SMT box receptacle with release levers

A method of forming a surface mount wire receptacle or connector comprises the steps of stamping a blank from spring tempered phosphorous bronze;

• and coining said blank to form a receptacle or connector comprising a generally elongate flat base suitable for surface mounting on a printed circuit board that defines a connector axis;
• spaced generally parallel supports extending from said flat base to either side of said connector axis at a leading or upstream end of said base;
• a pair of resilient spring fingers or contact tines having free ends that extend from said supports inwardly towards said connector axis to position said free ends of said spring fingers in close proximity to each other at a point downstream of said supports;
• an actuating tab provided on each spring finger to form cantilevers extending across said axis and beyond a cooperating spring finger and having a free edge accessible to a user for application of generally opposing inwardly directed forces towards said axis to separate said free ends of said spring fingers when said actuating tabs are squeezed inwardly towards each other, said resilient spring finger free ends being movable between relaxed positions forming a gap between the free ends and extended positions in which a wire of diameter greater than the dimension of said gap can be frictionally engaged and captured between said free ends, said actuating tabs on said pair of spring fingers being arranged in different parallel planes so that said actuating tabs can more relative to each other even when they overlap, whereby when said actuating tabs are squeezed inwardly towards said axis this increases the spacing between said free ends a distance greater than the diameter of the captured wire, said free edges of actuating tabs being mounted outside a receiving envelope defined by a spacing between said supports and can move independently of the positions of said resilient fingers to clear said resilient fingers relative to any wire having a diameter receivable between said supports of the receptacle.

A surface mount wire receptacle or connector comprises:

• a generally elongate flat base suitable for surface mounting on a printed circuit board that defines a connector axis;
• spaced generally parallel supports extending from said flat base to either side of said connector axis at a leading or upstream end of said base;
• a pair of resilient spring fingers or contact tines having free ends that extend from said supports inwardly towards said connector axis to position said free ends of said spring fingers in close proximity to each other at a point downstream of said supports;
• and an actuating tab provided on each spring finger to form cantilevers extending across said axis and beyond a cooperating spring finger and having a free edge accessible to a user for application of generally opposing inwardly directed forces towards said axis to separate said free ends of said spring fingers when said actuating tabs are squeezed inwardly towards each other, said resilient spring finger free ends being movable between relaxed positions forming a gap between the free ends and extended positions in which a wire of diameter greater than the dimension of said gap can be frictionally engaged and captured between said free ends, said free edges on said actuating tabs being substantially parallel to each other in said relaxed positions of said spring fingers to facilitate squeezing of said actuating tabs by application of substantially coextensive but opposite forces applied to said free edges of said actuating tabs, whereby when said actuating tabs are squeezed inwardly towards said axis this increases the spacing between said free ends a distance greater than the diameter of the captured wire, said free edges of said actuating tabs being mounted outside a receiving envelope defined by a spacing between said supports and can move independently of the positions of said resilient fingers to clear said resilient fingers relative to any wire having a diameter receivable between said supports of the receptacle.