GB2248529A

GB2248529A - Barb-mounted electrical socket connector contact

Info

Publication number: GB2248529A
Application number: GB9124328A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ikuo Enomoto
Original assignee: AMP Inc
Current assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
Priority date: 1987-10-14
Filing date: 1991-11-15
Publication date: 1992-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 2011-11-15
Also published as: GB2248529B; GB9124328D0

Abstract

An electrical connector comprises a dielectric housing (2) having upper passageways (2a) aligned with lower passageways (2a') in which electrical contacts (3, 3') are disposed with terminal sections (3d, 3d') extending along respective sides of the housing for electrical connection to a circuit board (5). Contact members (3b, 3b') of the contacts (3, 3') electrically engage pins (4, 4') when they are inserted into the passageways, and walls (3c, 3c') of the contact (3, 3') have outer ends extending across base sections (3a, 3a') of the contacts (3, 3') which define stops against which pins (4') engage to prevent the pins from shorting the terminal sections (3d). Sections (3g, 3g', 3h, 3h') have parts that protrude above the upper edges (3f, 3f') of the contact members (3b, 3b') and the wall members (3c, 3c') and engage walls (2b, 2b') of the passageways securing the contacts (3, 3') in the passageways while the remainder of the upper edges are spaced from the walls (2b, 2b'). <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE CONNECTOR FOR PCB This invention relates to an electrical connector which electrically connects electrical and/or electronic circuits to each other, and more particularly it is an improvement of an electrical contact which is housed inside a housing.

Electrical connectors are for electrically connecting and disconnecting electrical or electronic circuits or devices. One example of this type of connector is disclosed in Japanese Published Patent No. 57-10555. This connector is used on a printed circuit board which has terminal sections of electrical contacts soldered to conductive paths of the circuit board so that electrical pinsr which are connected to another printed circuit board, can be inserted into the contact sections of the connector. The circuits of both printed circuit boards are electrically connected via the connection between the pins and the contacts.

Figure 5A shows an example of a prior art connector 11 and Figure 5B shows a conventional electrical contact 13 in the housing 12 of Figure 5A before bending the terminal section 13b. Figure 5C shows multiple blanks of electrical contacts arranged side by side prior to being formed into electrical contacts.

Electrical contacts 13 are stamped as blanks from a strip of conductive metal and are arranged horizontally so that they adjoin one another, as indicated by Figure 5C.

After they have been stamped, the blanks are formed to the shape shows by Figure 5B as electrical contacts 13 which are then housed in passageways of dielectric housing 12, whereafter terminal sections 13b are bent at a right angle to produce connector 11 as shown in Figure 5A.

Electrical contacts 13 include a contact section 13a which makes electrical contact with electrical pins 15 electrically connected to a circuit board 14 by spring force and a terminal section 13b which protrudes from housing 12.

Terminal sections 13b are inserted in holes in a printed circuit board (not shown) and soldered. The electrical or electronic circuits of printed circuit board 14 and the circuits of the printed circuit board, to which terminal sections 13b are soldered, are electrically connected by the electrical connection of pins 15 and contacts 13.

When the upper edges of spring contact members 13c of contact sections 13a of electrical contacts 13 engage the inside wall of the passageways of housing 12 in which electrical contacts 13 are housed, the spring forces of contact members 13c on pins 15 decreases. There is also a risk that the engagement between contact section 13a and pin 15 will be poor even though only sections 13d of the upper edges of spring contact members 13c of contact section 13a engage the inside wall of the passageway of housing 12. By providing space 16 between the adjoining blanks from which contacts 13 will be formed, Figure 5C, only sections 13d will engage the inside wall of the passageway of housing 12.

An object of this invention is to alleviate the problems experienced with the above described prior electrical connectors and their contacts.

To this end, the invention consists in an electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having a plurality of passageways and electrical contacts having contact sections secured in the passageways for electrical engagement with pins when inserted in the passageways and terminal sections for electrical connection to a circuit board wherein the contact sections have base sections and spring contact members extending upwardly from the base sections, and sections of the upper edges of the contact members engage walls of the passageways to secure the contacts in the passageways whilst the remainders of the upper edges are spaced from said walls.

The invention also consists in an electrical contact to be secured in a passageway of a dielectric housing comprises a contact section for electrical engagement with a pin and a terminal section for electrical connection to a conductive member, the contact section having a base section with a pair of spring contact members extending upwardly from the sides of the base section, wherein sections of the upper edges of the contact members protrude above said upper edges for engagement with a wall of the passageway of the housing to secure the contact in the passageway whilst the remainders of the upper edges are spaced from said wall.

With the present invention, when the electrical contact is housed in the passageway of the housing, only a part of the upper edges of the contact section will always engage the inside wall of the passageway. The contact section therefore retains the spring forces which enables the spring contact members positively to engage the electrical pin when inserted therein and reduces the risk of a poor electrical contact arising between the pin and the contact section. In addition, the invention may keep to a minimum the waste of metal by blanking the electrical contacts so that the entire upper edges of the contact sections of the adjoining electrical contacts are in engagement when they are blanked out of a strip of metal and arranged horizontally so that they adjoin each other therealong.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the electric contact includes three parts, that is, a base section, a pair of contact members which use spring force to electrically engage an electrical pin inserted into the housing and which extend upwardly from the edges of the base section, and a terminal section which is a continuation of the base section and protrudes outwardly from the housing. A part of the upper edge of each contact members is corrugated. When a series of electrical contacts are blanked from a strip of metal and aligned horizontally so that they adjoin each other, the corrugations complement each other along the adjoining edges so that there is no waste. Only a protruding section of the corrugated parts of a contact section engages the inside wall of the passageway when the contact is disposed in the housing.

Engagement between the upper edges and the inside wall of the housing passageway is at a minimum and the contact members can electrically engage the pin via an optimum amount of spring force thereby obviating poor contact between the contact members and the pin. As a result of the entire upper edges of the contact members of the contacts adjoining each other along such edges in their blank forms, waste metal is thus held to a minimum.

In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical receptacle connector of the present invention on a printed circuit board.

Figure 1B are part cross-sectional views of lower and upper contact-receiving passageways of the dielectric housing of Figure 1.

Figure lC is a cross-sectional view taken along the line lC-lC of Figure 1.

Figures 2A and 2B are a top plan view and a side elevational view, respectively, of the electrical contact for insertion in the upper passageways of the connector of Figure 1.

Figures 3A and 3B are a top plan view and a side elevational view, respectively, of the electrical contact for insertion in the lower passageways of the connector of Figure 1.

Figures 4A and 4B are top plan views of the blanks prior to being formed into the contacts of Figures 2A, 2B and 3A, 3B,respectively.

Figure 5A is a perspective cross-sectional view of a prior art connector.

Figure 5B is a perspective view of a prior art electrical contact prior to being secured in tine passageways or - e nousing of one connector of Figure 5A.

Figure 5C is a top plan view of the blanks of the contacts of Figures SA and B prior to being formed thereinto.

Electrical connector 1 for electrical connection to circuit board 5 includes dielectric housing 2 and electrical contacts 3, 3' which are secured in upper and lower rows of aligned passageways in housing 2. Contacts 3, 3' include a pair of contact members 3b, 3b' extending upwardly fran the sides or base sections 3a. 3a' and they electrIcally engage electrical pins 4, 4' via spring forces when pins 4, 4' are inserted through openings of ==e passageways 2a, 2a'.

Wall members 3c, ?c: are spaced Zrcm contact members 3b, 3b' and they extend upwardly fran the sides of base sections 3a. 3a' with the ends being bent inwardly across tr base sections and engaging one another thereby providing stops against which pins 4, 4' will engage so as to limit movement of pins 4, 4' into contacts 3, 3'. This prevents pins 4' fran shorting with terminal sections 3d of contacts 3.Terminal sections 3d, 2d' are continuations of base sections 3a, 3a' and they are bent at a right angle along the respective sides of housing 2 after contacts 3, 3' have been securea in their respectIve passageways. Terminal sections 3d, 3d' are inserted into respective holes 5a and soldered to printed circuit board 5.

Figures 2A and 2B show contact 3 before it Is inserted in the upper passageways 2a of housing 2. Figures 3A and 3B show contact 3' before it is inserted in the lower passageways 2a' of housing 2.

Electrical contacts 3, 3' are inserted and secured in the upper and lower passageways, respectively, of housing 2 fran the right-hand side of Figure 1. Terminal sections 3d, 3d' are then bent at right angles so as to extend along the respective sides of housing 2. Contacts 3, 3' are inserted in the passageways 2a, 2a of housing 2 by using an assembly tool (not shown) that pushes against the engaging ends of wall members 3c, 3c' and thereby serve to receive the force of the assembly tool which forces contacts 3, 3' into the passageways of housing 2.Protruding barbs 3e, 3e' are struck from wall members 3c,3c' and project from both sides of base sections 3a,3a' and outwardly from adjacent wall members 3c,3c'. Barbs 3e,3e' dig into the side walls of the passageways of housing 2 thereby securing contacts 3,3' therein. As a result, when pins 4,4' are electrically engaged with contacts 3,3', the latter are not moved from their secured positions even if the pins make contact with the engaging ends of wall members 3c,3c'.

Additionally, to secure contacts 3,3' in the housing passageways, the front parts or sections 3g,3g' of the upper edges 3f,3f' of the pair of contact members 3b,3b' are corrugated so that only the protrusions of corrugated sections 3g,3g' that extend above upper edges 3f,3f' engage the upper walls 2b,2b' of the passageways 2a,2a' of housing 2.

Therefore, the entire upper edges 3f,3f' do not engage the upper walls 2b,2b' of housing 2, only the protrusions of corrugated sections 3g,3g' do. The spring forces of contact members 3b,3b' on pins 4,4' are not decreased due to the fact that most of the upper edges 3f,3f' do not engage upper walls 2b,2b' of the housing passageways. Further to secure contacts 3,3' in the housing passageways, corrugated sections 3h,3h' are also located at the inner ends of the upper edges of wall members 3c,3c' and the protrusions of corrugated sections 3h,3h' that extend above the upper edges of wall members 3c,3c' engage the upper walls 2b, 2b' of passageways 2a,2a'. Thus, all of the upper edges 3f,3f' of contact members 3b,3b' and all the upper edges of wall members 3c,3c' do not engage the upper walls 2b,2b' of the passageways 2a,2a' of housing 2.

Figures 4A and 4B show, respectively, blanks of contacts 3,3' which are blanked from a strip of metal having the desirable electrical and spring characteristics before they are formed into contacts 3,3'. The blanks for forming the electrical contacts 3, 3' are arranged horizontally so that they adjoin each other. Sections 3g,3g' of the edges 3f,3f' of contact members 3b,3b' and sections 3h,3h' of the edges of wall members 3c,3c' are corrugated as the blanks of contacts 3,3' are blanked from the metal strip along the adjoining edges of contacts 3,3'. As a result, they complement each other with a minizziin waste of metal.It is estimated that an identical number of contacts could be blanked using approximately 45% of the area of the metal strip as used in conventional blanking operations by using a shape that enables the contacts to supplement each other. It is also estimated that the cost involved is substantially decreased. Fhrtner, carrier strips 3i, 3i' connected to base sections 3a, 3a' of each of the contacts are used to connect contacts 3, 3' together during the blanking and forming operations so that a large nunter of contacts 3, 3' can be carried without becoming separated from one another.Holes 3j, 3j' located in carrier strips 3i , 3i' are engaged by a feeding mechanism to feed the metal strip along the blanking and forming dies.

In order to guide and properly position contacts 3, 3' in their respective passageways 2a, 2a' of housing 2, the bottom walls of the passageways have grooves 2e, 2e' therein which are engaged by projections 3k, 3k' extending outwardly from base sections 3a, 3a' of contacts 3, 3.' As explained in detail above, a section of the upper edges of the pair of contact mPmners of the electrical contacts in this invention is corrugated so that only the protrusions of the corrugated sections engage walls of passageways of the housing when the contacts are inserted in the housing passageways. Nane of the spring forces of the contact members that electrically engage electrical pins when they are inserted between the contact members is lost and poor contact between the pins and the contact members is precluded. Mbreaver, the corrugated sections are shaped so that they canpiement eacn other along the edges adjoining the contact blanks when they are blanked from the metal strip and arranged horizontally so that they adjoin each other along all of the outer edges of the contact meters and wall members of the adjoining contacts thus minimizing waste of metal.

Claims

1. An electrical connector comprising a dielectric housing having a plurality of passageways and electrical contacts having contact sections secured in the passageways for electrical engagement with pins when inserted in the passageways and terminal sections for electrical connection to a circuit board wherein the contact sections have base sections and spring contact members extending upwardly from the base sections, and sections of the upper edges of the contact members engage walls of the passageways to secure the contacts in the passageways whilst the remainders of the upper edges are spaced from said walls.

2 An electrical connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein wall members extend upwardly from the sides of the base section and have sections on the upper edges of the wall members which protrude above the upper edges for engagement with the passageway wall to secure the contact in the passageway.

3 An electrical connector as claimed in claims 1 or 2, wherein walls of the passageways have grooves along which projections extending outwardly from the base sections move when the contacts are inserted into the passageways to guide and position the contacts in the passageways.

4. An electrical contact to be secured in a passageway of a dielectric housing comprises a contact section for electrical engagement with a pin and a terminal section for electrical connection to a conductive member, the contact section having a base section with a pair of spring contact members extending upwardly from the sides of the base section, wherein sections of the upper edges of the contact members protrude above said upper edges for engagement with a wall of the passageway of the housing to secure the contact in the passageway whilst the remainders of the upper edges are spaced from said wall.

5. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 4, wherein wall members extend upwardly from the sides of the base section and have sections on the upper edges of the wall members which protrude above the upper edges for engagement with the passageway wall to secure the contact in the passageway.

6. An electrical contact as claimed in claim 4 or 5, wherein the base section has a projection extending outwardly therefrom for engaging a groove in a juxtaposed wall of the passageway, when the contact is inserted into the passageway, to guide and position the contact in the passageway.

7. An electrical contact as claimed in claims 5 or 6, wherein barbs protrude from the contact section for digging into opposed walls of the passageway to secure the contact in the passageway.