GB2271221A - Mounting an electrical connector on a PCB - Google Patents

Mounting an electrical connector on a PCB Download PDF

Info

Publication number
GB2271221A
GB2271221A GB9220614A GB9220614A GB2271221A GB 2271221 A GB2271221 A GB 2271221A GB 9220614 A GB9220614 A GB 9220614A GB 9220614 A GB9220614 A GB 9220614A GB 2271221 A GB2271221 A GB 2271221A
Authority
GB
United Kingdom
Prior art keywords
pins
electrical connector
printed circuit
circuit board
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.)
Granted
Application number
GB9220614A
Other versions
GB2271221B (en
GB9220614D0 (en
Inventor
Tin Joon Ou
Keng Thai Giam
Boon Cheong Teo
Kok Soon Wong
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.)
ABB Installation Products Inc
Original Assignee
Thomas and Betts Corp
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 Thomas and Betts Corp filed Critical Thomas and Betts Corp
Priority to GB9220614A priority Critical patent/GB2271221B/en
Publication of GB9220614D0 publication Critical patent/GB9220614D0/en
Priority to DE1993626933 priority patent/DE69326933T2/en
Priority to EP19930307724 priority patent/EP0590958B1/en
Priority to ES93307724T priority patent/ES2140443T3/en
Priority to CA002107395A priority patent/CA2107395C/en
Publication of GB2271221A publication Critical patent/GB2271221A/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of GB2271221B publication Critical patent/GB2271221B/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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
    • H01R12/722—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits
    • H01R12/724—Coupling devices for rigid printing circuits or like structures coupling with the edge of the rigid printed circuits or like structures coupling devices mounted on the edge of the printed circuits containing contact members forming a right angle

Landscapes

  • Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)
  • Multi-Conductor Connections (AREA)

Description

1 2271221 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR This invention relates to an electrical
connector. In particular it relates to an electrical connector of the type known as "headers" which are generally used for providing connections from printed circuit boards by insertion into holes in an edge of the printed circuit board and soldering to contact pads around the holes and on the printed circuit board. A complementary connector connected to a cable may then be mated with the printed circuit board header.
Connectors of this type are known which, in use, are inserted into the edge of a printed circuit board so that a lower wall of the connector is flush with the printed circuit board. Problems arise during soldering since the connector must be held in position to prevent connector pins from floating out of their holes in the printed circuit board during the soldering operation. One solution to this problem has been proposed in which a pair of pins are crimped in opposite directions so that opposite normal forces are exerted on their respective holes across the header. Retention of the connector is dependent on the complementary normal forces against two opposing printed circuit board holes.
Unfortunately, this design presents some further problems. Whilst the crimping helps to retain the connector in the printed circuit board, it is still possible for the connector to tilt up during soldering, thus causing misplacement of the connector. When a complementary connector is disconnected. or unmated. a shrouded wall of the printed circuit board mounted connector is easily broken. Furthermore, such connectors are insert moulded and costly.
The present invention seeks to overcome the above problems for rightangled connectors. These connectors have pins which are bent through 900 prior to entry into a printed circuit board.
According to the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector comprising a right-angle header 2 having at least one row of pins, stabilizing means positioned at at least one end of the row of pins, and means for retaining a printed circuit board against the stabilizing means when soldering the connector to the 5 printed circuit board.
The stabilizing means may comprise a pair of wings, one at each end of the row of pins. One face of each wing is preferably planar so that the whole of the face will contact that side of the printed circuit board on which the connector is mounted, the other side of the printed circuit board having solder contact pads thereon.
The retaining means may comprise at least one projection which cooperates with the stabilizing means to retain the connector in position on the printed circuit board. Usually the printed circuit board will be sandwiched between the stabilizing means and the projection(s) once the connector is mounted on the board.
Alternatively, the retaining means may comprise an offset portion of one or more pins. Where a plurality of pins include offset portions, the offset portions are offset in the same direction for all the pins, i.e. the offset portions are single-sided. Preferably the offset portions are in a single row of pins. Still more preferably, the offset portions are offset towards an adjacent row of pins.
The retaining means may comprise both projection(s) and offset portion(s). The connector may thus be held in position not only by action of the projection(s) which bias the printed circuit board against the stabilising means but also by the offset portion(s) which lock the pins within holes in the printed circuit board, through which the pins are inserted. A preferred embodiment of connector will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the drawings, in which: 35 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a right-angle connector; and Figure 2 is a section of the connector of figure 1, mounted on a printed circuit board.
3 Figure 1 shows a connector comprising a right angle header 10 from which two rows of pins 20, 25 extend. At each end of the rows, there is a stabilizing wing 30 in the form of a rectangular block.
The header 10 includes a step or stepped portion 40.
As seen in f igure 1, the stepped portion 40 includes a horizontal part 42 and a vertical part 44. It will be appreciated that orientations 42 and 44 will vary according to the way in which the connector is viewed. Vertical part 44 is in the same plane as faces 32 of the stabilizing wings 30. The row of pins 25 also extends from this vertical part 44. Since the pins are generally square in cross-section, one face 46 of each pin in row 25 forms part of the vertical part 44, prior to the pins bending through 900.
Two projections, or bumps, 50 are located on the horizontal part 42 of stepped portion 40, adjacent their respective stabilizing wings 30 and spaced from the vertical part 44 of the stepped portion 40.
Four of the pins 60 in row 20 include offset portions 20 70. All these offset portions, or kinks, are offset in the same direction, i.e. towards row of pins 25. The kinked pins 60 are spaced more or less equally apart along the row and from the stabilising wings 30 and bumps 50 so that points of retention of the connector are evenly distributed.
Figure 2 shows the connector prior to soldering, mounted on a printed circuit board 80. The rows of pins are pushed through holes 90 in the printed circuit board 80.
The connector is pushed firmly against the printed circuit board so that the printed circuit board is located between, on the one side, stabilising wings 30, face 46 of pin 65 and the vertical part 44 of step 40 and, on the other side, bumps 50. Further retention of the connector on the printed circuit board is achieved by the action of offset portions 70. These offset portions or kinks are so located that, when the connector is in its correct position, each pin 60 contacts its hole 90 at two points 72, 74 and adjacent pin 65 contacts its hole 90 along the upper face of the pin 65. opposing normal forces are thus achieved by adjacent pins to 4 retain the connector in position for soldering.
It will be appreciated that the invention has been described above by way of example only and that changes may i be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (9)

1. An electrical connector comprising a right-angle header having at least one row of pins, stabilizing means positioned at at least one end of the row of pins, and means for retaining a printed circuit board against the stabilizing means when soldering the connector to the printed circuit board.
2. An electrical connector according to claim 1, in which the stabilizing means comprises a pair of wings, one at each end of the row of pins.
3. An electrical connector according to claim 2, in which one face of each wing is planar, whereby-the whole of that face will contact that side of the printed circuit board on which the electrical connector is mounted.
4. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 3 in which the retaining means comprises at least one projection which cooperates with the stabilizing means to retain the connector in position on the printed circuit board.
5. An electrical connector according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in which the retaining means comprises an offset portion of one or more pins.
6. An electrical connector according to claim 5 in which a plurality of pins include offset portions, the offset portions being offset in the same direction for all the pins.
7. An electrical connector according to claim 6 in which the offset portions are in a single row of pins.
8. An electrical connector according to claim 7 in which the offset portions are offset towards an adjacent row of pins.
6
9. An electrical connector substantially as described with reference to the drawings.
GB9220614A 1992-09-30 1992-09-30 Electrical connector Expired - Fee Related GB2271221B (en)

Priority Applications (5)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9220614A GB2271221B (en) 1992-09-30 1992-09-30 Electrical connector
DE1993626933 DE69326933T2 (en) 1992-09-30 1993-09-29 Electrical connector
EP19930307724 EP0590958B1 (en) 1992-09-30 1993-09-29 Electrical connector
ES93307724T ES2140443T3 (en) 1992-09-30 1993-09-29 ELECTRIC CONNECTOR.
CA002107395A CA2107395C (en) 1992-09-30 1993-09-30 Electrical connector

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9220614A GB2271221B (en) 1992-09-30 1992-09-30 Electrical connector

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
GB9220614D0 GB9220614D0 (en) 1992-11-11
GB2271221A true GB2271221A (en) 1994-04-06
GB2271221B GB2271221B (en) 1996-07-03

Family

ID=10722750

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
GB9220614A Expired - Fee Related GB2271221B (en) 1992-09-30 1992-09-30 Electrical connector

Country Status (5)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0590958B1 (en)
CA (1) CA2107395C (en)
DE (1) DE69326933T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2140443T3 (en)
GB (1) GB2271221B (en)

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2417371B (en) * 2002-10-21 2007-04-11 Hubbell Inc High performance jack for telecommunication applications
US6796847B2 (en) * 2002-10-21 2004-09-28 Hubbell Incorporated Electrical connector for telecommunications applications

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0260822A2 (en) * 1986-09-15 1988-03-23 Molex Incorporated Modular electrical connector
US4842554A (en) * 1988-06-03 1989-06-27 Amp Incorporated One-piece shield for a circular din
US5085589A (en) * 1991-01-24 1992-02-04 Foxconn International, Inc. Grounding boardlock for connector
EP0511655A2 (en) * 1991-04-30 1992-11-04 Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited Electrical connector to be mounted on a circuit board
EP0514066A1 (en) * 1991-05-17 1992-11-19 The Whitaker Corporation Electrical connector with improved retention feature
GB2259613A (en) * 1991-09-16 1993-03-17 Amp Inc Mounting a shielded SMT connector

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1802821A1 (en) * 1968-10-12 1970-06-04 Standard Elek K Lorenz Ag Multi-pole connector for telephone or other information processing technology
FR2502407B1 (en) * 1981-03-20 1987-04-24 Itt Composants Instr HOLDING AND GUIDING DEVICE FOR BENDED CONNECTOR PINS
CA1282847C (en) * 1986-03-05 1991-04-09 Ray C. Doutrich Electrical connector with pin retention feature
FR2646293B1 (en) * 1989-04-24 1994-01-28 Applications Gles Electricite Me CONNECTOR FOR A PRINTED CIRCUIT ON A SUBSTRATE

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0260822A2 (en) * 1986-09-15 1988-03-23 Molex Incorporated Modular electrical connector
US4842554A (en) * 1988-06-03 1989-06-27 Amp Incorporated One-piece shield for a circular din
US5085589A (en) * 1991-01-24 1992-02-04 Foxconn International, Inc. Grounding boardlock for connector
EP0511655A2 (en) * 1991-04-30 1992-11-04 Japan Aviation Electronics Industry, Limited Electrical connector to be mounted on a circuit board
EP0514066A1 (en) * 1991-05-17 1992-11-19 The Whitaker Corporation Electrical connector with improved retention feature
GB2259613A (en) * 1991-09-16 1993-03-17 Amp Inc Mounting a shielded SMT connector

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
I.B.M. Tech.Disclosure Bulletin,VOL.33,No.9,Feb'91,p15"Retention device for connector subassembly". *

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE69326933D1 (en) 1999-12-09
DE69326933T2 (en) 2000-05-25
GB2271221B (en) 1996-07-03
CA2107395C (en) 2002-07-30
EP0590958A3 (en) 1996-02-28
GB9220614D0 (en) 1992-11-11
EP0590958B1 (en) 1999-11-03
EP0590958A2 (en) 1994-04-06
CA2107395A1 (en) 1994-03-31
ES2140443T3 (en) 2000-03-01

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Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PCNP Patent ceased through non-payment of renewal fee

Effective date: 20050930