Electrical connector having improved features regarding normal force required for effectively engaging a printed board with the electrical connector

#1. Field of the Invention

#The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and particularly to an electrical connector for engaging with a printed circuit board which is oriented in a horizontal aspect, wherein a force for effecting a connection between the connector and the board can be controlled in a required range.

#2. Description of Related Art

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

#FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the electrical connector shown in FIG. 1;

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the electrical connector taken along lines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

#Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector 1 of the present invention is useful for interconnecting two PCBs 3 and 5 (shown in FIG. 4), in which the PCB 3 horizontally connects with the connector 1 and the PCB 5 vertically connects with the connector 1. The electrical connector 1 comprises an insulative housing 10, and a line of main contacts 12 and a line of assistant contacts 14 which are both received in the insulative housing 10 and located generally at respectively opposite sides of the insulative housing 10. The insulative housing 10 has a top surface 16 which is arranged to confront the PCB 3 and extends parallel to the PCB 3, and a bottom surface 18 which is perpendicular to the PCB 5.

#The insulative housing 10 has a lateral wall 20, and a plurality of sidewalls 22 extending from the lateral wall 20 and disposed parallel to one another, wherein the lateral wall 20 and two outermost sidewalls 22 cooperatively define a circumferential frame of the insulative housing 10, and a plurality of cavities 24 is defined between each two adjacent sidewalls 22. The cavities 24 are arranged in a line to the line of main contacts 12 and assistant contacts 14. A beam 26 connects upper corners of the sidewall 22 together, wherein the corners are remote from the lateral wall 20. The sidewalls 22, except the outermost ones, each have two vertically extending recesses 28 in opposite faces thereof, while the two outermost sidewalls 22 each have a vertically extending recess 28 in an inner face thereof.

#Each of the main contacts 12 comprises an upper part with a free end (an abutment portion) 36 and a curved contact portion 38, and a lower part that serves as a mounting leg for mounting the electrical connector 1 to the PCB 5, wherein the lower part is substantially vertically extended downward from the upper part. The lower part defines a retaining portion 40 and an engaging portion 42 having pairs of teeth 44 for having an interferential engagement with the housing 10. The upper part is gradually narrower from the contact portion 38 toward the free end 36, and the contact portion 38 has a width smaller than that of the engaging portion 42, whereby the main contacts 12 can securely mounted in the housing 10 while the upper parts of the main contacts 12 are deflected when a depressing normal force acts thereon. The free end 36 is formed with a slightly curved configuration thereby providing a smooth engagement between the free end 36 and the assistant contact 44.