Patent ID: 7658643

Claim:
A connector fastening arrangement for printed circuit boards, comprising: (a) a printed circuit board ( 1 ) having planar horizontal upper and lower surfaces ( 1 a , 1 b ), said upper surface being provided with at least one stationary conductive element ( 4 a , 4 b , 4 c ); (b) connector means ( 7 ) including a connector housing ( 8 ) carrying at least one electrical contact ( 10 a , l 0 b , 10 c ); and (c) locking means for locking said connector housing to said printed circuit board upper surface at a position in which said electrical contact is in engagement with said conductive element, said locking means including: (1) at least one vertical locking member ( 12 ) connected with said connector housing for rotation about a longitudinal axis (L) normal to said printed circuit board, said locking member being rotatable about said longitudinal axis between locked and unlocked positions relative to said connector housing; (2) said locking member having an integral generally crank-shaped configuration including: (a) a cylindrical first portion ( 12 a ) mounted in a first through opening ( 13 ) contained in said connector housing for rotation about said longitudinal axis, said first cylindrical portion having upper and lower ends; (b) an upper enlarged head portion ( 17 ) connected with the upper end of said cylindrical first portion, said upper head portion being seated on the adjacent surface of said connector housing and containing means ( 16 ) for rotating said locking member between said locked and unlocked positions, respectively; (c) an eccentric peg portion ( 14 ) having an upper end connected with the lower end of said first cylindrical portion, said eccentric peg portion being parallel with and laterally offset from said longitudinal axis and having a lower end extending within a second through opening ( 5 a ) contained in said printed circuit board opposite said first through opening, said second through opening being circular and oversized relative to said first though opening; and (d) a lower enlarged head portion ( 15 ) connected with said peg portion lower end, said lower head portion having a generally horizontal upper surface ( 15 a ) that is in engagement with the bottom surface of said printed circuit board when said locking member is in said locked position.