US 4,907,978 A · Self-retaining connector

Abstract

A connector is provided for mounting on a circuit board. The connector includes a body member and rows of first and second electrical contact pins coupled to the body member. The first contact pins are configured to extend downwardly below a bottom wall of the body member so that they align with the bottom wall to define an acute included angle therebetween. The second contact pins are configured to extend downwardly below the bottom wall in splayed relation to the first electrical contact pins and are aligned with the bottom wall to define an obtuse included angle therebetween. The first and second contact pins are made of spring material and cooperate to define a spring clip for yieldably drawing the bottom wall of the body member into seating engagement with the circuit board upon insertion of the first and second electrical contact pins into a pair of pin-receiving apertures formed in the circuit board.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A connector mountable on a circuit board, the connector comprising

a body member having a bottom wall,
a first electrical contact pin coupled to the body member and configured to extend downwardly below the bottom wall and to align with the bottom wall to define an obtuse included angle therebetween to provide first spring means for yieldably pulling the bottom wall away from the circuit board upon insertion of the first electrical contact pin in an aperture formed in the circuit board, and
a second electrical contact pin coupled to the body member and configured to extend downwardly below the bottom wall in splayed relation to the first electrical contact pin and to align with the bottom wall to define an acute included angle therebetween to provide second spring means counteracting the first spring means for yieldably urging the bottom wall into seated engagement on the circuit board upon insertion of the second electrical contact pin into a second aperture formed in the circuit board.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Self-retaining connector

Life of this patent

Self-retaining connector

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21