It is typical for electrical connectors which are mounted on printed circuit boards to include electrical terminals, where the lead portion of the terminal extends horizontally over the housing, or through the housing to a position where the terminal is bent over a mandel which is integral with the housing. This bending forms a vertical portion of the terminal extending towards the suface of the printed circuit board. This could be of either type, through hole mount or surface mount. The housing and the terminals require some cooperation in order for the terminals to be retained to the housing. This retention is required for precise alignment with traces on the printed circuit board; with the through holes in the case of such mounting, or with terminal pads on the upper surface of the printed circuit in the event of surface mount connectors. Much devotion has been given to such retention features as evidenced by U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,864.
One such method for retaining terminals to the housing is to include barbs on the terminals, and channels integral with the housing for receipt of the barbs in the channels in an interfering fit. Such a connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,376 as having a plurality of electrical terminal portions for interconnection to printed circuit board through holes. The terminal portions of the connector are arranged in two spaced apart rows along the back side of the housing to position the lead ends into two staggered rows of terminals. This connector is also available in a surface mount version where the lead ends are bent upwardly for contact on the surface of the printed circuit board rather than through a hole in the printed circuit board.
One problem which exists with such barbs is that a force on the lead portion of the terminals results in the barbs, and the associated leads, backing out of the channel through the same path which it formed during entry. This drawback is more predominant in the event of a surface mount connector where a reaction force is exerted on the surface mount contact due to the resilience of the contact when the connector is placed on the printed circuit board, yet prior to the soldering of the contact portion to the terminal pad. This biasing force can cause the lead portions to pop out of the channels while attempting to position the connector on the printed circuit boards, which causes undue difficulty in managing and positioning the lead ends relative to the pads on the printed circuit boards.
The present invention is directed to the achievement of a retention feature for printed circuit board mounted connectors which satisfy the requirements discussed above.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds