EP0022194B1 - Apparatus for simultaneously connecting and disconnecting a large number of plug connections - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a device for the simultaneous production or release of a plurality of plug contact connections, each consisting of plug pins and plug terminals arranged in a matrix, the one matrix, e.g. B. a module with the connector pins for making contact or solution parallel to the other matrix, z. B. a circuit board with the plug terminals is slidably mounted.

When packaging highly integrated circuits, it is common to connect the leads of the integrated circuit dies to the printed circuit on a substrate made of ceramic material. The connection to the printed circuit is produced by plug pins which penetrate the substrate and are conductively connected to the electrical lines on one side of the substrate and protrude perpendicularly to the plane of the substrate on its opposite side. In accordance with the growing number of switching elements on each semiconductor die in integrated circuit technology and the increase in the number of required switching connections, the number of external connections on the substrate, that is to say the connector pins, is also increasing rapidly.

Inserting the pins of a substrate into a socket or a socket strip on a printed circuit board presents considerable problems since considerable forces are required to insert such a large number of pins into corresponding sockets. Because the use of such large forces carries the risk that the connector pins and / or connector terminals are bent or damaged, which complicates the insertion and impairs proper contact. In the course of further compression of such circuit modules and a corresponding reduction in dimensions, the problem addressed becomes all the more critical the greater the number of contact connections per unit area. To facilitate the insertion of such modules with highly integrated circuits in the associated circuit boards, with high density of the connector pins and connector terminals, a connector connection described in DE-A-2 332 556 has become known, in which the individual connector terminals consist of a U-shaped, resilient yoke with spring arms formed thereon, on which contact pieces of cylinder sector or barrel shape are attached. The contact pieces have beveled contact surfaces on their edges, which facilitate the entry of the plug pin into the space between these surfaces. In addition, the shaft of these plug terminals is designed so that they have a certain elastic mobility.

The insertion force in the known plug connection is zero. This is achieved by first inserting the connector pins into an area adjacent to the contact pieces of the connector terminal and then inserting the pins between the opposite contact surfaces, parallel to the planes of the matrix of the plate and the module. The shape of the surfaces of the contact pieces and the resilient flexibility of the plug terminals, on the other hand, only require low insertion forces when the contact pins are inserted lengthwise between the contact surfaces, the opposite cylindrical or barrel-shaped surfaces performing the same function during insertion of the connector pins as before the beveled flanks of the contact pieces. In both types of insertion of the connector, the opposite contact surfaces establish a clear contact between each terminal and the associated pin. This applies in particular if individual connector pins or connector terminals are not properly aligned or are even bent.

With the increasing number of plug connections, this type of connection and the method of inserting with subsequent subsequent parallel insertion into the terminals have become increasingly important. Appropriate devices were required for this, which made it possible to insert the module in the first place, since this insertion method could no longer be carried out manually given the high density of the pins and the total force to be applied.

Such devices are described for example in IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, Vol. 16, No. 12, pages 3975/76 and in DE-A-2 720 943. However, these arrangements are still quite complex and complex to construct. Thus, in the device according to the last-mentioned DE-A, a cam drive device is provided for the parallel displacement of the module relative to the circuit board, which, depending on a rotation about a predetermined axis of rotation in a direction between a first and a second angular position, has a linear relative movement between them connecting arrangements up to the engagement of the connector pins, and between the second and a third angular position in the same direction causes a second linear relative movement of the arrangements to be connected in the opposite direction.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of the type mentioned above, which has a much simpler structure and can also be produced at a correspondingly lower cost, but is nevertheless able to provide modules with highly integrated circuits and a correspondingly large number in high density arranged Insert or release neter connector pins with reliable contact and damage-free into the associated connector terminal matrix, without canting or torsional forces acting on the module.

This object has been achieved by the device specified in claim 1.

The particular advantages of the device according to the invention lie in the simple, inexpensive manufacture and ease of use. Another advantage is that the device according to the invention can be used for connector pin arrangements, such as modules, of different heights without the need for adaptation.

Numerous, particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention are contained in the dependent claims.

• Die Erfindung wird nachfolgend anhand der Zeichnungen in einem Ausführungsbeispiel beschrieben. Es zeigt
• Fig. 1 eine schaubildliche Ansicht einer Vorrichtung zum Herstellen bzw. Lösen der Verbindung zwischen einem Modul mit Steckerstiften und einer gedruckten Schaltungsplatte mit Steckerklemmen, in auseinandergezogener Anordung,
• Fig. 2 eine schaubildliche Ansicht der Vorrichtung nach Fig. 1, mit eingesetztem und verriegeltem Modul,
• Fig. 3 eine vergrößerte Seiten-Schnittansicht der Vorrichtung mit eingesetztem Modul, vor dem Einschubvorgang,
• Fig. 4 eine vergrößerte Seiten-Schnittansicht der Vorrichtung mit Modul, nach dem Einschieben des Moduls in die Kontaktstellung,
• Fig. 5 eine vergrößerte Darstellung einer einzelnen Steckerklemme, mit einem Steckerstift in der Lage vor dessen Einschieben,
• Fig. 6 eine vergrößerte Detaildarstellung einer Steckerklemme und eines Steckerstifts in der Anordnung wie Fig. 5, in der Lage in dem zugeordneten Durchbruch in der Platte des Federgehäuses,
• Fig. 7 eine Seitenansicht einer Steckerklemme und eines Steckerstifts in der Normalposition ähnlich den Fig. 5 und 6,
• Fig. 8 eine Darstellung der Steckerklemme und des Steckerstifts nach Fig. 7, jedoch in der über die Sollstellung hinausgehenden Betätigungslage, und
• Fig. 9 die Lage der Steckerklemme und des Steckerstifts gemäß den Fig. 7 und 8 in der endgültigen Kontaktstellung, nach der Betätigung der Vorrichtung.

Thereafter, the device designed according to the invention offers, for example, the simple possibility of attaching a bolt to the spring housing, which bolt locks the actuating rocker in the position producing the contact connection by means of two elastically deformable locking arms with locking parts. This locking in particular prevents the module from being moved simultaneously in the vertical and in the horizontal direction during insertion. Furthermore, the plug-in position of the module is additionally secured, so that the contact between the connector pins and the connector terminals due to external influences, e.g. B. can not be disturbed by vibrations.

• The invention is described below with reference to the drawings in one embodiment. It shows
• 1 is a diagrammatic view of a device for establishing or releasing the connection between a module with plug pins and a printed circuit board with plug terminals, in an exploded arrangement,
• 2 is a perspective view of the device of FIG. 1, with the module inserted and locked,
• 3 is an enlarged side sectional view of the device with the module inserted, before the insertion process,
• 4 is an enlarged side sectional view of the device with module, after the module has been inserted into the contact position,
• 5 is an enlarged view of a single connector terminal, with a connector pin in the position before it is inserted,
• 6 is an enlarged detail view of a connector terminal and a connector pin in the arrangement as FIG. 5, in the position in the associated opening in the plate of the spring housing,
• 7 is a side view of a connector terminal and a connector pin in the normal position similar to FIGS. 5 and 6,
• Fig. 8 is an illustration of the connector terminal and the connector pin of FIG. 7, but in the operating position going beyond the target position, and
• Fig. 9 shows the position of the connector terminal and the connector pin according to FIGS. 7 and 8 in the final contact position, after actuation of the device.

In Fig. A connector is shown, which is particularly suitable for the device according to the invention. This consists of a plug terminal 10 with a U-shaped yoke 11 and a pair of spring arms 12 and 13, which, following the legs of the yoke 11, extend vertically in the longitudinal direction. In the opposite direction, a shaft 14 projects downward from the central region of the yoke 11. The upper ends of the spring arms 12 and 13 are designed such that they each form a cylindrical-section or barrel-shaped contact piece 15 for producing a reliable contact connection with the plug pin 16. Instead of the molded contact pieces shown in FIG. 5, correspondingly designed contact pieces can alternatively also be preformed and on the spring arms 12, 13, z. B. by soldering. The distance between the spring arms 12 and 13 is dimensioned somewhat smaller than the diameter of the plug pin 16. The plug pin 16 is shown as a cylindrical pin, but can also have other shapes, z. B. be designed as a flat pin.

A special feature of the connector terminal 10 are their different spring constants. For example, it has a spring constant for alignment in the direction of the straight double arrow on the shaft 14, which is approximately one sixth of the spring constant of each of the spring arms 12, 13. It also has a very low spring constant at its seat in the direction of the curved double arrow, which, for. B. is a twentieth of the spring constant of each of the spring arms 12, 13 and is therefore essentially negligible.

The low spring constant, in particular in the alignment direction of the shaft 14, makes it possible for it to yield somewhat, depending on forces caused by poor alignment of individual plug pins 16, when these are inserted either laterally or lengthwise into the space between the two opposing contact pieces 15 . This flexibility of the shaft 14 thus ensures that the opposing, cylindrical or barrel-shaped contact pieces 15 make a reliable contact connection with the plug pin 16. As a result, the resilience of the shaft 14 and the identical spring constants of the two contact pieces 15 cause the plug terminal 10 to be resilient in the direction of alignment, thereby eliminating some of the cumulative tolerances. Experiments have shown that the connector terminals 10 are of high density, namely at intervals of approximately 1.25 mm from the center of the connector to the connector can arrange in the middle.

A preferred area of application for such plug connections is their use on printed circuit boards. As shown in Fig. 5, the shaft 14 of the plug terminal 10 is in holes 17 of the board 18 of a printed circuit board, e.g. B. by soldering, attached and electrically connected to corresponding circuit patterns and / or internal signal levels and / or a neutral level of the plate. The plug pins 16 form the other half of the plug connection and serve, for example, as input / output pins of a component of an integrated circuit, a module or the like, which is electrically connected to the board. In certain applications, for example, it is necessary that a module or a number of modules each have more than 800 such connector pins, for which an equal number of appropriately arranged connector terminals are provided in the plate.

As can be seen from FIGS. 1 to 4, the device shown there for inserting and removing modules contains a frame 19 which is attached to a plate 18 of a printed circuit, e.g. B. is glued or soldered to this. The plate 18 contains a stiffening frame, and the frame 19 is in turn provided with a cutout 21 for receiving a matrix 22 of plug terminals 10, in the manner as previously described with reference to FIG. 5.

A spring housing 24 and a latch 25, both of which are preferably made of plastic, are fastened to the frame 19 by means of three screws 23 (FIGS. 2 to 4). The spring housing 24 contains a plate 26 with a matrix 27 of openings 28 which are aligned with the connector terminals 10 protruding from the plate 18 of the printed circuit. FIG. 6 shows such an opening 28. According to this, each of the openings 28 consists of a part 29 for receiving the spring arms 12 and 13 and the contact pieces 15 of the associated plug terminal 10 and also a further part 30 for the plug pin 16 of the module. On two opposite sides 31 of the spring housing 24, pairs of guide grooves 32, 33 are provided for receiving and guiding a module 34, and between these guide grooves there is a groove 35 for receiving the ends of an actuating rocker 36. The latch 26 is U-shaped, and two locking arms 37 of the actuating rocker 36 each have a locking part 38 at their ends. In parallel to each of the locking arms 37, a retaining lug 39 is provided, the purpose of which will be described later.

The actuating rocker 36 is U-shaped with arms 40 on both sides, each of the arms 40 being L-shaped. Pins 41 are attached to the outside of the free ends of the arms, while one pin 42 is attached to the inside. A handle 43 is located on the upper part of the actuating rocker 36. The actuating rocker 36 is rotatably mounted on the spring housing 24 by means of the pins 41 projecting into bores 44 in the sides 31, the free ends of the arms 40 and the pins 42 being guided in the grooves 35 are. The pivot bearing of the actuating rocker 36 is arranged essentially in the center of the module 34 and the spring housing 24, whereby any manufacturing tolerances are shared.

A cooling plate 45 with a plurality of cooling pins 46 is arranged on the upper surface of the module 34. The connector pins 16 protrude from the opposite base plate of the module 34 in a matrix-like arrangement. 3 and 4, two guide pins 47 are provided on the base plate of the module 34, which facilitate the precise insertion of the module. On each of the opposite side edges 48, 49 of the module 34, a plate 50 is further attached, on which guide lugs 51, 52 and actuating lugs 53, 54 are located.

In Fig. 3 the device described is shown before inserting a module. The actuating rocker 36 is shown here in its counterclockwise pivoted position, in which the arms 40 rest on outwardly inclined surfaces of the locking parts 38 on the locking arms 37 of the locking bar 25. The module 34 is inserted through the opening in the actuating rocker 36, the guide lugs 51, 52 and the actuating lugs 53, 54 on the module 34 being inserted into the guide grooves 32, 33 and into the groove 35 in the sides 31 of the spring housing 24. Grooves 55 between the actuating shoulders 53, 54 on the two opposite lateral edges of the module 34 accommodate the pins 42 on the arms 40 of the actuating rocker 36 (cf. FIGS. 3, 4). The lugs 51 to 54 and the associated grooves 32, 33 are designed so that the module 34 can only be used in the orientation shown and inadvertent insertion of the module is prevented in an orientation rotated by 180 °. As soon as the module approaches the plate 26 of the spring housing 24 during the insertion process, the pair of guide pins 47 of the module 34 arrives in directional grooves 56 in the plate 26. This results in a fine alignment of the module 34 with respect to the frame 19 after the previous rough alignment, so that the connector pins 16 are now exactly aligned with the openings in the plate.

The actuating rocker 36 enables a visual check as to whether the module 34 is inserted correctly. It can be moved freely from its starting position (Fig. 3) on the locking parts 38 of the bolt 25 and the beveled surface of the grooves 35 into their actuated position, the pins 42 reaching the wider area of the groove 55 (Fig. 4). The angled ends of the guide lugs 51, 52 are in such a position that they lie under the corresponding edges in the spring housing 24 slide, which prevents the module. 34 can move upwards (cf. FIGS. 3, 4). When the module 34 has reached this position, the plug pins 16 are arranged adjacent to the contact pieces 15 of the spring arms 12, 13, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. The vertical position of the plug pins 16 is determined here by a stop 57 (FIG. 1) at every angle of the plate 26. For horizontal adjustment of the connector pins 16 in contact with the connector terminals 10, the handle 43 with the actuating rocker 36 is pivoted clockwise around its pins 41 according to FIGS. 3 and 4. As a result, the pins 42 on the arms 40 of the actuating rocker 36 are adjusted to the left and come into engagement with the actuating projections 54 on the module 34, as a result of which the latter is pushed to the left. The locking arms 37 are resilient in the direction transverse to this adjustment movement of the actuating rocker 36, so that when the actuating rocker 36 is actuated in the manner described, the arms 40 act on the outer surfaces of the locking parts 38 and move them inward. As soon as the arms 40 have reached beyond the locking parts 38, the locking arms 37 snap outwards again and lock the arms 40 of the actuating rocker 36. This ensures that the modules 34 have reached their position correctly and the plug pins 16 are in contact with the contact pieces the spring arms 12, 13 are.

In the described adjustment process, the dead center of a spring mechanism is overcome, with the result that the connector pins 16 subsequently come under spring force between the contact pieces 15, these being bent due to the friction between the connector pins 16 and the associated contact pieces 15 in the direction of movement of the connector pins 16 until they rest on the wall of the opening 28, cf. Fig. 8. The latch 25 contains a stop surface 58 which limits the actuation of the actuating rocker 36, which prevents excessive actuation of the rocker 36 and possible breakage of the plug terminals or contact springs.

Now the operating rocker 36 is released, and as a result of the spring force stored in the plug terminals 10, the module 34 moves back with the plug pins 16 until the spring arms 12, 13 and the plug pins 16 are in a balanced position and thereby reach the position according to FIG. 9 to have. 2, the arms 46 of the actuating rocker 36 are each provided with a groove 59, the angle of which corresponds to the angle 60 on the rear flank of the locking parts 38, so that the arms 40 now released move back and rest against the angular surface of the locking part 38. The amount of this movement corresponds to the path which the plug pins 16 initially traveled in the manner described above beyond the end position. The arms 40 are now locked by means of the locking parts 38, as a result of which the module 34 is fixed in its prescribed position. Here, the angled ends of the guide lugs 51, 52 (FIG. 4) have come under the spring housing 24, as a result of which the module 34 is held vertically. In both cases, the frictional force of the connector pins 16 supports the mounting of the module 34. The movement of the connector pins 16 and the connector terminals 10 beyond their final contact position (FIG. 8) and their subsequent return to the position according to FIG. 9 is desirable since on In this way, the spring arms are kept stress-free and fatigue or even breakage of the material is avoided.

To release the module 34 from the contact connection with the plug terminals 10, the locking arms 37 for unlocking the actuating rocker 36 are pressed in the direction of one another and at the same time the actuating rocker 36 is pivoted counterclockwise. Here, the pins 42 cooperate with the actuating projections 53, as a result of which the module 34 reaches its position shown in FIG. 3, in which the contacts are separated from one another. The actuating rocker 36 is pivoted counterclockwise until the arms 40 rest against the angled surface 61 of the groove 35 (FIG. 3). The guide lugs 51, 52 detach from the spring housing 24, and the module 34 can now be removed from the device. The retaining lugs 39 limit the aforementioned inward bending of the locking arms 37 in order to prevent them from being overstressed or breaking.

Claims (8)

1. Device for simultaneously connecting or disconnecting, respectively, a multitude of plug contacts consisting of pins (16) arranged in one respective matrix, and terminals (10), the one matrix, e. g. a module (34) with the pins, being slidably movable for contact connection or disconnection, respectively, in parallel to the other matrix (22), e. g. a circuit board (18) with the terminals, characterized in that a spring housing (24) fixed to the stationary matrix (22) is provided which has through openings (28) for the terminals, that an actuator bail (36) extending outside the scope of the through openings (28) is pivotally supported at the spring housing (24), that at the edges (48, 49) of the matrix (module 34) with the pins guide tabs and actuator tabs (51 to 54), respectively, and at the spring housing corresponding mating slots (32, 33) extending in the normal line to the matrix to receive the tabs are provided, and that at the actuator bail (36) actuator elements (42) are affixed which upon the actuation of the former, together with the actuator tabs (53, 54) effect a sliding of the matrix (modul 34) with the pins in parallel to the other matrix (22).

2. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the actuator bail (36) is designed as a U-shaped bail pivotally supported at both arms (40).

3. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the actuator elements at the actuator bail (36) are designed as studs (42).

4. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at the spring housing (24) a latch (25) is affixed which by means of two elastically deformable latch arms (37) with latching parts (38) latches the actuator bail (36) in the position establishing the contact.

5. Device as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the latch (25) comprises a stop ledge (58) for the actuator bail (36) whose position relative to the latching parts (38) is dimensioned in such a manner that the pin/terminal connections are first moved in excess of their final positions and subsequently, with the return of the actuator bail (36) into the latched position, reach their final position.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pivoting point (41/44) of the actuator bail (36) is arranged approximately in the middle relative to the spring housing (24) and to the matrix (module 34) with the pins (16).

7. Device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide tabs (51, 52) are hook-shaped, and that in the parallel sliding they engage in the corresponding guide slots (32, 33) in the spring housing (24) securing the matrix (module 34) against lift-off.

8. Device as claimed in claims 1 and 4, characterized in that at the spring housing (24) stops are provided which limit the inserting movement of the matrix (module 34) with the pins (16).

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