GB2623940A

GB2623940A - Surface mount connector for mounting and connecting circuit board

Info

Publication number: GB2623940A
Application number: GB2213701.2A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robinson Andrew
Original assignee: Openlx Sp Ltd
Current assignee: Openlx Sp Ltd
Priority date: 2022-09-19
Filing date: 2022-09-19
Publication date: 2024-05-08
Also published as: GB202213701D0

Abstract

A surface mounted soldered connector 1 that mechanically and electrically connects a first circuit board (PCB) 2 to a second circuit board 3, the connector 1 is soldered to the second circuit board 3 and makes electrical connections with corresponding electrical contacts on the edge of the first circuit board 2, the first circuit board 2 is securely held by the connector 1 until a clip 8 (Figure 6) is operated by hand, without the aid of tools, to release the first circuit board 2. The connector 1 achieves alignment using the perimeter of the first circuit board 2. A method of mounting the connector is also discussed. The connector may include electrical contacts 6 (Figure 6) which pass through the connector and may include barbs to hold the contacts in place. Mounting anchors 41 (Figure 6) may extend at right angles from the connector and may be soldered onto the second circuit board.

Description

Surface mount connector for mounting and connecting circuit board

Background

There is a trend in the requirements for electronic devices for them to be as compact as possible with minimised design and production costs. It is now common for modern electronic devices to be assembled from modular subsystems. Using modules helps designers manage design complexity by allowing products to be assembled from subsystems that may have been for instance pre-designed, pre-manufactured, per-certified and/or pre-tested in house or by a third party. For example, a device manufacturer may customise a product for a customer by fitting a certified radio module with a frequency specific to a particular region. The use of interchangeable modules offers advantages for servicing and repairs, as it allows just a single module to be swapped out or upgraded, rather than the entire system, facilitating in-field upgrades and replacements. Extending the earlier example for further illustration, the radio module might be replaced with one for a different frequency to enable the device to be moved to a region requiring a different frequency.

These modular subsystems are commonly realised as printed circuit board (PCB) modules comprising circuit boards with electronics components soldered onto them. These module PCBs may then be mounted on host PCBs either by soldering them directly or through the use of one or more connectors.

Although a module may be used by many different customers in a range of devices, due to economies of scale a supplier may standardise on one layout of connections and components for a module. Customers may have to use the module as it is supplied, and in which case are not in a position to dictate that additional connectors be attached, or that the shape of the PCB be varied to accommodate alignment features necessitated by the use of a particular connector or connection scheme.

PCBs comprise a plurality of alternating conductive and insulafive layers stacked and bonded together populated with a range of electronic components. The conductive layers are etched to form tracks that provide electrical interconnection between the electrical components. Convention dictates that one of the outer conductive layers be referred to as the top layer and the other outer conductive layer as the bottom layer but it should be appreciated that PCBs may be used in any orientation. Holes may be drilled through the PCB to allow components to be mounted through the PCB or for the PCB to be mounted within other assemblies including in an enclosure. Where there is a hole, slot or other feature that cuts through the PCB, it is not possible to have an uninterrupted conductive layer. Where holes, slots or features cut through the PCB, every layer is interrupted. These breaks in the conductive layers complicate the routing of signals, requiring more PCB area to route around the break. Some PCBs require large areas of conductive layers (for instance some need a ground, power or signal plane for better signal integrity) and where a break appears in these areas, it disrupts the flow of currents in the plane. In some cases this increases the time for signals to propagate, or affects the electromagnetic radiation emitted or received, all of which cause problems for circuits with signal integrity constraints which results in increased design complexity.

A recent development in modules with a radio transceiver is the use of PCB and PCB cavity antennas. These require precise arrangements of the tracks and the space around tracks on PCBs to form antennas that resonate at tuned frequencies in order to transmit and receive at specific frequencies. As such, if the PCB layout needed to be changed in order to make it compatible with the needs of a connector system, for example adding a hole or similar locating feature was required to allow a connector to be fitted or used, the PCB layout would have to be completely re-examined, leading possibly to having to completely redesign, all adding considerable effort.

Some applications exist for these modules to be used in handheld devices. As such, to avoid being overly large, there is a requirement for the module to be mounted approximately parallel and above or below the host PCB, effectively stacking the modules.

Some components to be soldered to PCBs have leads that have to be threaded through holes from one side of the PCB and soldered on the other side of the PCB.These through-hole components are commonly soldered by passing a wave of molten solder (wave soldering) over the lead-side of the PCB or by soldering by hand. Hand soldering is labour intensive and therefore costly compared to automation. Though not labour intensive, wave soldering is not selective; everything is covered in solder on the side of the PCB to which the wave is applied. As such, components can not be populated on the side where the wave is applied, which restricts the PCB to having components fitted on only one side.

Surface mount production (SMT) processes provide manufacturing efficiencies and generally require less area per component than through-hole components so offer increased densities compared with through-hole assembly. With SMT assembly, solder paste is applied with a stencil to selective areas of the surface of at least one of the outer conductive layers of the PCB. Electronic components are populated by picking them up with a suction nozzle and placing them into the solder paste, typically by a robot pick and place machine. Heat is applied from a reflow oven to cause the paste to melt and fuse the paste to form an electrically conductive and mechanical connection between the components and the PCB.

Higher component density per PCB area can be achieved with SMT as components that are soldered with SMT do not require leads to extend from them. A further increase in density is possible as components can be mounted on both the top and bottom layers, since with SMT, solder is selectively applied to specific areas on the same side as the components, unlike wave soldering that covers the entirety of the layer (including where any components would be) where it is applied. Although SMT allows components to be placed on both sides of a PCB, there may be some cases where for efficiency they are placed on one side only.

Though no formal standard exists to define module connections, it has become common for module manufacturers to put contacts along at least one of the sides that extend between the top and bottom layers of the module PCB. These allow the modules to be mounted as any other SMT component: paste is applied via a stencil to the host board and the module is placed by a pick and place machine so that the contacts on the side of the module PCB sit in the paste, and the paste melts in the reflow oven to form a solder joint between the contacts on the module PCB and the contacts on the top layer or bottom layer of the host board.

Since modules are typically manufactured by using SMT, this manufacturing process results in them being heated multiple times in a reflow oven. This causes additional thermal stress and can cause damage to some components on the module. Furthermore, there is a risk that when the module is reheated the solder holding the components on the module PCB remelts and components can become unsoldered and fully or partially detached.

Furthermore, if the SMT mounted module needs to be replaced, it is difficult as all the solder joints have to be melted at the same time in order to remove the module. Care must be taken not to peel any conductive layer away from the host PCB nor to damage or unsolder any neighbouring components. It is also difficult to solder in the replacement new module without further reheating large areas of the module, the host PCB and any surrounding components.

An additional drawback of mounting modules directly with SMT is that the solder joints are relatively brittle, meaning that if any shock is applied (e.g. the assembly is dropped) to either of the boards, as a result of their different and relatively significant masses there is risk that the solder joints break. A similar disadvantage is that if the assembly is subjected to a change in temperature, one PCB may expand at a different rate to the other one, which can result in an electrical and/or mechanical failure of the solder joint. It is for this reason that heating and cooling gradients are defined for PCB assemblies being soldered in reflow ovens.

For reasons already mentioned regarding design reuse, some electronic devices are enclosed in an off-the shelf enclosure (sometimes listed as a project box by enclosure manufacturers) that is reused across multiple products. As such, it would compromise the economies of scale if these enclosures were customised with mounts to accommodate the requirements of a specific circuit board or for a connector that required an enclosure to provide a particular form of structural support. Similarly, for some applications, for example for automation controllers in factories or security alarm panels, there is a need to operate them for test or configuration purposes with one or more enclosure covers or lid removed.This prohibits these covers from being used to maintain the position of a PCBs or as a structural element in a connection system. There are other instances when electronic devices consist of just PCBs which are operated outside of any enclosure, and as such, there is a need for connectors to mount one PCB on another that do not require any external structure such as a case to hold the PCBs in position.

On one hand, the use of purely surface mount components offer advantages in the design of PCBs and population of components upon them, on the other hand the lack of a pin or peg from the component passing through a PCB means lateral or rotational forces applied to the components can shear or crack the solder joints. As such, it is not straightforward to merely exchange a through-hole pin in a component with a surface mount tab, as it risks solder joints between the PCB and the tab being liable to crack and break. This problem becomes increasingly significant as the loads and masses of the components become greater.

For the reasons mentioned above there is a need for a connector to mount a first PCB onto a second PCB. Reasons have also been stated for the need for such a connector to not require any hole, slot, cut, indent or similar feature that disrupts the area of at least one of conductive layers, for instance to accommodate a through-hole lead, a locating peg, protrusion or an alignment pillar or similar. The advantages of reducing the area needed for connectors have been presented as well as the need to mount the first PCB stacked above the second PCB. Connecting via contacts on the side of a PCB means that valuable area is not taken up on the top and bottom layers where other components could be placed. Contacts on the side of the PCB can be fabricated as part of the manufacture of PCBs without incurring the cost of extra processes. Since it is not always possible to customise the first PCB there is a need for a connector that can accept a PCB presented with castellafions without requiring additional modifications specific to the connector. Further reasons have been provided as to why there is a need for the connector to support the first PCB without requiring any assistance nor a support feature of an enclosure, lid or external structure. Such electrical and mechanical mounting needs to be sufficient to survive with a level of vibration that occurs from the environments a device is used in, such as knocks or drops.

Due to the problems with the related art, there is a need for a new connector. The present invention meets at least some of the needs identified.

Summary of invention

An objective of the invention is to fulfil the needs referred to above. An electrical connector for securely mounting a first PCB onto a second PCB in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described below.

The connector comprises an insulative body, a plurality of retaining clips, a plurality of anchors, a plurality of locating slopes and a plurality of electrically conductive terminals. The insulative body has a flat bottom to make it suitable for placing on the second PCB. Part way up the insulative body and approximately parallel to the flat bottom is a mounting face for receiving the first PCB. This mounting face supports the bottom of the first PCB when it is mated with the connector Next to and at an obtuse angle to the mating face is a backstop face that slopes away upward to the back of the insulating body.

Orthogonal to the back and mating face are the end sides of the insulating body. On at least one end side is a retaining clip which retains the first PCB when it is in the mating position on the mounting face. The clip allows the first PCB to be disposed downward into the mating position, but once it reaches that position, the clip restricts it from ascending. The top of the clip may have a sloping surface that overhangs the mounting face. The first PCB may make contact with the sloping surface as it descends into the mating position. The clip body may be made from a resiliently deformable material so that the head of the clip can be displaced outwards as the first PCB descends into position. The sloping overhang may be such that once the first PCB is in position, the clip body is no longer pushed outward and the clip body returns to its neutral position. The underneath of the sloping overhang may now overhang the first PCB to stop the first PCB from rising upward. A positive action is needed to release the first PCB from the clip. The first PCB may be released if sufficient intentional external force is applied to deform the clip body to allow the first PCB to pass the overhang.

A locating slope may assist in laterally displacing the descending first PCB into the correct position for mating and comprises an extension upwards of the end side, topped with a sloping face, with the higher edge of the slope toward the outside of the connector and the lower edge bordering the mating face. On the opposite side to the clip may be another clip or a locating slope. Between at least one clip and another clip or locating slope, the first PCB is guided into the mating position as it descends. Once in the mating position, the first PCB's movement is constrained between the clips or between at least one clip and at least one locating slope. All or each or some of the clips and locating slopes may be formed separately and attached to the insulating body, or formed as part of the operation that forms the insulating body, for instance by injection moulding or over-moulding.

The overhang of the clip restricts movement in the direction normal to the mating face and the inner face of the clip/locating slope restricts movement along the axis that runs from one side to the other.

Conductive terminals pass through the insulative body from the mounting face and exit the insulative body on the back of the connector toward the bottom. The terminals exit parallel to the second PCB so they are suitable for using a SMT process to solder to the conductive layer of the second PCB. The solder joints form an electrical connection between the tracks on the second PCB and the conductive terminals, and in addition, may assist in mechanically fastening it.

Purely surface mount components have to rely on solder joints to resist any forces they are subjected to within the plane of the conductive PCB layer they are mounted on and any force normal to and away from that plane (i.e. upward out of the plane). Features such as a lead, peg or some other feature that passes through a PCB will reduce the shear forces exerted on solder joints as some of the shear forces will be transferred to the lead, peg or similar sitting within the hole in the PCB. A through-hole lead soldered on the opposite side of the PCB will also reduce the tensile forces in the solder joint for forces exerted normal to the plane when compared with a non through hole component. In addition, a peg or lead feature passing through a PCB will help manage torque on a connector In the case of a torque applied to a through-hole component, the inner sides of a hole in a PCB may engage with the outer sides of a peg to act against the torque.

However, for the reasons discussed previously, there is a need for components that are purely surface mount and so features are required to be present in surface mount connectors in order that they control forces that would otherwise be controlled by through-hole leads or pegs.

At least one mounting anchor is attached to the connector body to assist in the mechanical attachment of the connector to the second PCB and increase the shear and tensile strength of solder joints between the second PCB and the connector The purpose of the anchor is to provide a larger area for the surface joint than just that of the conductive terminals.

The mounting anchors may be formed from stamping and maybe then bending sheet metal at approximately a right angle and attaching to the insulative body. They may be attached with an adhesive or through an interference fit in cavities formed in the insulative body or in another assembly and that assembly attached to the insulative body.

As mentioned previously, while one end of the conductive terminals may exit at the back of the connector, the opposite end of the conductive terminals may exit vertically, through and perpendicular to the mounting face. The terminal may continue upward, perpendicular to the mounting face before bending such that it descends toward the front of the mating face followed by another bend toward the rear of the mating face. The purpose of this section of the terminal is to form a springy arc that projects out over the mating face. This may allow the first PCB to move downward into the mating position. This movement also serves to wipe the contact areas of the conductive terminal and the side contacts of the PCB to scrape off dirt, impurities and similar that otherwise may result in a poor electrical contact. When the first PCB has moved into the mating position, or before, each of the conductive terminals will resiliently abut a corresponding contact on the side of the first PCB to make an electrically conductive connection and also to exert a mechanical force on the PCB. The purpose of this force is to contribute in retaining the position of the PCB and also to keep the terminal pressing against the contact on the side of the PCB to achieve a good electrical contact.

Multiple instances of the connector may be arranged and mounted with SMT processes to the second PCB. The first PCB may be an off the shelf module with castellated contacts along the sides corresponding to the positions of the conductive terminals on the connector The first PCB may be disposed from above either by hand or with a pick and place machine to the mating region of the connector. The positioning may be refined by at least two of the locating slopes and/or tops of the retaining clips. As the first PCB approaches the mating position the rows of terminal contacts wipe the castellated contacts on the side of the first PCB. The sides of the locating slopes and/or retaining clips retain the first PCB in the first dimension, while the opposing force of the spring terminals keep the first PCB in position in the second dimension, while the underneath of the retaining clip keeps the first PCB in position in the third and final dimension. Should the first PCB need removing, each of the retaining clips can be pulled outward to allow the first PCB to be removed upward.

As the first PCB is inserted or removed from the connector or during its use in an electronic device forces may be exerted on the connector. Forces that are too high may cause the solder joints to fail. The invention addresses this in a number of ways.

Torque on the connector body may occur due to forces being transferred from forces that get applied to the first PCB, typically either by vibration or as part of the mating operation. The ability of a connector to resist a torque in any axis will depend on the distance from the pivot point to the anchor point.

When lateral force is applied, the pivot point will be along the bottom edge of the outermost face in the direction of the force. Each of the anchors is located outside the area of the insulafive body for greatest mechanical advantage and the rotational moment from the tensile strength of the solder joint will increase as the length of the connector and thus the distance between the pivot point and distance to the furthest anchor increases.

As lateral force normal to the front face is applied to the conductive terminals, unlike if the connector body were L-shaped, the sloping backstop allows an initial deflection of the conductive terminals to allow them to resiliently bend where they exit the insulative body. This effectively allows the outward projecting section to rotate such that further lateral force compresses the outward projecting section against the sloping backstop. Since the sloping backstop is angled this causes a component of the lateral force to be redirected downwards into the base which reduces the amount of lateral force the connector body on the solder joints. This reduction in lateral force will also reduce the torque on the connector and thus stress on the solder joints holding the connector to the second PCB.

The conductive terminals hold the first PCB under compression to have flexibility to absorb a degree of vibration whilst maintaining electrical connection.

Arrangements of the present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, made by way of example only and taken in conjunction with drawings in which: Figure 1 is a view from the side of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 2 is a view from the back of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 3 is a view from the top of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 4 shows an isometric view toward the front, side and mating face of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 5 shows an isometric view toward the front, the opposite side to the side in Figure 4 and mating face of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 6 shows an isometric view toward the back and side of the connector of the preferred embodiment Figure 7 shows a cross section through a conductive terminal without a PCB Figure 8 shows a cross section through a conductive terminal when the connector of the preferred embodiment is mated with the first PCB indicating how the conductive terminal may non-permanently deform Figure 9 shows an isometric isolated view of the conductive terminal not under deformation Figure 10 shows an isometric isolated view of the conductive terminal showing how it may non-permanently deform when the connector is mated with the first PCB Figure 11 shows a side view of how a pair of connectors of the preferred embodiment may be used with first and second PCBs Figure 12 shows an isometric view toward a connector of the preferred embodiment mating with first PCB Figure 13 shows an isometric view of how a pair of connectors of the preferred embodiment may be used Referring to Figures 1-6 and 11-13 diagrams that show a connector 1 in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. As will be appreciated from the following text, the connector 1 connects two PCBs and examples of two PCBs are labelled 2 and 3 in the figures and discussed below. The connector 1 is used for mounting a first PCB 2 onto a second PCB 3 and forming a plurality of electrical connections 4 between them. The connector 1 comprises an insulating body 5, a plurality of electrically conducting terminals 6, a plurality of mechanical anchor points 7 and a plurality of locking clips 8. For the purpose of the description herein, it is convenient to refer to a particular side as "top" or "bottom" but in practice, the connector may be used in any orientation. The bottom of the insulating body has a bottom face 10 to be sufficiently planar to allow it to mount flush on the second PCB 3. Approximately parallel to the bottom face and on the opposite side of the insulating body 5 from the bottom face is a mating and support face 11 to receive the first PCB 2. A front side 9 of the insulating body 5 connects the front edge 13 of the mating and support face 11 with the bottom face 10. A rear side 14 of the insulating body is opposite the front side 9. A bottom edge 16 is formed between the bottom face 10 and the rear side 14. On the opposite edge to the front edge 13 of the mating and support face 11 and at an obtuse angle to and adjacent the mating and support face 11 is a backstop face 12 that limits the deflection of the terminals. A plurality of cavities 15 in a juxtaposed arrangement pass through the insulating body 5 from the mating and support face 11 to the rear side 14. Each cavity holds an electrically conducting terminal 6. An end side 17 is a side of the insulating body 5 orthogonal to rear side 14 and bottom face 10.

Each electrically conducting terminal 6 comprises five sections. The five sections may be formed from a single piece of metal using stamping or bending. A piece of metal may be threaded into the corresponding cavity 15 in the insulating body Sand then bent to form each of the electrically conducting terminals 6. As an alternative to threading into the corresponding cavity 15, each electrically conducting terminal 6 may be fully or partly formed and then the insulating body 5 may be overmoulded around. Where the electrically conducting terminal 6 was only partly formed before overmoulding, then further bending may be used following moulding to complete the form of each electrically conducting terminal 6. As an alternative to threading or overmoulding, the insulating body 5 may be split into multiple pieces (not shown to avoid unnecessary clutter in the diagrams) to give access to at least one cavity 15 so the associated conducting terminal 6 may be placed into that cavity 15 and then the multiple pieces assembled to form the complete insulating body 5.

A first section 21 exits one of the cavities 15 on the rear side 14 for soldering to the second PCB 3. A second section 22 extends from the first section 21 and passes through one of the cavities 15 in the insulating body 5 and secures the conducting terminal 6 within the insulating body 5. The second section 22 may be secured from being pulled through or out of the cavity 15 with a barb (not shown in the diagram to avoid clutter) that digs into the insulating body 5. In addition or as an alternative to securing with a barb, the second section 22 may be secured with glue to bond to the insulating body 5. A third section 23 extends from the second section 22 and emerges from the associated cavity 15 through and approximately perpendicular to the mating and support face 11. A fourth section 24 extends from the third section 23 in a direction toward the front edge 13. A fifth section 25 extends from the fourth section 24 toward the bottom edge 16.

The purpose of the locking clip 8 is to control the movement of the first PCB 2 when it is brought to mate to the connector 1, the details of which will be explained below. Each locking clip comprises a clip body 30, and a clip head 33. Each clip body 30 extends away from the bottom face 10, adjacent to an end side 17. The clip head 33 comprises a sloping top 31 and a clip underside face 32. The clip underside face 32 is oriented approximately parallel to the mating and support face 11 and extends out from the clip body 30 to overhang the mating and support face 11. The sloping top 31 rises from the edge of the clip underside face 32 that completely overhangs the mating and support face 11 to the edge of the clip body 30 that is outermost from the insulating body 15.

The clip body 30 is resiliently deformable to allow the clip head 33 to move. \Mien the first PCB 2 is moved downward to mate with the connector 1, the sloping top 31 opposes an edge of the bottom layer of the first PCB 2. This opposition causes the clip body 30 to deform and displace the position of the clip head 33 outward of the first PCB 2. Once the top layer of the first PCB 2 passes the clip underside face 32 the sloping top 31 no longer opposes the first PCB 2 and the clip body 30 attempts to return to rest position. As the clip body 30 attempts to return to rest position, the inside of the clip body 30 will make contact with the side of the first PCB 2, and the displacement of the clip body 30 from rest position will result in the side of the clip body 30 exerting a lateral force on a side of the first PCB 2.

The first PCB 2 may be released from the locking clip 8 by applying force to deform the clip body to allow the first PCB to pass upwards past the clip underside face 32.

A locating slope 40 extends the end side 17 that may be on the opposite side of the insulating body 5 to the locking clip 8. The purpose of the locating slope 40 is to deflect the first PCB into the correct position to align with the electrically conducting terminals 6 when the first PCB approaches the mating and support face 11 from above. The inside side of each locating slope 40 and/or the inside side of each clip body 30 stops the first PCB 2 from moving sideways in the mating region.

When clip body 30 returns toward rest position after the top layer of the first PCB 2 passes the clip underside face, the clip underside face stops the first PCB from moving upward out of the mating region.

Each locking clip 8 may be formed separately and bonded onto the side of the insulating body 5 on or formed as part of the same process that forms the insulating body 5. Each locating slope 40 may be formed separately and bonded onto the side of the insulating body 5 on or formed as part of the same process that forms the insulating body 5.

An anchor 41 may be formed from stamping and maybe then bending sheet metal at approximately a right angle and attaching to the insulating body 5. Each anchor 41 may be attached with an adhesive or through an interference fit in cavities formed in the insulating body 5 or in another assembly and that assembly attached to the insulating body 5. Each anchor 41 may be attached with SMT to the second PCB 3 for mechanical stability.

The connector may be used to connect a first PCB 2 to a second PCB 3 according to the description given in the summary.

Figures 7-10 show how the electrically conductive terminals 6 resiliently deform against the backstop face 12 so that further compression is against the backstop face 12 that channels a component of the compression force in a direction through the base face of the connector 10.

Claims

CLAIMS1 A connector intended to be surface mount soldered on a second circuit board used to semi-permanently mechanically mount and electrically connect a first circuit board approximately parallel to the second circuit board, comprising: an insulating connector body comprising a bottom face that abuts the top layer of the second circuit board, a mating face oriented approximately parallel to the bottom face, a front and a rear face both approximately perpendicular to the bottom face, a sloping backstop face at an obtuse angle to the mating face, rising away from the mating face toward the rear face; and a plurality of electrical contacts passing through the connector body with one end emerging in proximity to the second circuit board such that it is suitable for electrically and mechanically attaching to an outermost conductive layer of the second circuit board with a surface mount soldering process and the other end emerging to make contact in proximity to the mating face with the side edge of the first circuit board; and CO a retaining clip, to semi-permanently mechanically secure the first circuit board, that can be manipulated without the aid of a tool to allow the first circuit board to be unclipped and removed.
2 A connector according to claim 1 with walls extending upward from the end sides of the connector body to ensure that the first circuit board can only mate when the at least one electrical contact aligns with the corresponding electrical contact on the first circuit board, aligning against the end sides edges of the first circuit board without requiring any alignment feature within the area of the first circuit and thus not disrupting the area for electrical connectivity within the perimeter of the first circuit board.
3 A connector according to claim 1 or 2, with one or more locating slopes at one or more edges of the connector body that laterally deflect the first circuit board into the correct mating position as it is brought toward the mating face, whether by hand or automatic machine, to correct for any misalignment.
4 A connector according to claim 1,2 or 3 where the at least one electrical contact is secured within the connector body with a barb against the connector body.
A connector according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 where the at least one electrical contact protrudes from the mating face.
6 A connector according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4 where the at least one electrical contact protrudes from the sloping backstop face.
7. A connector according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 where the at least one electrical contact is shaped such that it protrudes in a direction toward the front of the connector body to make contact with a corresponding electrical contact on the first circuit board as the first circuit board is brought down toward the mating position, such that the electrical contact is non-permanently deformed to exert pressure on the corresponding electrical contact on the side edge of the first circuit board but the deformation is such that the first circuit board can be removed by moving the first circuit board in the reverse direction and such that the electrical contact can return to its original position at rest.
8. A connector according to claim 7 where the at least one electrical contact is shaped such that as the first circuit board is brought in for mating or removed that a scraping action between the electrical contact of the connector and the corresponding electrical contact on the side of the first circuit board occurs to clean the electrical contact and the corresponding electrical contact on the first circuit board to remove oxidation, dirt etc. so good electrical conduction can occur 9.
A connector according to claim 7 or 8 where the at least one electrical contact is CO shaped such that when the first circuit board is in the mating position and the at least one electrical contact is deformed, a straight region of the electrical contact is parallel to and contacts the majority of the corresponding electrical contact on the side of the first circuit board in order to achieve good electrical conduction.
A connector according to claim 7, 8 or 9 such that the sloping backstop face allows the at least one electrical contact to be deformed where it exits the connector body in response to a lateral force such that the end part of the electrical contact is effectively rotated such that a component of further lateral force can be redirected downward toward the bottom face reducing the lateral force that would otherwise be applied to the surface mounted solder joints.
11. A connector according to claim 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10 with mounting anchors comprising metal formed into approximate right-angles attached to the connector body that may be soldered with surface mount technology to an outermost conductive layer of the second circuit board to provide greater mechanical stability.
12 A connector according to claim 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 or 11 where the retaining clip deflects as the first circuit board is brought in to mate, and only returns to its rest position and holds the first circuit board captive when the first circuit board is fully in the correct mating position.
13 A connector according to claim 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 or 12 where the retaining clip indicates the first circuit board is seated in the correct mating position by emitting a click sound.
14 A method of semi-permanently electrically connecting a plurality of circuits and mechanically mounting a first circuit board onto a second circuit board using a connector with a plurality of electrical contacts that can be soldered using a surface mount soldering process to electrically and mechanically connect it to an outermost conductive layer of the second circuit board, the connector being such that the first circuit board can be inserted for mating by hand or automatic machine as part of research and development or in mass production, and the alignment of the first circuit board is achieved only via features outside of the area of the first circuit board and where the connector has a clip that retains the first circuit board until it is released without the aid of a tool upon which the electrical and mechanical connection is removed that allows the first circuit board to be removed and reinserted for re-mating or exchanged for another circuit board, and where the connector has an insulating connector body with a bottom face that abuts the top layer of the second circuit board, a mating face oriented approximately parallel to the bottom face, a front and a rear face both approximately perpendicular to the bottom face, a sloping backstop face at an obtuse angle to the mating face, CO rising away from the mating face toward the rear face; and the plurality of electrical contacts pass through the connector body with one end emerging in proximity to the second circuit board such that it is suitable for electrically and mechanically attaching to an outermost conductive layer of the second circuit board with a surface mount soldering process and the other end emerging to make contact in proximity to the mating face with the side edge of the first circuit board.The method of claim 14 where one or more locating slopes at one or more edges of the body of the connector guide the first circuit board into position in the case of misalignment.16 The method of claim 14 where the retaining clip only returns to its rest position when the first circuit board is correctly seated in the connector to visibly indicate that the first circuit board is in the correct mating position.17 The method of claim 14 where the connector body is shaped such that lateral forces that may be applied to the electrical contacts of the connector by the first circuit board cause the electrical contact to deform and the end part of the electrical contact is effectively rotated such that at least some of the lateral forces are redirected downward toward the second circuit board instead of being transmitted to exert lateral force on the solder joints that attach the connector to the second circuit board.