GB2109176A - Printed circuit board edge connector - Google Patents
Printed circuit board edge connector Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2109176A GB2109176A GB08229327A GB8229327A GB2109176A GB 2109176 A GB2109176 A GB 2109176A GB 08229327 A GB08229327 A GB 08229327A GB 8229327 A GB8229327 A GB 8229327A GB 2109176 A GB2109176 A GB 2109176A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- passages
- printed circuit
- row
- terminal
- connector
- 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.)
- Withdrawn
Links
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
- H01R12/721—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures cooperating directly with the edge of the rigid printed circuits
-
- 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
- H01R12/7005—Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors
- H01R12/7011—Locking or fixing a connector to a PCB
- H01R12/7058—Locking or fixing a connector to a PCB characterised by the movement, e.g. pivoting, camming or translating parallel to the PCB
Abstract
A printed circuit board edge connector (15) includes an electrically insulating body (16) having front and rear faces (17,18) and first and second spaced and parallel rows of passages (21) extending through said body from said front face to said rear face. The passages (21) extend parallel to one another and a respective printed circuit board edge connection terminal (24) is received in each of said passages. There are first and second spaced and parallel channels (22, 23) in said front face of the body, said first and second channels intersecting respectively, said passages of said first and second rows to permit insertion of edges of respective first and second parallel printed circuit boards (12,13) such that the terminals (24) in the passages engage terminal regions adjacent the edges of the printed circuit boards. <IMAGE>
Description
SPECIFICATION
Printed circuit board edge connector
This invention relates to an electrical connector for making electrical connections at the edges of printed circuit boards.
A printed circuit board edge connector according to the invention includes an electrically insulating body having front and rear faces, first and second spaced and parallel rows of passages extending through said body from said front face to said rear face, said passages extending parallel to one another, a respective printed circuit board edge connection terminal received in each of said passages, and first and second spaced and parallel channels in said front face of the body, said first and second channels intersecting respectively said passages of said first and second rows to permit insertion of edges of respective first and second parallel printed circuit boards such that terminals in said passages of said first row engage terminal regions adjacent the edge of the first printed circuit board while similarly terminals in the passages of the second row engage terminal regions adjacent the edge of the second printed circuit board.
Preferably said body includes a cover member for said rear face, the arrangement being such that said cover cannot be correctly pocsitioned on said body unless said terminals are correctly housed in their respective passages.
Desirably the electrical leads of each terminal extend therefrom at right angles to the length of the respective passage.
Preferably all of the leads extend in the same direction across the rear face of the body.
Desirably the lead of each terminal of the first row of passages extends over the rear end of the adjacent passage in the second row whereby in use if the terminal of said passage in the second row is not fully home in said passage then the lead of the terminal of the first row will be displaced by the terminal of the second row and will prevent engagement of said cover with said body.
Preferably the cover includes abutment surfaces which, when the cover is engaged with the body, coact with the rear ends of the terminals of the passages of the first row whereby if a terminal of the first row is not fully home in its passage co-action of the rear end of that terminal and its abutment surface on the cover will prevent engagement of the cover with the body.
One example of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:
Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a printed circuit board assembly partly in section;
Figure2 is a view in the direction of arrow A in
Figure 1, to an enlarged scale, showing the front face of the connector with its terminals and the printed circuit boards omitted;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a connector, on the line 3-3 of Figure 2 but with the terminals in position;
Figure 4 is a sectional view of the connector taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3 and
Figure 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view showing part of the assembly seen in Figure 1 but to an enlarged scale.
Referring to the drawings, the printed circuit board assembly illustrated in Figure 1 is part of an electronic control module and comprises a housing 11 which may be of pressed steel or moulded synthetic resin, and within which are mounted first and second rigid printed circuit boards 12, 13. The printed circuit boards 12,13 are mounted within the housing 11 in spaced and parallel relationship, and each of the boards 12, 13 carries electronic components, and electrical interconnections in known manner. External connections to the printed circuit boards 12,13 are made by way of exposed conductive areas on the boards 12, 13, the exposed conductive areas being disposed, in known manner, adjacent one edge of each of the boards. There may be such exposed terminal areas on one or both faces of each board.
The housing 11 is formed at one end with an aperture 14 through which extends a printed circuit board edge connector 15. The connector 15 comprises a moulded synthetic resin body 16 having a front face 17 and rearface 18, and the connector 15 further includes a moulded synthetic resin cover member 19, which, in use, covers the rear face 18 of the body 16.
Within the body 16 and extending from the front face 17 to the rearface 18 are a plurality of passages 21. The passages 21 are identical, and are arranged parallel to one another in first and second spaced and parallel rows (as best seen in Figure 2). It will be recognised that the front and rear faces 17, 18 of the body 16 are not solid surfaces, and in the case of the front face 17 there are apertures constituted by the front ends of the passages 21 and, in order to save material, there are voids between the two rows of passages.
Extending across the front face 17 of the body 16 are first and second channels 22, 23 respectively.
The channels 22,23 intersect the passages of the first and second rows of passages respectively, the channels 22, 23 being defined by slots 22a, 23a in most of the partition walls of the passages respectively. However, at least one of said passage partition walls in one or each row of passages 21 is not formed with a slot 22a or 23a, such unslotted partition wall or walls being disposed asymmetrically with respect to the centre of the length of a row of passages. An example of one unslotted partition wall is indicated by reference numeral 23b in Figure 2.
The slots 22a, 23a defining the channels 22, 23 permit access of the printed circuit boards 12, 13 into the body 16 when the connector 15 is engaged with the boards 12, 13, such that the terminal areas of the boards 12, 13 can be engaged by edge connector terminals 24 of the connector 15, it being understood that the or each printed circuit board would be provided with one or more slots complementary to the unslotted partition wall or walls and extending inwardly from that edge of the board which enters the body 16, in order to accommodate said unslotted partition wall or walls. The provision of the unslotted partition wall or walls and the complementary printed circuit board slot or slots ensures that the edge connector 15 is correctly positioned on the printed circuit boards and also prevents sideways movement of the edge connector.Each passage 21 of the body 16 houses an edge connectorterminal 24, the terminals 24 being identical, and each having an electrically insulated conductive lead 25 physically and electrically connected thereto.
The terminals 24 are of known form having a body portion 26 from one end of which extend a pair of opposed, curved, resilient arms 27. At the end of the body portion 26 remote from the arms 27 there is provided a transversely extending connecting region 28 which is crimped around the end of the respective lead 25 to provide a physical and electrical connection between the conductive terminal 24 and the lead 25.
Each terminal 24 is introduced into its respective passage 21 from the rear face 18 of the body 16, the transversely extending connecting portion 28 abutting the rear face 18 of the body 16 to limit insertion, and in the fully inserted position a resilient lance 29 integral with the body portion 26 of each terminal 24 engaging behind a shoulder 31 of the passage 21 to resist withdrawal. The sides of the body portion 26 of each terminal 24 co-operate with the walls of the passage 21 to retain the terminal 24 in alignment with the passage 21 such that the curved resilient arms 27 extend towards the front face 17 of the body 16. As is clear from Figures 1 and 3 a printed circuit board inserted into the channel 22 or 23 will be introduced between, and thus gripped between, the arms 27 of each of the terminals of the passages 21 in the row of passages.Thus each terminal 24 will, by virtue of its arms 27, make electrical connection with appropriately positioned exposed terminal areas on one, or both faces of the inserted printed circuit board.
As is apparent from Figure 4, a plurality of integral spaced and parallel walls 32 are upstanding from the rear face 18 of the body 16. Figure 4 has some of the walls 32 omitted for clarity, but it is to be understood that the walls 32 are equal in number to the partition walls separating adjacent passages 21 of each row of passages. The walls 32 thus between them define transversely extending grooves in the base of each of which opens the rear end of a respective passage of the first row of passages, and a rear end of the adjacent passage of the second row of passages.
The walls 32 defining the sides of the grooves serve to constrain the leads 25 of the terminals 24 of the two respective passages. As can be seen in Figure 3 the leads extend in the same direction, and since the portions 28 of the terminals 24 are disposed at the same level then the leads 25 of the terminals 24 of the first row of passages are bent adjacent the second row of passages to overlie the terminals 24 and leads 25 of the second row of passages.
The height of the walls 32 is equal to twice the diameter of a lead 25, and thus where the two leads 25 of an associated pair of terminals 24 are positioned one on top of the other the total height can just be accommodated in the groove defined between the appropriate pair of walls 32. However, if for any reason a terminal 24 of the second row of passages is not correctly inserted, that is to say is not fully home, within its respective passage then the protrusion of the terminal 24 from the rear end of the passage 21 will cause a displacement of the lead 25 of the other terminal of the pair and thus the lead 25 ofthe other terminal ofthe pair will protrude above the tops of the walls 32.
The connector 15 includes the aforementioned moulded synthetic resin cover member 19. The cover member 19 is intended to cover the rear face 18 of the body 16 thus improving the appearance of the connector 15 and trapping the leads 25 within the grooves defined by the walls 32. Since the body 16 is rectangular in plan view, then the cover 19 is similarly rectangular, and on three of the four sides the cover 19 has an integral upstanding wall 33 having an inturned flange 34 at its free edge. Thus on two opposite sides, and also on a third side the cover member 19 is of channel-shaped cross-section. At the rear end of the body 16 there is a corresponding protrusion on three sides of the body arranged to mate with the channel section of the cover 19.Thus the two opposite channel-section sides of the cover member 19 can coact with the protrusions of the body 16 to permit the cover member 19 to be slidably engaged with the body 16 (in the manner of a drawer).
The inner surface of the cover member 19 is intended to coact with the tops of the walls 32 when the cover member 19 is correctly engaged with the body 16. Integral with the cover member 19 and protruding from the inner surface thereof is a plurality of abutment members 35 which locate between the walls 32 respectively, and which overlie the terminals 24 of the first row of passages.
It will be recognised that in the event that a terminal 24 of the second row is not fully inserted into its respective passage 21 then as mentioned above the lead 25 of the associated terminal of the first row of passages will be caused to protrude above the level of the walls 32. Such protrusion will of course prevent the sliding movement of the cover member 19 to its correct position. Similarly, should one of the terminals 24 of the first row of passages not be fully inserted into its respective passage 21 then it will protrude from the rear end of its respective passage 21 and so will obstruct the path which the respective abutment 35 follows during sliding movement of the cover 19 onto the body 16.
It can be seen therefore that should any one of the terminals 24 not be fully home within its respective passage 21 then the cover member 19 cannot be slid fully into engagement with the body 16, and the resistance to sliding movement of the cover member 19 can be taken by the person assembling the connector, as an indication that one or more of the terminals 24 is not properly located. It will further be recognised that in some instances the action of sliding the cover 19 onto the body 16 may itself be sufficient to displace an offending terminal 24to its fully inserted position.Moreover, when the cover member 19 is in its correct position then the abutment 35 will resist rearward displacement of the terminals 24 of the first row of passages, while the inner surface of the cover member 19 in conjunction with the leads 25 of the terminals of the first row will resist rearward displacement of the terminals 24 of the second row of passages.
All of the leads 25 extend in the same direction from the connector 15, that is to say from the fourth (open) side of the cover member 19.
As shown in Figures 1,3 and 4, the cover member 19 is formed, on that side remote from the connector body 16, with an integrally moulded projecting handle portion 36 which extends across the length of said member 19. There is also provided a spring wire clip 37 which is of generally U-shaped configuration and which is pivotally connected at its two ends to the housing 11, one such pivoted end being indicated in Figure 5 by reference numeral 38. The cover member 19 is also provided with an integrally moulded web 39 which terminates at its outer end at a recess 40 formed between it and an abutment 41 projecting from the handle portion 36.The U-shaped clip 37 is shaped, intermediate its ends, so as to be engageable in said recess 40 when the clip is pivoted from an open position in which it does not overlie the cover member 19 to a closed position in which detachment of the cover member 19 and edge connector 15 from the housing 11 is prevented. The housing is also formed on its exterior with an
L-shaped stop portion 42 which prevents the spring clip from being swung through more than 90 .
It will be recognised that the connector 15 described above provides for the making, simultaneously, of edge connections to both of a pair of appropriately positioned printed circuit boards (12, 13, in Figure 1).
If desired, in addition to, or in place of, the leads 25 internal electrical connections can be provided between terminals 24 of the two rows to constitute electrical connections between the two printed circuit boards. It is to be understood however that such interconnections between boards can be made externally of the connector 15 by interconnection of the appropriate leads 25.
It is to be understood that although in the examples described above connection is made to a pair of printed circuit boards and thus the connector has two rows of terminals, a similar arrangement can be provided for making connections to three or even more printed circuit boards, the connector having three or an appropriate greater number of rows of terminals.
Claims (7)
1. A printed circuit board edge connector including an electrically insulating body having front and rear faces, first and second spaced and parallel rows of passages extending through said body from said front face to said rear face, said passages extending parallel to one another, a respective printed circuit board edge connection terminal received in each of said passages, and first and second spaced and parallel channels in said front face of the body, said first and second channels intersecting respectively, said passages of said first and second rows to permit insertion of edges of respective first and second parallel printed circuit boards such that terminals in said passages of said first row engage terminal regions adjacent the edge of the first printed circuit board while similarly terminals in the passages of the second row engage terminal regions adjacent the edge of the second printed circuit board.
2. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body includes a cover member for said rear face, the arrangement being such that said cover cannot be correctly positioned on said body unless said terminals are correctly housed in their respective passages.
3. A connector as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the electrical leads of each terminal extend therefrom at right angles to the length of the respective passage.
4. A connector as claimed in claim 3, wherein all of the leads extend in the same direction across the rear face of the body.
5. A connector as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the lead of each terminal of the first row of passages extends over the rear end of the adjacent passage in the second row whereby in use if the terminal of said passage in the second row is not fully home in said passage then the lead of the terminal of the first row will be displaced by the terminal of the second row and will prevent engagement of said cover with said body.
6. A connector as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover includes abutment surfaces which, when the cover is engaged with the body, coact with the rear ends of the terminals of the passages of the first row whereby if a terminal of the first row is not fully home in its passage co-action of the rear end of that terminal and its abutment surface on the cover will prevent engagement of the cover with the body.
7. A printed circuit board edge connector substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08229327A GB2109176A (en) | 1981-10-20 | 1982-10-14 | Printed circuit board edge connector |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB8131547 | 1981-10-20 | ||
| GB08229327A GB2109176A (en) | 1981-10-20 | 1982-10-14 | Printed circuit board edge connector |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB2109176A true GB2109176A (en) | 1983-05-25 |
Family
ID=26281017
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB08229327A Withdrawn GB2109176A (en) | 1981-10-20 | 1982-10-14 | Printed circuit board edge connector |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (1) | GB2109176A (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4575174A (en) * | 1984-08-16 | 1986-03-11 | Global Equipment Company, Division Of Continental Dynamics Corp. | Electrical connector hood |
| GB2198597A (en) * | 1986-12-10 | 1988-06-15 | Amp Inc | An electrical connector assembly and a housing therefor |
-
1982
- 1982-10-14 GB GB08229327A patent/GB2109176A/en not_active Withdrawn
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4575174A (en) * | 1984-08-16 | 1986-03-11 | Global Equipment Company, Division Of Continental Dynamics Corp. | Electrical connector hood |
| GB2198597A (en) * | 1986-12-10 | 1988-06-15 | Amp Inc | An electrical connector assembly and a housing therefor |
| GB2198597B (en) * | 1986-12-10 | 1990-11-21 | Amp Inc | An electrical connector assembly and a housing therefor |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |