US 5,292,265 AGranted

Edge mounted circuit board electrical connector

AssigneeMolex Incorporated

InventorsYu-Wen Chen, Nai K. Wong

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Abstract

An electrical connector is provided for surface mounting along an edge of a circuit board in an edge straddling configuration. The circuit board has a plurality of contact pads spaced along opposite faces of the board near the edge thereof. The connector includes a dielectric housing and a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing with solder tails projecting from the housing generally in two rows to define an elongate board-receiving mouth for receiving the edge of the circuit board. The contact pads are adapted to receive soft solder paste thereon prior to insertion of the board into the mouth between the two rows of solder tails. The solder tails of the terminals are configured for receiving the circuit board at a first angular orientation wherein minimal contact force is effected between the solder tails and the contact pads to prevent any substantial wiping away of the solder paste from the contact pads and a second angular orientation wherein substantial contact force is effected between the solder tails and the contact pads in a direction generally normal to the faces of the circuit board. Therefore, the solder paste remains in an interface area at each contact pad and its respective solder tail.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In an electrical connector for surface mount soldering along opposite faces of an edge of a circuit board in a straddle mount configuration, said connector being adapted to permit the application of solder paste to contact pads on opposite faces of the circuit board prior to positioning the circuit board in said straddle mount configuration and subsequently positioning the circuit board in the straddle mount configuration without substantially wiping away the solder paste from the contact pads, said contact pads being adapted to receive solder paste thereon;

said circuit board having a pair of parallel, generally planar faces, each face including a plurality of contact pads positioned thereon in a row along and generally parallel to said edge;
said connector having a dielectric housing including a straddle mount face for receiving the edge of the circuit board thereat;
a plurality of terminals mounted in said housing with a solder tail of each terminal being positioned adjacent said straddle mount face for permanent soldering to a respective one of said contact pads when said circuit board is positioned at said straddle mount face in a straddle mount configuration, said solder tails being positioned in first and second parallel rows to define a slot therebetween, each row being generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said connector, the housing and the terminals being configured to receive the edge of the circuit board in said slot without substantially wiping away solder paste applied to said contact pads prior to insertion of said edge into said slot;
wherein the improvement comprises:
the housing and the solder tails of the terminals being configured so that the edge of said circuit board can be inserted at a first angular orientation relative to the housing with zero contact force between the solder tails and the contact pads, said housing and terminals being adapted to permit the circuit board to be rotated to a second angular orientation relative to the housing wherein said solder tails contact solder paste applied to their respective contact pads on the circuit board;
whereby solder paste can be applied to the contact pads of the circuit board prior to insertion thereof into said slot, said edge of the circuit board can be inserted into said slot between the first and second rows of solder tails at said first angular orientation without substantially wiping away said solder paste from said contact pads, and said circuit board can be rotated to its second angular orientation whereat it is secured in order to permit soldering of said solder tails to their respective contact pads.

3 more elements

A method for surface mount soldering an electrical connector along opposite faces of an edge of a circuit board in a straddle mount configuration by applying the solder paste to contact pads of the circuit board prior to positioning the circuit board in said straddle mount configuration and subsequently positioning the circuit board in the straddle mount configuration without substantially wiping away the solder paste from the contact pads, comprising the steps of:

providing a circuit board having a pair of parallel, generally planar faces, each face including a plurality of contact pads positioned thereon in a row along and generally parallel to said edge;
applying solder paste to said contact pads of said circuit board;
providing an electrical connector having a dielectric housing including a straddle mount face for receiving the edge of the circuit board thereat, and a plurality of terminals mounted in said housing with a solder tail of each terminal being positioned adjacent said straddle mount face for permanent soldering to a respective one of said contact pads when said circuit board is positioned at said straddle mount face in a straddle mount configuration, said solder tails being positioned in first and second parallel rows to define a slot therebetween, each row being generally aligned with a longitudinal axis of said connector, the housing and the terminals being configured to receive the edge of the circuit board in said slot at a first angular orientation relative to the housing with zero contact force between the solder tails and the contact pads, and to permit the circuit board to be rotated to a second angular orientation relative to the housing wherein said solder tails contact solder paste applied to their respective contact pads on the circuit board;
inserting said circuit board into said slot at said first angular orientation relative to the housing with zero contact force between the solder tails and the contact pads;
rotating the circuit board to a second angular orientation relative to the housing wherein said solder tails contact solder paste applied to their respective contact pads on the circuit board;
and
securing said circuit board at said second angular orientation;
and
applying thermal energy to reflow the solder paste on said contact pads in order to solder said solder tails to said contact pads.

6 more elements

In an electric connector for surface mount soldering along opposite faces of an edge of a circuit board in an edge straddling configuration, the circuit board having a plurality of contact pads spaced along opposite faces of the board near the edge thereof, the connector including a dielectric housing and a plurality of terminals mounted on the housing with solder tails aligned generally in two rows to define an elongate board-receiving mouth for receiving the edge of the circuit board, wherein the improvement comprises:

said contact pads being adapted to receive solder paste thereon prior to insertion of the board into the mouth between the two rows of solder tails, and the solder tails of said terminals being configured for receiving the circuit board at a first angular orientation wherein minimal contact force is effected between the solder tails and the solder paste applied to the contact pads to prevent substantial wiping away of the solder paste from the contact pads and a second angular orientation wherein the solder tails are positioned adjacent their respective contact pads and the solder paste remains in an interface area at each contact pad and its respective solder tail.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.