GB1590348A

GB1590348A - Electrical connectors

Info

Publication number: GB1590348A
Application number: GB38052/77A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Current assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
Priority date: 1976-09-14
Filing date: 1977-09-13
Publication date: 1981-06-03
Also published as: FR2364594A1; DE2641258A1; IT1114148B; FR2364594B3; SE7710248L

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS (71) We, ROBERT BOSCH GmbH. a German Company, of Postfash 50, 7 Stuttgart 1, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described by the following statement: The present invention relates to an electrical component assembly having a connector for contacting and securing electrical components, such as various electrical devices for motor vehicles, Such assembly comprises a circuit board and at least one connector attached thereto. Contacts of the connector are electrically connected to conductors on the circuit board.

In a known assembly of this type, as described in German patent specification No.

1690028, the contacts of a plug-in connector adapted to receive a corresponding connector of an electrical component are provided with soldering pins which are received in a connector body where they are soldered stampedout conductor nails. The conductor nails of the connector lead to the circuit board where their ends extend as contact pins through the circuit board where they are soldered to the printed circuit on the circuit board.

However, these solutions, and similar solu tions, have the disadvantage that the connector first has to be manufactured in several work ing operations, so that it is only subsequently that the contacts of the connector are soldered to the circuit board. This solution is very expensive and is also susceptible to failure, since the connectors are not secured to the circuit board itself but are only contacted with the printed conductor paths by means of the soldered joints. Temperature fluctuations and vibration in a motor vehicle increase the risk that the soldered joints will part, and thus that the electrical component connected thereto will fail.

A particular application of the invention is, as far possible, to mount the electrical com ponents in a motor vehicle, such as flasher units, relays, time switches, fuses and the like, at a central location such that the vehicle can be fitted with various electrical equipment, and additional components can be subse quently fitted, in as simple and reliable a manner as possible.

The present invention resides in a circuit board and connector assembly in which the connector comprises a housing and contacts which are rigidly anchored in the circuit board and are electrically connected to conductors formed on the circuit board, and in which at least some of the contacts each incorporate a plug sleeve, which is arranged within the housing and is adapted to receive a corresponding plug prong on an electrical component to be plugged into the connector, and such contacts are furthermore formed with a stamped-free latching tab which engages behind a latching shoulder formed in the housing whereby the housing is retained against the circuit board.

Compared with the known construction, such an assembly has the advantage that the contacts on the circuit board are already rigidly and electrically connected thereto, so that the connector housings for the required electrical components are substequently slipped on to those contacts as required and are retained on the circuit board by means of the latching tabs formed on the contacts. The contacts include the plug sleeves disposed in the connector housing so that contact with the conductors in the circuit board is made directly during insertion of the electrical component into the connector, whereby there is no need to use a separate plug-in socket with additional plug pins.

In order to adapt the wiring in the motor vehicle to the customers requirements in as advantageous a manner as possible, it is particularly advantageous if a plurality of connectors having the same side length, or connectors having a multiple of this side length, are arranged adjacent to one another on the circuit board. Furthermore, in view of the vibration stresses occuring in a motor vehicle, it is advantageous if the sides of each connector housing are provided with grooves and ribs, extending in the axial direction of the connection members, for the pupose of joining together a plurality of connectors to be secured to the circuit board.

The invention will be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective of an electrical component assembly in accordance tnZ rite invention, comprising a plurality of connectors to be secured to a circuit board, and electrical components to which these connectors are adapted, Figure 2 is a cross section through a connector secured to the circuit board and having an electrical component secured to the connector by means of retaining claws, and Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of a connector.

A circuit board and connectors are shown, before assembly, in perspective in Figure 1.

Each connector 10 comprises a plug socket for receiving and securing a respective electrical component. The electrical components are a relay 11, a wiper pulse generator 12, cable plugs 13 and other components (not illustrated) such as a rotary speed switch and a flasher unit.

Preferably, the electrical components are contacted by means of flat plug prongs 14 which are to be releasably connected to corresponding contacts 15 of the respective connectors. A plurality of contacts 15 are rigidly anchored on a circuit board 16. Figure 2 shows that each of the contacts 15 has a pin 17 extending through the circuit board 16 and electrically connected to a conductor 19 on the back of the circuit board 16 by means of a soldered joint 18. In order to relieve the soldered joint of stress, the pin 17 is previously riveted to the circuit board 16.

For the purpose ofjoining together a plurality of connectors 10, the sides of the connectors are provided with grooves 20 and ribs 21 which extend in the axial direction of the contacts 15.

The grooves 20 and the ribs 21 are provided in pairs on two adjacent sides respectively of the four sides of a connector 10. The grooves 20 and the ribs 21 have an angular profile. Latch means are provided on the grooves 20 and the ribs 21 in order to prevent axial displacement of the connectors 10 which are joined together.

As is shown in Figure 3, the latch means are formed by providing the top ends of the grooves 20 with a stop 22 for a rib to be inserted from below, the bottom ends of the grooves being provided with a shoulder 23 for a latch spring 24 formed on the ribs 21.

In order to be able to accommodate a plurality of connectors 10 in the smallest possible space, all the connectors 10 have the same side length or a multiple of this side length, so that they can be disposed side-by-side on the circuit board in a compact arrangement. The connector sub-assembly formed in this way may be bolted to a vertical or horizontal wall (not illustrated) by means of fastening plates 25 and 26. The fastening plate 25 has angled tabs 27 which are insertible into the grooves 20 on a side of a connector 10 which is provided with the grooves 20, and has an angled tab 28 at the top which is engageable on the top edge of the connector housing 10a. The bottom end of the fastening plate 25 is bent at right angles and provided with a mounting hole 29 for the purpose of securing the fastening plate to a planar support. The fastening plate 26 is used if the connectors 10 are to be secured to a vertical wall. Both sides of the fastening plate 26 are angled inwardly in a step-shaped manner, so that these regions can be inserted into the grooves 20 of the connector from below. The top region of the fastening plate 26 is provided with an inwardly bent clamping tab 30 which engages on the top edge of the connector housing 10a. The fastening plate 26 is bolted to a vertical wall by means of a mounting hole 31 located in the top portion of the fastening plate 25. It will be appreciated that, in the case of a plurality of connectors joined together as shown in Figure 1, the connectors can be secured in the motor vehicle by means of a plurality of fastening plates 25 or 26.

The connectors 10 are secured to the circuit board 16 by means of latching tabs 32 formed on the contacts 15 and latching shoulders 33, cooperating therewith, in the housing 10a of the connector 10, this being effected by inserting the contacts 15 into complementary openings 34 in the underside of the connector housing l0a, as shown in Figure 2. The latching tabs 32 and the latching shoulders 33 are arranged such that, after engagement, the housing 1 0a of the connector 10 is retained against the circuit board 16.

The top end of the left-hand contact 15 of the connector 10 illustrated in Figure 2 has a sleeve 35 welded to a bar 36 and adapted to receive a corresponding flat plug prong 14 (Figure 1). The bar 36 has a bent-out portion 37 above the circuit board 16 for the purpose of absorbing expansion due to temperature and for absorbing forces occurring during plugging-in and withdrawal. The top ends of the other two contacts 15a of the connector 10 which are shown in Figure 2 are in the form of sleeves 35 adapted to receive flat plug prongs, and their bottom ends are in the form of flat plug prongs 38, the said contacts 15a being secured to the circuit board 16 bymeans of a cranked bar 39 welded thereto. These contacts 15a can be contacted with plug connections from the underside of the connector 10. For this purpose, the circuit board 16 is provided with an opening 40 in the region of the flat plug prongs 38, through which opening a cable plug socket 13, shown in Figure 1, can be inserted into the connector 10 from the underside of the circuit board 16.

In order to maintain the location of the flat plug prongs 38 in the connector housing l0a whilst a cable plug socket 13 is being inserted, a guide plate 57 is inserted into the connector housing 1 0a through the opening 40 in the circuit board 16 from the underside of the connector 10 and is clamped in the housing 10a by means of lateral formed-out portions (not shown) and the flat plug prongs 1 0a are received in complementary slots 56 in the guide plate 57.

The tops of the slots 56 are chamfered in order to facilitate insertion of the flat p]ug prongs 38 into the slots 56 in the guide plate 57.

Referring to Figure 2, a flasher unit 41 is engaged with the connector 10 and is additionally secured to the connector 10 by laterally disposed retaining claws 42 made from spring steel. For this purpose, the top of the connector 10 is provided with longitudinal slots 43, shown in Figure 1 into which a latching tab 44 of a punched-out retaining claw 42 is engageable. Lateral points 45 (visible in Figure 1) punched free in the top portion of the retaining claws 42 then penetrate to an adequate depth into the housing wall of the flasher unit 41 shown in Figure 2, or of some other electrical component.

In a circuit board and connector assembly in accordance with the invention it is possible to design the circuit board 16 firstly for the basic equipment of a motor vehicle and to provide it with the appropriate connectors and electrical components to form a basic unit, and secondly so that further connectors, optionally with a further circuit board, can be mounted on this basic unit in a simple and convenient manner for the purpose of optionally supplementing the electrical equipment of the motor vehicle. However, it is just as possible to design the circuit board in the first instance for the complete electrical equipment of the motor vehicle and then to potionally apply the connector required and the desired electrical components at the corresponding points on the circuit board. Even in this instance, additional electrical circuits and components can be mounted in a simple, rapid and reliable manner as required by fitting further connectors to the basic unit.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A circuit board and connector assembly in which the connector comprises a housing and contacts which are rigidly anchored in the circuit board and are electrically connected to conductors formed on the circuit board, and in which at least some of the contacts each incorporate a plug sleeve, which is arranged within the housing and is adapted to receive a corresponding plug prong on an electrical component to be plugged into the connector, and such contacts are furthermore formed with a stamped-free latching tab which engages behind a latching shoulder formed in the housing whereby the housing is retained against the circuit board.

2. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 in which the plug sleeve of each connector is adapted to receive a flat plug prong.

3. An assembly as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, in which at least one of the contacts is further provided with a flat plug prong which extends in a direction away from the corresponding plug sleeve, the contact being secured to the circuit board via a bar bent in a step-like manner.

4. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3, in which the circuit board has an opening or cutaway portion in the region of the flat plug prongs for receiving and guiding a complementary plug socket.

5. An assembly as claimed in Claim 3 or 4, in which the flat plug prongs are received in a guide plate which is clamped in the connector housing frorr. its underside.

6. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which a plurality of connectors having the same side length, or connectors having a multiple of this side length, are arranged adjacent to one another on the circuit board to form a multiple-connector unit.

7. An assembly as claimed in Claim 6 in which the sides of the connectors are provided with grooves and ribs extending perpendicularly to the circuit board for the purpose of joining together the connectors.

8. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, in which the grooves are arranged in pairs on two adjacent sides of the connectors, and the ribs are arranged in pairs on the other two adjacent sides.

9. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7 or 8, in which the grooves and the ribs have an angular cross section.

10. An assembly as claimed in Claim 7, 8 or 9, in which the grooves and the ribs are provided with latch means which prevent relative displacement between the connectors which are joined together.

11. An assembly as claimed in Claim 10, in which the top ends of the grooves have a stop for the ribs to be inserted, and the latch means comprise a latch spring formed on the ribs and a shoulder formed adjacent the bottom end of the grooves for engagement by the latch spring.

12. An assembly as claimed in any of Claims 7 to 11, in which a fastening plate is inserted into the grooves at a side of a connector provided with such grooves and is engageable on the connector housing by latch means.

13. An assembly as claimed in Claim 12, in which the fastening plate has a clamping tab which engages at the top edge of the connector housing.

14. An assembly as claimed in any preceding Claim, in which the top of the connector socket has longitudinal slots into which is engaged a retaining claw which is punched from spring steel and whose points can dig into the housing of an electrical component insertible into the connector.

15. A circuit board and connector assembly, constructed substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accom panying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. The tops of the slots 56 are chamfered in order to facilitate insertion of the flat p]ug prongs 38 into the slots 56 in the guide plate 57. Referring to Figure 2, a flasher unit 41 is engaged with the connector 10 and is additionally secured to the connector 10 by laterally disposed retaining claws 42 made from spring steel. For this purpose, the top of the connector 10 is provided with longitudinal slots 43, shown in Figure 1 into which a latching tab 44 of a punched-out retaining claw 42 is engageable. Lateral points 45 (visible in Figure 1) punched free in the top portion of the retaining claws 42 then penetrate to an adequate depth into the housing wall of the flasher unit 41 shown in Figure 2, or of some other electrical component. In a circuit board and connector assembly in accordance with the invention it is possible to design the circuit board 16 firstly for the basic equipment of a motor vehicle and to provide it with the appropriate connectors and electrical components to form a basic unit, and secondly so that further connectors, optionally with a further circuit board, can be mounted on this basic unit in a simple and convenient manner for the purpose of optionally supplementing the electrical equipment of the motor vehicle. However, it is just as possible to design the circuit board in the first instance for the complete electrical equipment of the motor vehicle and then to potionally apply the connector required and the desired electrical components at the corresponding points on the circuit board. Even in this instance, additional electrical circuits and components can be mounted in a simple, rapid and reliable manner as required by fitting further connectors to the basic unit. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A circuit board and connector assembly in which the connector comprises a housing and contacts which are rigidly anchored in the circuit board and are electrically connected to conductors formed on the circuit board, and in which at least some of the contacts each incorporate a plug sleeve, which is arranged within the housing and is adapted to receive a corresponding plug prong on an electrical component to be plugged into the connector, and such contacts are furthermore formed with a stamped-free latching tab which engages behind a latching shoulder formed in the housing whereby the housing is retained against the circuit board.