Patent Publication Number: US-6991472-B2

Title: Electrical connector having improved contact

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly, to an improved electrical connector for interconnection an antenna with a printed circuit board. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   It is becoming increasingly common practice to connect a plurality of terminals extending from an electrical connector with a plurality of circuit traces on a printed circuit board by mounting the connector on the same surface of the printed circuit board. Each terminal is coated with a solder composition. After a placement of the connector on the surface of the printed circuit board, the solder composition is melted so as to obtain the bond between the terminals and the circuit traces, thereby to obtain the electrically connection between the connector and the printed circuit board. One conventional electrical connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,877 issued to Mou on May 8, 2001. In this patent, the connector comprises an electrical contact including a retainer, a contact arm extending from a distal end of the retainer and a tail extending from an opposite end of the retainer. The retainer is received in a passageway defined in an insulative housing of the connector. The contact arm electrically engages with a contact pad formed on an electrical device (not shown). The tail is surface mounted to a circuit trace formed on a printed circuit board by soldering. Therefore, the contact electrically connects the connector with the printed circuit board. 
   However, as a solder portion of the connector, the tail is of a cantilevered configuration inclined to deflect and is too tiny to insure the connector securely mounting on the printed circuit board. In the other hand, the connector cannot be conveniently replaced after the tail is soldered to the printed circuit board. In fact, the replacement of the connector inevitably damages the circuit trace of the printed circuit board or the tail of the contact. Since the connector cannot be replaced conveniently, even a single damage can cause the whole to be wasted. This is economically inefficient, indeed. Furthermore, it must be recognized that the surface mounted electrical connector requires more space on the printed circuit board for the reason that the tail must extend laterally a short distance away from the housing of the connector. It can be minimized but it cannot be eliminated. 
   Hence, an electrical connector with improved contacts is needed to overcome the forgoing shortcomings. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector having a compact structure for interconnection an antenna with a printed circuit board. 
   It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrical connector with improved contact for resilient pressing with the printed circuit board. 
   To achieve the object described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector for interconnection an antenna or the like with a printed circuit board including an insulative housing and a conductive contact assembled to the housing. The housing including a board and opposite side walls projecting upwardly and downwardly beyond the board. The board includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The side wall defines a slot adjacent to the top surface. The contact includes a base portion, a first spring arm extending upwardly and rearwardly from a front end of the base portion and a second spring arm extending downwardly and forwardly from opposite rear end of the base portion. The first spring arm has a contact portion for engaging with the antenna. The second spring arm has a contact section for resiliently pressing the printed circuit board. The second spring arm includes a retention portion and a resilient portion extending from the distal end of the retention portion. A bent is formed at a location between the retention portion and the resilient portion, whereby providing the resilient portion with enough flexibility. 
   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 
     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. As should be understood, however, the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an electrical connector according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view of  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the electrical connector, but taken from a bottom view thereof for clarify. 
       FIG. 4  is an exploded view of  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 5  is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector. 
       FIG. 6  is a longitudinal sectional view of the electrical connector similarly to  FIG. 5 , wherein an antenna and a printed circuit board are provided likely in use. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Certain terminology may be used in the following description for convenience only and is not considered to be limiting. The wards “upper”, “lower”, “front” and “rear” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “upwardly” and “downwardly” are further directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the referenced object. The terminology includes the wards above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. 
   Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , an electrical connector  100  according to the present invention includes an insulative housing  1  and a conductive press fit contact  2  assembled to the housing  1 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1–4 , the housing  1  includes a substantially flat board  10  and opposite side walls  13  upwardly and downwardly projecting beyond the board  10 . The board  10  includes a top surface  11  and a bottom surface  12 . The top surface  11  and the side walls  13  corporately define a first space  14 . The bottom surface  12  and the side walls  13  corporately define a second space  15 . The bottom surface  12  includes an upper face  121  at a front portion thereof and a lower face  122  at a rear portion thereof. The lower face  122  cooperates with a rear edge of the top surface  11  to form a substantially U-shaped locating portion or partition  16 . The side walls  13  symmetrically define a pair of slots  131  adjacent to the top surface  11 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6  in conjunction with  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the contact  2  is of a generally S-shaped configuration. The contact  2  includes a substantially flat base portion  20 , a first spring arm  21  extending upwardly and rearwardly from a front end of the base portion  20  and a second spring arm  22  extending downwardly and forwardly from an opposite rear end of the base portion  20 . The base portion  20  symmetrically forms a pair of horizontal barbs  23  at opposite side edges thereof for latching in the slots  131  of the housing  1 . The first spring arm  21  has a contact portion  211  at a distal end thereof. The contact portion  211  has an upper convex surface (not labeled) projecting upwardly beyond the first space  14  for engaging with a contact portion of a mating antenna  3 . The second spring arm  22  has a retention portion  221  substantially parallel to the base portion  20  and a resilient portion  222  extending forwardly and downwardly from the retention portion  221 , thereby a bent is formed at a location between the retention portion  221  and the resilient portion  222 . The retention portion  221  extends from a rear end of the base portion  20  and cooperates with the base portion  20  to form a substantially U-shaped locating region  24 . A projecting contact section  223  extends from a distal end of the resilient portion  222 . The contact section  223  has a lower convex surface (not labeled) projecting downwardly beyond the second space  15  for surface engaging with a circuit trace of a mating printed circuit board (PCB)  4 . 
   In assembly, the base portion  20  is located over the top surface  11  of the housing  1 , the barbs  23  of the contact  2  forwardly move and are installed into the slots  131  of the housing  1 , whereby the base portion  20  of the contact  2  fixedly assembled on the housing  1 . The first spring arm  21  is received in the first space  14  and the contact portion  211  projects upwardly beyond the first space  14  for engaging with the contact portion of to antenna  3 . The second spring arm  22  is received in the second space  15  and the contact section  223  projects downwardly beyond the second space  15  for engaging with the circuit trace of the PCB  4 . 
   It is should be noted that the contact  2  employs the bent between the retention portion  211  and the resilient portion  212 , the bent provides the resilient portion  212  with enough flexibility, ensuring the resilient portion  212  robustly come to normal position, thereby providing steadily connection with corresponding circuit trace of the PCB  4  and avoiding damage of the terminal  34 . The electrical connector  100  of the present invention, therefore, has a long life-span. 
   It is important to note that successful execution of the electrical connector  100  is that the contact  2  employs the second spring arm  22  for resilient pressing with the PCB  4 . The second spring arm  22  not only provides enough flexibility ensuring the connection with the PCB  4  but also is convenient and easy for users to replace when the electrical connector  100  does not work. Furthermore, the mechanical connection of the second spring arm  22  instead of the complicated solder process of the solder portion of the prior art largely reduces labor force and manufacture cost. 
   It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed 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.