U.S. patent number 3,899,231 [Application Number 05/427,080] was granted by the patent office on 1975-08-12 for electrical connector.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aeronutronic Ford Corporation. Invention is credited to Ralph Bray.
United States Patent |
3,899,231 |
Bray |
August 12, 1975 |
Electrical connector
Abstract
An electrical connector for adjacently disposed printed
electrical circuit panels, comprising a resilient wire formed with
a reversely bent first end portion disposed in a first plane and a
reversely bent second end portion disposed in a second plane
extending perpendicularly to the first plane. The reversely bent
first end portion projects into an aperture in one of the printed
circuit panels and is soldered to a terminal of an electrical
circuit on the panel. The reversely bent second end portion extends
through and resides in resilient engagement with side walls of a
plated-through aperture serving as a terminal for an electrical
circuit on another of the printed circuit panels.
Inventors: |
Bray; Ralph (Philadelphia,
PA) |
Assignee: |
Aeronutronic Ford Corporation
(Blue Bell, PA)
|
Family
ID: |
23693413 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/427,080 |
Filed: |
December 21, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
439/80; 439/876;
439/825; 361/784 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R
12/728 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
H05K
1/02 (20060101); H05K 001/02 () |
Field of
Search: |
;339/17,18,176,217,252,256,275 ;317/101 ;174/68.5 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Frazier; Roy D.
Assistant Examiner: Lewis; Terrell P.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Sanborn; Robert D.
Claims
I claim:
1. The combination of an electrical connector with at least a pair
of adjacently disposed substantially perpendicular electrical
circuit-breaking panel structures, comprising: a resilient wire
formed with a reversely bent first portion disposed in a first
plane, and a reversely bent second end portion disposed in a second
plane extending substantially at right angles to the first plane;
the reversely bent first end portion projecting into an aperture
provided in a first circuit bearing panel with said second plane
adjacent and substantially parallel to said first panel, said first
end portion being both electrically and mechanically affixed to an
adjacent circuit on the panel; and the reversely bent second end
portion extending through and residing in resilient engagement with
electrically conductive side walls of an aperture provided on said
second wiring circuit panel, said electrically conductive side
walls comprising electrical terminal means for a circuit on said
second panel.
2. The combination according to claim 1, and characterized in that
at least said first circuit bearing panel comprises a printed
circuit board, and in that said first end portion of said connector
is solder bonded to a terminal provided for said circuit.
3. The combination according to claim 2, and further characterized
in that said side walls of the aperture on said second panel are
tapered in the direction of extent of said second end portion from
said first end portion of said connector.
4. The combination according to claim 1, and further characterized
in that each of said reversely bent wire portions is so disposed as
to have its symmetry substantially about the polar axis of the
respective panel aperture into which it extends.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to electrical connectors, and more
particularly to improved means for electrically connecting circuits
on adjacently disposed printed circuit panels extending with
angular relationship to one another.
In the assembly of radio receivers, and the like, of the type
including more than one printed circuit panel, or board, it has
been a practice to provide connector assemblies comprising mating
disconnectible parts. One part of an assembly is attached to
circuits on one panel and its mating part is attached to circuits
on the other panel. The panels are then so positioned adjacent one
another as to accommodate connection of the mating parts of the
connector assemblies. In a construction of this type, the circuits
must be arranged with care to ensure alignment of the mating parts
of the connector assemblies. Attention to such arrangement is time
consuming, and the resulting construction often utilizes space
inefficiently, for example by extending the paths of the conductive
circuits.
It is a general objective of the present invention to provide
improved means for electrically connecting adjacently disposed
electrical circuit panels which overcome the aforementioned
problems.
It is a further and more particular objective of the invention to
provide improved connector means of the aforementioned type which
requires less precise alignment of mating elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In achievement of the foregoing as well as other objectives and
advantages, the invention contemplates provision of an electrical
connector for adjacently disposed electrical circuit-bearing
panels, comprising a resilient wire formed with a reversely bent
first end portion disposed in a first plane, and a reversely bent
second end portion disposed in a second plane extending with
angularity to the first plane, the reversely bent first end portion
projecting into an aperture in a first circuit panel and being
solder bonded to an adjacent wiring circuit on said panel, and the
reversely bent second end portion extending through and residing in
resilient engagement with electrically conductive side walls of an
aperture comprising an electrical terminal for a circuit on a
second circuit panel.
The manner in which the foregoing as well as other objectives and
advantages of the invention may best be achieved will be more fully
understood from a consideration of the following description, taken
in light of the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective showing on a somewhat reduced scale, of
radio receiving apparatus embodying the invention;
FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken generally along the
line indicated by arrows 2--2 applied to FIG. 1, and illustrating
electrical connector assemblies contemplated by the invention;
FIG. 3 is a view of apparatus seen in FIG. 2, illustrating an
assembly feature afforded by the invention;
FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower left hand portion
of the apparatus seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and illustrating details of
construction the electrical connector assembly contemplated by the
invention; and
FIG. 5 is a perspective showing of the electrical connector, per
se.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
With more detailed reference to the drawing, and first to FIGS. 1
and 2, a radio receiver apparatus 10, in which the invention has
particular utility, includes a combination housing and frame
structure 11. A bezel provided with a station dial 12 is affixed to
the front of frame structure 11, and a pointer 13 of known design
is movable with tuner mechanism 14 across dial 12. Tuner mechanism
14 is of known type, and is operable either by manually operated
pushbuttons 15 or manually operated knob 16. A conventional on-off
switch and volume control knob is provided at 17.
With more particular reference to FIG. 2, electrical
circuit-bearing panel structures such as printed circuit panels 21,
22 and 23 are disposed in frame structure 11 as shown. Panel 21 is
supported on tuner 14, extends in a generally vertical plane, and
includes the usual solder bonded components. Of these components
are tuning coils 24 which extend from the panel and into coil
shield means (not shown) of the tuner 14; in turn, the movable
cores (not shown) of the tuner extend into the coils 24. Tuning
coil and panel support structure thus far described is disclosed in
my U.S. Pat. No. 3,195,050, issued July 13, 1965, and assigned to
the assignee of the present invention.
Printed circuit panel 22 extends generally horizontally along the
bottom of frame 11, partially beneath tuner 14 and partially beyond
panel 21, and is supported by suitable brackets, one of which is
seen at 30, provided on tuner 14. A portion of panel 22 is disposed
closely adjacent to the lower edge of panel 21, which panels
further are mutually perpendicular.
Circuit panel 23 extends generally parallel to panel 21, and is
supported on brackets 31 provided on a rear wall 11b of frame
portion 11a that is telescopingly engaged with the main portion of
frame 11, as will best be understood from the partially exploded
showing in FIG. 3, in which screw-attached portions 11a and 11c
have been removed in the directions shown. Still with reference to
FIG. 2, a lower edge portion of panel 23 is disposed in close
adjacency to a rear edge of panel 22, which panels are
perpendicular to one another.
Circuit panels 21, 22, and 23 include radio receiver circuit
components or elements that are so related as to require electrical
interconnections as between the circuit elements on the different
panels. It will be appreciated that the present invention affords
improved means for providing these interconnections.
In especial accordance with the invention, and with reference also
to FIGS. 4 and 5, taken with FIGS. 2 and 3, panel circuit
interconnection means contemplated by the invention are designated
generally by the numeral 25. One such interconnection is shown
between circuit elements on panels 21 and 22, and another between
circuit elements on panels 22 and 23. Each of means 25 comprises a
resilient wire, preferably music wire about 0.016 inch in diameter,
formed with a reversely bent first end portion 26 disposed in a
first plane and a reversely bent second end portion 27 disposed in
a second plane extending with angularity, preferably
perpendicularly, to the first plane. Accordingly, in the showing of
FIG. 4 the plane of portion 26 is vertical and the plane of portion
27 is horizontal. Each of the reversely bent end portions 26 and 27
further is so disposed as to have substantial symmetry about
respective axes that extend with substantial angularity, preferably
perpendicularly, relative to one another. As will be described in
detail in what follows, the axes of symmetry are such that they
will extend substantially along the polar axes of apertured
terminals on the panels.
The reversely bent first portion 26 projects into a plated-through
aperture 28 comprising the terminal portion of an electrical
circuit on panel 23, and is solder bonded at 32 to an adjacent
conductive pad region 28a of the terminal. To facilitate soldering,
connector 25 is coated with a metal such as tin, about 0.002 inch
thick. The reversely bent second end portion 27 extends through,
and resides in resilient engagement with side walls of, a
plated-through aperture 29 comprising an electrical circuit
terminal on adjacent circuit panel 21. The side walls of the
aperture, typically about 0.10 inch in diameter, are tapered in the
direction of extent of the bent portion 27. This taper, in
combination with the relative angularity of the legs of bent
portion 27, preferably about 45.degree., ensures positive
electrical contact as well as facilitating ready assembly and
disassembly of panels 23 and 22 upon movements of frame portion 11a
between the positions illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. Although only
two connectors 25 have been shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it will be
appreciated that, in radio receiver apparatus of the type shown, as
many as six connectors 25 provide electrical interconnection
between panels 21 and 22, and five connectors 25 provide
interconnection between panels 22 and 23.
It will therefore be appreciated that the invention affords
improved connector means characterized by ease of assembly and
disassembly, and by its improved performance.
* * * * *