Surface mount electrical socket connector

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing defining a top face, a mounting face opposite the top face, and front and rear faces between the top and mounting faces, a plurality of openings being formed in each of the front and rear faces, a plurality of vertical passages being defined through the top face toward the bottom face and communicating with corresponding openings, a block being formed in a lower portion of a corresponding opening; a plurality of terminals mounted in corresponding openings, each terminal comprising a web having an inner face abutting against an end face of a corresponding block, a surface mounting tail adapted for surface mounting to a printed circuit board extending from a lower portion of the web and a mating portion adapted for engaging a terminal of a complementary electronic device extending vertically from the web and received in a corresponding passage; and a pair of covering plates secured to the front and rear faces of the housing, respectively, each plate abutting against an outer face of the web of a corresponding terminal whereby solder wicking problem can be effectively prevented when the connector is surface mounted to a printed circuit board. wherein each block defines a recess in the end face thereof, each terminal having a mounting tab extending from an upper portion of the web in a direction opposite the tail and fitting into the recess; wherein the housing forms a partition between two neighboring openings, two slits being defined between each block and two neighboring partitions, each terminal forming two mounting arms extending from lateral sides of the web, the mounting arms being fittingly received in two corresponding slits; wherein the top face of the housing provides a pair of keyways and the covering plates each comprise an upper key engaging into a corresponding keyway.