EP0137972A1

EP0137972A1 - Electrical connector

Info

Publication number: EP0137972A1
Application number: EP84109899A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alan Stephen Olshansky; Michael John Dougherty
Original assignee: Microdot Inc
Current assignee: Microdot Inc
Priority date: 1983-09-02
Filing date: 1984-08-20
Publication date: 1985-04-24
Also published as: JPS6072180A

Abstract

An electrical connector to provide a direct, readily interchangeable electrical hardware connection between multiterminal pin plugs and printed circuit boards, comprising a two-piece snap-together housing (10) and a plurality of elongated contacts (12) extending longitudinally within the housing. The forward housing piece (14) has a card edge slot (34) in its forward face (18) and a plurality of longitudinally extending cavities which communicate at their forward ends with the card edge slot (34) and open at their rearward ends in the inboard, rearward face (20) of the forward housing piece (14). The rearward housing piece (16) has a plurality of holes (68, 70) in its rear face (66) for receipt of the terminal pins on a multiterminal pin plug (71) and a plurality of longitudinally extending bores (72, 74) communicating at their rearward ends with a respective hole (68, 70) and opening at their forward ends in the forward, inboard face (46) of the rearward housing piece (16).

Description

This invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to electrical connectors for use with printed circuit boards and multiterminal pin plugs.
It is often desired to provide a direct readily interchangeable electrical connection between external input devices, such as multiterminal pin plugs, and internal system devices, such as printed circuit boards. In the past such a connection has typically been accomplished by two connector assemblies individually mounted using a printed circuit back panel or a chassis/cabling interface. This arrangement is relatively expensive since two separate connector assemblies are required as well as interfacing hardware. This arrangement also creates a rather long electrical signal path, with consequent opportunity for signal degradation, and results in a rather high volume package, rendering it difficult to use where installation space is at a premium.
It is an object of the invention to provide a compact and inexpensive electrical connector providing a direct, readily interchangeable electrical hardware connection between multiterminal pin plugs and printed circuit boards.
The electrical connector according to the invention includes a two-piece housing of insulative material, and a plurality of elongated electrical contacts of conductive springy material and each including a circuit board engaging section and a terminal engaging section. The forward housing piece defines a transversely extending slot in its forward outboard face adapted to receive an edge of a printed circuit board and further defines cavity means opening at its rearward inboard face to individually receive the circuit board engaging sections of the respective contacts. The rearward housing piece defines cavity means opening at its forward inboard face to individually receive the terminal engaging sections of the respective contacts, and the housing pieces include coacting snap lock means which operate in response to movement of the inboard faces of the housing pieces into abutting engagement to snappingly secure the housing pieces together and capture the contacts therewithin. With this arrangement, the contacts may be loaded into one of the housing pieces through its inboard face to seat the appropriate contact sections in that piece with the other contact sections projecting from the inboard face of that piece, whereafter the other housing pieces may be slipped over the projecting contact sections to bring its inboard face into abutment with the inboard face of the one housing piece and snap the housing pieces together.
In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the circuit board engaging sections of the contacts are loaded into the forward housing piece and the rearward housing piece is thereafter slipped over the projecting terminal engaging contact sections and brought into snapping engagement with the forward housing piece.
According to another aspect of the invention, the invention connector includes a housing of insulative material, and a plurality of elongated electrical contacts each including a circuit board engaging section and a tubular terminal pin engaging section. The housing defines a circuit board slot in its forward face, upper and lower rows of parallel longitudinally extending cavities in the forward portion of the housing receiving the circuit board engaging sections of the respective contacts, upper and lower horizontal rows of holes in its rearward face, and upper and lower rows of parallel longitudinally extending bores in the rear portion of the housing receiving the tubular terminal pin engaging sections of the respective contacts with each bore communicating at its rearward end with a respective hole on the rear housing face so that a multiterminal pin plug plugged into the rows of holes in the rear housing face establishes individual electrical connection with the respective conductive strip on a circuit board inserted into the slot in the forward face of the housing.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are top, front and rear views, respectively of an electrical connector according to the invention;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the invention connector.

The invention electrical connector, broadly considered, comprises a housing assembly 10 and a plurality of contacts 12 extending within the housing assembly.
Housing assembly 10 comprises a forward housing piece 14 and a rearward housing piece 16. Both housing pieces are formed of an insulative material such, for example, as Nylon 6/6 U.L. Rated 94 V-0, 30% glass filled; or Zytel F.R. 50, U.L. Rated 94 V-O.
Forward housing piece 14 is monolithic and is bounded by a plurality of generally planar surfaces including a front or outboard surface 18, a rear or inboard surface 20, a top surface 22, a bottom surface 24, side surfaces 26, 28, and chamfered surfaces 30, 32. A printed circuit board slot 34 opens in front housing face 18. Slot 34 extends laterally across front face 18 and rearwardly within the' housing to blind end wall 36. The entrance to slot 34 is chamfered at 34a to facilitate insertion of a printed circuit board 35. A series of 13 upper notches or cavities 38 open in front housing face 18 at laterally spaced locations thereacross and a series of 12 lower notches or cavities 40 open in front housing face 18 at laterally spaced locations that are staggered with respect to upper notches 38. The forward portions of lower notches 40 open at their upper sides in slot 34 and the forward portions of upper notches 38 open at their lower sides in slot 34. A locking groove 41 is provided in the top of each upper notch 38 and a locking groove 42 is provided in the bottom of each lower notch 40. The rearward portions of notches 38, 40 flare outwardly and open in inboard housing face 20. A plurality of integral snap locking tabs 43 extend rearwardly from inboard housing face 20 and an integral support bar 44 extends transversely across the inboard housing face 20 between snap tabs 43.
Rearward housing piece 16 is monolithic and includes an inboard surface 46, side surfaces 48, 50, forward upper and lower surfaces 52, 54, and beveled upper and lower surfaces 56, 58. The rear portion of rearward housing piece 16 includes outer interface connector mounting tab portions 60, 62 and a central "D" sub-miniature plug mounting portion 64 having a rear face 66. An upper horizontal row of 13 circular holes 68 and a lower horizontal row of 12 circular holes 70 are provided in rear face 66. Upper holes 68 are beveled at 68A and lower holes 70 are beveled at 70a to facilitate entry of the terminal pins of a multi- terminal plug 71 into holes 68, 70. An upper horizontal row of 13 circular bores 72 and a lower horizontal row of 12 circular bores 74 extend longitudinally within rear housing piece 16. Bores 72, 74 have a diameter substantially larger than that of holes 68, 70. Each upper bore 72 communicates at its rearward end with a respective upper hole 68 and opens at its forward end in a forward inboard face 76 that is recessed relative to forward inboard face 46. Each lower bore 74 communicates at its rearward end with a respective lower hole 70 and opens at its forward end in face 76. The inboard portions of bores 72, 74 are enlarged at 72a, 74a. Upper and lower bores 72, 74 are in general axial alignment with respective upper and lower notches 38, 40. Holes 78 are provided in upper and lower surfaces 52, 54 for coaction with snap tabs 43 on the forward housing piece. Pivotal panel locking tabs 80 are provided at the top and bottom of housing piece 16 between holes 78 to facilitate attachment of the housing to a suitable mounting surface or structure.
Contacts 12 are formed of a suitable springy conductive material such, for example, as phosphor bronze and each include a circuit board engaging section 82 and a terminal pin engaging section 84. Circuit board engaging sections 82 are preferably tin plated and terminal pin engaging sections 84 are preferably gold plated over nickel plating. Each circuit board engaging section 82 includes a wiping portion 86 and a tab 88 struck from the main body of the contact. Each terminal pin engaging section is tubular and includes longitudinal slots 84a opening at the rear end of the contact.
To assemble the invention connector, contacts 12 are loaded individually, circuit board engaging section leading, into cavities or notches 38, 40 through the rearward inboard face 20 of forward housing piece 14. As the circuit board engaging sections slide into the respective cavities or notches 38, 40, tabs 88 snap into grooves 41, 42 to preclude rearward withdrawal of the contacts, and the rearward tips 86a of wiping portions 86 resiliently press against the adjacent surfaces 38a, 40a of the respective notches to preload wiping portions 86. Rearward housing piece 16 is now slipped over the projecting terminal pin engaging sections of the contacts to slide the terminal pin engaging sections into the respective bores 72, 74 and bring the inboard faces 20, 46 of the housing pieces into abutting engagement. As the inboard faces of the housing pieces move into abutting engagement, locking tabs 43 deflect inwardly and then spring outwardly to seat in holes 78 to snappingly secure the housing pieces together. With the housing pieces snapped together, locking bar 44 on forward housing piece 14 engages the forward ends 84c of the terminal pin engaging sections of the contacts to preclude forward movement of the contacts within the housing. Locking bar 44 thus coacts with locking tabs 88 to preclude longitudinal movement of the contacts within the housing. The assembled connector may now be mounted in known manner to a suitable mounting panel, not shown, utilizing panel locking tabs 80.
In use, printed circuit boards 35 may be selectively and interchangeably plugged into slot 34 in the front face of the connector and multiterminal "D" subminiature pin plugs 71 may be selectively and interchangeably plugged into holes 68, 70 in the rear face of the connector. As each plug 71 seats over mounting portion 64 of rearward housing piece 16, integral latching ears 90 on each side of the plug latchingly coact with tab portions 60, 62 on piece 16 to preclude inadvertent separation of the plug from the connector. As a printed circuit board 35 enters slot 34, the wiping portions 86 of the upper and lower contacts respectively engage conductive strips on the upper and lower surfaces of the board. As the pins of a multi-terminal plug 71 enter holes 68, 70, the outboard tips of terminal pin engaging sections 84 splay resiliently outwardly to slidably and resiliently receive the entering terminal pins. The invention connector thus provides a compact inexpensive connector providing direct readily interchangeable electrical hardware connection between the contact strips on a selected circuit board and the terminal pins on a selected multiterminal pin plug. For example, and as disclosed, the invention connector has particular applicability to use with the popular "D" subminiature 25 terminal pin plugs.
Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising

A. a plurality of elongated contacts formed of a springy conductive material and each including a circuit board engaging section and a terminal engaging section;

B. a forward housing piece defining a transversely extending slot in its forward, outboard face adapted to receive an edge of a printed circuit board and further defining cavity means opening at its rearward, inboard face to individually receive the circuit board engaging sections of the respective contacts;

C. a rearward housing piece defining cavity means opening at its forward inboard face to individually receive the terminal engaging sections of the respective contacts; and

D. coacting snap lock means on said housing pieces operative in response to movement of the inboard faces of the housing pieces into abutting engagement to snappingly secure the housing pieces together and capture said contacts therewithin.

2. An electrical connector according to claim 1 wherein

E. said contacts and said housing cavity means are configured and dimensioned to allow loading of said contacts into one of said housing pieces through the inboard face thereof to seat the appropriate contact sections individually in the cavity means of that housing piece with the other contact sections projecting from the inboard face of that piece whereafter the other housing piece may be slipped over the projecting contact sections to slide those sections into the cavity means of that other housing piece and bring the inboard face of the other housing piece into abutting engagement with the inboard face of the one housing piece and snap the housing pieces together.

3. An electrical connector according to claim 2 wherein

F. said one housing piece is said forward piece so that said contacts are loaded into said forward piece and the rearward piece is thereafter slipped over the projecting terminal engaging contact sections and moved into abutting snapping interengagement with the forward housing piece.

4. An electrical connector comprising

A. a plurality of elongated contacts formed of a springy conductive material and each including a circuit board engaging section and a terminal pin engaging section;

B. a forward housing piece defining a transversely extending slot in the forward, outboard face thereof adapted to receive an edge of a printed circuit board and further defining a plurality of longitudinally extending cavities opening at their forward ends in said slot and at their rearward ends in the rearward, inboard housing face and adapted to respectively receive the circuit board engaging sections of the contacts;

C. a rearward housing piece defining a plurality of holes in the rearward, outboard face thereof and further defining a plurality of longitudinally extending bores each opening at its forward end in the forward, inboard face of the rearward housing piece and communicating at its rearward end with a respective hole and adapted to receive the terminal pin engaging sections of the contacts; and

D. coacting snap lock means on said housing pieces operative in response to movement of the inboard faces of the housing pieces into abutting engagement to snappingly secure said pieces together.

5. An electrical connector according to claim 4 wherein

E. said contacts, cavities and bores are configured and dimensioned to allow loading of said contacts into one of said housing pieces through the inboard face thereof to seat the appropriate contact sections in that housing piece with the other contact section projecting from the inboard face of that piece whereafter the other housing piece may be slipped over the projecting sections of the contacts to bring its inboard face into abutting engagement with the inboard face of the one housing piece and snap said housing pieces together.

6. An electrical connector according to claim 5 wherein

F. said one housing piece is said forward piece so that said contacts are loaded, circuit board engaging section first, into the cavities of said forward piece and the rearward piece is thereafter slipped over the projecting terminal pin engaging contact sections to slide the terminal pin engaging sections into the respective bores and move the inboard face of the rearward housing piece into abutting snapping interengagement with the forward housing piece.

7. An electrical connector comprising

A. a housing of insulative material defining

1. an elongated generally horizontal slot in a front face of the housing adapted to receive an edge of a printed circuit board,

2. an upper and a lower horizontal row of holes in a rear surface of the housing adapted to pluggingly receive corresponding rows of terminal pins of a multiterminal pin plug,

3. an upper and a lower horizontal row of parallel longitudinally extending bores in the rear portion of the housing of a larger diameter than said holes, each upper and lower bore axially aligned with a respective upper or lower hole and communicating at its rearward end with that hole, and

4. upper and lower horizontal rows of parallel longitudinally extending cavities in the forward portion of the housing, each upper cavity in general axial alignment with a respective upper bore and opening at the underside of its forward end in said slot, each lower cavity in general axial alignment with a respective lower bore and opening at the upper side of its forward end in said slot; and

B. a plurality of upper and lower elongated contacts formed of a springy conductive material and each including a single circuit board engaging section, including a single wiping portion, and a single tubular terminal pin engaging section,

1. each upper contact having its circuit board engaging section positioned in a respective upper cavity, with its wiping portion projecting downwardly into said slot for resilient wiping engagement with a contact on the upper surface of a printed circuit board inserted into said slot, and having its tubular terminal pin engaging section positioned in the corresponding upper bore for resilient sliding receipt of an upper terminal pin on a multiterminal pin plug plugged into the rear face of the connector,

2. each lower contact having its circuit board engaging section positioned in a respective lower cavity, with its wiping portion projecting upwardly into said slot for resilient wiping engagement with a contact on the lower surface ot a printed circuit board inserted into said slot, and having its tubular terminal pin engaging section positioned in the corresponding lower bore for resilient sliding receipt of a lower terminal pin on a multiterminal pin plug plugged into the rear face of the connector.

8. A connector according to claim 7 wherein

C. said housing comprises a two-piece assembly including

1. a forward housing piece defining said slot and said cavities and

2. a rearward housing piece defining said bores and said holes; and

D. said housing pieces include coacting snap lock means adjacent their inboard faces operative in response to movement of their inboard faces into abutting engagement to snappingly secure the housing pieces together.

9. A connector according to claim 8 wherein

E. said cavities, bores and contacts are dimensioned and configured such that, to assemble the connector,

1. said contacts are inserted, with the circuit board engaging sections leading, into the inboard end of said forward section to seat the circuit board engaging sections in the respective cavities with the terminal engaging sections projecting from the inboard end of the forward section whereafter,

2. the inboard end of the rearward section is slipped over the projecting terminal engaging sections to seat such sections in the respective bores whereafter the inboard ends of the two housing pieces may be brought together to snappingly join the housing pieces and securely capture the contacts within the housing.

10. A connector according to claim 9 wherein

F. said forward section includes means, operative in response to insertion of a contact, circuit board engaging section first, into the inboard end of the forward section to preclude rearward withdrawal of the contact through such inboard end and

G. said forward section includes further means operative with the connector assembled to abuttingly engage the inboard ends of the terminal engaging sections of the contacts to preclude forward axial movement of the contacts within the housing.