Patent Application
20090017644
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector assembly which comprises connector and a pick up cap, the pick up cap being mounted to the connector for providing a flat top surface to be engaged by a vacuum suction device, whereby the connector assembly can be moved onto a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the connector is to be mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On many production lines, electronic components such as electrical connectors are accurately positioned on circuit substrates such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) by means of vacuum suction devices. Generally, a typical connector has a multiplicity of holes in an even top portion thereof, thereby having not a smooth and integral top surface to be engaged by a vacuum suction device. A pick up cap then has to be attached on the top portion of the connector to provide a flat top surface. Such pick up caps are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,413,111, 6,478,588, 6,533,592, 6,547,609, 6,561,825 and 6,572,383.
Referring to
However, in abovementioned electrical connector assemblies, the pick up caps are always located on the housing via projections extending from the cap which makes the structure of the pick up cap more complicated and when the assembled on the housing, the cap is easy to destroy the terminals assembled in the housing in addition, in the second electrical connector, the dimension of the cap is usually greater than the housing which is not fit the tendency of micromation of the connector.
In view of the above, a new connector assembly that overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages is desired.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a connector assembly which has a connector and a pick up cap mounted on the connector, wherein the pick up cap is configured to have a minimal risk to damage the connector when a vacuum suction device engages a flat top surface of the pick up cap.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, a connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment comprises an connector and a pick up cap. The connector comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts received in the housing. The housing comprises a conductive area and sidewalls extending around the conductive area comprising a pair of first sidewalls and a pair of second sidewalls connecting with the first sidewalls, the first sidewalls each define a first anchoring recess on a center portion thereof for engaging with pick up cap and the second sidewalls each defines a second anchoring recess on a center portion thereof for engaging with the pick up cap. The conductive area defines a number of passageways for receiving the terminals therein and each opposite sidewalls define a pair of anchoring recess one a center portion thereof respectively. The pick up cap is configured as rectangular shape and comprises a planar portion for being vacuumed by the vacuum suction device and a pair of first engaging portion extending from the planar portion in a first direction to engage with the first anchoring recess and a pair of second engaging portion extending from the planar portion in a second direction vertical to the first direction to engage with the second anchoring recess of the pick up cap. Each first engaging portion defines extending portion for engaging with anchoring recess of the pick up cap. Relative to the conventional art, the connector assembly provides pairs of engaging portion on the pick up cap for engaging with the connector, which simplifies the structure of the connector assembly and decreases the dimension of the whole connector assembly.
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.
Reference will now be made to the drawings to describe the present invention in detail.
The connector 2 comprises a generally rectangular insulative housing 21, a plurality of electrical contacts 22 received in the housing 21.
The housing 21 comprises a conductive area 22 and sidewalls extending around the conductive area comprising a pair of first sidewalls 220 and a pair of second sidewalls 221 connecting with the first sidewalls 220, the first sidewalls 220 each define a first anchoring recess 24 on a center portion thereof for engaging with pick up cap 3 and each recess defines an anchoring recess. The conductive area 21 defines a number of passageways for receiving the terminals therein. In addition, the housing 2 defines a number of L-shaped projections 23 on corners thereof extending towards the conductive area 21 and a number of recesses 231 each located in one corner sandwiched by the L-shaped projection 23.
The pick up cap 3 has a generally rectangular planar body 33. The planar body 33 comprises a flat top surface, and a pair of opposite first extending portions 31 and a pair of second opposite extending portions 32 extending horizontally from the sidewalls thereof. The first extending portions 31 each define a rectangular hole 34 adjacent to the planar body 33 and a hook 35 extending downwardly adjacent to the hole 33.
When the pick up cap 3 is mounted on the housing 2, the hook 35 of the pick up cap 3 is located on the anchoring recess 241 of the housing. The first extending portions 31 and the second extending portions 32 are abutting against sidewalls of the housing 2 and the corners of the pick up cap 3 are abutting against the inner sides of the projections 23. In the way, the pick up cap 3 is located on the housing 2 by its own structures.
Furthermore, although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is not to be construed as being limited thereto. Various alterations and modifications can be made to the embodiments without in any way departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.
