EP2187480A2 - Socket for printed circuit boards - Google Patents

Abstract

The socket has a fitting unit (10) mechanically and electrically connecting the socket with printed circuit boards. A number of contact guides (4) are separated from each other by longitudinal slots (7) and surrounds a connecting passage. The contact guides converge in a direction of a free end (8) of the guides. The contact guides are formed at a closed sheet metal ring (1). The fitting unit is formed at a side turned to the contact guides. The fitting unit is formed as individual contact pins (5) that are separated by slots (9).

Description

The invention relates to a socket for printed circuit boards. With printed circuit boards there is a need to supply the components used there with electricity. There are high current contacts or similar devices with which cables can be connected. Usually the cables are screwed on.

But there is also the need to make such supplies solvable, for example by connectors.

It is already known an electrical socket contact ( US 4734064A ), in which an inner possibly consisting of sheet metal part has a plurality of slots separated by slots along a circumference arranged tongues, between which a pin is inserted. Externally, this component is surrounded by a sleeve whose outer edge is bent inwards.

The invention is based on the object to provide a simply constructed and different applications sufficient socket that can be easily connected to the circuit board and the ensures reliable connections.

To solve this problem, the inventions proposes a socket with the features mentioned in claim 1. The invention further proposes the use of such a socket.

The socket proposed by the invention can be attached to the circuit board by means of the attachment means. The contact tongues form a passage between each other, into which a plug pin can be inserted. Because of the slots between the reeds they are independently movable so that they can perform a total of a relatively large tolerance compensation. Because of the convergent course of the contact tongues, they rest against the pin in the region of their free ends. This free end can therefore be formed slightly curved on the inside, without thereby leaving the convergent profile of the contact tongues.

The length and the convergence angle of the tongues can be used to determine how far tolerance compensation can take place. Tolerance compensation is of particular interest when components are provided with a plurality of plug pins and should be connected to sockets.

The contact tongues may for example be attached to a solid metallic block. It is particularly favorable, however, if the socket is punched out as a one-piece component from a flat piece of sheet metal and brought into its final shape by bending. As a result, the production can be simplified and cheapened.

In particular, it can be provided in a development that the contact tongues are formed on a closed sheet metal ring. The sheet metal ring is usually designed as a circular cylinder, there plug pins usually have a cylindrical structure. Due to the individual separated by longitudinal slots contact tongues such a socket with a circle corresponding to a basic shape can also be used for plug pins with a different cross-section.

In order to give the same properties to all contact tongues, according to the invention it can be provided that they all have the same length, which can be achieved, for example, by the fact that the longitudinal slots formed between them all start at the same point in the axial direction. The beginning of all longitudinal slots is thus in a plane which is perpendicular to the plug-in direction of the socket.

Depending on the type of attachment of the socket to the circuit board, it is necessary to press or press the socket to this circuit board. Since a pressing on the free ends of the reeds is not useful or desirable because of their flexibility, the beginnings of the longitudinal slots can form a contact surface for a tool. Here you can with great force if necessary press the socket against the circuit board.

Another measure to achieve that all contact tongues can be deflected uniformly or rest with the same force on a pin, is that all the contact tongues also have the same width.

It was mentioned that it makes sense that the contact tongues are formed on a sheet metal ring. According to the invention may be provided in a development that the attachment means are formed on the side facing away from the contact tongues of this sheet metal ring.

In development of the invention can be provided that the attachment means are formed as individual separated by gaps legs. These legs can in particular run parallel to each other, ie in the insertion direction of the socket. They can then be pressed into plated through holes in the printed circuit board or soldered.

It is also possible that the legs extend transversely to the direction of insertion of the socket, so are bent, and that their sides facing away from the contact tongues lie in a plane. In this case, the attachment means in SMD technology can be soldered to pads.

Of course, a combination of these two types of training the attachment means is possible. Thus, for example, the legs are designed for SMD technology, but two legs do not run bent so as to effect an alignment of the socket with respect to the soldering surfaces in this way.

In a further development of the invention it can be provided that the socket has an outer sleeve surrounding the contact tongues. This external aid can serve as a protection for the contact tongues, in order to prevent in this way damage to the contact tongues by over bending too far outward.

It may be appropriate and is proposed by the invention that the sleeve is mounted on the socket in such a way that it projects beyond the contact tongues in the axial direction.

The sleeve can be made from a sheet metal blank and brought by punching and bending in their final form. In particular, it can be provided that the outer sleeve is formed on the sheet metal ring on which the contact tongues and / or the attachment means are, pay attention.

The outer sleeve, which may have a cylindrical shape, has an edge facing away from the attachment means or the printed circuit board, which has a radial distance from the ends of the contact tongues because of the convergent profile of the contact tongues. According to the invention it can be provided that the edge of the sleeve is folded inwards. On the one hand, this leads to an increase in the stability of the sleeve and, on the other hand, also forms an insertion aid for the connector pin.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that the sleeve has on its inner side at least one inwardly directed projection for engagement on a mating surface of the socket. This projection can be realized as a notch from the sheet metal blank of the sleeve. In particular, it can be provided that this projection engages at the beginning of a longitudinal slot between two contact tongues. If, as proposed by the invention, all the longitudinal slots begin in the same place, the outer sleeve can be pushed virtually in any position on the socket.

Preferably, a plurality of such inner projections are provided whose circumferential distance corresponds to the circumferential distance of the longitudinal slots.

Through these internal projections, it is possible to press the socket with their legs parallel to each other in through-holes of the circuit board by pressure on the edge of the outer sleeve is exercised.

According to the invention, in a further development, the sleeve as a spacer element be educated. This makes it possible that a socket simultaneously defines the distance between two circuit boards.

The invention therefore also proposes the use of such a socket as a contact element and as a spacer between two circuit boards. In particular, it may be provided that several such sockets are used for the correct distance mounting two printed circuit boards.

In a further development of the invention can be provided that the socket is attached concentrically to a hole in the circuit board at this. Then a pin can also protrude through the circuit board. When connecting several circuit board together, a single pin can be used for a number of successively arranged sockets.

Figur 1

eine Seitenansicht einer von der Erfindung vorgeschlagenen Steckbuchse;

Figur 2

einen Schnitt durch die Steckbuchse der Figur 1;

Figur 3

eine Seitenansicht einer Außenhülse für die Steckbuchse;

Figur 4

einen Schnitt durch die Außenhülse der Figur 3;

Figur 5

einen der Figur 2 entsprechenden Schnitt durch eine abge- änderte Ausführungsform der Steckbuchse;

Figur 6

einen Teilschnitt durch Steckbuchse und Außenhülse;

Figur 7

die Art der Verwendung der Steckbuchse beim Zusammen- setzen von Leiterplatten.

Further features, details and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the claims and the abstract, the wording of which is incorporated by reference into the content of the description, the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawing. Hereby show:

FIG. 1

a side view of a proposed socket of the invention;

FIG. 2

a section through the socket of the FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3

a side view of an outer sleeve for the socket;

FIG. 4

a section through the outer sleeve of FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5

one of the FIG. 2 corresponding section through a changed embodiment of the socket;

FIG. 6

a partial section through socket and outer sleeve;

FIG. 7

the way of using the socket when assembling printed circuit boards.

FIG. 1 shows the side view of a socket, which is made of a piece of sheet metal by punching and bending. In the central region, a ring element 1 is present, the formerly facing away from each other edges are connected by means of an omega 2 closure. This ring element 1 has an in FIG. 1 upwardly directed edge 3, from which a plurality of contact tongues 4 go out. These reeds all have the same length and the same width. On the opposite side of the ring member 1 also extends a plurality of contact pins 5, which extend parallel to each other in the illustrated embodiment, are rectangular in cross-section and have a tapered front end 6.

The contact tongues 4 are separated by longitudinal slots 7. The contact tongues 4 are deformed from the original rectilinear shape lying in the extension of the ring element 1 in such a way that they converge inwards from the ring element 1 in the direction of their free end 8. In the illustrated embodiment, the contact tongues 4 are rectilinear. You could also have a different shape from the rectilinear shape.

The contact pins 5 are separated by slots 9 from each other.

The FIG. 2 shows an axial section through the socket of FIG. 1 , Here it can be seen that the inner sides of the contact tongues 4 extend in the region of their free end 8 slightly concave curved.

The at the in the Figures 1 and 2 arranged on the bottom side contact pins 5 form an attachment means 10 for attachment of the socket shown on a circuit board. If the socket is attached to a circuit board, so can from the opposite, in the Figures 1 and 2 upper side of a plug pin are inserted into the socket. It must have a diameter which is greater than the distance of the upper ends of the contact tongues from each other. Usually, the connector pins are matched to the sockets. You can now the FIG. 2 but also see that because of the relatively large length of the contact tongues of the pin also, as soon as it is plugged into the socket, can still be moved to the side, without losing the contact with the socket is lost. In other words, the pin does not need to be inserted exactly concentric with the socket in this, but it can also be slightly off to one side. So there is a certain tolerance in the production of the compound.

The connection of the socket with the circuit board can at the in the Figures 1 and 2 illustrated embodiment in a simple manner done by the circuit board at the contact pins 5 corresponding positions through holes has, into which the contact pins 5 are pressed. For pressing in can attack with a tool at the ends or in other words at the beginning of the longitudinal slots 7, so at the free points 11 of the one-sided boundary edge 3 of the ring member 1. Since the edge 3 extends in a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the socket can be attacked there with a tool in a simple manner. Such a tool may, for example, be a star-shaped mandrel.

This socket, which is in the Figures 1 and 2 is shown, but can also be used together with an outer sleeve, which in the FIGS. 3 and 4 is shown. The representation in the FIGS. 3 and 4 is not true to the scale Figures 1 and 2 , The socket and the outer sleeve are matched to one another that the outer sleeve is fitted on the socket, wherein it then rests against the outside of the ring element 1.

Like outer sleeve 12 has also been made from an initially flat piece of sheet metal by punching and bending. The originally facing away from each other edges are also connected by an omega closure 13 in the upper and lower areas.

At its later the circuit board facing bottom 14, the sleeve is bounded by a flat edge. The opposite edge is folded inwards, see the section of the FIG. 4 , For this folding is possible, individual notches 15 are present, between which the parts to be folded are arranged.

The axial length of the outer sleeve 12 is dimensioned so that after assembly, the free ends 8 of the contact tongues 4 are within the axial extent of the outer sleeve 12.

The outer sleeve 12 has on its inside projections 16, which are made by the fact that in the wall of the outer sleeve a U-shaped slot 17 is introduced, and the material of the wall is unlatched inside the chip 17 inwardly. This results in these projections with a downwardly directed shoulder surface 18. This shoulder surface 18 is positioned so that it begins immediately on the undeformed inner wall of the outer sleeve 12. If the outer sleeve 12 is pushed onto the socket, the projections 16 are within the longitudinal slots 7 between the contact tongues 4, and the Shoulder surfaces 18 are located on the free points 11 of the edge 3 of the ring element 1. This is at one point in FIG. 6 shown. The projections 16 are thus matched to the width and arrangement of the longitudinal slots 7 between the contact tongues 4. Thus, the outer sleeve 12 can also serve as a tool to press the socket into the plated holes in the circuit board. Since the rounded upper edge 19 of the outer sleeve 12, see FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 , In a plane perpendicular to the insertion direction and thus is parallel to the circuit board, so can be pressed by engaging the upper edge 19 of the outer sleeve 12, the socket in the plated-through holes.

So far it has been mentioned that the socket is thereby connected to the circuit board, that the contact pins five is pressed into plated through holes in the circuit board. Of course, other methods of connecting the socket with the circuit board are possible. Another type of connection shows the FIG. 5 , There, the contact pins 5 are bent right at the transition to the ring element 1 at right angles to the outside. As a result, their sides facing the printed circuit board 20 are all in one plane. In this embodiment, the socket can be connected to solder pads of the circuit board in SMD. Again, the outer sleeve 12 serve to position the socket and to hold during the soldering process. The bending of the contact pins 5 to the outside has the advantage that the socket can be mounted concentrically with an opening in the circuit board, and that this opening is still available for other functions. If this is not necessary, it is of course also possible to bend the contact pins 5 inwards so that they do not project beyond the outside of the ring element 1.

The folding over of the upper edge of the outer sleeve 12 leads inwards to increase the stability of the outer sleeve. At the same time, the rounded upper edge 19 facilitates the insertion of a connector pin. Another function of the outer sleeve is of course that excessive deformation of the contact tongues 4 is prevented to the outside. The great stability of the outer sleeve 12 makes it possible to use the outer sleeve as a spacer, which is particularly useful if, for example, two circuit boards to be connected together. Such an arrangement shows the FIG. 7 in which is shown schematically, as three printed circuit boards 21 are arranged parallel to each other, wherein in each case between two circuit boards 21 a plurality of sockets with outer sleeves 12 are attached. The distance between two printed circuit boards 21 from each other corresponds to the axial length of the outer sleeve 12. Left in FIG. 7 It is shown that a pin 22 is used as a pin, which is fastened with its head 23 to the lower circuit board 21. Its free end then protrudes beyond the upper circuit board 21.

But it is also a pin 24 usable, which protrudes as a smooth pin through all aligned sockets.

Claims (17)

Socket for printed circuit boards (21), with 1.1 an attachment means (10) for the mechanical and electrical connection of the socket to the circuit board (21), 1.2 a plurality of contact tongues (4), the 1.3 are separated by slots (7), 1.4 surround a passage and 1.5 converge toward its free end (8) substantially continuously. Socket according to claim 1, punched as a one-piece component from sheet metal and brought by bending into the final shape. Socket according to Claim 1 or 2, in which the contact tongues (4) are formed on a closed sheet metal ring (1). Socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact tongues (4) begin at a position which lies in a plane transverse to the plugging direction of the socket. Socket according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the attachment means (10) on the contact tongues (4) facing away from the socket are formed. Socket according to one of the preceding claims, in which the attachment means are formed as individual legs (5) separated by gaps (9). Socket according to Claim 6, in which the legs (5) of the attachment means (10) extend parallel to one another and are formed for pressing into plated-through holes in the printed circuit board (21) are. Socket according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the legs (5) of the attachment means (10) are bent transversely to the direction of insertion and lie in a common plane. Socket according to one of the preceding claims, with an outer sleeve (12) surrounding the contact tongues (4). Socket according to claim 9, in you the sleeve (12) in the axial direction of the contact tongues (4) surmounted. A socket according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the sleeve (12) is fitted on the sheet metal ring (1). Socket according to one of claims 9 - 11, wherein the attachment means (10) facing away from the end of the sleeve (12) has an inwardly bent edge. Socket according to one of claims 9 - 12, wherein the sleeve (12) has on its inside at least one inwardly directed projection (16) for engagement at the end of a slot (7) between the contact tongues (4). Socket according to one of claims 9 - 13, wherein the sleeve (12) is designed as a spacer element. Use of a socket according to one of claims 10 to 14 as a contact element and spacers between two printed circuit boards (21). Use according to claim 15, with several sockets. Use according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the socket is fastened concentrically to a hole in the printed circuit board (21).

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