Electrical connector having retention contact tails and non-retention contact tails for retaining to a pcb prior to soldering as well as reducing force of inserting the contact tails to the pcb

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to the technology of manufacturing an electrical connector, and particularly to the technology of manufacturing the electrical connector having retention contact tails for retaining the connector onto a printed circuit board (PCB) before the connector is soldered onto the PCB and non-retention contacts tails for reducing the force of inserting the contact tails to the PCB.

#2. Description of the Related Art

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

#FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the electrical connector in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but viewed from a different angle;

#Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an electrical connector 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing 10 defining a center slot 12 in an upper surface 14 thereof and several terminal modules 16 (four modules are preferably shown in FIG. 1) fixedly received in the center slot 12 of the housing 10 and arranged in two rows. Each terminal module 16 includes an insulative insert 18 and a plurality of signal contacts 20 and several grounding contacts 22 respectively attached to opposite surfaces 24, 26 of the insert 18. Each signal contact 20 has a mating portion 28 in the center slot 12 adapted for electrically engaging with a corresponding conductor of a mating connector (not shown) and a mounting tail portion 30 extending beyond a mounting surface 32 of the housing adapted for mounting to a corresponding conductive pad 38 on a PC board 40. Similarly, each grounding contact 22 has a mating portion 34 in the center slot 12 and a mounting tail portion 36 extending beyond the mounting surface 32 for engageably received in a plated hole 42 of the PC board 40.

#Referring to FIGS. 5A-5C in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 3, the tail portions 36 of the grounding contacts 22 include retention pin type tails 44 and non-retention pin type tails 46 arranged along a longitudinal direction of the housing in a manner that one retention pin type tail 44 is followed by several non-retention pin type tails 46. The retention pin type tails 44 each have a larger size than the non-retention pin type tails 46 or a protrusion so that when the tail portions 36 are received in corresponding plated holes 42, the retention pin type tails 44 engage with peripheral walls of the plated holes 42 and produce retention force for maintaining the connector 1 to the PC board 40 while the non-retention pin type tails 46 do not (FIG. 6) engage with the peripheral walls of the plated holes 42. The retention force is adjustable by changing the number of the retention pin type tails 44. The retention pin type tail 44 defines a notch 48 at a side 50 thereof and has a barb 52 protruding outwardly from an opposite side 54 thereof. The non-retention pin type tail 46 may be modified from the retention pin type tail 44 by severing the barb 52 from the retention pin type tail 44 (shown by broken lines). FIG. 5C shows a second geometry of the non-retention pin type contact 47 which is modified from the retention pin type tail 44 by severing a tip portion containing the barb 52 to define a lead in chamfer for aiding in alignment of the non-retention pin type contact 47 to the hole 42 of the PCB 40.

#Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the tail portions 36 are inserted into the plated holes 42 of the PC board 40, the retention pin type tails 44 interfere with the plated walls 42 and deflect which produces a retention force therebetween. The non-retention pin type tails 46 do not interfere with the plated holes 42 and no retention force is produced therebetween. The retention pin type tails 44 will increase the insertion force for attaching the connector 1 to the PC board 40. The insertion force can be controlled to an acceptable degree by reducing the number of retention pin type tails 44. The tail portions 44, 46 may be embedded in the plated holes 42 or extend through the PC board 40, which is determined by thickness of the PC board 40 and the length of the tail portions 44, 46.