EP0421474B1 - Contact element for edge connectors - Google Patents

Contact element for edge connectors Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0421474B1
EP0421474B1 EP90119186A EP90119186A EP0421474B1 EP 0421474 B1 EP0421474 B1 EP 0421474B1 EP 90119186 A EP90119186 A EP 90119186A EP 90119186 A EP90119186 A EP 90119186A EP 0421474 B1 EP0421474 B1 EP 0421474B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
contact
contact member
mentioned
daughter card
shaped contact
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP90119186A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0421474A1 (en
Inventor
Youichi Kashiwa
Tanikawa Yoshikazu
Saito Jun
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Whitaker LLC
Original Assignee
Whitaker LLC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Whitaker LLC filed Critical Whitaker LLC
Priority to EP95110834A priority Critical patent/EP0675572A3/en
Publication of EP0421474A1 publication Critical patent/EP0421474A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0421474B1 publication Critical patent/EP0421474B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/71—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/72—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
    • H01R12/82—Coupling devices connected with low or zero insertion force
    • H01R12/83—Coupling devices connected with low or zero insertion force connected with pivoting of printed circuits or like after insertion
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
    • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
    • H01R12/50—Fixed connections
    • H01R12/51—Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures
    • H01R12/55—Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures characterised by the terminals
    • H01R12/58—Fixed connections for rigid printed circuits or like structures characterised by the terminals terminals for insertion into holes

Definitions

  • the present invention refers to an edge connector which receives the edge of a daughter card on which is loaded, for example, a memory module, and is used to connect electrically the memory module to the circuits on a motherboard to which the connector is attached.
  • the electrical contact element which is used in the connector disclosed in Laid-Open Japanese Patent No. 60-230378 and in Laid-Open Japanese Patent No. 63-193473 features a support part between (a) the C-shaped contact member which accepts the edge of the daughter card and (b) the base part which supports the C-shaped contact member which is short. As a result, there is the likelihood that stress will concentrate on the support part and plastic deformation will take place.
  • the elastic deformation of the electric contact element relies only on the C-shaped contact member so that (a) there are limitations on the amount of plastic deformation and (b) the electric contact element cannot handle the wide variations in thickness of the daughter card.
  • Laid-Open Japanese Patent No. 63-193473 discloses an electric contact element for a connector which is soldered onto the surface of the motherboard to which the edge connector is attached (the "surface mounting type” of connector, hereafter referred to as "SMT").
  • SMT surface mounting type of connector
  • the bottom surface of the base part of the electric contact element is soldered directly to the motherboard.
  • problems with this when there are variations in temperature. There is the possibility that temperature cracks will appear on the soldered part which is interposed between the motherboard and the base part of the electric contact part caused either by the difference in the thermal expansion coefficient of the electric element and the motherboard or due to the fact that the external force when the motherboard is mounted onto the connector is applied directly to the base part of the electric contact element thus breaking the connection.
  • Document EP-A2-0,407,864 of the elder European application 90 112 700.1 discloses an edge connector for receiving an edge of a circuit board.
  • the contacts positioned in the housing of the connector include a resilient stand-up section having a tip defining a first contact point and a C-shaped section having a tip defining a second contact point with the circuit board being received between the first and second contact point.
  • the circuit board is received in a first angular position and then rotated to a second angular position.
  • the contacts comprise a C- or U-shaped outer contact member and a U-shaped inner contact member.
  • An edge of a circuit board is simply slid from top downwards into an opening rather than rotation after insertion.
  • the electric contact element for edge connectors is equipped with a C-shaped first contact device which comprises a first part and a second part which extend upward from both ends of the base part which is fixed to the bottom part of the cavity of the housing; a C-shaped second contact device which is coupled to the front end of the elastic or resilient support part which extends from the side of the above-mentioned base part of the first contact device at a sharp angle to the above-mentioned base part and a connection device which protrudes onto the bottom wall of the above-mentioned housing from the above-mentioned base part of the above-mentioned first contact device and connects to the motherboard. It uses either of the above-mentioned first and second contact devices or both as a contact with the daughter card.
  • FIG. 1 gives an overview of the electric contact element and the housing of the invention.
  • Electric contact element 2 is pressed into housing 4 from the top at the position of arrow P and is forced into housing 4 and is retained on the bottom part of cavity 5 of housing 4 when convex part 2a (which is formed on the outside of both side surfaces of electric contact point 2) locks into the wall 4a of housing 4.
  • Electric contact element 2 is made up of (a) a C-shaped first connection device which comprises a second support column (second part) whose front end first extends upward from the first support column 12 (first part) which itself extends upward from one end of base part 11, then extends inside the electric contact element; (b) a resilient support part 20 which extends in a direct line from near the base part of the above-mentioned second support column 14 at a sharp angle to base part 11; and (c) a second contact device 30 which first extends to the front end of the above-mentioned second support column 14 from the front end of the part 20, then makes a U-turn, and then curves in a C-shape along the inside of the above-mentioned part 20 and the second support column 14.
  • Front end 20a of the above-mentioned part 20 faces the above-mentioned second support column 14 and forms the first contact.
  • Front end 30a of the above-mentioned second contact device 30 faces the above-mentioned first contact 20a and extends to form the second contact.
  • the inside 14a of front end of the above-mentioned second support column 14 faces the above-mentioned first contact 20a and forms a protrusion which serves as a reserve contact.
  • Daughter card 6 is inserted between the above-mentioned first contact 20a and the second contact 30a. These are connected to daughter card 6 by turning in the direction indicated by arrow Q.
  • the surfaces of the first contact 20a and the second contact 30a as well as the reserve contact 14a inside the front end of the above-mentioned second support column 14 are connected to the surface of the daughter card 6.
  • the reserve contact 14a acts as an anti-overstress device which regulates the amount of deformation so that the above-mentioned second contact device 30 is not deformed excessively especially when a daughter card with a thick sheet is inserted.
  • Part 20 extends at a sharp angle to base part 11.
  • the length of part 20 being long so that the amount of potential elastic deformation increases.
  • the electric contact element has a low profile and the connector can accordingly be of a low profile.
  • Electric contact element 2 is equipped with sliding surface 14b which is inclined toward part of the above-mentioned second support column 14 and which is opposite front end 30a of the above-mentioned second contact device 30.
  • sliding surface 14b is deformed as the above-mentioned second contact device is mounted onto daughter card 6, it makes contact with the above-mentioned outside surface 30b and functions to slide front end 30a of the second contact device 30 along surface 6a of daughter card 6.
  • Daughter card 6 is inserted between the above-mentioned first contact 20a and the second contact 30a of electric contact element 2.
  • the C-shaped second contact device 30 and part 20 deform elastically upon the daughter card being turned to the position indicating by 6'.
  • the amount of deformation and the stress involved are dispersed to the above-mentioned second contact device 30 and to the rising part 20 so that (a) the amount of resilient deformation can be increased; (b) the wide variations in sheet thickness of daughter card 6 can be handled; and (c) an electric contact point can be realized which has reliable electric contact characteristics and which makes contact with both sides of daughter card 6 with great contact pressure.
  • the above-mentioned reserve contact 14a acts as an anti-overstress device for the above-mentioned second contact device 30. It prevents plastic deformation from extreme deformation by controlling the amount of deformation of the second contact device 30.
  • the end 30b of the second contact device 30 makes contact with the sliding surface 14b and slides along surface 6a of daughter card 6. This makes it possible for daughter card 6 to be mounted smoothly even when there are scratches and other surface irregularities on surface 6a of daughter card 6 and prevents the above-mentioned second contact device 30 from excessive deforming and from plastic deformation.
  • Protrusions are located on the inside surface 12a of the first support column 12 or on plane 20b of the front end of rising part 20. These make contact with each other and are used as anti-overstress devices to prevent the above-mentioned rising part from deforming excessively.
  • Reference number 16 in Figure 1 indicates the tine part of electric element 2 which is soldered to motherboard 8. The figure also indicates tine part 17 (arrayed in zigzag fashion with tine part 16) on the electric contact element (not shown) adjacent electric contact element 2.
  • Figure 2 indicates a second embodiment. It indicates daughter card 106 which is clamped between first contact 120a and second contact 130a and which fits in last of all at position 106' which is parallel to the bottom surface of the housing. Since electric contact element 102 is configured exactly as element 2 except that the rising part 120 extends from the root part (near the base part) of the second support column 114 so that it is parallel to base part 111, we shall not go into detail about how it works since this is clear from the drawing.
EP90119186A 1989-10-06 1990-10-05 Contact element for edge connectors Expired - Lifetime EP0421474B1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP95110834A EP0675572A3 (en) 1989-10-06 1990-10-05 Contact element for edge connectors.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP259976/89 1989-10-06
JP1259976A JP2704300B2 (ja) 1989-10-06 1989-10-06 エッジコネクタ用コンタクト

Related Child Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95110834.9 Division-Into 1990-10-05

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0421474A1 EP0421474A1 (en) 1991-04-10
EP0421474B1 true EP0421474B1 (en) 1996-06-19

Family

ID=17341547

Family Applications (2)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP90119186A Expired - Lifetime EP0421474B1 (en) 1989-10-06 1990-10-05 Contact element for edge connectors
EP95110834A Ceased EP0675572A3 (en) 1989-10-06 1990-10-05 Contact element for edge connectors.

Family Applications After (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP95110834A Ceased EP0675572A3 (en) 1989-10-06 1990-10-05 Contact element for edge connectors.

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (2) EP0421474B1 (ja)
JP (1) JP2704300B2 (ja)
KR (1) KR960001069B1 (ja)
DE (1) DE69027500T2 (ja)
MY (1) MY107147A (ja)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2814446B2 (ja) * 1994-01-11 1998-10-22 ヒロセ電機株式会社 回路基板用電気コネクタ
JP2007220542A (ja) * 2006-02-17 2007-08-30 Iriso Denshi Kogyo Kk コネクタ

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0407864A2 (en) * 1989-07-10 1991-01-16 The Whitaker Corporation Printed circuit board edge connector

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3732531A (en) * 1971-06-16 1973-05-08 Bunker Ramo Electric contacts
US3848952A (en) * 1973-07-27 1974-11-19 Amp Inc Zero insertion force edge card connector
DE3575819D1 (de) 1984-04-06 1990-03-08 Molex Inc Elektrischer stecker mit geringer notwendiger einsteckkraft und mit beanspruchungsueberwachten kontakten.
US4737120A (en) 1986-11-12 1988-04-12 Amp Incorporated Electrical connector with low insertion force and overstress protection
US4713013A (en) * 1987-01-30 1987-12-15 Molex Incorporated Compliant high density edge card connector with contact locating features

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0407864A2 (en) * 1989-07-10 1991-01-16 The Whitaker Corporation Printed circuit board edge connector

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
KR960001069B1 (ko) 1996-01-18
KR910008894A (ko) 1991-05-31
EP0675572A2 (en) 1995-10-04
DE69027500D1 (de) 1996-07-25
JP2704300B2 (ja) 1998-01-26
EP0675572A3 (en) 1996-03-27
DE69027500T2 (de) 1996-10-31
JPH03122981A (ja) 1991-05-24
EP0421474A1 (en) 1991-04-10
MY107147A (en) 1995-09-30

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