Surface mountable retention bracket for electrical connectors

A surface mountable connector assembly comprising:

• a housing having mating and mounting faces and mounting flanges extending outwardly from endwalls thereof and along the mounting face, said housing including a plurality of terminals therein having surface mountable contact portions extending outwardly along the mounting face and adapted to engage circuits of an electrical article;
• and
• a surface mountable retention bracket disposed in each of said flanges;
• each said flange including two channels extending vertically therethrough to said mounting face, said channels defining a retention tab therebetween, said retention tab having a vertical neck between said channels and extending outwardly to an enlarged end portion;
• each said bracket including:
• a base securable to said electrical article, a pair of struts extending upwardly from said base, said struts being joined by a body section, said struts being bent intermediate said base and said body section such that said base and said body section are essentially at a right angle to each other, said base, struts and body section together surrounding an opening, said opening having a narrow vertical portion along said body section and a wide horizontal portion adjacent said base so that said opening is adapted to cooperate with said flange to hold said bracket on said housing;
• whereby upon inserting one said bracket into said channels of each said flange of said connector from a position proximate said bracket base, said horizontal opening portion permits passage of said enlarged end portion therethrough and said vertical opening portion receives therealong said neck of said retention tab thereby holding said retention bracket in said housing and in position for being soldered to said surface of said electrical article.