Amp LLC

Donald L Forker

Troy Everette Conner

Kenneth R Parmer

Douglas R Sarver

Gregory E Skipper

Barbara A Adams

William H Allman

Raymond D Boyer

Edward J Knittle, Jr

A programmable tool for mounting a connector to a circuit board, the tool having a guide member with a plurality of apertures therein for receiving the leading ends of terminal members disposed in thhe connector and at least one plate member having first apertures therein aligned with selected ones of those in the guide member and defining selected deeper apertures. The leading end of the tool is positioned over the terminal members and as force is applied the selected deeper apertures allow the ends of corresponding terminal members received therein to extend further back within the tool than those of the other terminal members and hence are not pushed as far, whereby upon removing the tool from the mounted connector, the terminal members are arranged in a staged array.

Programmable tool for providing a staged array of terminal members

An electrical connector includes a housing and an array of terminal members having posts extending from the housing and adapted for insertion into through-holes of a circuit board. At least one board retention means is formed on at least one of the posts and is axially located a selected distance from the lower surface of the housing to be within a corresponding through-hole after insertion. The retention means is a swage defining wall engaging surfaces for engaging sidewalls of a respective through-holes during mounting of the connector to board. The swage is formed such that the far side of the post remains coplanar with the axially adjacent surfaces and a swage embossment extends laterally outwardly from at least the second side, the embossment being formed by the work end of a tool striking the third side at an angle. In the preferred embodiment, there are at least two swaged posts with embossment of the first terminal extending outwardly in a first direction and the embossment of the second post extending in a second opposing direction. The retention means of the first and second posts engage wall surface within respective through-holes with spring bias applied in opposite directions thereby defining means for temporarily securing the connector to the board prior to soldering.

Electrical connector having board retention means

The disclosure relates to a retainer for locking a printed circuit board into an edge connector having side ears with an aperture through each ear. The retainer includes two pairs of legs extending from a body in a first direction with flanges on the distal portion of each leg. The inner pairs of legs extend through the aperture in each of the ears with the flanges extending back over the ears. The outer legs extend around the ears with the flanges extending back over the ears to secure the retainer to the ears. The retainer includes a third pair of legs which extends outwardly from the body in a direction opposite to the above mentioned pairs of legs, one of these legs having a laterally extending pin and the other of these legs having an aperture for lockingly receiving the pin therein. The pin is disposed through an aperture in a circuit board to lock the board in the connector.

Snap board retainer

Growing community of inventors

Harrisburg, PA, United States of America

Donald L Forker