Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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8491-36D
This application is a divisional of our Canadian patent
application Serial No. 488,353 filed August 8, 1985.
The present invention relates to low profile stacking
connectors for use with printed circuit boards, and particularly
to connector arrangements which provide electrical interconnection
between parallel, spaced-apart printed circuit boards.
Various connector arrangements have been provided for
interconnecting parallel, spaced-apart printed circuit boards.
These types of connectors have been referred to as "stacking
connectors."
The earlier types of stacking connectors, located be-
tween two adjacent printed circuit boards, were comprised of two
telescopically interfitting members, with one member mounted on
each board. The arrangement, however, required considerable
spacing between the printed circuit boards to accommodate
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the two connector members. As electronic components became miniaturized, a
need arose for a low profile printed circuit board connector that allowed
closer spacing between adjacent, parallel, spaced-apart interconnected printed
circuit boards.
One particular e~ample of a low profile connector is given in
United States Patent No. 4,232,923 - Otsuki, et al. Disclosed therein is a
low profile connector having a terminal which is elongated in a direction
parallel to the printed circuit board and perpendicular to the direction of
insertion of the male commoning element. The elongated terminal has a plural-
ity of bends which must be formed at close tolerances to accurately define the
contact opening of the female connector element w}lich receives the male
commoning member. If any of the bends are not accurately formed, contact pres-
sure would be greatly affected. Also, this connector, elongated in a direction
parallel to the printed circuit board mounting surface, consumes space on the
printed circuit board which is becoming increasingly valuable as components
are mounted in increasingly higher densities.
Further, while the connector described above is of a low profile
design, even closer stacking of adjacent printed circuit boards is required
in many applications.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide
an electrical comlector Eor intorconllacting prin~ed c.ircuil: bonrLIs, wlnicl
allows close spacillg l)otwecll prilltc~l circuit l)oaldx.
Anotller object oE the present invention is to provide an electrical
connector for interconnecting printed circ~lit boards wll:icll consistcntly pro-
vides reLIuired contact pressures and whicllllas a unitary termin.ll member
which is inexpensively fabricated form a stamped blank, with a minimuln nulllber
of low tolerance forming steps.
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A further object of the present invention is to provide
a printed circuit board connector which allows close spacing of
printed circuit boards while requiring less mounting space than
was heretofore necessary.
Thus, in accordance with a broad aspect of the inven-
tion, there is provided a printed circuit board assembly including:
at least three parallel, spaced-apart printed circuit boards,
each board having opposed top and bottom surfaces, with at least
one surface defining a component securing surface, each adjacent
pair of boards having facing surfaces defined by the bottom sur-
face of one board and the top surface of the adjacent board; at
least two stacking connectors, one between each pair of adjacent
printed circuit boards, for electrically interconnecting at least
two of said printed circuit boards, each connector having a
housing with a pin receiving passageway and a terminal mounted in
said housing with a female portion mounted in the pin receiving
passageway and a board engaging portion extending out of the hous-
ing for electrical connection to a component securing surface of
an adjacent printed circuit board; and pin connector means received
within the pin receiving passageway of each connector for elec-
trically connecting the connectors to one another; the .tmprovement
comprising: the board engaging portlon oE each termlnal having
an end extending through the securing surface of the printed cir-
cuit board to which it is connected; and the housing of one
stacking connector located between one pair of adjacent printed
circuit boards including a cavity adapted to accommodate said
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board engaging portion end of an adjacent stacking connector.
In accordance with another broad aspect of the invention
there is provided a printed circuit board assembly including: a
pair of parallel adjacent spaced-apart printed circuit boards,
each board having opposed top and bottom surfaces, with at least
one surface defining a component securing surface, said pair of
printed circuit boards having facing surfaces defined by the
bottom surface of one board and top surface of the other, adjacent
board; a stacking connector located between said pair of adjacent
printed circuit boards for electrically interconnecting said pair
of printed circuit boards to a pin connector means, said stacking
connector having a housing with two opposed surfaces and a pin
receiving passageway and further having a terminal mounted in said
housing with a female portion mounted in the pin receiving pass-
ageway and at least two opposed board engaging portions extending
out of the opposed surfaces of the housing for electrical connec-
tion to a component securing surface of each printed circuit board,
respectively; pin connector means electrically associated with a
third printed circuit board, being received within the pin receiv-
ing passageway for electrical connection to the stacking connector;
said printed circuit boards defining a pin receiving hole formed
therein, said pin receiving holes and said stacklng connector pin
receiving passageway being aligned in registry; and said pin
connector means including a unitary elongated pin connector of
sufficient length to be received through all of said pin receiving
holes and said pin receiving passageway.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
_
In the drawings, wherein like elements are referenced
alike,
Figure l is a sectional elevational view of a plurality
of printed circuit boards interconnected by various connectors
according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a first connector
according to the present invention for simultaneous mounting to
two adjacent, parallel, spaced-apart printed circuit boards;
Figures 3 and 4 are elevational views of the terminal
member of the connector of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a cross-~ectional view of the connector of
Figure 2, shown installed between two printed circuit boards.
This figure is an enlarged detail of a portion of Figure l;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of another embodiment of
the present invention which provides "top entry-l mounting of the
connector on a printed circuit board;
Figure 7 an enlarged detail of a portion of Figure 1,
shows two of the connectors of Figure 6 installed in two adjacent
printed circuit boards;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment
of the present invention which prov:Ldes "bottom entry" mounting
of the connector to a printed c:Lrcuit board; and
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Fig. 9, an enlarged detail of a portion of Fig. 1, shows the
connector of Fig. 8 installed in a printed circuit Doard.
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Referring ncw to the drawings, and especially to Fig. 1, an
arrangement of several printed circuit boards designatea A, B, C,
and D are electrically interconnected using various connectors
according to the present invention. As will be explained more
fully below, connection is made by inserting a conductive pin-like
commoning element througn a series of printed circuit b~aras, so
as to engage several of tne connectors of the present invention,
which are mounte~ on each of the printed circuit boarGs to be
interconnectea. To~, ~ottqm, or ~oth top and bottcm mounting is
provided by various embcdiments or the present invention.
Referring now to Fig. 2, connector 10 includes an insulatiny
housing 12 and a s~amped integral conductive terminal memDer,
designated generally at 14, unted therein. As can be seen in
Figs. 2-4, terminal 14 includes a remale portion, designated
generally at 16~ and board enga~ing portions 18~20. Housiny 12
has mounting sur~aces 22, 24 an~ a ~lurality of pin-receiving
passageways 26. For pur~oses of clarity, only one terminal member
14 is shown installed in housing 12. A pin-like or male commoning
element is inserted in connector 10 in the direction of arrcw 30.
If additional terminals are installea in Aousing 12, then
additional male commoning elements can be received in each
terminal for a separate electrical connection.
PAGE 5
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Referring to Figures 2 to 4, the female portion 16 of terminal 1
includes a U-shaped support member, designated generally at 34, having a
central portion 36 and two leg portions 38, 40. A struck-out finger member
42 is joined at a first end 44 to central portion 36, and has a contact camming
surface 46 at its free end 48. As can be seen in Figure 2, finger member 42
is partially surrounded by support member 34, and is struck out therefrom in
the direction of arrow 30~ i.e. the direction of insertion of the commoning
element. Housing 12 includes a shoulder 50 which engages central support por-
tion 36 so as to retain terminal 1~ in housing 12. Tangs 52, located adjacent
leg portions 38, 40, also engage shoulder 50 to aid in terminal retention.
An interconnecting member 54 interconnects leg portion 38 of female portion
16 and board engaging members 18, 20. Barb-like projections 58, 60, formed
adjacent the board-engaging members, engage the sidewalls 62 of a cavity 64
formed in housing 12, to further aid in retaining terminal 14 in positioll.
If needed for still additional retention, a second support member,
designated generally at 66, integrally formed with terminal 14, can be pro-
vided. The second support 66 is U-shaped, being substantially identical in
appearance to support member 34, but for the omission of a finger like contact
member. The second support 66 may be dimensioned so as to be frictionally
engaged within second support cavity 68, or may engage a second, optional,
should 69. As can be seen i.n Pi.gure 3, the socond support 66 :ix joinc~l ~o
the re~nainder of tormi.~ througl~ torconllcctillg me~ or 5~1.
I~oforring nol~ to ~;igllre 5, connoctor 10 doscribcd above providcs
both top and bottom mounting for attaclm~ent to two parallel closed-spaced
printed circuit boards designated by thc lettors ~ and B. The cross-sectional
view of Figure 5 s]~ows the installed connector 10 of Figure 1 in greater dctail.
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Connector 10 provides both top and bottom entry of its board engaging members
into the printed circuit boards, for solder or the like electric~l engagement
therewith. In Figure 5, surface 70A is understood to be a component mounting
side of printed circuit board A, and the opposite surface is the remote, or com-
ponent securement side of that board to which the components are affixed by
soldering or the like. Similarly, surface 70B is a component mounting side of
printed circuit board B~ with the components being affixed to the opposing
component securement surface. In Figure 5, the end of board engaging member
20 is soldered to the remote surface of printed circuit board A, and the ends
of board engaging portion 18 is likewise soldered to the remote surface of
printed circuit board B. As can be seen, board engaging members 18,20 extend
out of board mounting surfaces 24, 22, of housing 12, respectively. After in-
stallation of connector 10 and printed circuit boards A and B, a pin-like
commoning element 72 is inserted in apertures 74, 76 of printed circuit boards
A and B respectively. Insertion of pin 72 deflects finger contact 42, thereby
establishing electrical contact with connector 10. Pin 72 is held in an
engagement with connector 10, between the camming surface 46 of finger 42 and an
adjacent side wall of housing 12. The stocking connector of this arrangement
will typically provide electrical connection of a third printed circuit board,
such as shown in Figure 1. I-lowever, connector 10 Call also provide electrlcnl
connection to another type of extornnl e:lrcuit mombor, V:l;l COIlllOCt:Or ~'i,ll 72.
One example o~ tllis latter nlr~ gonlollt is ~oul~-l wlloro dlscrolo wlro :is conllect-
ed between pin 72 and anotller printed Cil`CU:i~ portion wllicll nlay or mny not
include a printed circuit board.
'rhe rcmaining two embodiments of the conllector of the present
invention are substantially identical to connect.or 10, except Eor the omission
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1~3'7l3 ~l~
of either board engaging member 1~ or 20. For cxample, if the second boards
engaging member 20 is removed from the arrangemcnt of Eigure 2 by cutting at
dotted line 92, the conncctor 10 of Figure 2 bccomcs a "top entry" connector
210 shown in Figure 6. Only mounting surface 24 will be employed in this
embodiment for engagement with a printed circuit board. Except for the
omission of board engaging member 20, connector 210 is identical to connector
10 described above.
Figure 7 shows two connectors 210 in a stacked, adjacent arrange-
ment which interconnects printed circuit boards C and D. The heretofore unknown
close spacing between adjacent printed circuit boards C and D is made possible
by the "top entry" connector 210 of the present invention. As can be seen most
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,~ _ 9 _
clearly in Fig. 6, a cavity ~4, locatea adjacent board engaging
member 18, and communicating with housiny surrace 24, is provioed
in housiny 12 for receiving an end of a board engaging memDer of
another connector arrangement, such as another connector 210.
Cross member 54 is located Lmmediately adjacent board mounting
surface 24, and board engaging member 18 is arranged to one side
of interconnecting mem~er 54 so as not to extend into cavity 64.
Only tr.e optional ~arD-like retaining projections 58, 60 are
contained in cavity 64, and only at a lower most portion tnereof.
muS~ witn reference to Fiy. 7, the upper connector 210 can be
locatea directly over lower connector 210, with the portion of tne
upper boara engaging member extenaing below printed circuit b~ara
C, being nested within cavity 64 of the lower connector 210. As
can be seen with rererence to Fi~. 7, pinrlike commoning element
84 is inserted tnrouyh apertures 86B~ 86C, an~ 86D, so as to be
received within up~er and lower connectors 210. As explaine~
above with reference to Fig. 5, pin 84 is hela captive between the
spring-like finger contact 42 of each connector 210, ana tne
aujacent side wall or each respective connector housins.
Re~erring now to Fig. 8, a "bottom entry" connector 310 is
shcwn in Ferspective. If the Lirst bc~r~ engayiny member 18 of
the connector o~ Fig. 2 is removea by cuttiny at aotteo line 94,
the connector 310 will be realized. Connector 310 is in all otner
respects iaentical to connector 10~ which was ex~lained above wit~
reference to Figs. 2-~. Referring to Fig. 9, a aetailea
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enlargement of a portion of Fig. 1, connector 310 is mounted to
the underside surface 83a of printed circuit board A. A free ena
of board engaging member 20, which extends out of ~oard mounting
surface 22, is secured to the op~osite side 83b of printed circuit
board A by solder or the like connection means. As explainea
aoove with reference to connectors 10 and 210, connector 310
retains a pin like commoning element 84 between the spring-like
finger contact 42 ana the adjacent side wall 80 of connector
housing 12.
In any event, tne mounting surface oî the connector of the
present invention will be ~ositionea aajacent the component side
of a printea circuit boara, with ~he board engagins member
protruding through tne opposite side of the printed circuit board
so as to be soldered or otherwise secured thereto. The pinr
receiving passageways or the connectors to be electrically
interconnected must be aligned in registry, so that the con~uctive
pin-like com~oning element can engage the respective female
contact fingers of each connector. As will be appreciated t~
those skilled in the art, the integral terminal of the ~resent
invention need not necessarily be ~tamFed ~rom a flat blank.
However, the terminal of the preferred emboaiment is stampe~ for
reasons of economy.
Thus it can be seen that the connector of the ~resent
invention provides improved, consistent contact pressure in â
connector Eackage haviny reduced board-to-ooard spaciny and
reduced mounting space requirements.
P~GE 10
