Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US4898539?dq=7,172,682
Timestamp: 2016-02-11 18:40:40
Document Index: 493814493

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'art 18', 'arts 18']

Patent US4898539 - Surface mount HDI contact - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsAn electrical pin header connector (2) comprises an insulating housing (4) having an interface surface (6) and an opposite mating face (8), between which extends a grid array of electrical contact element receiving cavities (10). In each cavity (10) is an electrical contact element (12) having an elongate...http://www.google.com/patents/US4898539?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US4898539 - Surface mount HDI contactAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS4898539 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 07/314,331Publication dateFeb 6, 1990Filing dateFeb 22, 1989Priority dateFeb 22, 1989Fee statusPaidAlso published asEP0384580A1, EP0384580B1Publication number07314331, 314331, US 4898539 A, US 4898539A, US-A-4898539, US4898539 A, US4898539AInventorsDouglas W. Glover, Donald R. HarnerOriginal AssigneeAmp IncorporatedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (3), Referenced by (82), Classifications (10), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetSurface mount HDI contact
US 4898539 AAbstract
An electrical pin header connector (2) comprises an insulating housing (4) having an interface surface (6) and an opposite mating face (8), between which extends a grid array of electrical contact element receiving cavities (10). In each cavity (10) is an electrical contact element (12) having an elongate contact spring (14) with a contact nose (16) projecting from the interface surface (6) for engagement by a respective contact pad (44) of a grid array of contact pads (44) on an interface surface (42) of a mother printed circuit board (40). Each contact element (12) has a contact pin (26) projecting from the mating face (8) of the housing (4). The contact springs (14) are angled by 45� with respect to X and Y axes of the grid array of cavities (10), for maximum contact density. The contact pin (26) of each contact element (12) has been twisted through 45� with respect to the contact spring (14) thereof so that opposed flat contact surfaces (C) of the contact pin (26) are parallel to one axis of the grid array of cavities (10) and are at right angles to the other. This orientation of the contact surfaces (C) enables the pin header connector (2) to be mated with a mating connector (32) having twin contact beam terminals (54) so that each contact surface (60) of each pair of twin beams (58) engages a respective contact surface (C) of a respective contact pin (26).
1. A pin header electrical connector comprising;an insulating housing having a flat interface surface and a mating face opposite thereto, said housing defining a multiplicity of contact element receiving, through cavities, each of which opens both into said interface surface and into said mating face; and a one-piece electrical contact element retained in each of said cavities and having an elongate contact spring proximate to said interface surface, said contact spring having a longitudinal axis extending substantially parallel to that surface, a contact nose on said contact spring projecting from said interface surface and a contact pin projecting from said mating face, said contact noses being arranged in a gird array having X and Y axes extending normally of each other and intersecting said interface surface, said longitudinal axes of said contact springs, all extending parallel to each other but being angled with respect to both of said X and Y axes, and each contact pin presenting opposed, flat contact surfaces which are parallel to one of said X and Y axes and extend at right angles to the other of those axes. 2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein each contact element in each cavity has a retention part from which said contact pin extends and which has been force fitted into said cavity to retain said contact element therein and being coplanar with said contact spring of the contact element, said contact pin thereof having been twisted about its own axis with respect to said retention part and said contact spring to align said flat contact surfaces of said pin with one of said X and Y axes.
7. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said longitudinal axes of all of said contact springs are angled by approximately 45� with respect to each of said X and Y axes.
10. A contact element as claimed in claim 9, wherein said contact surfaces are angularly displaced by approximately 45� with respect to said common plane.
13. A pin header electrical connector for interposition between a surface of a daughter circuit board having thereon a multiplicity of contact pads arranged in a grid array, and an electrical receptacle connector for mating with said pin header connector and being provided with twin beam receptacle terminals also arranged in said grid array, said pin header connector comprising;an insulating housing having a flat interface surface having X and Y axes extending at right angles to each other in the plane thereof, and a mating face opposite to said interface surface and; a multiplicity of parallel contact springs recessed beneath said interface surface, and being elongate in a direction parallel thereto, said contact springs being angled with respect to both of said X and Y axes for maximum contact density and having contact noses projecting from said interface surface, in said grid array, each for engagement with a respective one of said contact pads, a multiplicity of contact pins each electrically connected to a respective one of said contact springs, projecting from said mating face in said grid array, each for mating with a respective twin beam receptacle terminal of said receptacle connector, each contact pin having a pair of opposed, flat contact surfaces parallel to one of said X and Y axes, each for engagement by a respective beam contact of said respective twin beam receptacle terminal. 14. A connector as claimed in claim 13, in combination with said pin receptacle connector, wherein each twin beam receptacle terminal has a portion secured in electrically conductive relationship to a printed conductor at an edge of a daughter circuit board.
This invention relates to a pin header electrical connector for use in making electrical connections to contact pads arranged in a grid array on an interface surface of a circuit board, for example, and also relates to an electrical contact element for such a connector. The invention specially concerns such a connector, the contact elements of which are provided with contact pins each having opposed flat contact surfaces for engagement by respective contact beams of a twin beam receptacle terminal of a mating electrical connector.
The contact springs are, therefore, orientated at an angle, for example an angle of 45�, with respect to the X and Y axes of the grid array of the contact noses, while the contact pins are oriented with their contact surfaces parallel with one of those axes.
Each contact element may be stamped from a single piece of sheet metal stock, for example brass stock. The contact pin of the contact element is subsequently twisted, for example through 45�, with respect to the remainder of the contact element before assembling the contact element to its housing. The interface surface may be that of a mother circuit board, for a personal computer, for example, the mating connector carrying a row of daughter circuit boards having conductors connected to the terminals of the mating connector.
An electrical contact element according to the invention comprises a uniplanar contact spring, a retention portion having means for retaining it in a cavity in an insulating housing, and a rectangular cross section contact pin. The pin and the retention portion have a common longitudinal axis, the contact spring comprising a spring arm connected to the retention portion by means of a support arm extending at right angles to the contact pin and having a contact nose projecting away from the contact pin in line with the common longitudinal axis. The contact pin has opposite flat contact surfaces which are angularly displaced from the plane of the contact spring about the common longitudinal axis, for example by an angle of about 45�.
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, a pin header electrical connector 2 comprises an insulating housing 4 having a flat interface surface 6 and a mating face 8 opposite thereto. The housing 4 includes a multiplicity of contact element receiving, slot shaped, through cavities 10 disposed in a rectangular grid array. Each cavity 10 opens into both the interface surface 6 and the mating face 8. A multiplicity of one-piece electrical contact elements 12 are each retained in a respective one of the cavities 10. Each cavity 10 comprises a wider portion 24 opening into the surface 6 and a narrower portion 22 opening into the face 8 and communicating with the cavity portion 24. Each contact element 12 is stamped and formed from sheet metal stock, for example of 0.025 inches (0.635 mm) in thickness, and comprises an elongate contact spring 14 in the cavity portion 24, proximate to the interface surface 6 and having a longitudinal axis L extending parallel to that surface or substantially so. A contact nose 16 is disposed on the contact spring 14 projecting from the interface surface 6. A retention part 18 force fitted into the cavity portion 22 is provided with two pairs of retention barbs 20 spaced from one another longitudinally of the part 18 and biting into the opposite walls of said cavity portion 22. A rectangular cross section, rectilinear contact pin 26 projects from the part 18 outwardly of the mating face 8. The contact spring 14 and the retention part 18 of each contact element 12 are coplanar. The contact element 12 is stamped from the said sheet metal stock, with the contact pin 26 coplanar with the retention part 18 and the contact spring 14. The pin 26 is then twisted about its longitudinal axis, relative to the spring 14 and the part 18, through an angle of 45�. Thus, each contact element 12, presents opposed, flat contact surfaces C angled by 45� with respect to the rest of the contact element, as best seen in FIG. 4. The longitudinal axis of the pin 26 substantially bisects the contact nose 16. As shown in FIG. 1, said rectangular grid array has X and Y axes extending normally of each other in the plane of the surface 6. In the interest of maximum contact density, the longitudinal axes L of the contact springs 14, and the parts 18 of the contact elements 12, extend at an angle of 45� with respect to each of the X and Y axes. By virtue, however, of the twisting operation described above, the opposed contact surfaces C of each contact pin 26, lie parallel to the X axis and at right angles to the Y axis, of the grid array.
By virtue of the twisting of each pin 26 through 45�, as described above, each contact surface 60 engages a flat contact surface C of a pin 26. Additionally, the longitudinal axes L of the contact springs 16 are angled by 45� with respect to the X and Y axes of the grid array of cavities 10 for maximum contact element density. The present structure permits the contact surfaces 60 to all extent parallel to one of the X and Y axes of the grid array of terminals 54 as is customary in the industry.
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ClassificationH01R23/72BLegal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionFeb 22, 1989ASAssignmentOwner name: AMP INCORPORATED, PENNSYLVANIAFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNORS:GLOVER, DOUGLAS W.;HARNER, DONALD R.;REEL/FRAME:005047/0539Effective date: 19890220Jul 19, 1993FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 4Jul 28, 1997FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 8Jul 30, 2001FPAYFee paymentYear of fee payment: 12RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services