Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6435916
-
Patent Number
6,435,916
-
Date Filed
Wednesday, June 28, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, August 20, 200222 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Ta; Tho D.
- Nguyen; Phuong
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 651
- 439 654
- 439 133
- 439 214
- 439 620
- 439 606
- 439 105
- 439 106
- 439 549
- 439 552
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A snap mounted electrical power connector for a printed circuit board. The electrical power connector is included of an input power receptacle that forms a first portion of a current carrying path through the electrical power connector and an output power receptacle that forms a second portion of the current carrying path through the electrical power connector. The input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are configured to connect along a common axis perpendicular to the printed circuit board by a snap connection.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to electrical power connectors, and more particularly, to a snap mounted electrical power connector for a printed circuit board that connects along a common axis.
PROBLEM
Power connectors are required to bring power to printed circuit (PC) boards. These power connectors generally include two individual power receptacles that mount on opposing sides of the PC board. Each receptacle is mounted on its respective side of the PC board using screws or other similar fasteners. The receptacles are mounted in an offset configuration that prevents the mounting of one receptacle from interfering with the mounting of the other receptacle. The input receptacle mounted on the back plane of the PC board includes three male electrical contacts that mate with a line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles of an external power cord leading to a wall socket. The output receptacle mounted on the front plane of the PC board includes a line, neutral, and ground receptacle configured to receive the male contacts of an internal power cord. The internal power cord is soldered at its opposing end to the PC board.
Electrical leads that extend from the backside of each receptacle and pass through apertures in the PC board provide an electrical connection between the two receptacles. Copper tracers printed on the PC board connect the corresponding electrical leads for each receptacle to complete a circuit. In some cases an electrical filter is used to filter noise generated by the power supply. The filter is typically mounted on the PC board at the connection point of the internal power cord and the PC board.
Unfortunately, the above-described configuration presents several problems in the art. One problem is the physical space occupied by the offset mounting configuration. The physical space occupied by any one component on a PC board is an important concern because of the demand for smaller electronic products. The offset configuration of the individual receptacles utilizes approximately four square inches of space on the front and back plane of the PC board. Another problem with this configuration is that the electrical leads that pass through the PC board pose a danger of electrical shock to individuals working on the PC board. To prevent injury a non-conductive foam padding is often pressed onto the leads. This padding, however, is easily detached and lost. Finally, another problem with this configuration is that the PC board is easily damaged during mounting of the power receptacles due to careless workers over tightening the fastening screws.
SOLUTION
The present invention overcomes the problems outlined above and advances the art by providing a snap mounted electrical power connector that mounts on a PC board along a common axis. A first advantage of the present power connector is that the mounting along the common axis significantly reduces the amount of space utilized by the power connector. A second advantage of the present power connector is that it mounts by a snap connection onto the PC board without the use of independent fasteners or adhesives. A third advantage of the present power connector is that it eliminates the need for the electrical leads, tracers, and non-conductive foam padding, resulting in a safer connector with lower manufacturing costs. A fourth advantage of the present power connector is that in some examples, it includes an internal electrical filter that filters radio frequency interference from a power cord. Advantageously, the internal filter eliminates the need for a separate filter mounted on the PC board resulting in further space savings. A fifth advantage of the present power connector is that the snap mounting provides a faster and easier method of assembly.
The electrical power connector is comprised of an input power receptacle that forms a first portion of a current carrying path through the connector and an output power receptacle that forms a second portion of the current carrying path through the connector. The input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are configured to connect to the PC board by a snap connection along a common axis perpendicular to the board.
In some examples of the present power connector, the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are contained in a single housing that fits into an aperture formed in the PC board. The power connector could snap into the aperture or be connected in the aperture by loose or captive hardware. In other examples of the present power connector the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are contained in separate housings that connect together along the common axis from opposing sides of the PC board. The input power receptacle and the output power receptacle could connect together along the common axis by a snap connection or using the loose or captive hardware.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
, illustrates a perspective view of an example of an electrical power connector according to the present invention;
FIG. 2
illustrates another perspective view of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
illustrates a plan view of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
illustrates the mounting of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 1
on a PC board;
FIG. 5
is another illustration of the mounting of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 1
on a PC board;
FIG. 6
is another illustration of the mounting of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 1
on a PC board;
FIG. 7
illustrates a perspective view of another example of an electrical power connector according to the present invention;
FIG. 8
illustrates another perspective view of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 7
;
FIG. 9
illustrates the mounting of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 7
on a PC board;
FIG. 10
is another illustration of the mounting of the electrical power connector of
FIG. 7
on a PC board; and
FIG. 11
illustrates a perspective view of a filter for an electrical power connector according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
FIGS. 1-3
illustrate an example of an electrical power connector
100
according to the present invention. The power connector
100
comprises an input power receptacle
101
and an output power receptacle
102
integrally formed in a single housing
103
. The input power receptacle
101
includes line, neutral and ground electrical contacts
104
,
105
, and
106
. The line, neutral and ground contacts
104
-
106
are housed in shell
113
and form a first portion of a current caring path through the electrical power connector
100
. The input power receptacle
102
is configured to receive a conventional external power cord leading to a wall socket. A base plate
107
is integrally formed around the central portion of the housing
103
. As will become apparent from the following description, the base plate
107
supports the power connector
100
during connection and disconnection of the external and an internal power cord from the input power receptacle
101
and the output power receptacle
102
.
Referring to
FIG. 2
, the output power receptacle
102
includes line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
110
,
111
, and
112
within housing
114
. The line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
110
-
112
are connected to the line, neutral and ground electrical contacts
104
-
106
and form a second portion of the current caring path through the electrical power connector
100
. The line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
110
,
111
, and
112
are configured to receive the male line, neutral, and ground electrical contacts of a conventional internal power cord for a PC board, with one example being an IEC standard three prong PC power cord. Using the principles described above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in alternative embodiments the input power receptacle
101
and the output power receptacle
102
could be configured other than shown on
FIGS. 1-2
to accommodate different power cord designs. For example, the input power receptacle
101
could include any number of electrical contacts and the output power receptacle
102
could include any number of electrical receptacles to accommodate various power cord configurations as a matter of design choice. Similarly, the shell
113
and the housing
114
for the input power receptacle
101
and the output power receptacle
102
could be configured in numerous other shapes to accommodate various power cord configurations as a matter of design choice.
Referring to
FIG. 3
, a pair of snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
, are integrally formed on a top portion
300
and a bottom portion
301
of the output power receptacle
102
. Connecting apparatuses
108
and
109
mount the power connector
100
to a PC board by way of a snap connection. In alternative examples of the present power connector, the connecting apparatuses
108
and
109
could be integrally formed in the input power receptacle
101
as a matter of design choice. Furthermore, the snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
could be integrally formed on a left and a right side of either the output power receptacle
102
or the input receptacle
101
to avoid interference with other components on a PC board. Alternatively, any suitable form of connection could be used in conjunction with or in place of the snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
. Some examples include without limitation, an adhesive connection, compression connection or the use of loose or captive hardware, such as, nuts, bolts and/or screws.
FIGS. 4-6
illustrate the mounting of the power connector
100
on a PC board
400
. The power connector
100
mounts on the PC board
400
by way of a snap connection. An aperture
401
configured in substantially the shape of the output power receptacle
102
is formed in the PC board
400
. The output power receptacle
102
is inserted into the aperture
401
, as illustrated by
FIG. 4
, until the snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
snap through the aperture
401
as illustrate by
FIGS. 5 and 6
. The snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
operate to secure the power connector
100
to the PC board
400
by sandwiching the PC board
400
between the snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
and the base plate
107
. Advantageously, the power connector
100
mounts along a common axis perpendicular to the PC board
400
, as opposed to the prior art, which mounts in an offset configuration.
The power connector
100
can be detached from the PC board
400
by compressing the snap connection apparatuses
108
and
109
inward toward the top portion
300
and bottom portion
301
of the main body
103
and pushing the power connector
100
out of the aperture
401
. Advantageously, the base plate
107
mounts flush with the PC board
400
to support the power connector
100
during connection and disconnection of power cords to and from the input power receptacle
101
and the output power receptacle
102
. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the base plate
107
could be configured in numerous different geometries and dimensions as a matter of design choice. For example, if it is anticipated that electrical cords will be connected and disconnected several times over the course of the life of the power connector
100
, the base plate
107
could be larger to provide additional support. Similarly, in space critical applications, the base plate
107
could be smaller to maximize the available space on the PC board
400
.
FIGS. 7 and 8
depict another example of a power connector
700
according to the present in invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various features described below could be combined with the above described embodiment to form multiple variations of the invention.
The power connector
700
is comprised of an input power receptacle
701
and an output power receptacle
702
. The input power receptacle
701
includes pins
707
,
708
, and
709
, electrical contacts
800
,
801
, and
802
, connecting posts
705
and
706
, and a base plate
710
. The output power receptacle
702
comprises line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
718
,
719
, and
720
, and an integrally formed base plate
711
. In operation, the power connector
700
is similar to the power connector
100
except that the input power receptacle
701
is contained in a first housing
703
and the output power receptacle
702
is contained in a second housing
704
.
In this example, the pins
707
-
709
are connected to the electrical contacts
800
-
802
and together with the electrical contacts
800
-
802
form the first portion of the current caring path. The line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
718
-
720
, in the output power receptacle
702
, form the second portion of the current caring path. The pins
707
-
709
provide the electrical connection between the electrical contacts
800
-
802
and the line, neutral, and ground electrical receptacles
718
-
720
. The pins
707
-
709
insert into mating electrical vias formed in the backside
721
of the output power receptacle
702
during the connection of the input power receptacle
701
and output power receptacle
702
. Those skilled in the art will readily understand the electrical connection between the pins
707
-
709
and the electrical receptacles
718
-
720
.
The connecting posts
705
and
706
are integrally formed in the input power receptacle
701
perpendicular to the base plate
710
. The connecting posts
705
and
606
are configured to mate with the apertures
712
and
713
formed in the base plate
711
of the output power receptacle
702
. The connecting posts
705
and
706
include triangular tips
714
and
715
that are configured to snap into apertures
712
and
713
to connect the input power receptacle
701
and output power receptacle
702
. The triangular tips
714
and
715
operate similar to the snap connecting apparatuses
108
and
109
in that they are compressed into the apertures
712
and
713
and expand outward once fully inserted. Similarly, the input power receptacle
701
and the output power receptacle
702
are easily disconnected by compressing the triangular tips
714
and
715
and disengaging the tips
714
and
715
from the apertures
712
and
713
. Advantageously, the posts
705
and
706
can be constructed in various lengths to accommodate different PC board thickness. Alternatively, any suitable connecting apparatus could be used in conjunction with posts
705
and
706
or in place of posts
705
and
706
. Some examples include an adhesive connection and/or the use of loose or captive hardware.
FIGS. 9 and 10
illustrate the mounting of the power connector
700
to a PC board
900
. On
FIG. 9
apertures
901
,
902
,
903
,
904
905
are formed in the PC board
900
. The apertures
903
-
905
are configured to receive the pins
707
-
709
. The apertures
901
and
902
are configured to receive the connecting posts
705
and
706
. During connection, the pins
707
-
709
and connecting posts
705
and
706
insert through the apertures
901
-
905
to mate with the output power receptacle
702
. The output power receptacle
702
is connected onto the back plane of the PC board
900
by the snap connection between the posts
714
and
715
and apertures
712
and
713
. Advantageously, the power connector
700
mounts on the PC board
900
along a common axis perpendicular to the PC board
900
. Also, advantageously, the base plates
710
and
711
support the power connector
700
from both the front plane
906
and the back plane
907
during connection and disconnection of power cords. Another advantage of this example is that the structural integrity of the PC board
900
is better maintained because less material is removed to accommodate the mounting of the power connector
700
. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the base plates
710
and
711
could be configured in numerous different geometries and dimensions as a matter of design choice.
FIG. 11
illustrates an example of a filter
1100
for a power connector e.g.
100
or
700
according to the present invention. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various features described below could be combined with the above described embodiment to form multiple variations of the invention.
The filter
1100
is comprised of a lossy non-conductive ferrite block configured for insertion into the input power receptacle
102
or
701
of a power connector
100
or
700
according to the present invention. The filter
1100
includes receptacles
1101
,
1102
, and
1103
that accommodate the conductive path of the electrical receptacles
110
-
112
or
718
-
720
in the power connectors
100
or
700
. The filter
1100
protects electronic equipment mounted on a PC board from radio frequency interference (RFI) conducted through an AC power cord. Advantageously, incorporation of the filter
1100
into the power connector
100
or
700
provides low cost RFI filtering and eliminates the need for an external filter resulting in further space utilization and efficiencies on a PC board.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate variations of the above-described embodiments that fall within the scope of the invention. As a result, the invention is not limited to the specific examples and illustrations discussed above, but only by the following claims and their equivalents.
Claims
- 1. An electrical power connector for a printed circuit (PC) board comprising:an input power receptacle comprising a first portion of a current carrying path through the electrical power connector, wherein the first portion of the current carrying path comprises a line electrical contact, a neutral electrical contact, and a ground electrical contact being configured to mate with a line receptacle, a neutral receptacle, and a ground receptacle of an external modular three conductor power cord leading to a wall socket; an output power receptacle comprising a second portion of the current carrying path through the electrical power connector, wherein the second portion of the current carrying path comprises a line receptacle, a neutral receptacle, and a ground receptacle connected to a line contact, a neutral contact, and a ground contact, respectively, of an internal modular three conductor power cord; a lossy non-conductive ferrite block internally housed in the input power receptacle; and means for mounting the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle on the printed circuit board along a common axis, such that the line electrical receptacle is connected to the line electrical contact, the neutral electrical receptacle is connected to the neutral electrical contact and the ground electrical receptacle is connected to the ground electrical contact.
- 2. The connector of claim 1, wherein the line electrical receptacle is configured to detachably connect to the line electrical contact, the neutral electrical receptacle is configured to detachably connect to the neutral electrical contact, and the ground electrical receptacle is configured to detachably connect to the ground electrical contact.
- 3. The connector of claim 1, wherein the input power receptacle is in a first housing and the output power receptacle is in a second housing.
- 4. The connector of claim 3, further comprising:means within the first housing for supporting the power connector during connection and disconnection of the external power cord; and means within the second housing for supporting the power connector during connection and disconnection of the external power cord.
- 5. The connector of claim 4, wherein the support means in the first housing comprises:a first base plate integrally formed in the first housing in a perpendicular orientation to the input power receptacle.
- 6. The connector of claim 5, wherein the support means in the second housing comprises:a second base plate integrally formed in the second housing in a perpendicular orientation to the output power receptacle.
- 7. The connector of claim 6, wherein the mounting means comprises:a pair of posts connected perpendicular to one of the first base plate and the second base plate; and a pair of apertures defined in the other one of the first base plate and the second base plate, wherein the pair of apertures are configured to mate with the pair of posts to form a snap connection between the first housing and the second housing.
- 8. The connector of claim 1, wherein the input power receptacle and the output power receptacle are in a single housing.
- 9. The connector of claim 8, wherein the mounting means comprises:a pair of snap connection apparatuses integrally formed on opposing sides of the single housing.
- 10. The connector of claim 8, further comprising:means within the single housing for supporting the power connector during connection and disconnection of the external power cord.
- 11. The connector of claim 10, wherein the means within the single housing for supporting comprises:a base plate integrally formed around a central portion of the single housing.
US Referenced Citations (4)