Connector boardlock

Abstract

A boardlock is provided for holding down the housing of an electrical connector to a circuit board, which can be constructed at low cost and which assures good electrical and mechanical connection between the connector housing and circuit board. The boardlock is designed to be pushed downwardly through a cylindrical hole in a connector flange and through a larger diameter cylindrical hole drilled into the circuit board. The boardlock is formed from a piece of sheet metal which is bent to form largely tubular upper and lower portions (40, 42, FIG. 2 ) received respectively in the flange hole and in the larger diameter board hole, with largely vertical edges of the bent sheet metal engaging the walls of the hole. The boardlock has a pair of horizontal separation slots (76, 78) extending a limited distance from each vertical edge to separate the upper and lower portions, to allow the edge regions (86, 88) of the lower tubular portion to be bent to a larger radius of curvature to engage the walls of the larger circuit board hole. A vertical middle portion (62) of the boardlock has a projecting bump (60) on the lower tubular portion to center the lower tubular portion in the circuit board hole. The lower tubular portion forms a pair of fingers (56, 58) that lie within the top of the circuit board hole, and which press against the lower surface of the housing flange. The tapered bottom portions of the boardlock have slits forming ramps to which solder adheres, so any pullout forces cause compression of some of the solder.