market. It is known Through Hole Technology (THT) and Surface Mount Technology (SMT) are usually used for soldering contacts of connectors on the PCB, but some disadvantages still exist: during the soldering process, some residual stress is present on the PCB, soldering material remains on the PCB causing short circuit between contacts, and some compositions of the soldering material will pollute the environment. Thus, a non-soldering technology is developed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,206,735 B1; 6,042,429 B1; and 6,052,895 B1, JP Pat. Nos. 2000-215951 and 2000-340285, and ROC Pat. Nos. 461600 disclose such a connector assembled to the PCB without soldering. 
     In the patents mentioned above, the connectors are assembled to the PCB by press-fit and the contacts connect the metal layer of the corresponding holes of the PCB to achieve an electrical connection. Although the manner of connection can avoid the disadvantages inherent in the soldering process, and can to some extent reduce cost of assembly, the configuration of the contact is complicated and therefore the cost of manufacturing increases, and a greater force is required when the contacts are press-fitted into the containing holes of the PCB. It is desired to provide a new connector assembly having an improved contact to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a connector having a improved contact for electrically connecting a PCB without solding process and reducing cost of assembly. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a connector having simple configuration of contacts, which can reduce mating force when the contacts are press-fitted into the PCB. 
     In order to achieve the object set forth, an electrical connector, comprising an insulative housing, a plurality of contacts received in the housing. The inslative housing has a mating portion and a mounting portion. The plurality of contact are received in the housing, each contact includes an intermediate retention section, an upper mating section adapted for mating with an engaging contact of a complementary connector, and a lower mounting section adapted for inserting into a printed circuit board. The mounting section includes a first flexible portion, a bent portion, and a second flexible portion extending upwardly from the bent portion. 
    
    
     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 DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective assembled view of a connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, from a bottom aspect; 
     FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, but a spacer is separate from the connector; and 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV—IV of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, a connector  1  mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB)  4  of the present invention comprises an elongate insulative housing  10 , a plurality of contacts  30 , a spacer  50 , and a shield  20 . 
     The insulative housing  10  comprises a mating portion  13 , a mounting portion  110  opposite the mating portion  13  and mounted on the PCB  4 , a pair of body portion  120  extending along a up-to-low direction, and a pair of side walls  123  formed on the lateral ends of the body portion  120 . The body portion  120  and the side walls connect the mating portion  13  and the mounting portion  110 . The mating portion  13  defines a receiving space  150 . A pair of tongue plates  14  are installed in the receiving space  150 . A plurality of passageways  151  extend through the surface of the tongue plates  14 . A connecting portion  141  connects the ends of the pair of tongue plates  14 . The mating portion  13  defines a pair of D-shaped guiding holes at the lateral sides thereof. The body portion  120  forms a plurality of projection  121  at the lateral sides adjacent to the mating portion  13 . The mounting portion  110  defines a rectangular depression  112 . The body portion  120  defines a plurality of locking portion  111  adjacent to the mounting portion  110 . A pair of retention posts  113  extend downwardly and exposed to the mounting portion  110 . 
     The plurality of contacts  30  are received in the passageways  151  of the insulative housing  10 . Each contact comprises a mating section  31 , a retention section  32  extending downwardly from the mating section  31 , a connecting section  33  bent outwardly from the retention section  32 , a mounting section  35  extending downwardly from the connecting section  33 , a first flexible portion  36  extending downwardly from the mounting section  35 , a bent/bight portion  38  bent inwardly from the mounting section  35  and exposed to the bottom surface of PCB, and a second flexible portion  37  extending upwardly from the bent portion  38 . Each retention section  32  forms a protrusion  34  at the lateral side for being securely received in the passageway  151  of the insulative housing  10 . In order to enlarge the distance between the contacts  30 , the bending direction and length are not the same between the connecting portions  33  of the contacts  30 . A plurality of containing holes  41  contains the tail end of the contacts  30 . Each containing hole  41  comprises two side walls plating metal films  42 . In assembly, the connector  1  is assembled to the PCB  4 , and the first flexible portions  36  is received perpendicularly in the containing holes  41  and abut against the metal films  42 . The tail ends of the second flexible portions  37  abut against the side walls and electrically connect the metal films  42  of the containing holes  41 . The width of the bent portion  38  is smaller than the width of the containing hole  41 . In this manner, the largest distance is between the end of the second flexible portion  37  and the first flexible portion  36 . When the connector is assembled to the PCB  4 , the end of the second flexible portion  37  abuts against the metal film  42  and provides non-returning function. In other cases, as long as second flexible portion  37  provide enough resilience, the second flexible portion  37  can be bent to form a curve projection to connect the containing hole  41 . 
     Referring to FIG.  1  and FIG. 2, the shell  4  is stamped from a metal sheet and has a main shield  24  covering the mating portion  13  of the insulative hosing  10 . A frame shield  21  extends inwardly into to the receiving space  150  from the main shield  24  and covers the two side walls of the receiving space  150 . A securing post  23  extends through the mounting portion  110  from the main shield  24  and connects electrically the PCB  4 . The first shield defines a pair of D-shaped holes corresponding to the guiding holes of the insulative housing  10 . The frame shield  21  forms a plurality of locking plate  22  bent outwardly and defines a plurality of rectangular holes (not labeled) locking the corresponding projections  121  of the insulative hosing  10 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, the spacer  50  is a rectangular insulative plate and assembled to the rectangular depression  112  of the insulative housing  10 . The spacer  50  defines a plurality of the positioning holes  52  for positioning the mounting sections  35  of the contacts  30 . A plurality of locking arms  51  padlock the locking portion  111 , A pair of corresponding holes  113  contain the guiding post  113 . Referring to the FIG. 4, the spacer  50  and the mounting portion  110  define a plurality of the receiving space  16  for receiving the connecting sections  33  of the contacts  30 . 
     In accordance with the connector  1  of the present invention, the structure of the contact  30  is simplified, the mounting portion  35  is fitted into the corresponding containing holes  41  of the PCB, and the first flexible portion  36  and the second flexible portion  37  abut against the metal films  42  of the containing  41  to achieve a electrically connection. This construction can meet the requirement of reduced assembly cost, and the second flexible portion  37  needs a smaller force to press-fit to the PCB  4  via the elastic fiction of the bent portion  38 . 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.