Patent Publication Number: US-2005129369-A1

Title: Multiconductor surface-mount connector for printed-circuit board

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
      The present invention relates to an electrical connector. More particularly this invention concerns a multiconductor surface-mount connector for a printed-circuit board.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      It is frequently necessary to provide a printed-circuit board with a connector that allows a cable or a piece of electronic equipment to be easily connected to and disconnected from the circuitry on the board. For instance a cell phone is normally provided on its lower end with a socket adapted to fit with a miniplug for connection of the cell phone to a hands-free attachment or to a docking station connected to a computer. When the equipment is small, the connector is provided right on the circuit board.  
      To this end as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,951,335 of Kurotori and 6,328,600 of Fujiki such a connector has a dielectric body forming a row of open seats alignable with the traces of a printed-circuit board to which the connector is to be secured. Respective identical flat conductive contacts fixed in the seats each have a connection end projecting from body. Means such as solder fixes the edge of each of the connection ends to a respective one of the traces. Such systems can be adapted for mounting of the connector on end or on one side.  
      The disadvantage of this assembly is that it is occasionally necessary to orient the connector facing out or facing in, depending on what orientation is needed of the equipment being seated on the connector. This is not an issue when the connector is a cable, but with a cell phone such a socket might be needed to orient the phone facing the user for hand-free use, or facing away when used as a camera. This is not possible with the prior-art connectors.  
     OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION  
      It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved multiconductor surface-mount connector for printed-circuit.  
      Another object is the provision of such an improved multiconductor surface-mount connector for printed-circuit that overcomes the above-given disadvantages, in particular that can be mounted in any useful position on the board.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      A connector according to the invention has a body having a mounting end formed with a pair of side surfaces and an end face transversely bridging the side surfaces. The body is formed with a row of seats open at the body end face and alignable with the traces. Respective identical flat conductive contacts fixed in the seats each have a connection end projecting from the body end face and having a pair of oppositely directed side edges and an end edge transversely bridging the side edges. One of the edges of each of the contacts is fixed, typically by solder, to a respective one of the traces.  
      Thus with this system there are three different mounting orientations for the connector. It can be stood on end with the contact end edges soldered to the circuit traces, or laid on either face with the respective contact side faces soldered down. Such three-way mounting allows the manufacturer of the equipment employing the connector to stock a single part and use it in any normally encountered application.  
      According to the invention the side surfaces are oppositely directed and generally parallel and the contact side edges are substantially coplanar with the respective body side faces. This makes it possible to secure the normally mainly dielectric connector body to the board also for a very secure mounting.  
      The side faces and edges are all substantially planar and each end edge is substantially perpendicular to the respective side edges. Thus the three mounting positions are perpendicular to one another.  
      Each contact in accordance with the invention further has a contact end exposed laterally in the body. Furthermore, the body is formed with respective laterally open slots aligned with the seats and receiving the contact ends of the contacts. Each contact is formed as a stiff piece of sheet metal. having broad faces bridging the respective edges, the slots are laterally throughgoing, and the body includes a cover plate overlying one side and laterally closing the slots on one side. Such constructions is handy when the connector is used to hold a cell phone, as the cover plate can be metallic and conductive to shield the contacts.  
      In order that the contacts can deflect and bear elastically on contacts or terminals of the piece of equipment being fitted to the connector, the contact ends are relatively slim and the body mounting ends are relatively wide.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
      The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:  
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the connector according to the invention; and  
       FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4  are sections through the connector in three different mounting positions on a circuit board. 
    
    
     SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION  
      As seen in the drawing, a connector  10  according to the invention has a plastic body  11  formed with a plurality of transversely throughgoing seat-forming slots  12  and with a plurality of seat passages  29  each aligned with a respective one of the slots  12 . One side, one end, and both edges of the body  11  are covered by a U-shaped metal shield plate  14  in effect forming part of the body  11 , so that the throughgoing slots  12  are only open on one side that faces in  FIGS. 1 and 3 , down in  FIG. 2 .  
      Respective identical conductors  13  formed as flat rolled-metal strips are held in the slots  12 . Each such contact  13  has a pair of planar, parallel, and oppositely directed broad faces  15  and a pair of narrow edges  16  bridging the faces  15 . On the sides of the slot  12  not covered by the plate  14 , each face  16  is formed with a bump  17  that projects laterally out of the body  11  and that serves for connection to a conductor or terminal of an unillustrated contact shoe or socket of, for instance, a cell phone. Each contact  13  further has a wide rear end  19  force-fitted in the respective seat  29  so that all of the contact faces  15  are parallel and the contacts  13  are fixed in the body  1  with, of course, the ends with the bumps laterally elastically deflectable into the respective slots  12 .  
      In accordance with the invention each contact  13  further has a rear end  18  projecting from the respective seat  29  and formed with a pair of planar and parallel side edges  20  and  21  that are coplanar with respective planar side faces  23  and  24  of the body  11 . The end  18  also has a planar end edge  22  extending perpendicularly between the side edges  20  and  21  and parallel to but spaced from a rear end face  30  of the body  11 .  
      Such a connector can be mounted as shown in  FIGS. 2, 3 , and  4  on a printed circuit board  25  having traces  26  in three different positions.  FIG. 2  shows how the edges  20  sit flat on the board  25  with solder  27  physically and electrically connecting the contacts  13  to the traces  26 . A layer  28  of glue can also be provided between the face  23  of the body  11  and the board  25 . In this position the connector  10  is open toward the board  25 , that is the bumps  17  of the contacts  13  are exposed toward the board  25 .  
       FIG. 2  shows how the connector  10  can be mounted open away from the board, with the edges  21  soldered to the traces  26  and the face  24 , actually formed by the shell plate  14 , adhered to the board.  
       FIG. 3  shows the connector  10  mounted on end, with the end faces  22  secured by solder  27  to the traces  26 , in which case the connector  10  is open parallel to the board  25 .