Patent Publication Number: US-6210219-B1

Title: Low profile electrical connector with improved board lock

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a low profile connector with an improved board lock for mounting on a circuit board. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A surface-mounted electrical connector used for mating with a complementary connector is often mounted on a circuit board using the lowest surface of the connector. The total height required by the connector and the circuit board equals the height of the connector plus the thickness of the circuit board. Much space inside of a computer is occupied, which is counter to the present trend forward miniaturization in the telecommunication industry. A connector with a lower profile is desired. Examples of such electrical connectors are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,049; 5,709,556 and 5,702,271. However, the board locks disclosed in these connector designs do not engage with the connectors as securely as could be desired. A tighten engagement between the board lock and the connector will allow the connector to be fixed to a printed circuit board more reliably. 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 mountable onto a circuit board such that the topmost surface of the connector has a minimized height above the circuit board; 
     A second object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a pair of improved board locks which securely mount the electrical connector on the printed circuit board in cooperation with a bracket of the electrical connector; 
     A third object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector having a pair of grounding members mounted on both ends of the shield for establishing a grounding contact with a panel of the computer. 
     To achieve the above objects, a low profile electrical connector of the present invention comprises a housing, a plurality of terminals received in the housing, a shield covering the housing, a pair of grounding members attached to the shield, a bracket mounted on a printed circuit board engageable with the housing, and a pair of board locks mounted to the bracket and engageable with the printed circuit board. The bracket includes a base comprising a top face and a bottom face, a pair of spacing plates projecting upwardly from a top face of the base, and two mounting portions situated at a front of the base. A bottom end of the mounting portion is lower than the bottom face of the base. The bottom face of the base is mounted to an edge of the circuit board. A finger extends forward from the grounding member, which is engaged with a front face of the shield, to establish electrical grounding contact with a panel of a computer. 
     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 low profile electrical connector with improved board locks in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an assembled view of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to FIG. 1, a low profile electrical connector  100  constructed in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongate insulative housing  1 , a plurality of terminals  2  received in the insulative housing  1 , a shield  4  covering a front of the housing  1 , a pair of grounding members  5  attaching to the shield  4 , a bracket  3  mountable on an edge of a printed circuit board  9  and receiving the housing  1  which is assembled there to, and a pair of board locks  7  mounted on both ends of the bracket  3  by a pair of rivets  8  for engaging with the printed circuit board  9 . Moreover, the low profile electrical connector  100  further comprises a pair of locking members  6  for securely engaging with a device (not shown) of a complementary mating connector. 
     The insulative housing  1  comprises a face  11  forming a mating projection  12  extending forwardly therefrom and two ribs  13  extending rearwardly therefrom. Two first through holes  111  are defined at both ends of the face  11 . A mating slot  14  is defined through the housing  1  from a front edge (not labeled) of the mating projection  12  to a rear side (not shown) of the face  11 . Each of the plurality of terminals  2  is bent in an L-shape and has a contact portion  21  at one end thereof received in the mating slot  14  of the insulative housing  1 , and a tail portion  22  at the other end thereof. 
     The bracket  3  has an elongate base  31 , which has a top face  312  and a bottom face  314  opposite the top face  312 . A plurality of positioning holes  316  is defined in the base  31  from the top face  312  to the bottom face  314  thereof. Two retaining holes  318  are defined at both ends of the base  31 . A pair of spacing plates  33  extends upwardly from the base  31  each situated between the plurality of position holes  316  and one of the retaining holes  318  at opposite ends of the base  31 . Two mounting portions  35  are formed at opposite sides of a front of the base  31 . An inverted U-shape slot  352  is defined in each mounting portion  35 . Two bottom ends  354  are defined at a lower end of each mounting portion  35  beside the slots  352  and these bottom ends  354  are lower than the bottom face  314  of the base  31 . A pair of wings  37  inwardly and forwardly extends from the spacing plates  33  to define a groove  39  together with the mounting portion  35  for receiving the rib  13  of the insulative housing  1 . 
     The board lock  7  has a first wall portion  71  receiveably attached to the groove  350  of the mounting portion  35 , and a second wall portion  72  perpendicular to the first wall portion  71 . A pair of locking legs  73  vertically depends from the second wall portion  72  with a horizontal section  730  supportably seated on the base  31 . A positioning stop  731  laterally projects from each of the locking legs  73  for pressing against the retaining holes  318  of the bracket  3 . An engaging barb  732  is formed at the end of each locking leg  73  for extending through the retaining hole  318  and engaging with the sides of a mounting hole (not shown) in the circuit board  9 . 
     The elongate shield  4  defines two second through holes  41  at both ends thereof. Each grounding member  5  has a main body  51  attaching to the shield  4 . A third through hole  512  is defined in the main body  51  of the grounding member  5 . A finger  53  forwardly extends from the main body  51  of the grounding member  5  for contacting a computer panel (not shown) thereby establishing a path to ground though the computer panel and enhancing the EMI shielding effectiveness of the shield. 
     Each locking member  6  has a main plate  61  defining a fourth through hole  612 . A resilient wire  63  is assembled at one edge of the main plate  61  of the locking member  6  for securely engaging with a device of a complementary mating connector (not shown). The rivet  8  has a base plate  81  from which extends a tube  83  for securing the various elements of the low profile electrical connector  100  together. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, in assembly, the tail portions  22  of the terminals  2  are received in the positioning holes  316  of the base  31  of the bracket  3 . The board locks  7  are assembled to the bracket  3 , the first wall portions  71  and the second wall portions  72  being securely fixed to the mounting portions  35  and the spacing plates  33  respectively. The locking legs  73  extend through the retaining holes  318 , the positioning stop  731  interferentially engaging with an inner wall of the retaining holes  318  thereby securing the locking legs  73  in the retaining holes  318 . The shield  4  covers the face  11  and the mating projection  12  of the housing  1 . The tubes  83  of the pair of rivets  8  sequentially extend through the first wall portions  71  of the board lock  7 , the slots  352  of the mounting portions  35  of the bracket  3 , the first through holes  111  of the insulative housing  1 , the second through holes  41  of the shield  4 , the third through holes  512  of the grounding members  5  and the fourth through holes  612  of the locking members  6  and then rivet these elements together into a single assembly. Finally, the bottom face  314  of the bracket  3  is mounted to the circuit board  9 , one edge of the circuit board  9  abutting the bottom ends  354  of the mounting portions  35 , and the tail portions  22  of the terminals  2  and the engaging barbs  732  of the board locks  7  interferentially, fitting in and being soldered to the corresponding holes in the circuit board  9 . 
     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.