Electrical connector and assembly eyelets

An eyelet for use in mounting an electrical connector assembly to a printed circuit board wherein the electrical connector assembly includes a connector housing with a flange having a mounting face for engaging the printed circuit board, an opposed holding face and a mounting aperture extending therebetween, and the printed circuit board has an aperture for receiving a portion of the eyelet, the eyelet comprising flange means and a generally tubular shank, the generally tubular shank having a bore, a first section adapted to be received in the mounting aperture of the connector housing in an interference fit, and a second section adapted to extend below the mounting face of the connector housing and further adapted to extend beyond the connector housing for disposition in an aperture in the printed circuit board, the generally tubular shank having said flange means at one end thereof adapted to engage the holding face of the connector housing, said tubular shank having an inverted end at the other end thereof, said inverted end engagable through the bore of the generally tubular shank.

A method of mounting and securing an electrical connector onto a printed circuit board, comprising the steps of

• inserting an eyelet into an aperture of a dielectric housing of the electrical connector, the eyelet comprising flange means and a generally tubular shank, the generally tubular shank having a bore, a first section adapted to be received in the mounting aperture of the connector housing in an interference fit, and a bottom section adapted to extend below the mounting face of the connector housing and further adapted to extend beyond the connector housing for disposition in an aperture in the printed circuit board, the generally tubular shank having said flange means at one end thereof adapted to engage the holding face of the connector housing, said tubular shank having an inverted end comprising an inwardly directed section at the other end thereof;
• positioning the electrical connector onto the circuit board with the bottom section of the eyelet being disposed within a hole of the circuit board;
• inserting a rod into the eyelet into engagement with the inwardly-directed section thereby driving the inwardly-directed section downwardly causing the bottom section to expand against the bottom of the board so as to secure the electrical connector onto the board.