Patent Publication Number: US-6334783-B1

Title: Electrical receptacle connector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is related to an electrically connector, particularly to an electrical receptacle connector with press-fit terminals which can be firmly fitted on a spacer separated from a housing of the receptacle connector. 
     2. Description of the Related Prior Art 
     Terminals with press-fit tail have been horizontally used due to the advantages of steady orientation and causing no breakage to a printed circuit board. U.S. Pat. No. 6,083,060 discloses an electrical connector as shown in FIG. 7 which comprises an insulating housing  11  and a plurality of terminals  12  each having a press-fit tail  125 . A bottom of the housing  11  forms a plurality of positioning poles  110  and each pole has a crossed through hole  111 . A positioning portion  120  of the terminal  12  has a pair of shoulders  121 , a protrusion  123  and an engaging portion  124 . In assembly, the terminals  12  are interference fitted in the through holes  111  through the shoulders  121  and the protrusions  123 . 
     However, during inserting the press-fit tail of the terminal  12  into the printed circuit board, the resistance encountered by the printed circuit board will cause the terminal  12  to move along the direction of inserting a mating connector (not shown). Furthermore, if above-mentioned terminals  12  are receptacle terminals, or the engaging portions  124  of the terminals  12  which will be inserted through the through hole  111  are broader than the positioning portion  120 , the terminals  12  can not be inserted upwardly into the through hole  111  and position the shoulders  121  in the through hole  111 . 
     Hence, an improved connector assembly 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 a receptacle electrical connector with a plurality of terminals having a press-fit tail which can be inserted into an insulated housing of the electrical connector upward or downward selectively, and the terminal are secured therein. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned object, a receptacle electrical connector comprises an insulated housing having a number of passageways, a spacer and a number of terminals received in the insulated housing. The insulating housing having an engaging face and a connecting face. The passageways extend through the engaging face and the connecting face. The spacer has a first face facing the connecting face, an opposite second face and a plurality of though holes corresponding to the passageways, the second face has a pair of recesses in communication with each through hole. Each of the through holes defines a wide portion which is parallel to the recesses and is wider than the shoulders, a narrow portion which is vertical to the recesses and narrower than the shoulders. The shoulders define a width less than a width of the narrow portion plus lengths of the two recesses. 
     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. 1 is an exploded view of a receptacle electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a spacer of the receptacle electrical connector in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  in FIG. 2; 
     FIGS. 4-6 show progressive positional relationships between the spacer and terminals of the receptacle electrical connector; and 
     FIG. 7 is an exploded view of a receptacle electrical connector of prior art. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a receptacle electrical connector  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulating housing  2 , a number of terminals  3  received in a number of passageways  21  of the housing  2  and a spacer  4  attached on one side of the housing  2 . The housing  2  has an engaging face  210  and a connection face  211 , a number of passageways  21  running through the engaging face  210  and the connecting face  211 . The connecting face  211  is defined on a surface of the housing  2  facing the spacer  4 . The terminals  3  each have an engaging potion  32 , a connecting portion (tail portion)  33  and a positioning portion  31  between the engaging portion  32  and the connecting portion  33 . The engaging portion  32  is larger than the positioning portion  31  and is received in the passageways  21 . A pair of shoulders  310  extends outwardly from two opposite edges of the positioning portion  31 . The connecting portion  33  is a press-fit tail which can be inserted into a through hole of a printed circuit board (not shown) correspondingly. The spacer  4  has a first face  41  and a second face  43 . The first face  41  is attached to the connecting face  211  of the insulating housing  2  and the second face  43  faces the corresponding printed circuit board with which the electrical connector engages. The spacer  4  also defines a number of through holes  45  corresponding to the passageways  21 . The through holes  45  each are T-shaped with a wide portion  451  and a narrow portion  453 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the second face  43  defines a pair of recesses  455  in communication with the through hole  45  at the opposite bottom of the narrow portion  453 . The recesses  455  are parallel with the wide portion  451 . The width and length of the wide portion  451  are greater than those of the shoulder  310  of the terminal  3  to make sure that the shoulder  310  can be received in the recess  455 . 
     Referring to FIG. 3, in assembly, after the terminal  3  is inserted from the connecting face  211  to the engaging face  210 , the engaging portion  32  of the terminal  3  is pre-positioned in the passageways  21  of the insulated housing  2 . The engaging portion  32  is in the passageway  21  partly and the shoulder  310  is outside the connecting face  211 . The connecting portion  33  is inserted through the wide portion  451  of the through hole  45  from the first face  41  to the second face  43  of the spacer  4 . When the first face  41  is pressed closely to the connecting face  211  of the housing  2 , the shoulders  310  of the terminals  3  extend out of the second face  43 . 
     Also referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, while the spacer  4  is shifted along the arrow sign shown in FIG. 4, the engaging portion  32  of the terminal  3  slides along the narrow portion  453  of the through hole  45 . When the spacer  4  is positioned correspondingly with the housing  2 , the positioning portions  31  and the shoulders  310  are above the recesses  455 . 
     Referring to FIGS. 1 and 6, if the terminals  3  are pressed vertically to the second face  43  of the spacer  4 , the shoulders  310  of the positioning portion  31  will be plunge into the recesses  455  of the spacer  4 . The engaging portion  32  is secured in the passageway  21  and the shoulders  310  will press the spacer  4  to the housing  2  tightly. For the recess  455  is a blind hole, the terminal  3  will not move toward the engaging face  210  even there is a large resistance when the connecting portion  33  is inserted into a through hole of a printed circuit board (not shown). 
     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.