Low profile board-to-board connector assembly

ABSTRACT

A low profile board-to-board connector assembly includes a receptacle and a detachable plug. The receptacle has a receptacle housing with a plurality of arrayed first contacts mounted therein. Each first contact has a base portion, a first solder tail portion extending outwardly from one end of the base portion for connection with a first PCB, a retention portion perpendicular to the base portion, and a free first spring contact portion bent from the other end of the base portion and extending parallel to the retention portion. The plug has a plug housing with a plurality of arrayed second contacts mounted therein. Each second contact has a U-shaped portion with a pair of legs one of which is a free second spring contact portion and the other of which is a locking portion, and a second solder tail potion bent from an end of the locking portion and extending outwardly for connection with a second PCB. When the receptacle and the plug are assembled, the first spring contact portion can engage at its free end with the free end of the second contact portion thereby providing sufficient spring bias for reliable electrical contact with each other.

INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, a low profile board-to-board connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown. The connector assembly is composed of a receptacle and a plug which are respectively of flat configurations for surface mounting on individual printed circuit boards (PCBs) (not shown) to interconnect circuits on the boards.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the receptacle comprises a receptacle housing mounting a plurality of first contacts in two parallel arrays. The receptacle housing is of a flat rectangular configuration to have a flat base . Side walls are projected on opposite lateral sides of the base . The side walls extend along the length of the base to define a recess therebetween. A pair of wedgy protrusions extends upwardly from opposite ends of the base . A bottom of each side wall forms a plurality of evenly spaced first slots which extend through the base for holding the first contacts respectively. Each side wall further forms a plurality pair of vertical mounting holes and vertical receiving holes extending therethrough and communicating with corresponding first slots . The receiving holes also communicate with the recess . As the two arrays of the first contacts are symmetrically configurated, only one array of the first contacts is disassembled from the receptacle in FIG. 3 for illustration. As each first contact has the same configuration, only one first contact is illustrated for the following detail description. With the same reason, only one array of second contacts is disassembled from the plug in FIG. 4 for illustration.

The first contact is stamped of sheet metal material. The first contact has a rigid base portion , a first solder tail portion extending from one end of the base portion , a retention portion perpendicular to the base portion and extending from a common boundary of the base portion and the first solder tail portion , and a first spring contact portion bent from the other end of the base portion and extending parallel to the retention portion . The retention portion is provided with a pair of barbs on opposite edges of the retention portion . A free end of the first spring contact portion is inclined outwardly to define a contact end . Referring to FIGS. 1, and , especially to FIG. 5, the first contact is inserted into the corresponding first slot from a bottom of the base . Simultaneously, the retention portion comes into the mounting hole , and the first spring contact portion is received in the receiving hole . The barbs of the retention portion are pressed abutment against an inner wall of the mounting hole . The first contact is thus secured in the receptacle housing , then, the first solder tail portion horizontally extends from the bottom of the receptacle housing for soldering connection on a printed circuit board (not shown) and the contact end projects into the recess , thereby allowing the contact end to flex toward the receiving hole .

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the plug comprises a plug housing mounting a plurality of second contacts in two parallel arrays. The plug housing has a flat bottom and an elongated tenon projecting from the bottom for mating engagement into the recess of the receptacle housing . The plug housing further includes a pair of ears extending outwardly from opposite ends of the bottom . Each ear forms a notch for engaging with corresponding protrusion to interconnect the receptacle and the plug . The tenon is formed in its laterally opposite sides respectively with evenly spaced second slots . The second slots extend through the tenon and the bottom . An outer side of each second slot communicates with outside, while an inner side of each second slot defines a broader interference groove .

The second contact is a stamped and formed metal strip which is shaped to have a U-shaped portion with a pair of legs one of which is defines a second spring contact portion and the other of which defines a locking portion for fixed engagement with the tenon . A second solder tail portion is bent from the lower end of the locking portion and extends horizontally over the lower end of the second spring contact portion . The locking portion is provided with a pair of tabs on opposite edges of the locking portion . Together with reference to FIG. 6, the second contact is pressed in the corresponding second slot from the bottom with the locking portion fitted in the interference groove Simultaneously. The tabs of the locking portion are for pressed abutment against inner walls of the interference groove . The second contact is thus secured in the plug housing , then, the second solder tail portion horizontally extends from the bottom for soldering connection on a printed circuit board (not shown) and the second spring contact portion exposes to the exterior of the tenon , thereby allowing the second spring contact portion to flex toward the second slot .

Further referring to FIGS. 5-7, when inserting the tenon of the plug into the recess of the receptacle and the engaging the protrusion of the receptacle with the notch of the plug , the first and the second spring contact portions and are both caused to flex inwardly so as to correspondingly develop individual spring biases which are cooperative to give a sufficient contact pressure at a contact point between the first and the second spring contact portions and . Thus, the first and the second contacts and are kept electrically connected stably and reliably at such sufficient contacting pressure. Moreover, the structure of the first contact can improve the distribution of the stress to avoid fatigue. In addition, the second spring contact portion can further form a dent (not shown) at the lower end thereof for serving as a second contact end for catching the contact end of the first contact to provide a latching engagement therebetween to reinforce the interconnection of the receptacle and the plug .

While the present invention has been described with reference to a specific embodiment thereof, the description is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention may be made to the preferred embodiment by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of embodiments thereof, with reference to the attached drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a receptacle utilized in a low profile board-to-board connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a plug utilized in the low profile board-to-board connector assembly in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle.

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the plug.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the receptacle.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the plug.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the low profile board-to-board connector assembly in a connected condition.

CLAIMS

1. A low profile board-to-board connector assembly, comprising: a receptacle having a receptacle housing with a plurality of arrayed first contacts mounted therein, each first contact having a base portion, a first solder tail portion extending outwardly from one end of the base portion for connection with a first printed circuit board, a retention portion perpendicular to the base portion and extending from a common boundary of the base portion and the first solder tail portion, and a first spring contact portion bent from the other end of the base portion and extending parallel to the retention portion; and a plug having a plug housing with a plurality of arrayed second contacts mounted therein, each second contact having a U-shaped portion with a pair of legs one of which is defines a second spring contact portion and the other of which defines a locking portion for securing the second contact in the plug housing, and a second solder tail potion bent from an end of the locking portion and extending outwardly for connection with a second printed circuit board; wherein each of the first spring contact portion is engaged with a corresponding second spring contact portion when the receptacle and the plug are in assembled condition.

2. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle housing has a flat base and side walls projecting on opposite lateral sides of the base, and a recess is defined between the side walls.

3. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the plug housing has a flat bottom and an elongated tenon projecting from the bottom for mating engagement into the recess of the receptacle housing.

4. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein a bottom of each of the side walls forms a plurality of evenly spaced first slots which extend through the base for holding the first contacts respectively.

5. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the side walls further forms a plurality pair of vertical mounting holes and vertical receiving holes extending therethrough and communicating with corresponding first slots, and the receiving holes 17 also communicate with the recess, said retention portion is fitted in the mounting hole, said second spring contact portion is received in the receiving hole and projects into the recess.

6. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein The tenon of the plug houing is formed in its laterally opposite sides respectively with evenly spaced second slots, the second slots extend through the tenon and the bottom to receive the second contacts, an outer side of each second slot communicates with outside to expose the second spring contact portion to the exterior of the tenon.

7. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein an inner side of the second slot forms an interference groove.

8. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the receptacle housing defines a protrusion at each end thereof, the plug housing has a ear extending outwardly from each end thereof, the ear forms a notch for engaging with the protrusion to interconnect the receptacle and the plug.

9. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein a free end of the first spring contact portion is inclined outwardly to define a contact end.

10. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second spring contact portion forms a dent at the lower end thereof for latching engagement with a free end of the first spring contact portion.

11. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retention portion of the first contact has barbs on its opposite edges.

12. The low profile board-to-board connector assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the locking portion of the second contact has tabs on its opposite edges.

COPYRIGHT

User acknowledges that Fairview Research and its third party providers retain all right, title and interest in and to this xml under applicable copyright laws. User acquires no ownership rights to this xml including but not limited to its format. User hereby accepts the terms and conditions of the License Agreement.