Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
  • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
  • H01R12/7005—Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01R—ELECTRICALLY-CONDUCTIVE CONNECTIONS; STRUCTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF A PLURALITY OF MUTUALLY-INSULATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTING ELEMENTS; COUPLING DEVICES; CURRENT COLLECTORS
  • H01R12/00—Structural associations of a plurality of mutually-insulated electrical connecting elements, specially adapted for printed circuits, e.g. printed circuit boards [PCB], flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures, e.g. terminal strips, terminal blocks; Coupling devices specially adapted for printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures; Terminals specially adapted for contact with, or insertion into, printed circuits, flat or ribbon cables, or like generally planar structures
  • H01R12/70—Coupling devices
  • H01R12/7005—Guiding, mounting, polarizing or locking means; Extractors
  • H01R12/7011—Locking or fixing a connector to a PCB
  • H01R12/7064—Press fitting
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
  • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
  • Y10T29/49124—On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
  • Y10T29/49147—Assembling terminal to base
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/49—Method of mechanical manufacture
  • Y10T29/49002—Electrical device making
  • Y10T29/49117—Conductor or circuit manufacturing
  • Y10T29/49124—On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
  • Y10T29/49147—Assembling terminal to base
  • Y10T29/49151—Assembling terminal to base by deforming or shaping
  • Y10T29/49153—Assembling terminal to base by deforming or shaping with shaping or forcing terminal into base aperture
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/53—Means to assemble or disassemble
  • Y10T29/5313—Means to assemble electrical device
  • Y10T29/53174—Means to fasten electrical component to wiring board, base, or substrate
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T29/00—Metal working
  • Y10T29/53—Means to assemble or disassemble
  • Y10T29/53709—Overedge assembling means
  • Y10T29/53783—Clip applier

Definitions

• the current invention relates to a hold-down for securing a component to a circuit assembly and more particularly to a multiple fish hook hold-down for securing a connector housing to a printed circuit board.
• An apparatus to secure a connector to a printed circuit board is generally known as a hold-down.
• Prior art hold-downs at least temporarily secure a connector housing onto a printed circuit board, prior to or during soldering of electrical terminals mounted in the connector, by providing an interference fit.
• an interference fit is caused by contact between a press-fit section of the connector housing and an inside wall of the fitting hole on the circuit board.
• U.S. Pat. No. 5,083,942 discloses a single fish hook hold-down for securing a connector housing to a circuit assembly.
• a fish hook hold-down comprises an anchoring portion at one end, an attaching portion at the other end and an elongated portion between the two ends.
• the fish hook hold-down is firmly fixed to the connector housing by the attaching portion.
• the fish-hook-like anchoring portion of the hold-down is inserted into a through hole on the circuit assembly. As the insertion takes place, the tip of the anchoring structure is urged against an inside wall of the through hole and anchors the hold-down to the circuit assembly.
• the single fish hook hold-down more securely holds the connector housing to the circuit assembly than the prior art interference fit hold-downs.
• the hold- down disclosed by the '942 patent has at least three major areas for improvement.
• the anchoring portion of the hold-down is at the opposite end of the elongated portion from the attaching portion and the anchoring portion must be firmly urged against the inner wall of the through hole on the circuit assembly, the attaching portion needs to be firmly and precisely positioned in the connector housing.
• the connector housing requires a particular chamber for accepting the attaching portion.
• the anchoring portion must be precisely aligned with the through hole in the circuit assembly. Any slight misalignment can prevent the anchoring portion from firmly engaging the inside wall of the through hole, and the connector housing is not secured to the circuit assembly.
• the current invention is directed to these and other imperfections and substantially improving over the above-discussed prior art.
• the objects of the current invention include at least the following. It is an object of the current invention to provide a fish hook hold-down that has a higher tolerance for misalignment during insertion into a retaining through hole. It is another object of the current invention to provide a fish hook hold-down that accommodates a simplified connector housing for retaining the hold-down.
• a hold-down holds a connector housing to a circuit assembly which has a hold-down engagement hole.
• the hold-down comprises a plurality of connector housing contact portions for securing the hold-down to the connector housing, a plurality of intermediate portions each having a first end and a second end; the first end of each of the intermediate portions being integral with one end of the connector housing contact portion; an adjoining portion located at the other end of the connector housing contact portion for adjoining the plurality of the connector housing contact portions; and a plurality of fish hooks each integral with the second end of the intermediate portion, each of the fish hooks having a proximal end adjacent to the second end of the intermediate portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end, a portion near the distal end being angled with respect to an axis along a portion near the proximal end and the intermediate portion and defining an angled tip, the angled tip resiliently engaging an inner wall of the hold-down engagement hole of the circuit assembly.
• a fish-hook hold-down which holds a connector housing to a circuit assembly with a hold-down engagement hole, comprises: a plurality of connector housing contact portions for securing the fish-hook hold-down to the connector housing; a plurality of intermediate portions each having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the intermediate portions being integral with one end of the connector housing contact portion; a plurality of fish hooks each integral with the second end of the intermediate portion, each of the fish hooks having a proximal end adjacent to the second end of the intermediate portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end, a portion near the distal end being angled with respect to an axis along a portion near the proximal end and the intermediate portion and defining an angled tip, the angled tip resiliently engaging an inner wall of the hold-down engagement hole of the circuit assembly, a portion between the proximal end and the distal end defining a curved portion, the curved portion serving as a
• a method of placing a fish-hook hold-down secures a connector housing to a circuit assembly which has a first side and a second side.
• a hold-down engagement hole connects the first side and the second side.
• the fish-hook hold-down comprises a connector housing contact portion, intermediate portions, and fish-hook portions. Each of the fish-hook portions has an angled tip.
• the method comprises the steps of: securing the hold-down to the connector housing; inserting the fish-hook portion into the hold-down engagement hole from the first side towards the second side of the circuit assembly so that the fish-hook portions engage an inner wall of the hold-down engagement hole; and spreading the angled tip of each of the fish-hook portions towards the second side until the angled tip further urges against the inner wall.
• a system for placing a fish-hook hold-down so as to secure a connector housing to a circuit assembly which has a first side, a second side, and a hold-down engagement hole connecting the first side and the second side comprises : the hold-down which includes a plurality of connector housing contact portions for securing the hold- down to the connector housing; a plurality of intermediate portions each having a first end and a second end, the first end of each of the intermediate portions being integral with one end of the connector housing contact portion; an adjoining portion located at the other end of the connector housing contact portion for adjoining the plurality of the contact portions; and a plurality of fish hooks each integral with the second end of the intermediate portion, each of the fish hooks having a proximal end adjacent to the second end of the intermediate portion and a distal end opposite the proximal end, a portion near the distal end being angled with respect to an axis along a portion near the proximal end and the intermediate portion and defining
• FIGURE 1A is a perspective view of one embodiment of a fish hook hold-down according to the current invention.
• FIGURE IB is a side view of a fish hook portion of the hold-down as viewed from AA in FIGURE 1A.
• FIGURE 1C is a top view of the fish hook portion of the hold-down as viewed from BB in FIGURE IB.
• FIGURE 2 illustrates another embodiment of the fish hook hold-down of the current invention.
• FIGURE 3 illustrates yet another embodiment of the fish hook hold-down of the current invention.
• FIGURES 4A and 4B are cross-sectional drawings of the fish hook hold-down placed in a connector housing and a circuit assembly.
• FIGURE 4C is a top view of the connector housing and a hold-down of the current invention.
• FIGURE 5A is a cross-sectional drawing of the fish hook hold-down inserted into a connector housing.
• FIGURE 5B is a cross-sectional drawing of the fish hook hold-down inserted into a circuit assembly.
• FIGURE 5C is a cross-sectional drawing of the fish hook portions being spread further apart in the hold-down engagement hole.
• FIGURE 6 illustrates a single assembling step of the connector housing and a circuit board.
• FIGURE 7 illustrates a removal process of the fish hook hold-down from the circuit assembly.
• the fish hook hold-down 10 comprises a pair of connector housing contact portions 12. At one end of the connector housing contact portions 12, an adjoining portion 14 joins the pair of the connector housing contact portions 12. The other end 16 of the connector housing contact portions 12 contacts a top surface of the connector housing when placed in the connector housing.
• the connector housing contact portions 12 further comprise a grip area 13 for providing a grip to hold the fish hook hold-down 10.
• FIGURE 1A shows a bore as a grip area
• the grip area can be a detent or a protrusion.
• each of the connector housing contact portions 12 is integral with a proximal part of an intermediate portion 18.
• a pair of barbs 20 protrudes from the side of the intermediate portion 18. When the hold-down 10 is placed in the connector housing, these barbs 20 have an interference fit to temporarily secure the hold-down 10 to the connector housing.
• a distal part of the intermediate portion 18 is integral with a fish hook portion 22.
• the fish hook portion 22 comprises a flat proximal part 22a, a curved distal part 22b and a tip 22c.
• the distal part 22b further comprises a top surface 22d, a bottom surface 22e and lateral surfaces 22f .
• the top and bottom surfaces 22d, 22e of the distal part 22b are curved or angled with respect to an axis along the proximal part 22a.
• the lateral surfaces 22f of the distal part 22b are tapered towards the tip 22c as shown in FIGURE lC.
• the tip 22c of the fish hook portion 22 engages an inside wall of a hold-down engagement hole on a circuit assembly.
• FIGURE 2 shows a second embodiment of the current invention.
• a fish hook hold-down 40 comprises an adjoining portion 44, connector housing contact portions 42, intermediate portions 48, barbs 50, fish hook portions 52 and tips 52c.
• the difference between the embodiment as shown in FIGURE 1 and this embodiment as shown in FIGURE 2 is bifurcated fish hook portion 52, each of which provides two tips 52c. These tips 52c provide a better grip of the inside wall for stronger anchoring.
• FIGURE 3 shows a third embodiment according to the current invention.
• a fish hook hold-down 60 comprises an adjoining portion 64, connector housing contact portions 62a, 62b, intermediate portions 68, barbs 70, fish hook portions 72 and tips 72c.
• the difference between the embodiment as shown in FIGURE 1 and this embodiment as shown in FIGURE 3 is the extended connector housing contact portion 62a, which provides an increased contact area with the connector housing for further stabilization of the hold-down 60.
• the hold-downs 10, 40 and 60 of FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 secure a connector housing 80 to a circuit assembly 100 as shown in FIGURES 4A and 4B.
• the hold-down 10 is disposed in a bore created by a hold-down retaining hole 82 and a hold- down engagement hole 102, which may be either unplatted or plated by a soft material such as aluminum.
• the hold-down 10 secures the connector housing by urging the end surface 16 of the connector housing contact portion 12 against a top surface of the connector housing 80 near the hold-down retaining hole 82.
• a preferred embodiment as shown in
• FIGURE 4c a vertical slit 84 on the top surface of the connector housing accepts the end surface 16.
• the tips 22c of the hold-down 10 anchor themselves to an inside wall of the hold-down engagement hole 102.
• the tips 22c may dig into the inside wall if the inside wall is sufficiently deformable and sufficient pressure is applied to the tips 22c.
• Such digging also takes place when the connector housing 80 is pulled away from the circuit assembly 100 and withstands up to 20 pounds of pressure to prevent the separation of the connector housing 80 from the circuit assembly 100.
• the connector housing 80 and the circuit assembly 100 are held together mainly by the connector housing contact portion 12 and the fish hook portions 22 of the hold-down 10.
• a fish hook hold-down according to the current invention is placed in the connector housing and the circuit assembly in the following manner as shown in FIGURES 5A-5C.
• the hold-down 10 is placed in a hold-down retaining hole 82 in the connector housing 80.
• the barbs 20 of the hold-down 10 have an interference fit with the hold-down retaining hole 82 or the vertical slot so as to temporarily fastens the hold-down 10 in the connector housing 80.
• the connector housing 80 may be shipped with the hold-down 10 in the hold-down retaining hole 82 for later assembling with a circuit board 100.
• the interference fit also eliminates a special compartment to accept the connector housing contact portion of the hold-down 10.
• An application tool #1 has a small retaining pocket 120 with short legs 122 while an application tool #2 has a large retaining pocket 124 and long legs 126.
• the application tool #1 is first placed over the adjoining portion 14 so that the adjoining portion 14 is placed inside a retaining pocket of the application tool #1.
• the hold-down 10 is inserted into the hold-down engagement hole 102 while the tips 22c urge against an inside wall of the hold-down engagement hole 102.
• the application tool #2 is placed over the hold-down 10 so that the tips of the legs 126 presses against the top surface 22d of the fish hook portion of the hold-down 10.
• FIGURES 5B and 5C show a two- step assembling process of the connector housing 80 and the circuit assembly 100, the assembling process involves only one step as shown in FIGURE 6.
• FIGURE 6 shows an application tool #3 for a single-step assembly of a connector housing 80 and a circuit assembly 100.
• the application tool #3 simultaneously causes the insertion of a fish hook portion 22 into a hold-down engagement hole 102 by applying pressure to a first surface 200 as well as the extension of the fish hook portion 22 by applying pressure to a second surface 202 as respectively indicated by arrows.
• FIGURE 7 illustrates a removal process of the fish hook hold-down 10 from the circuit assembly 100.
• a removal tool 300 is inserted into a hold-down engagement hole 102 from the bottom of the circuit assembly 100. Tips 302 of the removal tool 300 engages the bottom surface 22e of the fish hook portion 22, and an upward motion as indicated by an arrow causes the fish hook tip portion 22c to disengage from an inside wall of the hold-down engagement hole 102.
• a hold-down according the current invention provides a higher tolerance for the misalignment of the fish hook portions with respect to a hold-down engagement hole in a circuit assembly.
• the misalignment of the hold-down with respect to the hold-down engagement hole is substantially corrected during the insertion process.
• the inserted fish hook portions are further adjusted and spread apart so that the misalignment is further eliminated. Consequently, another advantage of the current hold-downs is an increased retention force due to the multiple fish hooks which are anchored into the inside wall .
• Yet another advantage of the current invention includes a simplified design of the connector housing contact portion of the hold-down. Since a connector housing is pressed down by a straight edge of the connector housing contact portion or the straight edge is placed in a vertical slot on the connector housing, the connector housing does not have to be specifically configured for accepting the contact portion.

Landscapes

• Manufacturing Of Electrical Connectors (AREA)
• Connector Housings Or Holding Contact Members (AREA)
• Coupling Device And Connection With Printed Circuit (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22908468

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (27)

Citations (2)

Family Cites Families (13)

• 1995
  • 1995-05-10 EP EP95919148A patent/EP0801824A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1995-05-10 JP JP7529204A patent/JPH10500248A/ja active Pending
  • 1995-05-10 WO PCT/US1995/005896 patent/WO1995031019A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1995-06-14 TW TW088216069U patent/TW421330U/zh unknown
  • 1995-12-11 US US08/570,362 patent/US5591048A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1996
  • 1996-09-04 US US08/711,937 patent/US5758411A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-09-24 US US08/936,181 patent/US5953803A/en not_active Expired - Fee Related

Patent Citations (2)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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