Printed circuit connector terminal

Claim 2

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor strips thereon and a row of through openings spaced wholly inwardly from adjacent side edges of the printed circuit board, terminal means including a carrier strip and a plurality of terminals integrally connected to the carrier strip via webs in a spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relationship of said through openings whereby said terminals are simultaneously alignable with said through openings, and a wire conductor connected to each terminal, said terminal means being connected to said printed circuit board with said carrier strip and portions of said webs overhanging said terminal board, each of the terminals having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward portion having a crimping flange which is crimped onto an end of wire conductor wtth the wire conductor overlying said forward portion and said printed circuit board to space said wire conductor from said carrier strip and said overhanging portions of said webs, said forward portion of said terminals including a pair of first laterally spaced fingers having sections engaging a first side of said printed circuit board and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first fingers disposed in one of said through openings, a second section extending generally in the same direction as the first fingers biasingly engaging a side of said printed circuit board opposite said first side, at least one of said fingers engaging a contact area of the conductor strips on The circuit board, said terminals being simultaneously connectable with the circuit board by aligning respective terminals with respective openings, moving the second fingers through the through openings and then simultaneously moving the terminals relative to the circuit board so that portions of the circuit board adjacent said openings are slidably received between and biasingly engaged on opposite sides by said first fingers and said second sections of the second fingers, said carrier strip being integral with the rearward portion of the terminals and severable therefrom via said overhanging web portions after the latter are connected to the printed circuit board to separate the individual terminals from each other.

Claim 3

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor strips thereon and a row of through openings spaced inwardly from adjacent side edges of the printed circuit board, terminal means including a carrier strip and a plurality of terminals integrally connected to the carrier strip via webs in a spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relationship of said through openings whereby said terminals are simultaneously alignable with said through openings, and a wire conductor connected to each terminal, said terminal means being connected to said printed circuit board with said carrier strip and portions of said webs overhanging a side edge of said terminal board, each of the terminals having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward portion having spaced pairs of crimping flanges which are crimped onto the bare end and insulator portion of a wire conductor with the wire conductor overlying said forward portion and said printed circuit board to space said wire conductor from said carrier strip and said overhanging portions of said webs, said rearward portion engaging one side of said printed circuit board between said side edge and one of said through openings, said forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced generally planar upright fingers having lower edges engaging said one side of the printed circuit board at a location on the opposite side of said through opening from said side edge, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said lower edges of said first fingers and engaging a side surface defining said through opening at a location remote from said side edge, and a second section extending generally in the same direction as the first fingers and biasingly engaging the opposite side of the printed circuit board, said second finger engaging a contact area of a conductor strip on the circuit board and said terminals being connectable with the circuit board by aligning respective terminals with respective openings, moving the second fingers through the through openings and then moving the terminals relative to the circuit board so that portions of the circuit board adjacent said openings are slidably received between and biasingly engaged on opposite sides by said lower edges of said first fingers and said second sections of the second fingers, said first sections of said second fingers being disposed in said openings and being engageable with the side surfaces defining said openings at locations remote from the side edge to locate the terminals relative to the circuit board, said carrier strip being integral with the rearward portion of the terminals and severable therefrom via said overhanging web portions after the latter are connected to the printed circuit board to separate the individual terminals from each other.

Claim 4

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor strips thereon and a row of through openings spaced inwardly from adjacent side edges of the printed circuit board, terminal means including a carrier strip and a plurality of terminals integrally connected to the carrier strip via webs in a spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relationship of said through openings whereby said terminals are simultaneously alignable with said through openings, and a wire conductor connected to each terminal, said terminal means being connected to said printed circuit board with said carrier strip and portions of said webs overhanging a side edge of said terminal board, each of the terminals having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward portion having spaced pairs of crimping flanges which are crimped onto the bare end and insulator portion of a wire conductor with the wire conductor overlying said forward portion and said printed circuit board to space said wire conductor from said carrier strip and said overhanging portions of said webs, said rearward portion engaging one side of said printed circuit board between said side edge and one of said through openings, said forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced generally planar upright fingers having lower edges engaging said one side of the printed circuit board at a location on the opposite side of said through opening from said side edge, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said lower edges of said first fingers and engaging a side surface defining said through opening at a location remote from said side edge, and a second section extending generally in the same direction as the first fingers and biasingly engaging the opposite side of the printed circuit board, said second finger engaging a contact area of a conductor strip on the circuit board and said terminals being connectable with the circuit board by aligning respective terminals with respective openings, moving the second fingers through the through openings and then moving the terminals relative to the circuit board so that portions of the circuit board adjacent said openings are slidably received between and biasingly engaged on opposite sides by said lower edges of said first fingers and said second sections of the second fingers, said first sections of said second fingers being disposed in said openings and being engageable with the side surfaces defining said openings at locations remote from the side edge to locate the terminals relative to the circuit board, said carrier strip being integral with the rearward portion of the terminals and severable therefrom via said overhanging web portions after the latter are connected to the printed circuit board to separate the individual terminals from each other.

Claim 5

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor strips thereon and a row of through openings spaced inwardly from adjacent side edges of the printed circuit board, terminal means including a carrier strip and a plurality of terminals integrally connected to the carrier strip via webs in a spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relatIonship of said through openings whereby said terminals are simultaneously alignable with said through openings, and a wire conductor connected to each terminal, said terminal means being connected to said printed circuit board with said carrier strip and portions of said webs overhanging a side edge of said terminal board, each of the terminals having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward portion having spaced pairs of crimping flanges which are crimped onto the bare end and insulator portion of a wire conductor with the wire conductor overlying said forward portion and said printed circuit board to space said wire conductor from said carrier strip and said overhanging portions of said webs, said rearward portion engaging one side of said printed circuit board between said side edge and one of said through openings, said forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers having a planar first section engaging said one side of said printed circuit board at a location on the opposite side of said through opening and a second section extending transversely outwardly therefrom, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first section of said first fingers and engaging a side surface defining said through opening at a location remote from said side edge, and a second section extending generally in the same direction as the first fingers, and a third section extending transversely outwardly from said second section, said planar first sections of said pair of first fingers and said second section of said second fingers engaging said one side and the opposite side of said printed circuit board respectively, at least one of said fingers engaging a contact area of a conductor strip on the circuit board, said terminals being connectable with the circuit board by aligning respective terminals with respective openings, moving the second fingers through these respective openings, and then moving the terminals relative to the circuit board so that portions of the circuit board adjacent said openings are slidably received between and biasingly engaged by said planar first sections of said first fingers and said second sections of said second fingers, said first sections of said second fingers being disposed in said openings and being engageable with the side surfaces defining said openings at locations remote from the side edge to locate the terminals relative to the circuit board, said carrier strip being integral with the rearward portion of the terminals and severable therefrom via said overhanging web portions after the latter are connected to the printed circuit board to separate the individual terminals from each other.

Claim 6

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a plurality of conductor strips thereon and a row of through openings spaced inwardly from adjacent side edges of the printed circuit board, terminal means including a carrier strip and a plurality of terminals integrally connected to the carrier strip via webs in a spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relatIonship of said through openings whereby said terminals are simultaneously alignable with said through openings, and a wire conductor connected to each terminal, said terminal means being connected to said printed circuit board with said carrier strip and portions of said webs overhanging a side edge of said terminal board, each of the terminals having a rearward portion and a forward portion, said rearward portion having spaced pairs of crimping flanges which are crimped onto the bare end and insulator portion of a wire conductor with the wire conductor overlying said forward portion and said printed circuit board to space said wire conductor from said carrier strip and said overhanging portions of said webs, said rearward portion engaging one side of said printed circuit board between said side edge and one of said through openings, said forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers having a planar first section engaging said one side of said printed circuit board at a location on the opposite side of said through opening and a second section extending transversely outwardly therefrom, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first section of said first fingers and engaging a side surface defining said through opening at a location remote from said side edge, and a second section extending generally in the same direction as the first fingers, and a third section extending transversely outwardly from said second section, said planar first sections of said pair of first fingers and said second section of said second fingers engaging said one side and the opposite side of said printed circuit board respectively, at least one of said fingers engaging a contact area of a conductor strip on the circuit board, said terminals being connectable with the circuit board by aligning respective terminals with respective openings, moving the second fingers through these respective openings, and then moving the terminals relative to the circuit board so that portions of the circuit board adjacent said openings are slidably received between and biasingly engaged by said planar first sections of said first fingers and said second sections of said second fingers, said first sections of said second fingers being disposed in said openings and being engageable with the side surfaces defining said openings at locations remote from the side edge to locate the terminals relative to the circuit board, said carrier strip being integral with the rearward portion of the terminals and severable therefrom via said overhanging web portions after the latter are connected to the printed circuit board to separate the individual terminals from each other.

Claim 7

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a given thickness, conductor strips thereon and a row of through apertures spaced from each other adjacent one end thereof, a plurality of individual terminals received within said openings and connected to said circuit board, a wire conductor connected to each terminal, and an insulator housing means for said circuit board and terminals, said terminals each comprising a rearward portion having crimping flanges for crimping a wire conductor thereto and a forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers engaging one side of the circuit board, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first fingers, a second section engaging the circuit board on its side opposite said one side, and a third section extending transversely of said second section, said second section of said second fingers being laterally spaced from said first fingers a distance less than the given thickness of the circuit board, said forward portion of said terminals being connectable to the circuit board by relatively moving the circuit board and terminals so that the circuit board adjacent the openings is slidably received between the fingers and with the sEcond finger biasingly engaging said opposite side of the circuit board, said second finger engaging a conductor strip on the circuit board, said housing being generally rectangular in shape and having an open end and a closed end, said housing having a plurality of laterally spaced inwardly extending ribs on first and second opposite sides and with the ribs on the first and second sides being spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the circuit board, the transverse distance between the ribs of said first side and said second side being less than the thickness of the circuit board plus the perpendicular distance between the circuit board and third section of the second fingers adjacent their outer ends, said circuit board being disposed in the housing between the ribs with said first and second fingers being disposed between adjacent ones of the ribs on said first and second sides respectively, said circuit board being biased into engagement with said ribs on said first side by said second fingers engaging said second side of said housing and being deflected toward said circuit board to biasingly retain the circuit board in place within the housing.

Claim 8

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a given thickness, conductor strips thereon and a row of through apertures spaced from each other adjacent one end thereof, a plurality of individual terminals received within said openings and connected to said circuit board, a wire conductor connected to each terminal, and an insulator housing means for said circuit board and terminals, said terminals each comprising a rearward portion having crimping flanges for crimping a wire conductor thereto and a forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers engaging one side of the circuit board, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first fingers, a second section engaging the circuit board on its side opposite said one side, and a third section extending transversely of said second section, said second section of said second fingers being laterally spaced from said first fingers a distance less than the given thickness of the circuit board, said forward portion of said terminals being connectable to the circuit board by relatively moving the circuit board and terminals so that the circuit board adjacent the openings is slidably received between the fingers and with the sEcond finger biasingly engaging said opposite side of the circuit board, said second finger engaging a conductor strip on the circuit board, said housing being generally rectangular in shape and having an open end and a closed end, said housing having a plurality of laterally spaced inwardly extending ribs on first and second opposite sides and with the ribs on the first and second sides being spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the circuit board, the transverse distance between the ribs of said first side and said second side being less than the thickness of the circuit board plus the perpendicular distance between the circuit board and third section of the second fingers adjacent their outer ends, said circuit board being disposed in the housing between the ribs with said first and second fingers being disposed between adjacent ones of the ribs on said first and second sides respectively, said circuit board being biased into engagement with said ribs on said first side by said second fingers engaging said second side of said housing and being deflected toward said circuit board to biasingly retain the circuit board in place within the housing.

Claim 9

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a given thickness, conductor strips thereon and a row of through apertures spaced from each other and spaced inwardly from one end thereof, a plurality of individual terminals received within said openings and connected to said circuit board, a wire conductor connected to each terminal, and an insulator housing means for said circuit board and terminals, said terminals each comprising a rearward portion having crimping flanges for crimping a wire conductor thereto and a forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers having a first section engaging one side of the circuit board and a second section extending transversely of said first section, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first fingers, a second section engaging the circuit board on its side opposite said one side, and a third section extending transversely of said second section, said third section of said second finger being of a lesser length than the second section of said first fingers, said second section of said second fingers being laterally spaced from the first section of said first fingers a distance less than the given thickness of the circuit board, said forward portion of said terminals being connectable to the circuit board by relatively moving the circuit board and terminals so that the circuit board adjacent the openings is slidably received between the fingers and with the fingers biasingly engaging the opposite sides of the circuit board, at least one of the fingers engaging a conductor strip on the circuit board, said housing being generally rectangular in shape and having an open end and a closed end, said housing having a plurality of laterally spaced inwardly extending ribs on first and second opposite sides and with the ribs on the first and second sides being aligned and spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the circuit board, the transverse distance between the first and second sides being less than the perpendicular distance between the second section of the first fingers and the third section of the second finger adjacent their outer ends, said circuit board being disposed in the housing between the ribs with said first and second fingers being disposed between adjacent ones of the ribs on said first and second sides respectively, said first and second fingers engaging said first and second sides respectively and being deflected toward each other, said first fingers deflecting a greater extent than said second fingers, said circuit board being biased into engagement with said ribs on said first side by said second fingers to biasingly retain said circuit board in place with said housing, and means on said housing for connecting a tubular fLexible member to the housing for housing and routing the wire conductors.

Claim 10

An electrical connector means comprising, in combination, a printed circuit board having a given thickness, conductor strips thereon and a row of through apertures spaced from each other and spaced inwardly from one end thereof, a plurality of individual terminals received within said openings and connected to said circuit board, a wire conductor connected to each terminal, and an insulator housing means for said circuit board and terminals, said terminals each comprising a rearward portion having crimping flanges for crimping a wire conductor thereto and a forward portion including a pair of first laterally spaced flexible fingers having a first section engaging one side of the circuit board and a second section extending transversely of said first section, and a second flexible finger having a first section extending transversely of said first fingers, a second section engaging the circuit board on its side opposite said one side, and a third section extending transversely of said second section, said third section of said second finger being of a lesser length than the second section of said first fingers, said second section of said second fingers being laterally spaced from the first section of said first fingers a distance less than the given thickness of the circuit board, said forward portion of said terminals being connectable to the circuit board by relatively moving the circuit board and terminals so that the circuit board adjacent the openings is slidably received between the fingers and with the fingers biasingly engaging the opposite sides of the circuit board, at least one of the fingers engaging a conductor strip on the circuit board, said housing being generally rectangular in shape and having an open end and a closed end, said housing having a plurality of laterally spaced inwardly extending ribs on first and second opposite sides and with the ribs on the first and second sides being aligned and spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the circuit board, the transverse distance between the first and second sides being less than the perpendicular distance between the second section of the first fingers and the third section of the second finger adjacent their outer ends, said circuit board being disposed in the housing between the ribs with said first and second fingers being disposed between adjacent ones of the ribs on said first and second sides respectively, said first and second fingers engaging said first and second sides respectively and being deflected toward each other, said first fingers deflecting a greater extent than said second fingers, said circuit board being biased into engagement with said ribs on said first side by said second fingers to biasingly retain said circuit board in place with said housing, and means on said housing for connecting a tubular fLexible member to the housing for housing and routing the wire conductors.