Electrical connector with improved contacts

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to an electrical connector, and more particularly to an electrical connector mounting on a circuit board and to facilitate slight movement after which is soldered thereto.

2. Description of Related Art

Electrical connectors are widely used to interconnect electronic components and subcomponents to circuit boards to form functioning devices. In the condition of repeatedly mating and unmating with corresponding complementary connectors or circuit boards, the connections between the contacts of the connector and the circuit board may not be reliable. It is conventional to use auxiliary elements such as fasteners/screws mounted to the electrical connector and the circuit board to enhance such connection therebetween. Obviously, the connector is needed to be able to be adjusted during fixing process by screw. However, it is difficult to make the gap between the screw hole and contacts absorbed because the electrical connectors are immovable after soldering.

Hence, an improved electrical connector is desired to overcome the problems mentioned above.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector which is movable after soldering to a circuit board.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electrical connector for mounting to a circuit board includes a dielectric housing defining a mounting face confronting to the circuit board and a top face opposite thereto and a plurality of conductive contacts. The dielectric housing defines a plurality of passageways extending therethrough and opened to the top face. Each conductive contacts has a body portion secured in the passageway of the dielectric housing, a mating portion extending from one edge of the body portion and beyond the top face, a stretch portion extending from the other edge of the body portion, and a solder portion connected with the stretch portion and extending outside of the dielectric housing. The stretch portion is deflectable with respect to the circuit board after the conductive contacts being soldered on said circuit board.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electrical connector in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 , but viewed from a different angle;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conductive contact of the electrical connector of the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-section view of the FIG. 1 .

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , an electrical connector 1 in accordance with the present invention, which is adapted for mounting on a circuit board defining a plurality of through holes 40 , comprises an integrated, one-piece rectangular dielectric housing 10 and a plurality of conductive contacts 20 assembled to the dielectric housing 10 .

Referring to FIGS. 1-2 and 4 , the dielectric housing 10 has a top, mating face 101 confronting to the circuit board and a mounting face 102 opposite thereto, and comprises a plurality of passageways 11 extending therethrough and opened to the top face 101 . The passageways 11 are arranged in a rectangular grid array for receiving corresponding conductive contacts 20 . The dielectric housing 10 forms two wing portions 12 at the opposite side thereof. Each wing portion 12 has a protrusion 120 and a guiding hole 122 defined therein. Each wing portion 12 further includes an opening 121 for receiving a fastener (not shown) or the like for securing the electrical connector 1 to the circuit board with the mounting face 102 of the dielectric housing 10 facing a top surface of the circuit board. The dielectric housing 10 defines a recess 13 proximate the plurality of the passageways 11 and communicated therewith. The recess 13 is opened to the mounting face 102 of the dielectric housing 10 and includes a plurality of slits 14 .

Referring to FIG. 3 , each conductive contact 20 soldering to the circuit board and electrically connecting with a complementary electrical components comprises a rectangular planar, body portion 22 , a mating portion 21 extending from a top edge of the body portion 22 , a stretch, resilient spring portion 23 extending from a bottom edge of the body portion 22 , and a solder portion 24 connected with the stretch portion 23 . The mating portion 21 includes a spring portion 26 connected with the body portion 22 and a contact portion 25 extending upwardly from the spring portion 26 . The solder portion 24 extends in a direction perpendicular to the circuit board, which is opposite to the contact portion 25 thereof. The solder portion 24 extends through the through hole 40 of the circuit board. The widths of stretch portion 23 and spring portion 26 are substantially equal to the thickness of the conductive contact 2 and the width of the body portion 22 is larger than the thickness of the conductive contact 2 .

The stretch portion 23 is a general slanted S-shaped and defines a first U-shaped portion 231 and a second U-shaped portion 232 to allow movements in X, Y and Z directions, Z representing an up and down movement relative to the circuit board in which the electrical connector is mounted, and X and Y representing movements in the plane parallel to the circuit board in which the electrical connector is mounted all as represented by the arrows shown in FIG. 1 . The stretch portion 23 defines thereof a basic axis A extending obliquely relative to the circuit board. The spring portion 26 includes a first arc portion 261 connected with the contact portion 25 , a third arc portion 263 connected with the body portion 22 , and a second arc portion 262 extending therebetween. The body portion 22 is provied with a plurality of barbs 221 along two opposite lateral edges thereof for interference fit in corresponding passageway 11 of the dielectric housing 10 .

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 , in the preferred embodiment, the electrical connector 1 further includes a spacer 30 attached to the dielectric housing 10 . The spacer 30 defines a main body 31 and four retention blocks 33 each having a plurality of ribs 331 thereon. A plurality of cavities 32 corresponding to the conductive contacts 20 are defined in the main body 31 .

Referring to FIG. 4 , in assembly, the body portions 22 of the conductive contacts 20 are secured in the passageways 11 . The spring portions 26 are received in the passageways 11 and the stretch portions 23 are received in the recess 13 . The contact portion 25 of the conductive contact 20 is exposed beyond the top face 101 of the dielectric housing 10 . The main body 31 of the spacer 30 is received in the recess 13 of the dielectric housing 10 and the ribs 331 of the retention blocks 33 are interference with the slits 14 . The solder portions 24 of the conductive contacts 20 are respectively received in the cavities and extending therethrough for soldering to the circuit board.

After the conductive contacts 20 soldering to the circuit board, the mating portion 21 can move in the Z direction and the solder portion 24 is immovable relative to the circuit board. But as can be appreciated, slight movement is provided by the spring characteristics of the stretch portion 23 and is intended within a range of the elastic properties of the spring. Therefore, the electrical connector 1 can adjust position of which to overcome the mounting tolerance of the process of the solder and result in an accurate orientation for fixing a fastener to further securing the electrical connector the circuit board.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.