JPS62226591A - Assembly tool for printed circuit card and contactor - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A. INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to printed circuit board connectors, and more particularly to:
The present invention relates to an apparatus for assembling printed circuit boards with spring connectors.

B. Prior Art] A widely used technology for implementing electronic circuits in computers is a card-on-board (9ard 9n board) technology. This technique uses a relatively large board with protruding pins. A card having a soldered connector on at least one of its ends is inserted into the board. Electronic components are mounted on the card, and these components are interconnected by conductive paths on the card and on the board.

An example of a card-on-board implementation is the monolithic system technology (M
ST) Mounting technology. This MST implementation technique is described in the 1969 IBM Maintenance Library Manual (D3M
Maintenance Library Manu
al) SY22-6739-5. In MST technology, connectors with relatively strong spring forces are soldered to the edges of the card, and these connectors are then inserted into a plastic connector housing. The spring connector is protected by the housing and the card is shipped and handled in this condition.

If desired, the card can be inserted into a bin on the board. MST technology allows the spring connectors to be soldered to the card before they are inserted into the plastic connector housing.
It should be noted that spring connectors are made with a relatively strong spring force.

A recent, more dense card-onboard technology has been awarded a fourth U.S. patent.
131933 and August 2, 1979, Electronics Magazine
) is shown in the literature. This more dense technique is IB
It is used in Company M's 4341 system and is called card-on-board technology. In card onboard technology,
Due to the density of the connector, the spring connector is much smaller and the spring connector used in MST technology does not have a strong spring force. These smaller spring connectors can (a) be soldered into a circuit board, or (b) soldered to a card, or (
0) Can be held in the housing without soldering to the card or board. U.S. Patent No. 413193
No. 3 shows the assembly when the spring connector is soldered to the circuit board.

IBM Technical Disclosure January 1976
Preten (IBM Technical Disclo)
sure Bulle-tin) (from below M TD
B) Vol, 18. No. 8, 246
The document on page 0 shows an assembly where the spring connector is not soldered to either the circuit board or the circuit card. From August 1982 M TDE Vo
l, 25. No. 3B, page 1410, shows an assembly in which a small spring connector is soldered to a circuit board.

C9 Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention is based on the above-mentioned document, M
TDB Vow, 25. No. 3B, page 1410 of the printed circuit board assembly.

The spring connector assembly technique presented in this document has several weaknesses. First, using the tools and techniques described in this document, the gold-plated contacts of the spring connectors of the connectors may wear out during the assembly process. Second, the spring contacts of the connector do not seat uniformly in the housing, resulting in residual strain in the solder connections between the connector contacts and the printed circuit card. Third, the uncontrolled rotation of the spring connector creates additional residual strain in the solder joint. Because of these problems, the system shown in this document does not provide a uniform, accurate, and reliable method and apparatus for the assembly shown.

The present invention is directed to overcoming the weaknesses associated with the techniques and devices presented in this document.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that facilitates the assembly of spring connectors in printed circuit card assemblies.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for reliably assembling frangible spring connectors to the edges of printed circuit cards.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a reliable, economical and efficient assembly apparatus for mounting multiple spring connectors onto a printed circuit card.

Another object of the invention is a device for uniformly and accurately positioning the spring connectors of a connector while the spring connectors are being soldered to a printed circuit card so that the soldering does not result in residual distortion in the connections. Our goal is to provide the following.

D5 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a tool for assembling a printed circuit card assembly in which a number of spring connectors are soldered to one end of the printed circuit card.

Each of these spring connectors is fitted into an aperture in the plastic housing. There are two gold-plated contact surfaces at one end of every spring connector. Initially, when the connector is inserted into the aperture of the housing, the end of each spring connector is free to move in 34 directions and can also rotate. By nature, the amount of travel and rotation in all three directions is small (a few tenths of an inch), but the spring connector can be easily inserted into the aperture in the housing.

The present invention securely positions the spring connectors in the housing while properly positioning the connectors in the housing and then soldering the tail of each connector to the tabs or pads on the edge of the printed circuit card. Provide tools for holding. Although each spring connector is free to move and rotate to ensure proper positioning of the connector in the housing, the connector must be held rigidly against the housing during assembly operations. , the latching surface of the spring connector is firmly seated on a suitable surface in the housing. In this way, soldering between the spring connector and the tab of the card eliminates any residual load or strain on the connection.

Furthermore, when a pin or blade-type male terminal is inserted into a spring connector, the strain is removed by the surface of the elastic part of the connector that engages the surface of the housing, so that no strain occurs in the connection during soldering. do not have.

The present invention provides a tool having a plurality of rubber protrusions at locations corresponding to each spring connector on the printed circuit card assembly. These rubber protrusions are wedge-shaped, and they are matched to the gold-plated contact surfaces of the connectors to ensure engagement of the connectors in the proper position. The surfaces firmly hold the connectors in aligned position.

The rubber protrusions do not wear out the gold-plated contacts, and they apply independent pressure to each spring connector, so the individual connectors and the openings in the housing into which they are inserted Each connector is seated securely within the housing aperture, even if there is a slight deviation in the position.

Using the tool of the invention, the spring connector is first placed loosely into the aperture in the housing. This tool with wedge-shaped projections is used to force the spring connectors into their final position and to hold the connectors in that position during the soldering process. Once the molten solder has solidified, the tool is removed. Then, when the pin or blade is inserted into the spring connector, the engagement surfaces between the connector and the housing provide the necessary resistance against movement of the connector, and soldering does not strain the connection. .

E. Embodiment As shown in FIG. 2, an assembly assembled according to the present invention includes a printed circuit card 5 and a metal spring connector 6.
(individual connectors are designated 6R, 6M and 6L) and a plastic housing 7. Printed circuit card 5 is positioned and held in housing Z by fingers 7A and 7B. In the particular embodiment shown here, three rows of spring connections 6 of the connector are provided. Each spring connector 6 has an arm or tail 66 that connects to electrical circuitry (not shown) on the card 5.

The connectors 6L (plurality) on the left side of the card 5 are connected to the tabs 51 on the left side of the card 5. Connector 6R on the right side of card 5
(plurality) are connected to the tab 51 on the right side of the card 5. The connectors 6M (plurality) in the center row are alternately connected to the right tab 51 and the left tab of the card 5.

Details of how the connector 6 is fitted into the housing 7 are shown in FIG. Each spring connector 6 is fitted into an aperture in the housing 7. Each spring connector is retained within the housing 7 by two latch tabs 61 and 62. Latch tabs 61 and 62 engage latch surfaces 71 and 72 in housing 7, respectively.

Each spring connector 6 has an arm or tail 66;
The tail 66 is connected to the tab or pad 51 of the card 5 by soldering (FIG. 3). In order to guarantee reliability, it is very important that the tail 63 is held in place by the tabs 61 and 62 after the assembly operation, and that the soldering is not distorted in the connection 51. be. Furthermore, when a pin or blade is inserted between the gold-plated surfaces 66 and 67, all force or strain is absorbed by the tabs 61 and 62 and the mating surfaces 71 and 72, and the soldering will occur at the connection. 52 so that no distortion remains,
Tabs 61 and 62 must be firmly seated on engagement surfaces 71 and 72.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a tool used in the present invention.

It has a base part 8 and a plurality of wedge-shaped protrusions 81. The protrusion 81 is made of fluoro or silicone rubber. As shown in FIG. 3, the base body 8 has an aperture 82 associated with each of the wedge-shaped portions 81, and the fluorosilicone rubber is cast into the apertures of the base body 8. . The manufacturing of this tool involves first preparing a substrate portion 8 having a plurality of openings 82 with a constricted center, then molding fluorosilicone rubber into the openings 82, and then forming a wedge-shaped It is made to protrude to form a protrusion 81. Since the aperture 82 in the substrate part 8 is constricted at the center, the fluorosilicone rubber is firmly held on the substrate part 8.

The only part of the tool that is subject to substantial wear is the rubber protrusion 81. Once these protrusions are worn, the rubber protrusions 81 are removed from the base plate 8. Next, a new protrusion 81 having a tail 81A inserted through the base plate 8 can be molded onto the base plate 8.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembly showing the housing 7 in broken lines, the spring connector 6 and the tab 51 of the card 5.
It shows the relative position between. This figure also shows how the wedge-shaped projection 81 fits into the contact surfaces 66 and 67 of the spring connector B. The fit between contact surfaces 66 and 67 and wedge-shaped member 81 is achieved by the following operations. That is, the spring connector 6 is automatically rotated to center the connector's associated aperture in the housing 7 and the tabs 61 and 62 of the connector 6 engage the engagement surfaces 71 and 72 of the housing. firmly engages the connector to hold the connector in place. Even if there are slight errors in the openings in the housing 7 or in the individual connections +6, all spring connections 6 will be located in the correct position at the same time.

Tool 8 aligns and secures each connector 6 so that tabs 62 and 66 of the connectors are firmly seated on engagement surfaces 71 and 72. This means that cards and multiple connectors can be assembled without wearing out the contact surfaces 66 and 67 of connection +6.

F1 Effects of the Invention The jig of the present invention can align multiple connectors at the same time with the card tabs without wearing out the plating on the contact surface of the connectors, and soldering can cause distortion in the connection parts. I won't let you.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 is a perspective view of the holding tool of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating the assembly of a printed circuit card and connector housing in accordance with the present invention; and FIG.
Figure 4 is a side view of the printed circuit card, housing, spring connector and retaining tool of the present invention; Figure 4 is a perspective view of the printed circuit card, spring connector, housing shown in phantom and the retaining tool of the present invention; It is a diagram. 5... Printed circuit card, 6... Spring connector, 7... Housing, 8... Board part, 51...
...Tab of printed circuit card, 63...Tail of connector, 66.67...Contact surface of connector, 81...
Wedge-shaped protrusion. Applicant: International Business Machines Fovolation Sub-Agent Patent Attorney Shino
1) Text Male perspective view Figure 4

Claims (1)

What is claimed is: a plurality of spring connectors having two contact surfaces forming a tail that is soldered to a tab on the edge of a printed circuit card and a groove that is inserted into a male connector; , a tool for assembling the printed circuit card and a housing for retaining the spring connector, the tool comprising: a plurality of retaining means positioned in accordance with the position of the connector in the housing; a plurality of wedge-shaped protrusions respectively mounted at the locations of the retaining means, the protrusions fitting into the grooves of the spring connector, and the tails fitting into the tabs. A printed circuit card and connector assembly tool, characterized in that the spring connector is firmly held within the housing while being soldered.