KR20000076292A - Surface mount connector assembly for docking-style connector applications - Google Patents

Abstract

An intermediate connector 6 for engaging the surface mount connector 5 and the cable connector 4 includes the conductive terminal 8 in the body portion 7. The body portion is jointly defined by a separate separate terminal contact support attached to the opposite end of the connector terminal. The support can be attached to the connector terminal from another direction, which eliminates the need for a complex and shaped connector housing. The support and the terminal are fixed to each other, aligned with each other by a fixing device, and provided with spacers to maintain a desired distance between the connector and the terminal.

Description

SURFACE MOUNT CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY FOR DOCKING-STYLE CONNECTOR APPLICATIONS}

Conventional surface mount connectors are constructed from an electrically insulated housing and have a plurality of conductive terminals installed within the connector housing. The tail of the solder formed on this terminal extends out from the connector housing and is soldered to the conductive pads arranged on the circuit board. The tail of the solder is soldered to the surface of the circuit board by electrodeposition or solder dipping techniques where the surface mount connector terminal extends through a through hole formed in the circuit board. The through-hole method was used for mounting, and the opposite side of the circuit board occupies a significant space on the circuit board that can be used to accommodate the circuit or component when used for other purposes.

These surface mount connectors can be mated with other connectors. Surface mount connectors are usually set in the same direction as the engagement portion, with a straight-type engagement that is oriented upwards and a right-type engagement that is oriented in parallel to the circuit board. When the number of terminals increases and the size of the connector remains the same, the pitch of the terminals must therefore be reduced. Surface soldering is commonly used in such applications, where the solder tail of the connector is arranged on two opposite sides of the connector housing.

In this type of structure, the right-type engaging portion of the surface mount connector has terminals extending out from the rear side of the connector. These terminals must have a longer length compared to the terminals arranged on the front side of the connector, thereby causing difficulty in maintaining a preset pitch of solder tails extending out from the front side of the connector.

Moreover, the soldered end of the solder tail is exposed around the mating end of the opposite cable connector, which can potentially cause difficulty in engaging the cable connector on the wire side, or the cable connectors unexpectedly lead to solder tails. It can shock and damage the soldered end of the cable. In addition, coupling the cable connector to the surface mount connector may exert a force on the soldered end of the solder tail portion during engagement, which may cause breakage of the soldered portion.

Additionally, when through hole surface mount connectors are used, the through holes formed in the circuit board prevent surface mount, or any other type of connectors, from being used on the opposite side of the circuit board. Thus, this type of arrangement wastes space on the circuit board and is therefore not suitable for use in applications of the docking type that can be found in laptops or laptop computers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention generally relates to surface mount connector assemblies for mounting to circuit boards, and more particularly to multi-wires such as input / output ("I / O") connectors on circuits on circuit boards along the edges of the circuit boards. wire) An improved surface mount assembly for connecting a cable connector.

1 is an exploded perspective view of a surface mount connector assembly using a preferred embodiment of a surface mount connector constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention, and a method for positioning the surface mount connector on a circuit board and a right angle to provide an I / O type connection; How to connect with the connector.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the surface mount connector shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

3 is a plan view of the surface mount connector shown in FIG.

4 is a perspective view of a pair of terminals used in the surface mount connector of FIGS. 1 and 2 arranged in opposing pairs.

5 is a cross-sectional view of the surface mount connector of FIG. 1 engaged with a corresponding right angle connector.

6 is a plan view of the corresponding right angle connector of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the terminal contact portion of the terminal used for the right angle connector of FIG. 5; FIG.

8 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of an external connector used in the connector assembly of FIG. 1, intended to be connected to the horizontal connection portion of the right angle connector of FIG. 5;

9 is a plan view of a partial cross section of the outer connector of FIG. 8 with the top cover portion removed for clarity;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a plurality of surface mount connector assemblies coupled together and aligned with external cable connectors to corresponding rectangular connectors. FIG.

The present invention is for a surface mount connector that overcomes the above mentioned disadvantages.

Thus, a comprehensive object of the present invention is to provide a surface mount connector for mounting near an edge of a circuit board and a mounting method of the surface mount connector, which is a surface mount connector from the forces generated while the connector is engaged with the cable connector. To protect the soldered ends of the solder tails.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved surface mount connector assembly having a surface mount connector component for mounting on an edge of a circuit board, the assembly being a right angled middle aligned perpendicular to the surface mount connector. (intermediate) connector and a cavity surrounding a plurality of terminals for engaging the terminals of the surface mount connector, which cavity is soldered to the entire surface mount connector and the surface mount connector attached to the circuit board. Accept the tail.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a surface mount connector assembly for mounting to a circuit board near an edge of the circuit board, the connector assembly having a right angled body portion extending over the edge of the circuit board over the circuit board. The right angled body portion has a plurality of terminals having contacts located away from the circuit board past the edge of the circuit board to engage the opposite docked connector.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a surface mount connector assembly for docking applications, wherein the assembly is a surface mount connector portion for mounting to the circuit board at the edge portion of the circuit board and two rows engaged with the surface mount connector A dual leaf connector portion includes a two-row leaf connector portion that surrounds a plurality of terminals and positions the terminal over the circuit board beyond the edge of the circuit board to engage with the opposite cable connector.

In order to achieve these and other objects, in one main aspect, the present invention is provided for mounting near an edge of a circuit board, the end of which can be engaged with a multi-wire cable connector consisting of a plurality of individual wires. Provide a surface mount connector assembly. The connector assembly includes a surface mount connector for mounting on a surface of a circuit board, and an intermediate connector, each of the surface mount connector and the intermediate connector having respective opposite engagement portions that can be coupled to each other, wherein the intermediate connector comprises And a plurality of conductive terminals arranged on the circuit board to engage the terminals of the cable connector opposite the two rows of leaf connector portions extending beyond the edge of the circuit board.

In another principal aspect of the invention, the intermediate connector is secured to the circuit board through engagement with the surface mount connector, and the two row leaf connector portion is coupled with a multi-wire cable connector. The two-row leaf connector portion extends upwards beyond the circuit board such that the terminal contacts of the two-row connector portion remain in a horizontal plane substantially parallel to the circuit board, which is different from conventional PC card type connectors.

In another main aspect of the invention, the surface mount connector has an insulated housing and a plurality of terminals installed in the insulated housing, each terminal outwardly from the bottom surface of the housing for soldering to a conductive pad on a circuit board. And a solder tail that extends. The intermediate connector is secured directly to the circuit board by mounting means such as coupling screws, and includes a housing having a surface mount connector and a cavity substantially surrounding the terminal solder tail of the connector soldered to the circuit board. The structure covers the solder tail so that it is not exposed to the outside.

In a preferred embodiment, the intermediate connector is secured to the circuit board by mounting screws extending through both the circuit board and the intermediate connector. In this way, surface-mount connectors can be mounted on opposite front and rear surfaces (top and bottom) of the circuit board, respectively, and a pair of intermediate connectors are respectively engaged with such surface-mount connectors, thereby engaging the It is additionally fixed to the circuit board.

Since the intermediate connector is fixed directly to the circuit board, the forces generated while the cable connector is engaged with the intermediate connector are transferred directly to the circuit board. Since the solder tail of the surface mount connector extends along the side of the surface mount connector, it can be inspected after being bonded to the circuit board. The entire surface of the connector housing of the surface mount connector is accommodated in the interlocking pupil of the intermediate connector, and the surface mount connector is covered so that the solder tail is not exposed to the outside, whereby the soldered end of the surface mount connector and the solder tail Can be protected. Subsequent engagement of the intermediate connector with the surface mount connector is easily completed.

In yet another principal aspect of the invention, the intermediate connector includes a two-row leaf connector end that surrounds and supports a plurality of conductive terminals in a oriented state to engage the opposite docked connector. The end is positioned over the circuit board beyond the edge of the circuit board so that it can engage a docked connector, such as a multi-wire connector. The two row leaf connector ends and their terminals extend horizontally beyond the edge of the circuit board. Each of the terminals has an aligned contact that provides a clean action while the two are engaged with the two pronged end portions spaced apart from each other and the opposite cable connector.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

While the following detailed description is described, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals indicate like parts.

1 is a perspective view of a surface mount connector assembly, generally designated as (1), which includes a preferred embodiment of a surface mount connector 5 constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The surface mount connector of the present invention provides a connection between circuits on a circuit board 2 and series wires which are enclosed in a cable and which are terminated by a wire connector, such as the connector 4 in the form of I / O shown. Suitable. The interposed right angle connector 6 is engaged with the surface mount connector 5 to provide a connector having a two-row leaf terminal arrangement that can be engaged with an I / O type cable connector 4.

Two methods of mounting the surface connector assembly 1 to the printed circuit board 2 and engaging the cable connector 4 connected to one end of the wire cable 3 with the surface connector assembly 1. The method is shown. In one method, as shown in the lower right of FIG. 1, a single surface connector 5 is mounted on the circuit board and will therefore be engaged with a single right angle connector 6. In another method, as shown at the upper left of FIG. 1, two surface connectors 5 are bonded to opposite surfaces of the circuit board 2, and two right-angle connectors 6 are engaged. Each right angle connector 6 can be engaged with an opposite cable connector 4.

The surface mount connector assembly 1 comprises a surface mount connector 5 mounted on a surface of a printed circuit board 2 and an engagement right angle connector 6 which is engaged with an upper portion of the surface connector 5.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the surface mount connector 5 has a plurality of connector housings 7 formed from an electrically insulating material and a plurality of which are mounted to the connector housings 7 at a predetermined pitch P. FIG. It can be seen that the conductive terminal 8 is included. This connector housing 7 may generally comprise a pair of slots 9 formed inside the housing and open to the top surface of the connector housing 7 to form a receptacle connector. Are shown as rectangles.

The terminals 8 are mounted inside the connector housing 2 in the longitudinal direction at a predetermined pitch P with respect to the contact portions 10 of the opposing terminals on opposite sides of the slot 9 (FIG. 2). ). The terminals 8 are arranged in two rows with the terminals aligned as shown in FIG. 4. It is shown in Figs. 2 and 3 that two sets of terminals 8 are mounted in two separate rows 64a, 65a and 64b, 65b in each slot 9. Note that each of the terminals 8 has a solder tail portion 11 protruding along the bottom wall of the connector housing 7 such that the solder tail portion is substantially flush with the bottom surface of the connector housing. Can be.

The solder tail portions 11 of the two rows of terminals 8 arranged in one slot 9 protrude from one side of the connector housing, while the solder tails of the terminals 8 in a row of the other slots 9. The part 11 protrudes from the other, opposite side of the connector housing 7. In this relationship, the solder tail 11a of the terminal 8a and the first slot 9a of the two connection slots of the contact portion 10a of the terminal line are formed on one side of the connector housing 7 (Fig. While extending to the right as viewed from 2, the solder tail 11b of the terminal 8b and the second slot 2 of the two connection slots of the contact portion 10b of the terminal line are connected to the connector housing ( Extends to the other, opposite side of 7) (left side as seen in FIG. 2).

Turning now to FIG. 4, a pair of opposing terminals of the connector 5 is shown in a position that takes two rows inside each of the slots 9. It can be seen that each of the terminals includes a terminal body portion 12, a pair of contacts 13a and 13b, and a solder tail portion 11 coupled thereto. In order to allow the solder tail 11 to be positioned in the manner described above, the solder tail 11 of each terminal 8 is approximately half the width of the corresponding opposite terminal body portion 12. So that the solder 11 of the single row terminals 8 in one slot 9 extends out from the connector housing 7, but each of the other rows of terminals disposed in the same slot 9 It extends below the terminal body portion 12 of the terminal 8. Such passage is facilitated by recesses or cavities 62 formed at the rightmost side of the terminal body portion 12. As a result, it can be seen that the pitch of the solder tail 11 is half of the terminal pitch P, that is, 1/2 · P.

The contacts 10 of the terminal 8 are formed in an unusual shape, each of which preferably comprises two divided contacts 10a, 10b extending parallel to one another. One of the divided contacts 10a is longer than the other of the two divided contacts 10b, so that an arc provided at the distal end of each of the divided contacts 10a, 10b. The shaped contacts 13a, 13b are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the contact 10, ie in the vertical direction. As shown in FIG. 2, these contacts 13a, 13b slightly protrude into the connector housing engagement slot 9.

In assembling the surface mount connector assembly 1 to the edge portion of the printed circuit board 2, the surface mount connector 5 is first shown on the surface of the circuit board 2, as shown in the close side of FIG. 1. It is mounted near the edge portion 70 of the circuit board 2 as shown. The solder tail portion 11 of the connector 5 protrudes outward from the connector housing 7 along the sides of the connector housing 7 (which may be considered front and rear in view of FIG. 1). . The solder tail portions 11 are aligned in opposite directions to conductive pads (not shown) formed on the surface of the circuit board 2. Then, in order to fix the connector 5 to the circuit board 2, the solder tail portion 11 and the conductive pad are surface soldered by soldering in a preferred method such as electrodeposition soldering. The pitch of the solder tail portion 11 is equal to 1/2 of the pitch P of the terminal contact portion 10, thereby reducing the area occupied by the connector 5 and the solder tail portion 11 of the connector. Let's do it. Thus, a high density connection to the circuit board 2 can be achieved while using the reduced space of the circuit board.

The surface mount connector 5 is of simple construction, which comprises a connector housing 7 and a plurality of conductive terminals 8 mentioned above. The solder tail 11 is also formed in a simple external form in that these solder tails extend outward along the bottom wall of the connector housing 7 outside of the connector housing 7. Such a structure prevents the solder tail portion 11 from becoming longer and facilitates the manufacture of the solder tail portion 11 of the terminal 8. It is also easy to maintain the arrangement pitch of the solder tail 11 corresponding to the predetermined pitch P, and it is possible to surface solder the solder tail portion 11 to the circuit board 2 by the usual electrodeposition soldering method. Let's do it.

In addition, the solder tail portion 11 protrudes on two opposite sides of the connector housing 7 so that the solder tail portion 11 and the circuit board contact pads of the circuit board are exposed to the outside of the connector housing 7. It will be in a state. By doing this, it is possible to perform any test smoothly and reliably that the connectors 5 are installed on the circuit board without the connector housing 7 acting as an obstacle to the observer's observation by video inspection or other methods. Let's do it.

Returning now to FIG. 1, interposed between the surface mount connector 5 and a mating cable connector that surrounds a number of end-treated wires, such as in the case of connectors in the form of input / output (“I / O”). It can be seen that a right angle connector 6 is provided as part of the overall surface mount assembly 1 to provide a connection, or an intermediate connector. The right angled, intermediate connector 6 is engaged in the upper portion of the surface mount connector 5 and is sized to accommodate substantially the entire connector housing 7 of the surface mount connector 5 therein. And a pair of plug portions 60 disposed in the housing engaging portion 14 including the inner cavity 61.

In this way, the bottom surface 16a of the intermediate connector 6 is substantially in contact with the circuit board 2 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The housing body 16 of the intermediate connector 6 not only surrounds the engagement portion 14, but also the second row leaf receptacle portion when the second engagement portion of the intermediate connector is engaged with the cable connector 4. It also extends to one side of the intermediate connector as shown in FIG. 5 comprising 15. This two-row leaf portion 15 receives and supports the contacts 19 of the plurality of conductive terminals 17 and provides a surface for supporting and arranging the terminals 17 in two separate sets of terminals, each Has a set of two opposing rows of terminals 17. The contact portion 19 of the terminal 17 is retained in this position above the circuit board 2 by the edge 70 of the circuit board 2.

The terminals 17 of the intermediate connector 6 are mounted with the same arrangement pitch P as the contacts 10 of the surface mount connector terminals 8 and similarly the two engagement slots of the surface mount connector 5. Two sets of terminals corresponding to the terminals 8 in two rows in (9) are formed. The terminal 17 extends a sufficient distance such that another contact portion 18 protrudes into the first engagement portion 14 and the cavity 61 located along the bottom surface 16a of the connector housing body 16. It is provided at the end of the.

The contact 18 is provided to define the entire plug end of the intermediate connector 6 that engages the opposing contact 10 of the surface mount connector terminal 8 arranged in the receptacle 9 of the surface mount connector 5. 1 protrudes along the plug portion 60 of the engagement portion 14. The second contact portion 19 is provided at the other end of the intermediate connector terminal 17 and is folded in the two-row leaf engagement portion 15 to overlap in the opposite direction as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. Is formed. These contacts are in opposition to each other in pair near the second row leaf engaging end 15 of the intermediate connector 6. This contact is maintained on the plane of the circuit board 2 and also at a position past the edge 70 of the circuit board 2.

The housing body 16 of the intermediate connector 6 comprises an end block 20 which is provided at opposite ends of the housing body as shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, and on the circuit board 2 the intermediate connector ( 6) provide means for mounting. Each of these end blocks 20 comprises screw holes 21 which pass through in the vertical direction, as shown. Each end block has a connector guide pin 22 facing the front of the connector housing 16. These guide pins are located on opposite sides of the connector housing 16 and are provided for guiding the opposite cable connector 4 to be engaged with the intermediate connector 6. The guide pins 22 may include a shaft integrally connected to the final plug end 26 of the cylindrical shaft 24 through the narrow neck portion 25, as shown in FIG. 6. The plug ends 26 may vary in size, with one plug end 26b being the other plug end 26a to provide polarization characteristics such that the cable connector 4 ensures proper orientation with respect to the intermediate connector 16. And the plug ends may differ in their axial size, one larger than the other.

In order to complete the surface mount connector assembly 1, the right angle connector 6 is first fixed on the circuit board 2 by engaging the connector with the upper part of the surface mount connector 5. One way of securing these intermediate connectors 6 to the surface mount connectors 5 and to the circuit board is shown in the center of FIG. 1. The intermediate connector 6 is engaged with two corresponding surface mount connectors 5 in such a way that the entire connector housing 7 of the connector 5 is received in the first engaging portion of the intermediate connector housing 16. In this way, the solder portion of the solder tail portion 11 is also surrounded by the cavity 61 of the first engagement portion 14, so that the surface mount connector housing 7 and the solder tail portion 11 are covered. All of the ends (i.e., the parts to be soldered) of are covered by the connector housing 16 to avoid exposure to the external environment.

This engagement of the intermediate connector 6 causes the contacts 18 at one end of the terminal 17 to engage with the opposite contacts 10 of the surface mount connector terminals 8, respectively. When engaged, the contact 13a of one of the two contacts 13a, 13b provided at the contact 10 of the surface mount connector 5 sweeps the surface of the intermediate connector contact 18, thereby. It will remove stains and other types of surface contaminants. Thus, the terminal structure combines a self-cleaning function, thereby making it possible to ensure good electrical coupling.

In addition, the pitch of the contact portion 10 and the pitch of the contact portion 18 are equal to (2) twice the pitch of the solder tail portion 11 of the surface mount connector 5, so that the adjacent contact portions 10, 18 The gap between) becomes relatively wide. This terminal structure thus avoids the possibility of shorting of adjacent terminal structures in the connector.

The intermediate connector 6, which is engaged with the surface mount connector 5, has screw holes 21 of the end blocks 20 formed at opposite ends of the connector housing 16, and openings 27 formed in the printed circuit board. It may be directly fixed to the circuit board 2 through the screw 28 penetrating. By directly fixing the intermediate connector 6 to the circuit board 2, any external force acting on the intermediate connector 6 when it is engaged with the cable connector 4 to this intermediate connector is transmitted to the surface mount connector 5. Rather, it is directly transmitted to the circuit board 2. This structure avoids the force acting on the soldering ends of the solder tail portion 11 of the surface connector 5.

When the intermediate connector 6 is engaged with the surface connector 5, the second row leaf engagement portion 15 formed along the upper portion of the intermediate connector 6 protrudes from the housing 16 of the intermediate connector. , Along the plane generally parallel to the circuit board 2 together with the guide pin 22, is placed past the edge 70 of the circuit board 2. Thus, the cable connector 4 can be mounted without being disturbed by the edge 70 of the circuit board 2 to facilitate the installation work.

When the cable connector 4 is engaged with the intermediate connector 6, the force acting on the intermediate connector 6 from the connector 4 is transmitted directly to one side of the circuit board 2, as mentioned above. So that the acting force does not act as surface mount connector 5 to protect the soldered end of the solder tail portion 11. The right-angle connector 6 is engaged with the surface connector 5 such that the contact portions 18 of the terminals 17 of the relay connector 6 mesh with each other in a one-to-one relationship. The conductive pad (not shown) of the circuit board 2 is located in the two-row leaf engagement portion 15 of the right angle connector 6 in an electrically conductive state.

The cable connector 4 is thus engaged with the second row leaf portion 15, which results in the connection of the wires of the cable 3 and the conductive pads (and circuits) of the circuit board 2. The contact 19 of the intermediate connector terminal is located in the second row leaf engagement portion 15. Such a terminal comprises a pair of split contacts 19a, 19b having short and long lengths aligned in a horizontal plane generally parallel to the plane of the circuit board 2, as shown in FIG. Include. The split contacts 19a, 19b assist in cleaning the opposing contacts in the cable connector 4 in the same manner as discussed above for the surface mount connector terminals 8. A metal shell 29 can be fitted up around the second row leaf engagement portion 15 of the connector 16 and the opposite metal shell at the corresponding-engagement portion 30 of the cable connector 4. It is adapted to contact with (31).

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the cable connector 4 is adapted to be interdigitated with the intermediate connector second row leaf engaging portion 15. This cable connector 4 includes a connector housing 32 in which a plurality of terminals 33 are provided. This connector housing 32 is covered by a metal shielding cover 34 on the outer upper side and the lower side. The connector housing 32 is formed at one end and includes an engaging portion 30 protruding from the metal cover 34. A metal shell 31 is fitted around the engagement portion 30 and protrudes out of the engagement portion.

The terminals 33 of the cable connector 4 are installed in a parallel arrangement inside the connector housing 32 at the same pitch as the pitch P of the terminal 8 of the surface mount connector 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal 33 includes a contact portion 35 located on the upper and lower sides of the engagement portion 30 and includes an intermediate connector located within the second row leaf engagement portion 15. And two sets of contacts 19 in 6). An insulation removal contact 36 is formed on the terminal 33 and is provided inside the connector housing 32. As is known in the art, the insulated wires 37 of the cable 3 lying in the metal cover 34 end to the terminal 33 in a conventional manner by pressing them tightly against the terminal 33. This is connected.

As shown in FIG. 9, guide holes 38 are provided on opposite sides of the cable connector metal cover 34 and protrude from the connector housing 16 of the intermediate connector 6. To accept. An engagement hook 40 is located inside the guide hole 38 and is formed at the final end of the latch member 30. When the cable connector 4 is engaged with the intermediate connector 6, the engaging portion 30 is connected to the guide pin 22 and the guide hole 22 so as to face the second row leaf engaging portion 15 of the intermediate connector 6. 38). When the engagement is finished, the hook 40 is engaged with the neck portion 25 of the guide pin, thereby engaging the head portion 26 of the connector and keeping the connectors 4 and 16 engaged.

The latch member 39 is elastic and contracts laterally. A release lever 41 is positioned along the latch member 39 and acts to retract outwardly the latch member 39 to release engagement of the cable connector 4 and the intermediate connector 16. do. The release lever 41 is located along the side wall of the metal cover 34 and slides in parallel to the engagement direction of the connector 4. These release levers 41 are biased toward the engaging portion by the coil springs 42 and slide each other in the direction of the arrow 43 opposite to the force of the coil springs 42.

By bringing the cable connector 4 into engagement with the intermediate connector 6, the contact portion 19 of the intermediate connector terminal 17 and the contact portion 35 of the cable connector terminal are engaged with each other. The cable connector terminal accommodates the cleaning of the contacts 19, thereby allowing the individual wires 37 of the cable 3 to be connected to the appropriate corresponding circuit on the circuit board 2. When the cable connector 4 is released from the intermediate connector 6, the release lever 41 slides backward in the direction of the arrow 43. The acting portion 44 at the final end of the release lever 41 lies along a bend 45 formed on the base of the latch member 39. When the release lever 41 slides backward as shown, the acting portion 44 is engaged with the bent portion 45, and the hook 40 is engaged with the guide pin 22. The latch member 39 is retracted outwardly to release, thereby ending the separation.

The cable wire 3 can be secured to any one of the metal covers 34 via a clamp bar 46 as shown in FIG. 9. A tapered edge 47 is provided at the end of the housing and provided to facilitate extending the cable 3 inclined in the direction of the tapered edge 47. As shown in FIG. 10, the tapered edge 47 has a plurality of surface mount connector assemblies 1 mounted to the circuit board 2, and the space outside the edge of the circuit board 2 is narrow and portable. It is provided in consideration of the case where it is limited by a wall or door 48 that serves as part of the overall case that houses the circuit board 2, such as the housing of the computer. In this case, each of the plurality of cables 3 extends laterally along the door or wall 48. Thus, the cable 3 extending outward from the cable connector 4 has a tapered edge of the connector housing 32 while avoiding exerting excessive force on the insulator placement terminal 37 and the connector clamp bar 46. It is easy to bend in the direction perpendicular to 47.

1 shows a state where the surface mount connector 5 mounted on both surfaces of the circuit board 2 and the intermediate connector 6 are engaged with the surface mount connector 5. The intermediate connector 6 provided on the opposing surface of the surface mount connector 5 is fixed on the circuit board 2 by a general screw 28. By mounting two such connector assemblies 1 on both surfaces of the circuit board 2, efficient use of both surfaces of the circuit board 2 is achieved. It will be appreciated that the surface connector 5 can only be mounted on one surface of the circuit board 2 and engage with one corresponding intermediate connector 6.

The fixing of the intermediate connector 6 on the circuit board 2 is also not limited to the same means as the mounting screw 28. It is also possible to use other fastening means such as fastening pegs provided on the intermediate connector housing body 16. By the use of screws 28 it is easy to fix and detachably mount the intermediate connector 6 to the surface mount connector 5, which is convenient for replacement and repair. The screw 28 used in FIG. 1 is opposite the intermediate connector 6 such that two intermediate connectors 6 mounted on both surfaces of the circuit board 2 can be fixed simultaneously by one common screw 28. Can be engaged with an opening formed in

In a preferred embodiment the connector housing 7 is provided with two rows of engagement slots 9. However, it will be appreciated that in the present invention it is also contemplated to use only one engagement slot 9 formed in the surface mount connector housing 7.

As mentioned above, according to the present invention, since the pitch of the contacts arranged in the engagement slot of the surface mount connector can be made relatively wide, a short circuit between adjacent contacts is completely prevented. In addition, since the pitch of the solder tail portion can be made relatively small, a high density connection is possible on the circuit board.

Since the surface mount connector assembly is mounted on the edge portion of the circuit board and can be engaged with the cable connector, the surface mount connector assembly is located in an area of the circuit board that facilitates the assembly of the circuit board and the connector assembly.

In addition, the entire surface of the connector housing of the surface mount connector is accommodated within the intermediate connector engagement portion of the intermediate connector, and also by covering the solder end of the solder tail to prevent exposure to the outside, thereby providing the surface mount connector and the solder tail of the connector Is fully protected.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that changes or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the cable connector 4 is configured to interlock with the second row leaf engaging portion 15 of the intermediate connector. The cable connector 4 comprises a connector housing 32 provided with a plurality of terminals 33. This connector housing 32 is covered by a metal shielding cover 34 on the outer upper side and the lower side. The connector housing 32 is formed at one end and includes an engaging portion 30 protruding from the metal cover 34. A metal shell 31 is fitted around the engagement portion 30 and protrudes out of the engagement portion.

The terminals 33 of the cable connector 4 are installed in a parallel arrangement inside the connector housing 32 at the same pitch as the pitch P of the terminal 8 of the surface mount connector 5. As shown in FIG. 8, the terminal 33 includes a contact portion 35 located on the upper and lower sides of the engagement portion 30 and includes an intermediate connector located within the second row leaf engagement portion 15. And two sets of contacts 19 in 6). An insulation arrangement contact 36 is formed on the terminal 33 and is provided inside the connector housing 32. As is known in the art, the insulated wires 37 of the cable 3 lying in the metal cover 34 end to the terminal 33 in a conventional manner by pressing them tightly against the terminal 33. This is connected. The cable connector 4 comprises a guide hole (not shown) which guides the guide pin 22 protruding from the intermediate connector 6.

By bringing the cable connector 4 into engagement with the intermediate connector 6, the contact portion 19 of the intermediate connector terminal 17 and the contact portion 35 of the cable connector terminal are engaged with each other. A disengagement means comprising a lever 44 is provided on the outside of the cable connector 4 to provide a means by which the user can easily grasp the cable connector 4 from the intermediate connector 6 by hand. .

1 shows a state where the surface mount connector 5 mounted on both surfaces of the circuit board 2 and the intermediate connector 6 are engaged with the surface mount connector 5. The intermediate connector 6 provided on the opposing surface of the surface mount connector 5 is fixed on the circuit board 2 by a general screw 28. By mounting two such connector assemblies 1 on both surfaces of the circuit board 2, efficient use of both surfaces of the circuit board 2 is achieved. It will be appreciated that the surface connector 5 can only be mounted on one surface of the circuit board 2 and engage with one corresponding intermediate connector 6.

The fixing of the intermediate connector 6 on the circuit board 2 is also not limited to the same means as the mounting screw 28. It is also possible to use other fastening means such as fastening pegs provided on the intermediate connector housing body 16. By the use of screws 28 it is easy to fix and detachably mount the intermediate connector 6 to the surface mount connector 5, which is convenient for replacement and repair. The screw 28 used in FIG. 1 is opposite the intermediate connector 6 such that two intermediate connectors 6 mounted on both surfaces of the circuit board 2 can be fixed simultaneously by one common screw 28. Can be engaged with an opening formed in

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that changes or modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

Claims (18)

In a surface mount connector assembly for mounting to a printed circuit board along an edge of the circuit board for engagement with a corresponding docking-style connector, A surface mount connector having an insulated housing and at least one receptacle formed in the housing, the receptacle comprising a plurality of conductive terminals disposed therein, the terminals having contacts disposed within the housing receptacle, and A solder tail portion extending out from the housing along the side of the housing for mounting to a corresponding conductive trace disposed on the first surface of the circuit board near the circuit board edge; 1 the surface is a surface mount connector extending in a predetermined plane, An intermediate connector having separate first and second ends interconnected by a body portion, the first and second ends being at an offset angle with respect to each other, the intermediate connector being disposed at the first and second ends Each of the intermediate connector further comprises a plurality of conductive terminals extending through the body portion between the first and second ends, wherein each of the intermediate connector terminals has a plurality of conductive terminals. An intermediate connector having first and second contacts disposed respectively in the first and second engagement portions, The first engagement portion may be engaged with the surface mount connector, the first engagement portion include a cavity that substantially receives both the surface mount connector and a terminal solder tail portion in the surface mount connector; The intermediate connector terminal first contact is disposed in the cavity and extends in a plane at an offset angle from the circuit board plane; The intermediate connector second engagement portion extends beyond the circuit board edge portion and supports an intermediate connector terminal second contact in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the circuit board, and to be engaged with a corresponding docking type connector. And a dual row leaf connector portion located past the circuit board edge portion. 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the intermediate connector includes means for directly securing the intermediate connector to the circuit board to resist forces that occur while the corresponding docked connector is engaged and disengaged from the intermediate connector. The direct fixing means has at least one mounting screw and at least one mounting hole, the mounting hole being formed in the intermediate connector so that the mounting screw can be received therethrough, the mounting hole having an offset angle from the circuit board. Orienting, surface mount connector assembly. 3. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 2, wherein the intermediate connector mounting hole is aligned in line with a corresponding corresponding mounting hole formed in the circuit board when the intermediate connector is engaged with the surface mounting connector. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the intermediate connector terminal second contact is bifurcated. 5. The two-row leaf of claim 4 wherein each of the intermediate connector terminal second contacts comprises two contact heads spaced apart from each other and aligned with each other along the plane of the intermediate connector second engagement portion. And support the contact head in a position where a portion past the circuit board edge portion. The connector of claim 1, wherein the intermediate connector first engagement portion is a plug portion received in the surface mount connector receptacle and supporting the intermediate connector terminal first contact in a plane that is off-set from the circuit board plane. Surface Mount Connector Assembly. 7. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 6, wherein the second row leaf portion supports the intermediate connector terminal second contact in a position past the circuit board edge portion. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the second row leaf portion supports the intermediate connector terminal second contact in a position past the circuit board edge portion. 4. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 3, wherein the direct fixation means includes a second mounting hole formed in the second mounting screw and the intermediate connector, the second mounting hole receiving the second mounting screw. 10. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 9, wherein the intermediate connector mounting and second mounting holes are disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate connector. The surface mount connector assembly of claim 1, wherein the intermediate connector first engagement portion defines a plug end of the intermediate connector and the intermediate connector second engagement portion defines a two row leaf receptacle end of the intermediate connector. A surface mount connector assembly for mounting to a printed circuit board near an edge of the circuit board, the surface mount connector extending partially past the circuit board edge by a predetermined distance to engage the corresponding connector at a position past the circuit board edge. To A surface mount connector for mounting to a surface of the circuit board near an edge of the circuit board, An intermediate connector that can be engaged with the corresponding connector and that can be engaged with a surface mount connector to provide an engagement portion of the connector assembly disposed over the circuit board and having a length extending beyond the circuit board edge, The surface mount connector has an elongated housing having a plurality of conductive terminals arranged thereon, the surface mount connector terminals extending outwardly from the housing along the bottom surface of the housing and along the outside of the housing. A bonded solder tail portion that can be soldered to the circuit board, wherein the surface mount connector terminals further comprise contacts lining opposite sides of a receptacle formed in the housing; The intermediate connector includes an elongated intermediate connector body having a first engaging end having one or more plug portions that can be inserted into the surface mount connector receptacle, the intermediate connector body extending parallel to the circuit board and the Further comprising an angled second engagement end in the surface mount connector receptacle, the second engagement end including a two-row leaf connector portion extending above the circuit board and projecting outward beyond the circuit board edge, And a plurality of terminals extending between the intermediate connector first and second engagement ends. 13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for directly securing the intermediate connector to the circuit board, wherein the securing means comprises a pair of mounting holes disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate connector and the connector assembly assembled to the circuit board. And a pair of mounting screws that are received into the mounting holes and the mounting holes formed in the circuit board. 13. The circuit board of claim 12, wherein the intermediate connector terminals comprise first and second contacts disposed respectively at the first and second engaging ends of the intermediate connector, wherein the second contact comprises the circuit board completely past the circuit board edge. Surface supported connector assembly supported by the second row leaf connector portion from above. 15. The surface mount connector of claim 14, wherein the second intermediate connector terminal contacts comprise a pair of separate contact heads, the contact heads being spaced apart from one another and aligned horizontally with one another. Assembly. 13. The surface mount connector of claim 12, wherein the surface mount connector includes a pair of receptacles disposed in the housing, and wherein the first intermediate connector first engagement end includes a pair of plugs received within the receptacle. Assembly. A surface mount connector assembly for mounting on a printed circuit board near an edge of a circuit board, the surface mount connector extending partially beyond the circuit board edge by a predetermined distance to engage the circuit board edge with a corresponding connector at a past location To A surface mount connector for mounting to a surface of the circuit board near an edge of the circuit board, An intermediate connector that can be engaged with the corresponding connector and that can be engaged with a surface mount connector to provide an engaging portion of the connector assembly disposed over the circuit board and having a length extending beyond the circuit board edge; Means for fastening the intermediate connector directly to the circuit board to prevent a force generated while the mating connector engages and disengages with the connector assembly adversely affecting the surface mount connector solder tail portion; A pair of mounting holes disposed at opposite ends of the intermediate connector, and a pair of mounting screws received inside the mounting holes and inside the mounting holes formed in the circuit board when the connector assembly is mounted to the circuit board; Means for securing an intermediate connector directly to the circuit board, The surface mount connector has an elongated housing having a plurality of conductive terminals arranged thereon, the surface mount connector terminals extending outwardly from the housing along the bottom surface of the housing and along the outside of the housing. A bonded solder tail portion that can be soldered to a circuit board, wherein the surface mount connector terminals further comprise a contact line up opposite sides of a receptacle formed in the housing; The intermediate connector includes an elongated intermediate connector body having a first engaging end having one or more plug portions that can be inserted into the surface mount connector receptacle, the intermediate connector body extending parallel to the circuit board and the Further comprising an angled second engagement end in the surface mount connector receptacle, the second engagement end including a two-row leaf connector portion extending over the circuit board and protruding outward beyond the circuit board edge, And a plurality of terminals extending between the intermediate connector first and second engagement ends. 18. The connector of claim 17, wherein the intermediate connector terminals comprise first and second contacts disposed respectively at the first and second engagement ends of the intermediate connector, the second contact being completely past the circuit board edge. Surface supported connector assembly supported by the second row leaf connector portion from above.