Patent Publication Number: US-6210220-B1

Title: Electrical connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector which provides a securing device for mounting the electrical connector to a printed circuit board. 
     An electrical connector usually includes boardlocks for mounting the connector onto a printed circuit board, and locking posts each of which has a threaded hole for threadedly engaging with a bolt of a mating connector, and a threaded stud extending through a corresponding boardlock and a washer to threadedly engage with a nut. Thus, the boardlocks and the locking posts are fastened to the electrical connector. The washers and nuts increase the component and inventory cost. Furthermore, to mount the washers and nuts to the connector complicates the assembling operation. 
     Hence, an improved electrical connector is required to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A first object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which provides a securing member having retaining and locking functions; 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which provides a securing member being integrally formed and reducing the quantity of the elements thereof and the production cost. 
     An electrical connector of the present invention comprises an insulative housing, a front shell, a pair of locking posts and a pair of integral-formed boardlocks. The insulative housing defines a pair of receiving recesses for engaging with the pair of boardlocks. Each receiving recess comprises a first slot and a second slot separated by a retaining body formed by the housing in the receiving recess. The pair of boardlocks each comprise a body section defining a screw portion used to function as a nut, a resilient section received in the first slot and abutting a rearward surface of a front wall of the housing, which is used to function as a washer, and a board-locking section retained in the second slot. Thus the boardlocks are adapted for simplifying the manufacture and assembly thereof and reducing the cost of production by omission of the nut and the washer, compared with the prior art. 
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1A is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 1B is an exploded perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  of FIG. 2 when the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board; 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line  4 — 4  of FIG. 2 when the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board; and 
     FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a boardlock in accordance with the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIGS. 1A and 2, an electrical connector of the present invention comprises an insulative housing  1 , a front shell  4 , a pair of locking posts  5  and a pair of boardlocks  3 . The insulative housing  1  is rectangular shaped and defines a pair of receiving recesses  10  in opposite side ends thereof. Referring to FIG. 3, the receiving recesses  10  each comprise a first slot  13  and a second slot  12 . A retaining body  15  is formed by the housing  1  in the recess  10  and separates the first slot  13  from the second slot  12 . The retaining body  15  is L-shaped to retain the boardlock  3 . A protrusion member  11  extends forward from a front face  16  of the housing  1 . A pair of holes  14  is defined in opposite sides of the front face  16  beside the protrusion member  11 . The protrusion member  11  is D-shaped and defines a plurality of passageways for receiving conductive contacts (not shown) therein. 
     The front shell  4  forms a square shaped base  41  and a shroud  42  for enclosing the front face  16  and the protrusion member  11  of the insulative housing  1 , respectively. The base  41  defines a pair of holes  40  in opposite sides thereof for aligning with the holes  14  in the front face  16  of the insulative housing  1 . The shroud  42  is corresponding D-shaped and extends forward from a middle portion of the base  41 . 
     Referring to FIG. 1A, the locking posts  5  each comprise a head  50  with an inner thread and a threaded shank  51  for locking with the boardlock  3  received in the receiving recess  10  of the insulative housing  1 . Each head  50  has a hexagonal contour so that a tool, for example, a wrench, can be used to rotate the locking post  5  to cause the threaded shank  51  to threadedly engage with the boardlock  3 . The inner threads in the heads  50  are used for threadedly engage with complementary structures of metallic grounding bars of a mating connector (not shown) when the connector of FIG.  1 A and the mating connector are connected together. 
     Additionally, referring to FIG. 1B, another pair of locking posts  6  may replace the locking posts  5 . The locking posts  6  each comprise a threaded shank  61  and a head portion  62  generally having a globular construction and located opposite the threaded shank  61 . The threaded shank  61  is used to threadedly engage with the boardlock  3 . The head portion  62  defines a hexagonal opening (not labeled) in a free end thereof for receiving a tool, for example, an Allen wrench, whereby the post  6  can be rotated to cause the threaded shank  61  to threadedly engage with the boardlock  3 . A projection  60  is formed proximate the head portion  62 , and a groove  63  is defined therebetween. The head portions  62  and the groove  63  are used to engage with complementary structures of a metallic grounding bar of a mating connector (not shown) when the connector of FIG.  1 B and the mating connector are connected together. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1A through 5, the boardlocks  3  each are integrally formed by stamping a metal sheet and comprise a body section  34 , a board-locking section  30  and a resilient section  36 . The resilient section  36  is used to function like a washer: providing a spring force to ensure that the threaded shank  51  can securely threadedly engage with the boardlock  3 . The body section  34  forms a longitudinal panel  341  and a screw portion  37 . The screw portion  37  is cylindrical shaped and extends rearward from a rear surface of the panel  341 . A threaded hole  35  extends through the panel  341  into the screw portion  37  of the body section  34  to threadedly engage with the threaded shank  51 ( 61 ) of the locking posts  5  ( 6 ). The resilient section  36  horizontally extends forward from a bottom edge of the body section  34  and then upward at a right angle to form a vertical portion spaced from the body section  34  a distance. The resilient section  36  defines a receiving opening  361  therein. The board-locking section  30  extends horizontally rearward from a top edge of the body section  34  and then downward at a right angle to form a vertical portion spaced from the body section  34  a distance. The vertical portion of the board-locking section  30  forms a pair of insert legs  38 . The insert legs  38  form a pair of latching barbs  33  at an upper part thereof and a pair of retaining bars  32  at a lower part thereof. The latching barbs  33  are used for latching in the second slot  12  in the receiving recess  10  of the insulative housing  1 . The retaining barbs  32  are used for retaining in a locking hole  20  defined in a printed circuit board  2 . A pair of tapering ends  31  are formed at distal ends of the insert legs  38  to facilitate insertion of the insert legs  38  into the locking hole  20  of the printed circuit board  2 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 2 through 5, in assembly, the boardlocks  3  are inserted into the receiving recesses  10 , in which the insert legs  38  of the board-locking sections  30  are received in the second slots  12 , the body section  30  and the resilient section  36  are received in the first slots  13 , and the retaining barbs  32  are extended beyond a bottom face of the housing  1 . A rear part of a horizontal portion of the board-locking section  30  of each boardlock  3  overrides a corresponding retaining body  15 . The vertical portion of the resilient section  36  of each boardlock  3  abuts against an inner surface of a front wall of the housing  1  defining the first slot  13 . The front shell  4  encloses the front face  16  and the protrusion member  11  of the insulative housing  1  and the holes  40  align with the holes  14  in the insulative housing  1 . The threaded shanks  51 ( 61 ) of the locking posts  5 ( 6 ) are inserted through the holes  40  and  14 , then the receiving openings  361  and to threadedly engage with the threaded holes  35  of the body sections  34  until the heads  50  or the protrusions  60  intimately abut the front shell  4 . The resilient sections  36  provide rearward force acting on the body sections  34 , thereby ensuring a tight engagement between the thread on the threaded shank  51  ( 61 ) and the thread on the threaded hole  35 . Therefore, the washers and nuts in the prior art can be eliminated from the present invention. Thus, the present invention can simplify the manufacture and the assembly of the electrical connector. Finally, the insert legs  38  of the boardlocks  3  are inserted into the locking holes  20  respectively in the printed circuit board  2 . 
     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.