Printed Wiring Board Connector

(1) Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to printed wiring board connectors and, more particularly, to a connector for establishing connection between a printed wiring board and a ribbon-type cable.

(2) Background Art

Printed wiring board connectors are very well known to those skilled in the art. In this regard, connectors are known which may be used to terminate ribbon-type cable conductors by means such as soldering. Such connector receptacles engage connector plugs soldered to printed wiring board conductors or in the alternative, engage press fit pins assembled to the printed wiring board. The press fit pins may be of the type soldered in place within a plated through hole or of the press fit variety.

Such an arrangement while operating generally satisfactorily requires the employment of additional hardware in the form of connector receptacles and connector plugs or in the alternative connector pins, all such items being separately assembled to their respective members. Such assembly carries with it the attendant additional costs and liability of an increased quantity of connections which have been found to be subject to electrical failure. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful connector that provides reduced manufacturing costs and greater connection reliability than found in previously utilized designs.

The present invention overcomes the above manufacturing cost and reliability problems by providing a connector for establishing connection between a printed wiring board including a first side having a plurality of terminals located thereon and a ribbon-type cable including a plurality of conductors each including an associated contact. The contacts are each positioned to engage a corresponding one of the terminals. The connector includes a base of planar construction positioned adjacent to the contacts and a planar frame attached to the printed wiring board's second side. Guide means are attached to the base and positioned to engage the frame. Clamping means are included and operated to engage the guide means with the frame and the contacts with the terminals to establish connection between the printed wiring board and the ribbon-type cable.

A resilient pad may be included between the base and the ribbon cable to urge the cable into contact with the printed wiring board terminals. The pad may also include mounds formed behind each contact to enhance engagement of the contact with the terminals. A plurality of cable alignment pins which extend perpendicularly from the base through the pad and the cable prevent translational motion of the cable with respect to the base. The clamping means can include a clamp having a handle including an actuating arm and a link pivot positioned on either side of a pivot point. A link is included, attached to the link pivot and adapted to engage a catch in the form of a hook attached to the base.

An understanding of a connector in accordance with the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the connector of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the present invention taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1 showing the frame and printed wiring board in initial engagement with the base and guide means; and

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the present invention taken along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1 showing the frame and printed wiring board fully engaged with the base and guide means.

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a connector in accordance with the present invention adapted to connect a printed wiring board 1 to a ribbon-type cable 2 on which are formed a plurality of conductors 3, each including a corresponding contact 4. A corresponding plurality of terminals 5 (shown in FIG. 2) are formed on a first side 6 of the printed wiring board 1. A frame 8 is attached to the printed wiring board 1 on a second side 9 thereof by means generally known to those skilled in the art. In this regard, eyelets 11 may be used to attach the frame 8 to the printed wiring board 9.

A base 15 is included and positioned on a side of the cable 2 away from the printed wiring board 1. The base 15 includes a pair of guide tongues 16 extending from the base at an oblique angle toward the printed wiring board 1. A plurality of catch hooks 18 are attached to the base 15 opening towards the base 15 and adapted to be engaged from the direction of the printed wiring board 1.

Clamps 20 each including a handle 21 having an actuating arm 22, a pivot point 23 and a plurality of link pivots 24 are included to clamp the printed wiring board to the ribbon cable. A plurality of links 25 are engaged with corresponding ones of the link pivots 24. The links 25 may extend through a plurality of printed wiring board apertures 26. Handle locks 30 are included attached to the base 8 and extend perpendicularly therefrom in a direction away from the printed wiring board 1. Each handle lock includes a flexible stem 31 and a head 32 including a handle engaging catch 33.

The tongues 16 each engage the frame 8 via a corresponding bore 35 formed in a corresponding ear 36 of base 8. The tongues 16 and the bores 35 may both be of rectangular cross-section and formed at an oblique angle to the plane of the base 15 for purposes which will be described below.

Referring to FIG. 2, a resilient pad 40 is provided between the base 15 and the ribbon cable 2 to urge the ribbon cable into contact with the printed wiring board 1. The resilient pad 40 may include a plurality of mounds 41 formed to engage the ribbon cable 2 at points near the contacts 4 for the purpose of providing a concentrated biasing force to the contacts 4. A plurality of alignment pins 45 are included extending perpendicularly from the base 15 in a direction toward the frame 8, through a corresponding plurality of alignment bores 48 in the resilient pad 40 and a corresponding plurality of alignment holes 49 in the ribbon-type cable 2 to position the pad and cable and to restrict them from longitudinal or translational movement relative to the base 15 while permitting movement of both elements in a direction perpendicular to the base 15. In this regard, should movement of the pad 40 and the cable 2 to the left or right as shown in FIG. 2 be attempted, such action will cause the the alignment pins 45 to contact the alignment bores 48 in the resilient pad 40 and the alignment holes 49 in the ribbon-type cable 2 thereby inhibiting such attempted movement. A corresponding plurality of clearance holes 46 are provided in the printed wiring board 1 and the frame 8 for the upper end 47 of the alignment pin 45 when the connector is positioned in its engaged position.

The connector of the present invention maybe operated by aligning the alignment bores 48 of the resilient pad 40 with the alignment pins 45 and then pressing the resilient pad 40 down along the pins 45 to the base 15. Following positioning of the resilient pad 40, the ribbon cable 2 may be similarly positioned and pressed on the alignment pins 45.

Referring to FIG. 1, connection of the printed wiring board 1 to the ribbon cable 2 may then be accomplished by positioning the frame 8 so as to place the bores 35 of the ears 36 into alignment with the tongues 16 of the base 15. Following initial positioning of the frame 8, the links 25 may then be engaged on the hooks 18 of the base 15. In this regard, the handles 20 may be advantageously positioned so as to place the actuating arms 22 in a perpendicular orientation to the base 8. Thereby permitting the links 25 to extend a greater distance down through the apertures 26 in the printed wiring board 1 and enabling engagement of the links 25 with the hooks 18 with greater ease.

Following initial engagement of the links 25 with the hooks 18, the handles 20 may both be pivoted about their pivot points 23 so as to place their actuating arms 22 into engagement with the handle engaging catches 33 of the handle locks 30, thereby urging the printed wiring board 1 towards the ribbon cable. In this regard, upon initial movement of the actuating arms 22 towards each other (refer to FIG. 2) the frame 8 will engage the tongues 16 via the bores 35 of the ears 36 and slide therealong in an oblique direction towards the base 15 bringing the terminals 5 of the printed wiring board 1 into engagement with the contacts 4 of the ribbon cable 2. The continued movement of the actuating arms 22 in a direction towards each other will then force the frame 8 closer to the base 15 thereby compressing the mounds 41 of the resilient pad 40 and the resilient pad 40 itself (shown in FIG. 3). At the same time the oblique movement of the frame 8 relative to the base 15 will cause the contacts 4 of the ribbon cable 2 to wipe along the terminals 5 of the printed wiring board 1 thereby rubbing away surface contamination and insuring a reliable connection. The further movement of the actuating arms 22 towards each other will cause the arms to engage and deflect the handle locks 30 away from each other thereby permitting the handles to pass and engage the handle engaging catches 33 locking the handles in their operated positions.

The connector of the present invention may be released by forcing the handle locks 30 apart thereby releasing the actuating arms 22 of the handles 21 and permitting them to pivot away from each other thereby releasing the forces clamping the frame 8 to the base 15. Upon release of the clamping forces the resilient pad 40 and the mounds 41 will urge the frame 8 away from the base 15. The handles 21 may then be moved to a perpendicular orientation relative to the base and the links 25 disengaged from the hooks 18. Following disengagement of the links 25 from the hooks 18 the printed wiring board 1 may be moved in an oblique direction away from the base 15 thereby removing it from contact and engagement with the ribbon cable 2.

It will now be apparent that a connector has been described here and above which offers significant advantages over prior art assemblies. The connector permits connection to be established between printed wiring board and a ribbon cable utilizing less components and more economical manufacturing procedures than prior art assemblies. Additionally, the oblique placement of the alignment tongue and the alignment bore permit contact wiping during engagement and disengagement thereby increasing contact reliability.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated, and the form described in detail, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.