Hold-down clip for board mounted electrical connector and method of use

An electrical connector for mounting on a surface of a generally planar printed circuit board having opposed surfaces, the connector comprising:

• an elongate dielectric housing having conductive terminals therein;
• and
• a one-piece, stamped and formed hold-down clip mounted on the housing adjacent each end thereof, each hold-down clip including an anchoring leg portion securing the clip to the housing, a portion of a locking leg adapted to project past both surfaces of the printed circuit board with latch means for engaging an opposite side of the board to secure the connector to the board and spring loading means between said anchoring leg and said latch means for spring loading said locking leg to bias said latch means in said direction perpendicular to the plane of the board and against the opposite side of the board to thereby accommodate printed circuit boards of varying thicknesses,
• said locking leg of each said hold-down clip being movable relative to said housing in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the circuit board and wherein said spring loading means biases said locking leg against a portion of said housing.

An electrical connector for mounting on a surface of a generally planar printed circuit board having opposed surfaces, the connector comprising:

• an elongate dielectric housing having conductive terminals therein;
• and
• a one-piece, stamped and formed hold-down clip mounted on the housing adjacent each end thereof, each hold-down clip including an anchoring leg portion securing the clip to the housing, a portion of a locking leg adapted to project past both surfaces of the printed circuit board with latch means for engaging an opposite side of the board to secure the connector to the board and spring loading means between said anchoring leg and said latch means for spring loading said locking leg to bias said latch means in said direction perpendicular to the plane of the board and against the opposite side of the board to thereby accommodate printed circuit boards of varying thicknesses,
• said locking leg of each said hold-down clip being movable relative to said housing in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the circuit board and wherein said hold-down clip is generally U-shaped with said anchoring leg portion and said spring loaded leg portion comprising the legs of the U-shape joined by a bight portion, the bight portion including a fulcrum section abutting a surface of the housing and a flexing section spaced from the housing, the spring loaded locking leg projecting from the flexing section.