Through-hole electrical connector for a circuit board

Claim 2

A through-hole electrical connector for flexibly interconnecting electrical circuitry on opposite sides of a circuit board, said connector comprising: an elongated body disposable through a hole defined in said board, said body having forward and rearward opposing end portions and an intermediate portion therebetween, said forward end portion being tapered inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said body to facilitate insertion of said body through said hole and being disposable beyond one of said opposite sides of said board by insertion of said body through said hole to facilitate attachment of said forward end portion with the electrical cricuitry disposed on said one of said opposite sides of said board, said intermediate portion being disposable within said hole by insertion of said body through said hole, and said rearward end portion being disposable beyond the other of said opposite sides of said board by insertion of said body through said hole; and an elongated arm, said arm having an inner portion which is connected with said rearward end portion of said body and lies in a plane generally parallel to said axis of said body, a bendable outer portion which merges from said inner portion along an edge of said inner portion extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body, said bendable outer portion extending from said inner portion in a substantially transverse relationship to both the longitudinal axis of said body and said inner portion, said bendable outer portion being disposable in a position overlying a surface portion of said other of said opposite sides of said board by insertion of said body through said hole, said bendable outer portion having a free end, said free end being disposable in a position overlying the portion of the electrical circuitry disposed on said other of said opposite sides of said board by insertion of said body through said hole to facilitate attachment of said rearward end portion via said arm with said other preselected area of electrical circuitry, whereby said outer portion of said arm will bend to accommodate expansive and contractive changes in the thickness of said board due to varying environmental conditions imposed on said board while said free end of said outer portion of said arm maintains its attachment to said other preselected area of electrical circuitry and thereby provide a flexible link in the interconnection provided between said preselected areas of electrical circuitry by said connector.

Claim 3

A through-hole electrical connector as claimed in claim 1 further comprising: a stop means for facilitating insertion of said body to a desired predetermined position through said hole, said stop means projecting outwardly from said rearward end portion in a substantially transverse relationship to the longitudinal axis of said body and being disposable adjacent to another surface portion of said other of said opposite sides of said board by insertion of said body through said hole.

Claim 4

In a circuit board assembly which includes a dielectric board having electrical circuitry disposed on opposite sides of said board and a hole defined therethrough which opens at said opposite sides adjacent to preselected areas of said electrical circuitry, a through-hole type of electrical connector inserted through said hole for flexibly interconnecting said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said opposite sides of said board, said connector being comprised by: an elongated body disposed through said hole of said board, said body having forward and rearward opposing end portions and an intermediate portion therebetween, said forward end portion being tapered inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said body and being disposed beyond one of said opposite sides of said board to facilitate attachment of said forward end portion with one of said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said one of said opposite sides of said board, said intermediate portion being disposed within said hole and having exterior surface portions sufficiently spaced apart from each other, and snugly engaged with sidewall portions of said hole to insure retention of said body in a desired predetermined alignment through said hole, and said rearward end portion being disposed beyond the other of said opposite sides of said board; and an elongated arm, said arm having an inner portion which is connected with said rearward end portion of said body and lies in a plane generally parallel to the axis of said body, a bendable outer portion which merges from said inner portion along an edge of said inner portion extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body, said bendable outer portion extending from said inner portion in a substantially transverse relationship to both the longitudinal axis of said body and said inner portion, said bendable outer portion being disposed in a position overlying a surface portion of said other of said opposite sides of said board, said bendable outer portion having a free end, said free end being disposed in overlying contact with the other of said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said other of said oppoSite sides of said board whereby said outer portion of said arm will bend to accommodate expansive and contractive changes in the thickness of said board due to varying environmental conditions imposed on said board while said free end of said outer portion of said arm maintains its attachment to said other preselected areas of said electrical circuitry and thereby provide a flexible link in the interconnection provided between said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry by said connector.

Claim 5

In a circuit board assembly which includes a dielectric board having electrical circuitry disposed on opposite sides of said board and a hole defined therethrough which opens at said opposite sides adjacent to preselected areas of said electrical circuitry, a through-hole type of electrical connector inserted through said hole for flexibly interconnecting said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said opposite sides of said board, said connector being comprised by: an elongated body disposed through said hole of said board, said body having forward and rearward opposing end portions and an intermediate portion therebetween, said forward end portion being tapered inwardly toward the longitudinal axis of said body and being disposed beyond one of said opposite sides of said board to facilitate attachment of said forward end portion with one of said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said one of said opposite sides of said board, said intermediate portion being disposed within said hole and having exterior surface portions sufficiently spaced apart from each other, and snugly engaged with sidewall portions of said hole to insure retention of said body in a desired predetermined alignment through said hole, and said rearward end portion being disposed beyond the other of said opposite sides of said board; and an elongated arm, said arm having an inner portion which is connected with said rearward end portion of said body and lies in a plane generally parallel to the axis of said body, a bendable outer portion which merges from said inner portion along an edge of said inner portion extending substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said body, said bendable outer portion extending from said inner portion in a substantially transverse relationship to both the longitudinal axis of said body and said inner portion, said bendable outer portion being disposed in a position overlying a surface portion of said other of said opposite sides of said board, said bendable outer portion having a free end, said free end being disposed in overlying contact with the other of said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry disposed on said other of said oppoSite sides of said board whereby said outer portion of said arm will bend to accommodate expansive and contractive changes in the thickness of said board due to varying environmental conditions imposed on said board while said free end of said outer portion of said arm maintains its attachment to said other preselected areas of said electrical circuitry and thereby provide a flexible link in the interconnection provided between said preselected areas of said electrical circuitry by said connector.

Claim 6

In a circuit board assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein: said forward end portion is soldered to said one preselected area of said electrical circuitry; and said free end of said bendable outer portion of said elongated arm is soldered to said other preselected area of said electrical circuitry.

Claim 7

In a circuit board assembly as defined in claim 3 wherein: said free end of said bendable outer portion of said elongated arm is ultrasonically bonded to said other preselected area of said electrical circuitry.

Claim 8

In a circuit board assembly as defined in claim 5 wherein: said forward end portion is soldered to said one preselected area of said electrical circuitry.