Compliant pin with improved insertion capabilities
AssigneeMolex Incorporated
InventorChristopher D. Hirschy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compliant pin for use with a shielding cage or electrical connector is disclosed that has improved insertion capabilities that increase the resistance of the compliant pin to buckling during mounting of the cage or connector to a circuit board. The pin has a base and tip portion that are interconnected together by a body portion. An opening is disposed in the pin body portion and the top edge of the opening is positioned at a level therein that is spaced apart from and beneath the top surface of the circuit board. In another embodiment, the pin opening is generally non-symmetrical with a configuration that approximates a triangle, i.e., the wider base portion of the pin opening is closer to the pin tip portion than the narrower, apex portion of the pin opening.
Claims20
A connector comprising:
- a connector housing;
- a plurality of conductive terminals, each terminal being supported by the connector housing, each terminal including a terminal mating portion disposed at one end thereof for mating to a terminal of an opposing connector, a terminal mounting portion disposed at an opposite end thereof for insertion into a hole disposed in a circuit board, and a terminal body portion interconnecting the terminal mating and terminal mounting portions together, at least one of the terminal mounting portions including a compliant pin, each compliant pin including:
- a pin base portion,
- a pin tip portion, the pin tip portion being interconnected to the pin base portion by a pin body portion, and
- a pin opening, the pin opening being disposed in the pin body portion, the pin opening having a top end and a bottom end and extending lengthwise within the pin body portion such that the top end is situated beneath a top surface of the circuit board when the connector is mounted to the circuit board;
- and
- a plurality of standoff portions, each standoff portion flanking one compliant pin and extending in the same direction as the compliant pin, each standoff portion including a bottom edge that defines an interface extending along a lower edge of the housing for contacting the circuit board, and the pin opening top end being disposed beneath the interface when mounted to the circuit board.
A shielding cage housing an electrical connector, the shielding cage comprising:
- a plurality of walls, the shielding cage walls being interconnected together to define a hollow interior space and configured to receive the electrical connector therein;
- a plurality of mounting members, each mounting member being formed as part of and depending down from at least one of the shielding cage walls, each mounting member including a compliant pin, at least one compliant pin including a pin base portion and a pin tip portion interconnected by a pin body portion, at least a pair of slots flanking the pin base portion and spacing the pin base portion apart from the shielding cage wall, the pin body portion including a pin opening disposed therein, the pin opening having a top end and a bottom end and extending lengthwise within the pin body portion such that, in operation the pin opening top end is beneath a top surface of a circuit board when the connector is mounted to the circuit board;
- and
- a plurality of standoff portions, each standoff portion being formed as part of and disposed along the shielding cage walls and pairs of standoff portions flanking the pin base portions of each complaint pin, each standoff portion defining an interface extending along a lower edge thereof that is configured to contact the circuit board, and the pin opening top end being disposed beneath the interface when mounted to the circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.