WO2015034439A1

WO2015034439A1 - Header connector

Info

Publication number: WO2015034439A1
Application number: PCT/SG2014/000421
Authority: WO
Inventors: Biju K Paul KIZHAKKAMPARAMBIL; Alex Babu THURUTHUMMALIL
Original assignee: Fci Connectors Singapore Pte Ltd; Fci Asia Pte Ptd
Priority date: 2013-09-05
Filing date: 2014-09-05
Publication date: 2015-03-12

Abstract

A header connector includes a housing and first and second sets of terminals disposed in the housing. The housing has a front side, a rear side, mating face at the front side, a mounting face perpendicular to the mating face first, and first and second sets of slots in which one of the first and second sets of terminals is disposed. Each one of the first set of slots has a shoulder portion at a back end thereof. Each one of the first set of terminals has a front end disposed adjacent to the mating face, a bottom end disposed adjacent to the mounting face and a locating end engaged to the shoulder portion to prevent said one of the first set of terminals from moving backwards relative to the housing.

Description

HEADER CONNECTOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an electrical connector and in particular, the present invention relates to a power module header connector. .

BACKGROUND

Header connectors are used in electronics devices and systems for establishing electrical connections between different function modules for transmission of electrical power and/or signals. One type of such connectors is for electrically connecting two printed circuit boards (PCB) to each other. In applications where relatively high levels of power transmission is required, the contact terminals of such connectors are configured with larger physical dimensions and with more solder tails for mounting to the PCBs. It is therefore desirable to provide a header connector which is suitable for mounting to PCB with relatively high strength and reliability. SUMMARY

The present invention relates to an electrical connector and in particular, the present invention relates to a power module header connector. A header connector includes a housing and first and second sets of terminals disposed in the housing. The housing has a front side, a rear side, a mating face at the front side, a mounting face perpendicular to the mating face, and a first and second sets of slots in which one of the first and second sets of terminals is disposed. Each one of the first set of slots has a shoulder portion at a back end thereof, and the shoulder portion faces the front end. Each one of the first set of terminals has a front end disposed adjacent to the mating face, a bottom end disposed adjacent to the mounting face and a locating end engaged to the shoulder portion to prevent said one of the first set of terminals from moving backwards relative to the housing. In one embodiment, the shoulder portion has a projection formed thereon, the projection extends towards the mating face and engages the locating end to prevent the first set of terminals from moving away from the housing towards the mounting face.

In another embodiment, the locating end of each of the first set of terminals has a notch into which the projection is received such that correct position of each of the first set of terminals is ensured in a corresponding slot and meanwhile, the engagement between the projection and the notch prevents movement of the first set of terminals relative to the housing towards the mounting face.

In a further embodiment, each of the first set of slots opens to the mounting face, and the projection is positioned between the mounting face and the locating end, to prevent the first set of terminals from moving away from the housing towards the mounting face.

Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, illustrating by way of example the inventive concept of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are disclosed hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a header connector according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of Fig. 1 ;

Fig. 3 is a partial cross sectional view of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing a header connector of Fig. 1 to be mated with a corresponding receptacle connector;

Fig. 6A is a partial cross sectional perspective view along A-A of Fig. 2 showing assembly status of one of a first set of terminals in the housing;

Fig. 6B is a partial enlarged view of Fig. 6A;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of Fig. 6A before insertion of the one of the first set of terminals into the housing;

Fig. 8 is a partial cross sectional perspective view along B-B of Fig. 2 showing assembly status of one of a second set of terminals in the housing;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of Fig. 8 before insertion of the one of the second set of terminals into the housing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, a header connector 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a housing 110 and first and second sets of terminals 120, 130 disposed in housing 110. Housing 110 has a front side 102 and a rear side 104 opposite to front side 102. At front side 102 there is a mating face 106 for mating with a counterpart connector 200. At bottom side, as shown in Fig. 1, housing 110 has a mounting face 108 positioned perpendicular to mating face 106, for mounting connector 100 to a printed circuit board (PCB, not shown). Housing 110 has a first set of slots 1120 and a second set of slots 1130. First set of slots 1120 are located closer to mounting face . 108. Second set of slots 1130 are located away from mounting face 108. In each one of first set of slot 1120 there is disposed one of the first set of terminals 120. In each one of second set of slot 1130 there is disposed one of the second set of terminals 130. First and second sets of slots 1120, 1130 maybe staggered with respect to each other (Fig. 4) and accordingly, first and second sets of terminals 120 and 130 are disposed in housing 110 in a staggered manner, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. As shown in Figs. 6A, 6B and 7, each one of the first set of terminals 120 has a front end 122, a bottom end 128 and a locating end 124 linked together to a middle portion 123 to form an integral structure. Front end 122 is offset from middle portion 123 towards bottom end 128. Each one of the first set of terminals 120 is inserted into a corresponding one of first slot 1120 of housing 110 from front side 102 towards rear side 104, i.e. along direction 1202 (Fig. 7). When first set of terminals 120 is inserted into slot 1120, front end 122 of terminal 120 is position at, and becomes accessible from, mating face 106, for establishing electrical connection with counterpart connector 200. Bottom end 128 passes through mating face 106 during the insertion process, and extends through mounting face 108 upon completion of the insertion process. First slots 1120 open to mounting face 108 such that when first terminals 120 are inserted into first slots 1120, mounting ends 128 are fully exposed from housing 110, for mounting to an underneath PCB (not shown). When first terminals 120 are completely inserted in first slots 1 120, locating end 124 of each of the first terminals 120 acts against shoulder portion 114 of a corresponding slot 1120. By this engagement, terminal 120 is prevented from moving further towards rear side 104 of housing 110. In the present embodiment, at locating end 124 of each of the first terminals 120 there is formed a notch 126 and at shoulder portion 114 of each of the first slot 1120, there is formed a projection 116 facing front side 102 of housing 110. When terminal 120 is inserted into slot 1120, projection 1 16 is placed in notch 126. By the engagement of projection 116 and notch 126 in this manner, terminal 120 is prevented from moving out of housing 110 through mounting face 108. Accordingly, terminals 120 are securely retained in slot 1120 and will not be detached from housing 110 even during the process of removing connector 100 from the PCB.

As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, each of the second set of terminals 130 has a front end 132 and a bottom end 138 linked together to a middle portion 133 to form an integral structure. Each of the second set of terminals 130 is inserted into a corresponding slot 1130 of housing 110 along direction 1302, i.e. from rear side to front side. Each of the second set of terminals 130 has a middle portion 133 of relatively longer dimension and likewise, each of the set of slots 1130 has a longer slot dimension. When second set of terminals 130 is inserted into slot 1130, front end 132 of terminal 130 is positioned at, and becomes accessible from, mating face 106, for establishing electrical connection with counterpart connector 200. Bottom end 138 extents through mounting face 108, for mounting to the underneath PCB (not shown). Meanwhile, middle portion is retained in slot 1120 such that movement of terminal 130 along a direction perpendicular to mounting face 108 is prevented. In a method 170 of assembling a header connector according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 10, a housing is formed which has a first set of slots and a second sets of slots (step 1702). In each one of the first set of slots there is formed a shoulder portion and a projection extending from the shoulder portion towards a front side of the housing. At step 1704, a first set of terminals and a second set of terminals are formed. Each of the first set of terminals has a locating end and a notch formed at the locating end. At step 1706, each of the first set of terminals is inserted into a corresponding one of the first set of slots, along a direction from the front side of the housing to a rear side of the housing. The locating end of each of the first set of terminals acts against the shoulder portion. The projection is placed in the notch. At step 1708, each of the second set of terminals is inserted into a corresponding one of the second set of slots, along a direction from the rear side to the front side of the housing.

Although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in

conjunction with the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed. Therefore, the present invention should be understood to be capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, alternatives and substitutions without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth and recited by the following claims.

Claims

A header connector comprising:

a housing having a front side, a rear side, a mating face at the front side and a mounting face perpendicular to the mating face;

first and second sets of slots formed in the housing, each one of the first set of slots having a shoulder portion at a back end thereof, the shoulder portion faces the front end;

first and second sets of terminals each being disposed in a corresponding one of the first and second set of slots;

each one of the first set of terminals having a front end disposed adjacent to the mating face, a bottom end disposed adjacent to the mounting face and a locating end engaged to the shoulder portion to prevent said each one of the first set of terminals from moving backwards relative to the housing.

The header connector of claim 1, wherein the shoulder portion has a projection extending towards the mating face, the projection engages the locating end to prevent said first set of terminals from moving away from the housing towards the mounting face.

The header connector of claim 2, wherein each of the first set of terminals further comprising a notch formed at the locating end, wherein the projection is received in the notch.

4. The header connector of claim 2, wherein each of the first set of slots opens to the mounting face, and wherein the projection is positioned between the mounting face and the locating end.

5. The header connector of claim 1 , wherein the first and second sets of terminals are disposed in the housing in a staggered manner.

6. A method for fabricating a header connector, the method comprising: providing a housing having a front side, a rear side, a mating face at the front side, a mounting face perpendicular to the mating face, a first and a second sets of slots;

inserting a first set of terminals into the first sets of slots from the front side towards the rear side;

inserting a second set of terminals into the second sets of slots from the rear side towards the front side.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein each one of the first set of slots having a shoulder portion at a back end of the slot and facing the front side of the housing, each one of the first sets of terminals having a locating end engaging the shoulder portion when said each one of the first set of terminals is inserted into one of the corresponding first set of slots, to prevent said each one of the first set of terminals from moving backwards relative to the housing.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shoulder portion has a projection extending towards the mating face, wherein the projection abuts the locating end when each of the first sets of terminals is inserted into one of the corresponding first set of slots to prevent said first set of terminals from moving away from the housing towards the mounting face.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each of the first set of terminals further

comprising a notch formed at the locating end, wherein the projection is positioned in the notch when each of the first sets of terminals is inserted into one of the corresponding first set of slots to prevent said first set of terminals from moving away from the housing towards the mounting face.