The Whitaker Corporation

Amp LLC

Douglas R Sarver

Mark R Thumma

David James Fabian

Timothy Lee Kocher

Troy Everette Conner

Robert L Bendorf

Donald L Forker

Joseph S DiOrazio

Shane D Northcraft

David P Wike

Barbara A Adams

William H Allman

Edward J Knittle, Jr

A surface mountable electrical connector 10 for use with a circuit board 70 of the type having one or more rows 74,82 of closely spaced trace termini 76,84 on the mounting surface 72 of the board 70, the connector 10 including a housing 12 having one or more rows of closely spaced electrical terminal members 30,46 therein. The terminal members 30,46 include elongate arm portions 36,52 extending from the housing 12 to surface mount contact sections 38,54 at free ends thereof. Each terminal associated with an outer row 74 of circuit board termini 76 includes a portion immediately adjacent and inwardly from the contact section 38, which is abruptly directed away from the mounting surface 72 to minimize wicking of solder to a nearby inner row termini 84. Some terminal members 46 include a registration portion 56 proximate free ends thereof and directed upwardly away from the mounting surface 72 of the board 70, to be received in an associated recess 20 extending into the mounting face 18 of the housing 12, thereby maintaining the registration of the elongate arms 52 and the accurate spacing of the surface mount contact sections 54 during handling and mounting.

Surface mountable card edge connector

A device 10 for holding an electrical connector 50 to a circuit board, the device 10 including a one-piece essentially planar metal member 12 with a pair of diverging cantilevered first beams 20 extending outwardly in a first direction from one body edge 14 and a pair of diverging cantilevered second beams 30 extending outwardly in a second direction from the other edge 14 of the body 12. Each of the pair of second beams 30 includes a wall engaging portion 40 at the leading ends thereof and a board holding portion 36 intermediate the wall engaging portion 40 and the body 12. The pair of first beams 20 are compressible toward one another and are adapted to be received in a cavity 58 of the electrical connector housing 52 and define a holding section for the connector 50. The pair of second beams 30 are being compressible toward one another and are adapted to be received in and cooperate with a corresponding retention aperture 84 of circuit board 80. The wall engaging surfaces 36 bear against aperture surfaces 86 to hold the connector 50 to the board 80.

Component mounting device

A card edge connector (10) for connection to a circuit board (11). At least one key position (19, 20) is formed in the connector (10) between the contacts (15) and the end walls (13, 14) of the connector housing (12). At least one key (21) is disposed in the at least one key position (19, 20). At least one key slot (22) is formed in the circuit board (11) to cooperate with and receive the key (21). A removable key (21) may be removed from the key opening (19, 20) with a tool (27). In an alternate embodiment, the key (21') is irremovable.

Keyed card edge connector

An electronic assembly including a pair of complementary connectors (28,40), each mounted to respective circuit boards (22,34) and means for preventing damage to pin contacts (32) of one connector (28) when the connectors (28,40) are unmated, the connectors (28,40) and their respective circuit boards (22,34) defining first and second subassemblies. The pin saving means includes at least one pair of stop means (50) associated with one subassembly and adapted to cooperate with stop engaging means for the other subassembly. The stop means (50) includes a lower portion (52) extending in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the associated subassembly and a lower portion (54) extending outwardly from a leading end thereof and having a stop surface (56). The upper portion (54) is adapted to be moved from a first position wherein the stop surface (56) engages the stop engaging means to a second position wherein the stop surface (56) is removed from the stop engaging means. In its first position, the upper portion stop surface (56) is located a selected distance from stop engaging means to permit the first and second connectors (28,40) to be partially unmated and the contact surfaces of the pin contacts (32) to be withdrawn from the receptacle contacts (46) while preventing the connectors (28,40) from rotating a sufficient amount to damage the pin contacts (32). The first and second connectors (28,40) are completely separable upon moving the upper stop means portion to their second positions.

Pin saving board stop

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

Growing community of inventors

Millerstown, PA, United States of America

Douglas R Sarver