EP0138368A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Circuit board thickness compensator
Assignee: TE Connectivity Corp
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Filing: 1984-09-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-09-07
Abstract
Abstract The invention disclosed herein is a device (22) which is incorporated onto card edge connectors (10) and compensates varying circuit board (12) thicknesses so as to provide improved gang insertion of such connectors (10). Selective collapsing of projections (22) against a circuit board by insertion pressure accommodates variations in the board thickness and allows upper surfaces of the connectors (10) to be maintained coplanar.
Inventors
- 👤 Jon Francis Kautz
- 👤 Robert Franklin Cobaugh
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 18:43
CPC Classifications
H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/30; H05K3/306; H01; H01R; H01R12/00; H01R12/70; H01R12/7005; H01R12/7011; H05K2201/00; H05K2201/10; H05K2201/10007; H05K2201/10189; H05K2201/10431; H05K2201/10568; H05K2201/20; H05K2201/2036; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/02; H05K2203/0278; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49002; Y10T29/49117; Y10T29/49124; Y10T29/4913; Y10T29/49139
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
38 words
A device which compensates for varying circuit board thicknesses, characterized in that collapsible material (22, 38, 40) is positioned between the card edge connector (10) being mounted on the circuit board (12) and the top surface (28) thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
38 words
A device which compensates for varying circuit board thicknesses, characterized in that collapsible material (22, 38, 40) is positioned between the card edge connector (10) being mounted on the circuit board (12) and the top surface (28) thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
32 words
The device of Claim 1 characterized in that said collapsible material includes depending projections (22), integral with the connector housing (20) and located along the edges (24) of the bottom surface thereof.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
The device of Claim 1 characterized in that said collapsible material includes a foam (38) or sponge-like material (38).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
24 words
The device of Claim 1 characterized in that said collapsible material includes a plastic strip (40) with the edges formed into collapsible tubes (42).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
152 words
A plurality of connectors (10) mounted on one surface (28) of a panel (12) such as a printed circuit board (12), each connector (10) comprising a housing (20) having top and bottom surfaces with the latter facing and immediately adjacent the one surface (28) of the panel (12) and the former facing away therefrom, each of the housings (20) containing a plurality of contact elements (14) with compliant sections (14-C) thereon extending from the bottom surface and inserted in holes (15) in the panel (12) by pressing on the contact elements (14) and/or on the top surface of the housing (20), the connectors (10) being characterized in that the housings (20) have collapsible projections (22) extending from the bottom surface to be selectively collapsed during insertion of the compliant sections (14-C) in compensation for varying thicknesses in the panel (12) so that the top surfaces of the housings (20) are precisely coplanar.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
152 words
A plurality of connectors (10) mounted on one surface (28) of a panel (12) such as a printed circuit board (12), each connector (10) comprising a housing (20) having top and bottom surfaces with the latter facing and immediately adjacent the one surface (28) of the panel (12) and the former facing away therefrom, each of the housings (20) containing a plurality of contact elements (14) with compliant sections (14-C) thereon extending from the bottom surface and inserted in holes (15) in the panel (12) by pressing on the contact elements (14) and/or on the top surface of the housing (20), the connectors (10) being characterized in that the housings (20) have collapsible projections (22) extending from the bottom surface to be selectively collapsed during insertion of the compliant sections (14-C) in compensation for varying thicknesses in the panel (12) so that the top surfaces of the housings (20) are precisely coplanar.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
60 words
The connectors of Claim 5 characterized in that the contact elements (14) include wire wrapping posts (14-d) attached to the compliant sections (14-e), the connectors (10) being further characterized by the posts (14-d) passing through the holes (15) in the panel (12) and the free ends thereof being at the same distance relative to each other from the panel (12).
Claim 9
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of simultaneous mounting a plurality of connectors (10) onto a panel (12) such as a printed circuit board (12) so that the top surfaces of the connectors (10) are precisely coplanar, each connector (10) comprising a housing (20) having top and bottom surfaces and carrying a plurality of contact elements (14) with compliant sections (14-c) thereon extending from the bottom surface, the method characterized by the steps of: a. providing collapsible projections (22) on the bottom surface of the housings (20); b. placing a panel (12) on a bed of a press and under a descendible platen having a plurality of insertion tools fixed thereto; c. placing the connectors (10) on the panel (12) with the compliant sections (14-c) in alignment with holes (15) therein; d. inserting the compliant sections (14-c) into the holes (15) by lowering the platen with the insertion tools pushing on the contact elements (14) and/or the top surface of the housing (20); and e. selectively collapsing the projections (22) on the housings (20) by pressure being applied thereto by the insertion tools to compensate for variations in the thickness of the panel (12).
Claim 10
Independent Claim
190 words
A method of simultaneous mounting a plurality of connectors (10) onto a panel (12) such as a printed circuit board (12) so that the top surfaces of the connectors (10) are precisely coplanar, each connector (10) comprising a housing (20) having top and bottom surfaces and carrying a plurality of contact elements (14) with compliant sections (14-c) thereon extending from the bottom surface, the method characterized by the steps of: a. providing collapsible projections (22) on the bottom surface of the housings (20); b. placing a panel (12) on a bed of a press and under a descendible platen having a plurality of insertion tools fixed thereto; c. placing the connectors (10) on the panel (12) with the compliant sections (14-c) in alignment with holes (15) therein; d. inserting the compliant sections (14-c) into the holes (15) by lowering the platen with the insertion tools pushing on the contact elements (14) and/or the top surface of the housing (20); and e. selectively collapsing the projections (22) on the housings (20) by pressure being applied thereto by the insertion tools to compensate for variations in the thickness of the panel (12).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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