Electrical connector and terminal therefor

Claim 1

An improved right angle electrical connector for mounting to a circuit board and including a housing and a plurality of right angled terminals, each disposed in a respective terminal receiving passageway of said housing, said terminals including first and second connecting portions extending respectively from intermediate horizontal and vertical body portions joined at the right angle, the second connecting portions having compliant sections for insertion into respective through-holes of a circuit board when pushing force is applied to the connector, and said horizontal body portion including a first push surface adapted to cooperate with a push surface along a wall of a respective said passageway when said connector is mounted to said circuit board, the improvement comprising: said vertical body portion of at least one of said plurality of terminals includes a second push surface proximate said second connecting section and facing away from the circuit board, and at least one wall of said housing having a board-facing surface that defines a second terminal body engaging push surface and is defined as a lower surface of a guide rail, and associated with said second push surface of each said at least one terminal, whereby, when said connector is mounted to said board by applying force to a top of said housing, said housing walls push against both said body portions to urge said second connecting portions into force fit relationship within corresponding apertures of said circuit board, thereby pushing said at least one terminal at two spaced locations and keeping said terminals stabilized and in axial alignment as said connector is mounted to the board.