US 4,045,868 A · Method of fabrication and assembly of electrical connector

Abstract

Press fit contacts having upper mating portions are stamped, formed and oriented out of sheet material for simultaneous insertion and housing in a removable connector insulator. Receiving sleeves formed in the insulator are constructed to permit the contacts to be bottom loaded into the sleeves, seated and lightly held therein. Each contact includes an intermediate press fit collar portion which engages a mating shoulder in the insulator. The insulator serves as a holding fixture and seating tool for transmitting insertion force applied to the top of the insulator to each one of the contacts for press fitting them into contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate. The contacts held by each insulator are all simultaneously press fitted into the substrate by continuing to apply pressure to the top of the insulator until it is mounted flush upon the substrate. After the connector is assembled, the contact is in a configuration for electrical engagement with a mating contact (not disclosed) while a contact tail portion may extend below the substrate for wire wrap termination. The configuration of the assembled connector permits removal of the insulator by lifting it from around the contacts, which it lightly engages, leaving the contacts rigidly mounted in the substrate. Further, a connector assembly, comprising an insulator having contacts lightly held therein, may be readily shipped to a remote location for press fit installation in a mounting substrate.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A method of assembling an electrical connector which includes a removable insulator having a plurality of sleeves formed therethrough and press fit contacts having upper mating portions for positioning in the sleeves in spaced alignment with a plurality of contact receiving apertures in a mounting substrate, said method comprising:

inserting the contacts into the sleeves in the insulator through the bottom thereof;
seating a generally transversely extending intermediate portion of the contacts against a shoulder formed in the sleeves, the contacts being retained within the sleeves by frictional engagement with the inner walls thereof;
guiding the portions of the contacts protruding from beneath the insulator into the aligned receiving apertures;
mounting the insulator generally flush against the mounting substrate to press fit the contacts into the apertures for rigidly securing the contacts to the substrate while permitting the insulator to be removed from the contacts by applying an upward force to overcome the frictional engagement between the contacts and the inner walls of the sleeves.

1 more element

In a method of rigidly mounting an electrical contact having an upper mating portion into a contact receiving aperture in a mounting substrate, of the type wherein a longitudinal insertion force is transmitted to the contact and the contact is moved relative to the mounting substrate for producing interfering engagement between a press fit shank portion of the contact and the walls of the aperture, the improvement comprising the steps of:

providing an insulator having sleeves formed therethrough and being removable from around the contact seated therein when the contact is rigidly mounted in the mounting substrate;
inserting the contact into a sleeve formed in the insulator;
seating a transversely extending intermediate portion of the contact against a shoulder formed in the sleeve;
guiding the portion of the contact protruding from beneath the insulator into the aperture;
applying pressure to the top of the insulator to bear against the contact seated therein;
and
moving the insulator and the contact relative to the mounting substrate a predetermined distance for inserting and rigidly mounting the press fit shank portion of the contact into the aperture through interference engagement therein.

4 more elements

A method of assembling an electrical connector comprising the steps of:

providing an insulative mounting substrate having a plurality of contact receiving apertures formed therein;
providing a plurality of contacts having upper mating portions and intermediate press fit shank portions for insertion in and press fit engagement with said apertures;
providing an insulative housing having sleeves formed therethrough and being removable from around contacts seated therein when said contacts are rigidly mounted in the mounting substrate;
inserting the contacts into the sleeves in the insulative housing through the bottom thereof;
seating a generally transversely extending intermediate portion of the contacts against a shoulder formed in the sleeves;
retaining the contacts within the sleeves by frictional engagement with the inner walls thereof;
guiding the portions of the contacts protruding from beneath the insulative housing into the receiving apertures in the mounting substrate;
rigidly securing the contacts to the substrate by mounting the insulative housing generally flush against the mounting substrate to press fit the contacts into the apertures;
and
permitting the insulative housing to be removed from around the contacts to enable repair thereof by applying an upward force to overcome the frictional engagement between the contacts and the inner walls of the sleeve.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of fabrication and assembly of electrical connector

Life of this patent

Method of fabrication and assembly of electrical connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16