Electrical connector with solder mask

#This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and particularly to a connector for mounting to a printed circuit board and including solder mask means to prevent solder from entering holes in the printed circuit board during soldering of terminals to circuit traces on the board.

#Many electrical connectors conventionally are fabricated with a dielectric housing, such as molded of plastic material, for mounting a plurality of electrical terminals, such as stamped and formed metal contacts. One such connector may comprise a receptacle for mating with a plug connector, sometimes called female and male connector components. The terminals, likewise, may be formed as receptacle terminals for receiving pin terminals from the mating connector.

#Electrical connectors of the character described above desirably have various characteristics such as reliable contact forces between the terminals in a transverse direction and, in some instances, anti-overstress protection for flexible portions of the stamped and formed terminals. It may be desirable for the receptacle connector and receptacle terminal to be capable of accepting a mating plug connector and pin terminal to be capable of accepting a mating plug connector and pin terminal from either direction, sometimes called "top and bottom" mating. When such connectors are used as headers, such as for surface mounting on a printed circuit board, it often is desirable that the connectors have a low profile in a direction transverse to the board.

#The features of this invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention, together with its objects and the advantages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals identify like elements in the figures and in which:

#FIG. 1 is a plan view of an electrical connector incorporating the features of the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the connector housing, partially in section as along line 2--2 of FIG. 1, with the terminals shown in elevation;

#Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIGS. 1-3, the invention is illustrated as embodied in an electrical connector, generally designated 10, which includes a dielectric housing, generally designated 12, for receiving a plurality of receptacle contacts or terminals, generally designated 14, which embody the concepts of the invention.

#Housing 12 includes a body 16 having a plurality of cavities 18 which receive terminals 14. A plurality of hollow pegs 20 project upwardly from body 16 for insertion through appropriate holes 22 in a printed circuit board 24 to which the connector is mounted.

#As seen in FIG. 3, an opening 28 in body 16, outside of each peg 20, is provided and through which a solder tail 26 (described hereinafter) of a respective terminal 14 extends through the respective hole 22 in circuit board 24. The solder tail is appropriately connected by soldering to circuit traces on side 30 of the circuit board or to through plating in the holes in the board.