Electrical connector having improved contact

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an electrical connector and more particularly, to an improved electrical connector for interconnection an antenna with a printed circuit board.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] It is becoming increasingly common practice to connect a plurality of terminals extending from an electrical connector with a plurality of circuit traces on a printed circuit board by mounting the connector on the same surface of the printed circuit board. Each terminal is coated with a solder composition. After a placement of the connector on the surface of the printed circuit board, the solder composition is melted so as to obtain the bond between the terminals and the circuit traces, thereby to obtain the electrically connection between the connector and the printed circuit board. One conventional electrical connector is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,227,877 issued to Mou on May 8, 2001. In this patent, the connector comprises an electrical contact including a retainer, a contact arm extending from a distal end of the retainer and a tail extending from an opposite end of the retainer. The retainer is received in a passageway defined in an insulative housing of the connector. The contact arm electrically engages with a contact pad formed on an electrical device (not shown). The tail is surface mounted to a circuit trace formed on a printed circuit board by soldering. Therefore, the contact electrically connects the connector with the printed circuit board.

[0005] However, as a solder portion of the connector, the tail is of a cantilevered configuration inclined to deflect and is too tiny to insure the connector securely mounting on the printed circuit board. In the other hand, the connector cannot be conveniently replaced after the tail is soldered to the printed circuit board. In fact, the replacement of the connector inevitably damages the circuit trace of the printed circuit board or the tail of the contact. Since the connector cannot be replaced conveniently, even a single damage can cause the whole to be wasted. This is economically inefficient, indeed. Furthermore, it must be recognized that the surface mounted electrical connector requires more space on the printed circuit board for the reason that the tail must extend laterally a short distance away from the housing of the connector. It can be minimized but it cannot be eliminated.

[0006] Hence, an electrical connector with improved contacts is needed to overcome the forgoing shortcomings.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical connector having a compact structure for interconnection an antenna with a printed circuit board.

[0008] It is a further object of the invention to provide an electrical connector with improved contact for resilient pressing with the printed circuit board.

[0009] To achieve the object described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an electrical connector for interconnection an antenna or the like with a printed circuit board including an insulative housing and a conductive contact assembled to the housing. The housing including a board and opposite side walls projecting upwardly and downwardly beyond the board. The board includes a top surface and a bottom surface. The side wall defines a slot adjacent to the top surface. The contact includes a base portion, a first spring arm extending upwardly and rearwardly from a front end of the base portion and a second spring arm extending downwardly and forwardly from opposite rear end of the base portion. The first spring arm has a contact portion for engaging with the antenna. The second spring arm has a contact section for resiliently pressing the printed circuit board. The second spring arm includes a retention portion and a resilient portion extending from the distal end of the retention portion. A bent is formed at a location between the retention portion and the resilient portion, whereby providing the resilient portion with enough flexibility.

[0010] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0018] Certain terminology may be used in the following description for convenience only and is not considered to be limiting. The wards “upper”, “lower”, “front” and “rear” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “forwardly”, “rearwardly”, “upwardly” and “downwardly” are further directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center of the referenced object. The terminology includes the wards above specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.

[0019] Referring to the drawings in greater detail, and first to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electrical connector 100 according to the present invention includes an insulative housing 1 and a conductive press fit contact 2 assembled to the housing 1.

[0020] Referring to FIGS. 1–4, the housing 1 includes a substantially flat board 10 and opposite side walls 13 upwardly and downwardly projecting beyond the board 10. The board 10 includes a top surface 11 and a bottom surface 12. The top surface 11 and the side walls 13 corporately define a first space 14. The bottom surface 12 and the side walls 13 corporately define a second space 15. The bottom surface 12 includes an upper face 121 at a front portion thereof and a lower face 122 at a rear portion thereof. The lower face 122 cooperates with a rear edge of the top surface 11 to form a substantially U-shaped locating portion or partition 16. The side walls 13 symmetrically define a pair of slots 131 adjacent to the top surface 11.

[0021] Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6 in conjunction with FIGS. 2 and 4, the contact 2 is of a generally S-shaped configuration. The contact 2 includes a substantially flat base portion 20, a first spring arm 21 extending upwardly and rearwardly from a front end of the base portion 20 and a second spring arm 22 extending downwardly and forwardly from an opposite rear end of the base portion 20. The base portion 20 symmetrically forms a pair of horizontal barbs 23 at opposite side edges thereof for latching in the slots 131 of the housing 1. The first spring arm 21 has a contact portion 211 at a distal end thereof. The contact portion 211 has an upper convex surface (not labeled) projecting upwardly beyond the first space 14 for engaging with a contact portion of a mating antenna 3. The second spring arm 22 has a retention portion 221 substantially parallel to the base portion 20 and a resilient portion 222 extending forwardly and downwardly from the retention portion 221, thereby a bent is formed at a location between the retention portion 221 and the resilient portion 222. The retention portion 221 extends from a rear end of the base portion 20 and cooperates with the base portion 20 to form a substantially U-shaped locating region 24. A projecting contact section 223 extends from a distal end of the resilient portion 222. The contact section 223 has a lower convex surface (not labeled) projecting downwardly beyond the second space 15 for surface engaging with a circuit trace of a mating printed circuit board (PCB) 4.

[0022] In assembly, the base portion 20 is located over the top surface 11 of the housing 1, the barbs 23 of the contact 2 forwardly move and are installed into the slots 131 of the housing 1, whereby the base portion 20 of the contact 2 fixedly assembled on the housing 1. The first spring arm 21 is received in the first space 14 and the contact portion 211 projects upwardly beyond the first space 14 for engaging with the contact portion of to antenna 3. The second spring arm 22 is received in the second space 15 and the contact section 223 projects downwardly beyond the second space 15 for engaging with the circuit trace of the PCB 4.

[0023] It is should be noted that the contact 2 employs the bent between the retention portion 211 and the resilient portion 212, the bent provides the resilient portion 212 with enough flexibility, ensuring the resilient portion 212 robustly come to normal position, thereby providing steadily connection with corresponding circuit trace of the PCB 4 and avoiding damage of the terminal 34. The electrical connector 100 of the present invention, therefore, has a long life-span.

[0024] It is important to note that successful execution of the electrical connector 100 is that the contact 2 employs the second spring arm 22 for resilient pressing with the PCB 4. The second spring arm 22 not only provides enough flexibility ensuring the connection with the PCB 4 but also is convenient and easy for users to replace when the electrical connector 100 does not work. Furthermore, the mechanical connection of the second spring arm 22 instead of the complicated solder process of the solder portion of the prior art largely reduces labor force and manufacture cost.

[0025] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.