Molded hinged connector

#The present invention relates to interconnect devices for providing electrical connections to printed circuit boards, and more particularly, to a molded connector having a plated living hinge which is formed integrally with a circuit board.

#Efforts to reduce costs associated with electrical systems and packaging include those directed towards integrating components so that part counts and costs are reduced while increasing reliability. In particular, interests exist in the area of integrating connectors into printed circuit boards so that both are produced during the same plating and etching process. One such connector utilizes flexible printed circuits ("flex circuits") or "flex-film" circuits which are comprised of polyimide or polyester film having conductors printed upon a surface thereof. The flex circuit is then connected to a rigid circuit board by solder or by laminating the flex circuit upon the rigid circuit board. The flex circuit forms the conductive circuitry of the rigid circuit board and extends off the rigid circuit board to provide a flexible electrical connection to another object. The connector takes the form of a socket wherein flex circuit is laminated upon a circuit board having a rectangular aperture for accepting a male connector. The flex circuit has exposed conductors and extends into an area of the aperture. When the male connector is inserted, the flex circuit deflects into the aperture and contacts on the male connector make contact with the exposed conductors on the flex circuit. While flex circuits provide effective flexible electrical connections, their use necessitates the lamination of the flex circuit upon the rigid circuit board. The cost of production, both in terms of labor costs and the costs of providing and maintaining an increased number of parts, is increased over that of a normal printed circuit board.

#Another method of providing a connector in a molded circuit board employs three dimensional plated circuits as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,116, "Three Dimensional Plating Or Etching Process And Masks Therefor", issued to Mettler et al. A rectangular recess is provided in a molded circuit board. Conductors are then plated on inside surfaces of the recess. A plug, inserted into the recess, has resilient contacts which make electrical contact with the conductors. This type of molded connector is useful in applications requiring the three dimensional plating. However, many applications do not require three dimensional plating. Three dimensional plating is more expensive than standard two dimensional plating and etching techniques used on flat circuit boards. Therefore, the use of such a connector is not necessarily advantageous where other plated three dimensional features are not required and two dimensional plating is otherwise sufficient.

#The above, and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals designate the same elements.

#FIG. 1 shows a side perspective view of a connector of the present invention with a contact member in a down position.

#FIG. 2a shows a top view of the connector of FIG. 1 with the contact member in a straight position.

#Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown side perspective view of an embodiment of a connector 10 in accordance with the present invention. The connector 10 is formed integrally with a circuit board 12 by molding the connector structure into the circuit board 12. The connector 10 has a contact member 14 which is flexibly hinged to the circuit board 12 by what is known as a living hinge 16. The living hinge 16 permits contact member 14 to fold down, into an aperture 18 integrally formed in the circuit board 12. Conductors 20 are plated on the circuit board 12 and extend onto the contact member 14 forming contacts 21.

#Electrical connection is made with a mating connector (not shown) which is inserted into the aperture 18. The mating connector has resilient contacts which are biased against the contacts 21 on the contact member 14, thus making the electrical connection to the circuit board 12. The aperture 18 has a notch 22 which accepts a locking clip on the mating connector for retaining the mating connector in the aperture 18.

#Referring to FIGS. 2a and 2b, plan views of the connector 10 are shown with the contact member 14 in an straight position in FIG. 2a and in a down position in FIG. 2b. In FIG. 2a, the conductors 20 extend from the circuit board 12, across the living hinge 16, and onto the contact member 14. The living hinge 16 is formed within the aperture 18 during the process of molding the contact member 14 and circuit board 12. The contact member 14 is fabricated connected to the circuit board 12 on an edge 24 (represented by a dashed line) opposite the living hinge 16. A thin portion 23 of board material, on the order of 0.005", connects edge 24 with circuit board 12. The thin portion 23 is subsequently broken when the mating connector is inserted and the contact member 14 folds down as shown in FIG. 2b. Alternative configurations are realizable wherein the thin portion 23 is perforated, moved to short end edges of the contact member 14, or eliminated where other support means are provided during plating and etching. In FIG. 2b, the thin portion 23 has been broken and the contact member 14 is in a down position and not visible. The conductors 20 are not shown so that a location of a backstop plate 26 (shown by a dashed outline) that protrudes from a bottom of the circuit board 12 is visible. The backstop plate 26 restricts a range of movement of contact member 14 as is described further below. With the aperture 18 open as shown, the mating connector (not shown) is inserted therein and the resilient contacts of the mating connector press against contacts 21 of the contact member 14 which is restricted from moving.