Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6494751
-
Patent Number
6,494,751
-
Date Filed
Friday, July 20, 200123 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, December 17, 200221 years ago
-
Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Sircus; Brian
- Prasad; Chandrika
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 752
- 439 595
- 439 587
- 439 852
- 439 748
- 439 834
-
International Classifications
-
Abstract
A multiple cavity electrical header connector and associated box-type female terminal. The header is made in a one-piece as an injection molded connector body having a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration and a low-profile when mounted with its longitudinal axis parallel to the planar mounting surface of an associated printed circuit board. The header front face mates with a system module with male terminal blades protruding therefrom to be individually received in the female terminals individually carried in the header cavities. The header connector body is side-cored to provide resilient flex lock arms integrally joined to the header body that in their free state protrude one into each cavity space. Each arm is yieldably flexed back by an associated terminal when such is inserted into the cavity, and then snaps out and holds the terminal locked in its cavity. The header cavities are arranged in two parallel rows with their blade entrances opening to the header front face. An integral soldertail forms an asymmetric extension of each terminal top wall and protrudes from the header rear face for insertion into an associated printed circuit board opening. A downwardly protruding tang of the terminal provides an abutment edge for locking engagement with the flex lock arm free end. Two blind-end slots in the header at each cavity slidably individually receive the terminal locking tang and a protruding guide fin of the terminal during telescopic terminal assembly into its header cavity.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and more specifically to cavity-type header connectors for receiving female terminals.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Multiple cavity headers are conventionally used in automotive electronic circuitry construction for receiving and mounting female terminals, and wherein the header is mounted to a printed circuit board and the header receives mating male blades of an associated electrical module for thereby making electrical and mechanical connection of the module to the printed circuitry. Multiple cavity headers that are made in one piece conventionally require that the female terminal part have a protruding spring tang that will lock the terminal into the header cavity when telescopically inserted fully therein. Such tang type terminals, however, present problems in terms of breakage of the protruding tangs during part handling and other operations in the manufacturing process, as well as during installation and hook-up of circuitry components. This renders their mounting and ultimate electrical connection in the circuitry less than fully reliable and cost effective. In addition the coring required to produce the internal cavity structure for receiving the tang-type female terminal requires a large opening in the header face that receives the terminal blade from the module. This causes insertion problems and misalignment in making the push-in type connections to the header-installed female tang terminals.
On the other hand, tangless female terminals have been provided, but in order to achieve secure retention of the same in a molded plastic header, hitherto the header has had to be made in two pieces with mating half cavities formed in each mating and mutually juxtaposed faces of the two header pieces. With this two-piece construction the tangless terminals can be individually sandwiched between the two header parts and the same locked together by some type of locking structure to thereby retain the tangless female terminal in the header. However, this type of two-piece header construction increases the manufacturing labor costs and also incurs additional manufacturing costs in tracking the two pieces into an assembly of the same as well as requiring additional tooling costs in the molding of the pieces. In addition, the manufacturing of the header in two parts increases the tolerance stack-up associated with the nose piece typically used with a tangless terminal that can lead to misalignment with the mating blades of a module as well as in coupling to the printed circuit board.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved cavity-type header electrical connector adapted for receiving and retaining a tangless female terminal that overcomes one or more of the aforementioned problems.
Another object is to provide an improved one-piece header connector having multiple cavities for individually receiving female connectors that overcomes the problems of two-piece headers and in which the header structure provides easy, snap-in spring tang retention for female terminals individually received in cavities of the header, thereby eliminating the need for providing a spring barb type tang on the female terminal.
Another object is to provide an improved female terminal with an integral solder-tail that protrudes from the header for insertion into a printed circuit board and that is designed for cooperation with the improved aforementioned multiple cavity single piece header connector.
Another object is to provide an improved header connector of the aforementioned type which has an improved insertion entrance way for guiding the male blade of a cooperative module into the interior electrical contact structure of the female terminal as the latter is held captured and reliably and accurately positioned in the header cavity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As shown in simplified semi-diagrammatic form in
FIG. 13-16
, the terminal receiving cavity
104
is shown with the female soldertail terminal
118
received therein, fully inserted in assembled condition and locked in place in the cavity
104
by the header cavity spring finger
120
. Opening
116
is formed by a retractable side core in the injection molding tooling which cooperates with retractable end coring used to form the main cavity
104
. Thus, spring finger
120
is integrally joined at one end
122
to the main body portion of header
100
and projects substantially toward the mating face
102
(FIG
14
). Finger
120
is constructed and arranged to spring out to a flexed or retracted position or state
123
and spring back to a free or locked position or state
121
in order to capture the terminal box of each terminal
118
with only about a 0.2-0.5 mm deflection travel range in order to reliably capture the terminal
118
within the cavity
104
,
106
. Because the deflection of the finger
120
is minimal, the header
100
and finger
120
can be molded of a composite material containing glass fibers or of a glass-filled and reinforced plastic injection molding material (shown in FIG.
14
). Side lock arm
120
is deflected outward by the leading edge and side of terminal
118
as it is being inserted telescopically into the cavity
104
,
106
during initial assembly thereof into the header
100
. The free end
124
of side lock arm
120
thus forms a locking spring tang which cooperates with a locking tab
126
provided on the mutually facing side of terminal
118
, as best seen in FIG.
14
.
Preferably each female terminal is a progressive die formed and bent box type having parallel top and bottom walls and parallel opposite side walls with internal opposed fixed and spring contacts for cooperating with the associated mating blade of the module. An integral soldertail terminal is formed as an asymmetric extension coplanar with the top wall of the terminal box and protruding from the rear face of the header for insertion into an associated openings in the printed circuit board array. Each terminal has a protruding tang and an associated adjacent space in one of its side walls for receiving the free end of the associated flex lock arm of the header in assembled and locked position. The tab provides an abutment edge for locking engagement with the free end of the flex lock arm. Each terminal also has a fin or keel protruding from its top wall in a direction opposite to the protrusion of the locking tang. The header has blind-end slots for slidably individually receiving the terminal fin and locking tab during telescopic terminal assembly into the associated header cavity. Each header cavity has an entrance way in the header front face, for receiving the mating blade of the module, in the form of a rectangular opening having four beveled edges for guiding insertion of the free end of the blade into the associated terminal captured in the cavity.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The foregoing as well as other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of exemplary but preferred embodiments of the invention and the best mode of making and using the same presently known to the inventors, from the appended claims and from the following drawings as referenced in the description (which are to engineering scale unless otherwise indicated), wherein:
FIG. 1
is a fragmentary perspective view of an improved multiple cavity header type electrical connector constructed in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 2
is a fragmentary front elevational view of the header as shown in FIG.
1
.
FIG. 3
is an elevational view of one side (the “row A side”) of the header of
FIGS. 1 and 2
, with the header being shown complete.
FIG. 4
is an end view of the header as shown in FIG.
5
.
FIG. 5
is an elevation view of the male-blade-receiving side of the header of
FIGS. 1-4
.
FIG. 6
is an end elevational view of that end of the header juxtaposed thereto in FIG.
5
.
FIG. 7
is an elevational view of the side (the “row B side”) of the header opposite to that of FIG.
3
.
FIG. 8
is an elevational view of the header of
FIGS. 1-7
as viewed from the side that mates to the associated printed circuit board and from which protrude the solder-tails of the female terminals received in the header.
FIGS. 10
,
11
and
12
are cross sectional views taken on the lines
10
—
10
,
11
—
11
and
12
—
12
of
FIG. 8
(
FIG. 12
being a fragmentary view).
FIG. 13
is a simplified semi-diagrammatic view of a portion of row A side of the header illustrating a single cavity with a female solder-tail terminal of the invention mounted therein.
FIGS. 14
is a cross sectional view taken on the line
14
—
14
of FIG.
13
.
FIG. 15
is an end view of the blade receiving end of the header cavity portion shown in
FIGS. 13 and 14
.
FIG. 16
is a cross sectional view taken on the line
16
—
16
of FIG.
15
.
FIG. 17
is a cross sectional view of the solder-tail female terminal of the invention shown demounted by itself but operably receiving the male blade of an associated electronic module for making mechanical and electrical contact therewith.
FIG. 18
is a perspective view of the improved female solder-tail terminal shown by itself constructed in accordance with the invention.
FIG. 19
is a plan view of the progressive die blanking used in forming the terminal of
FIG. 18
prior to the bend forming of the same.
FIG. 20
illustrates a series of the terminals after die stamping and bend forming but while still attached to the leader strip of the sheet metal material from which the terminals are blanked in the progressive die forming operation.
FIG. 21
is a side elevational view of the terminal shown in whole or in part in
FIGS. 13-18
.
FIG. 22
is an end view looking at the right hand end of the terminal as viewed in FIG.
21
.
FIG. 23
is an elevational view of the side of the terminal of
FIG. 21
opposite to that seen in FIG.
21
.
FIG. 24
is a cross sectional view taken on the line
24
—
24
of FIG.
23
.
FIG. 25
is an end view looking at the right hand end of the terminal as viewed in FIG.
23
.
FIG. 26
is a top plan view of the terminal shown in
FIGS. 17
,
18
and
21
-
25
.
FIG. 27
is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line
27
—
27
of FIG.
26
.
FIGS. 28 and 29
are cross sectional views taken respectively on the is lines
28
—
28
and
29
—
29
of FIG.
30
.
FIG. 30
is a bottom plan view of the terminal as shown in FIG.
26
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring in more detail to the accompanying drawings, an exemplary and preferred embodiment of an electrical header connector
99
having a multiple cavity female header or body
100
and a series of female soldertail terminals
118
housed therein is illustrated in
FIGS. 1 through 16
. Within its environment (not shown), the header connector
99
engages electrically between an electronic module and a printed circuit board. The electronic module has male terminals or blades which insert into the female terminals
118
of the header connector
99
, and the printed circuit board has blade receptacles or openings which receive blades
154
of the female terminals
118
which project outward from the header
100
. Typically, once the receptacles are in receipt of the blades
154
, the blades are then soldered to the printed circuit board.
Preferably header
100
is constructed in one piece of a suitable plastic material and preferably made by injection molding processes and equipment on a mass production basis to achieve precision manufacture to close tolerances on an economical basis. Header
100
is rectangular in cross sectional configuration perpendicular to its longitudinal axis
101
and is elongated longitudinally so as to have a high aspect ratio. Hence when header
100
is mounted with its longitudinal axis
101
disposed parallel to the planar mounting surface of the printed circuit board (not shown), the header offers the low-profile characteristics of the header connector
99
.
In the disclosed example, header connector
99
is configured as a 50-way header connection adapted to mate up to a 50-blade electronic module to a Mercedes Benz relay center. For this purpose, a mating face
102
of header
100
is provided with two longitudinally extending rows of twenty-five terminal receiving cavities arranged side by side but staggered longitudinally along the header. The two longitudinal rows of cavities are designated A and B in
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
5
. Cavities
104
of row A and cavities
106
of row B communicate through the mating face
102
forming openings or ports carried by face
102
which have a rectangular configuration with 45 degree lead-in chamfers
108
on each of the top, bottom and side edges of each opening to provide smooth lead-in guide surfaces for the male blades of the electronic module that is to be so mated to the header. The longitudinal centerline-to-centerline cavity spacing from one cavity
104
to the next in row A, designated CL in
FIG. 2
, is preferably identical (and likewise in row B), and by way of example is in the order of 5.0 mm. The lateral row-to-row centerline spacing is designated R/C/L in
FIG. 2
, and also is in the order of 5.0 mm in the preferred example.
In accordance with one of the principal features of the present invention, each header cavity
104
,
106
contains an integral and unitary terminal-locking spring finger
120
. In order to accomplish this molded construction, the opposite lateral sides
10
and
112
of header
100
are molded using side coring to provide a side opening or bore
114
for each of the cavities
106
in row B (FIG.
1
). Likewise, side openings or bores
116
are cored in side
110
to individually register with the cavities
104
in row A (FIG.
3
).
As shown in simplified semi-diagrammatic form in
FIGS. 13-16
, the terminal receiving cavity
104
is shown with the female GT
150
soldertail terminal
118
received therein, fully inserted in assembled condition and locked in place in the cavity
104
by the header cavity spring finger
120
. Opening
116
is formed by a retractable side core in the injection molding tooling which cooperates with retractable end coring used to form the main cavity
104
. Thus, spring finger
120
is integrally joined at one end
122
to the main body portion of header
100
and projects substantially toward the mating face
102
(FIG.
14
). Finger
120
is constructed and arranged to spring out to a flexed or retracted position or state
123
and spring back to a free or locked position or state
121
in order to capture the terminal box of each terminal
118
with only about a 0.2-0.5 mm deflection travel range in order to reliably capture the terminal
118
within the cavity
104
,
106
. Because the deflection of the finger
120
is minimal, the header
100
and finger
120
can be molded of a composite material containing glass fibers or of a glass-filled and reinforced plastic injection molding material (shown in FIG.
14
). Side lock arm
120
is deflected outward by the leading edge and side of terminal
118
as it is being inserted telescopically into the cavity
104
,
106
during initial assembly thereof into the header
100
. The free end
124
of side lock arm
120
thus forms a locking spring tang which cooperates with a locking tab
126
provided on the mutually facing side of terminal
118
, as best seen in FIG.
14
.
The interior of each header cavity
104
,
106
is rectangular in transverse cross section as defined by parallel side walls
130
and
132
(
FIG. 14
) and parallel top and bottom walls
134
,
136
(FIG.
16
). Each cavity
104
,
106
also has a terminal receiving opening or port
140
in the rear mating face
142
of header
100
(
FIGS. 8
,
14
and
16
) which need not have beveled entrance edges since the terminals
118
are preassembled and locked into header
100
prior to assembly of such a pre-loaded header
100
to the associated printed circuit board.
The construction, manufacturing and structural details of the exemplary female soldertail terminal
118
are shown in detail to engineering scale in
FIGS. 17-30
. The outline and plan view of the die-cut terminal blanking workpiece as run in a conventional progressive die-stamping and bending machine is shown in
FIG. 19
as blank
118
′.
FIG. 20
illustrates the blanking strip starting material after a series of four blanks
118
′ have been bent up into the final configuration of
FIG. 18
to form the terminal
118
but prior to their severance from the associated connecting arm
150
of the die blanking leader strip
152
. It will be seen that terminal
118
has an integral soldertail
154
protruding from the rear end of the terminal. As illustrated in
FIGS. 13
,
14
and
16
, in assembly and use, soldertail
154
protrudes from the rear mating face
142
of header
100
a suitable distance to cooperate with the usual receiving openings or receptacles in the printed circuit board (not shown) to make a soldered electrical connection with the printed circuitry array provided on the printed circuit board (also not shown).
In general, the foregoing manner of constructing terminal
118
is conventional and well understood and therefore not described in further detail hereinafter. The structure of terminal
118
also will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the engineering views of
FIGS. 18 through 30
, which are incorporated herein by reference and not further described in detail. Suffice it to say that those features which are believed to be novel and characterize terminal
118
, for purposes of the present invention, are the upwardly protruding locking tab
126
that cooperates with the flex lock arm
120
of header
100
. Terminal
118
thereby omits the protruding locking tang common to prior female terminals. An additional feature of terminal
118
is the provision of the integral soldertail
154
oriented to protrude coplanar with the top wall
156
of terminal
118
. Hence soldertail
154
is asymmetrically oriented relative to the longitudinal centerline axis of the terminal
118
. Another feature is the stabilizing keel or fin
158
that is bent to protrude upwardly from the central area of top wall
156
. Each of the header cavities
104
,
106
is provided with a blind-end slot
144
(
FIGS. 11
,
12
and
16
) that receives fin
158
as the associated terminal
118
is inserted slidably into the associated cavity. Likewise each terminal locking tab
126
registers with and slides into its own cavity slot
160
, which also is a blind-end slot that opens at the terminal insertion opening or port
140
(FIG.
12
). The fin
158
and tab
126
help accurately guide and stabilize terminal
118
in assembled and fully mounted position in its associated cavity
104
,
106
.
As best seen in
FIGS. 16 and 17
, the interior construction of terminal
118
is conventional and includes the resilient electrical contact spring finger
164
and the downwardly struck embossments
166
and
168
. These contact elements cooperate to slidably receive and make good mechanical and electrical contact with the associated blade
170
of the electrical module (not shown) that is to be plugged into header
100
in constructing the automotive electrical connection system in which header
100
is to be employed. Additional conventional features include a bent back entrance guide finger
172
to guide insertion of blade
170
into the terminal
118
after passage through the port
140
. Also, terminal
118
has a slightly upwardly bent finger
174
for reinforcing contact finger
164
. Finger
164
is also clamp reinforced from above by a bent-in finger
176
.
As best seen in comparing
FIG. 14
with
FIGS. 23 and 24
, a side opening space is provided in terminal
118
located between the locking edge
180
of locking tab
126
and the facing edge
182
of a side wall
184
carrying bent finger
174
. This space provides a gap into which locking edge or free end
124
of flex lock arm
120
snaps when it is clear of the side surface of the locking tab
126
during insertion of terminal
118
into its associated cavity
104
,
106
. The bent-in configuration of support arm
176
provides clearance for such spring-in motion of the flex lock arm free end
124
and so that the flex lock arm
118
engages the locking edge
180
of tab
126
when the connector
99
is fully assembled.
Referring again to
FIGS. 1 through 11
, the header
100
is provided with a pair of mounting prongs
190
and
192
respectively aligned with cavity rows A and B. Each of the header mounting prongs
190
,
192
has a barb formation
194
at its free end for spring tang locking engagement with a mating opening in the associated printed circuit board (not shown) for snap-in locking of header
100
against the printed circuit board after the selected array of terminals
118
have been inserted into the associated terminal cavities
104
and
106
. Thus the array of soldertails
154
protruding from the rear mating face
142
of the terminal pre-loaded header are readily inserted into corresponding openings in the printed circuit board to mate with the printed circuit array and then securely electrically connected by way of soldering thereto in a conventional fashion.
From the foregoing it will be seen that in the assemble, operation and use of cavity header
100
the associated female soldertail terminals
118
are easily but securely snap-locked individually into associated header cavities
104
,
106
. An improved low-profile, one-piece header design is thus provided that can be terminal pre-loaded and then quickly snapped to a mating printed circuit board (not shown) with each soldertail
154
simultaneously inserted into a corresponding receiving opening in the board. In the example shown, header
100
will mate with the blades
170
of the electrical module equipped with blade sizes 0.8×(1.2 to 1.5) mm when scaled from the drawings, and utilizing values of 0.5 mm for the aforementioned centerline spacing of cavities
104
,
106
within a given row and the side-to-side lateral spacing of the cavity rows A and B. This exemplary design of header
100
allows for the 5.0 mm continuous stacked cavity centerline spacing in the two rows A and B, which is a configuration hitherto not possible with current cavity designs. Header
100
also assures a smooth lead-in for mating blades
170
of the module due to the chamfer or bevels
108
along all four entrance edges of the insertion opening
104
for guiding the associated blade
170
into each cavity. This typically is not possible unless a two-piece header design of the prior art is utilized.
The built-in flex lock arms
120
of header
100
, that are made by mold tooling side-coring the header, enable terminals
118
to be locked into their associated cavity
104
,
106
merely by sliding the terminal all the way into the cavity. Flex lock arms
120
are recessed within the header
118
and hence are not subject to damage by handling during inventory, shipping or manufacturing operations or during terminal assembly thereto or during installation on the printed circuit board. Header flex lock arms
120
also insure that terminals
118
are securely locked in place into header
100
for handling of the terminal pre-loaded header until final installation and soldering into the circuit board.
It is also to be noted that each header flex lock arm
120
engages one side of the associated terminal box of terminal
118
, as opposed to engaging the top or bottom surfaces of the terminal box. This allows for a very small 5.0 mm top-to-bottom cavity centerline C/L spacing (FIG.
2
), while maintaining a one-piece connector design in the form of header
100
. This is to be contrasted with current or potential header design alternatives that are required to maintain such tight centerline spacing, such as using the aforementioned two-piece header design that must “sandwich” each of the terminals between the header pieces. Such two-piece header designs are also disadvantageous because they introduce additional tolerances into the connection system.
As indicated previously, the flex arm lock feature of header
100
is formed in the side of the header with side cores in the injection molding and tooling set-up. This eliminates the need for mold tooling for making “bypassing” core windows in the mating face
102
of the header. In addition, front mating face
102
of the header
100
provides uninterrupted lead-ins for the mating blades
170
of the module.
Another feature to note in the illustrated exemplary embodiment is that each header flex lock arm
120
is able to spring out and spring back in order to capture the terminal box of each associated terminal
118
with only a 0.2-0.5 mm deflection travel range (solid line to broken line positions shown in
FIG. 14
) in order to reliably capture terminal
118
in the associated cavity. This minimal deflection travel, along with the rugged design of flex lock arm
120
with a relatively thick hinged connection at
122
, allows a glass-filled and reinforced plastic injection molding material to be used in the injection molding of header
100
and its integral spring arms
120
, a high strength molding material that would otherwise typically cause breaks at high stress areas, which now can be avoided by utilizing the one-piece header design of the invention.
It also will be appreciated that the provision of a one-piece design of the header
100
of the connector
99
, as contrasted with the aforementioned two-piece alternative, enables considerable cost savings in piece tracking and in assembly of the header connector to the circuit board and associated module. In addition, injection molding tooling cost is reduced as compared to that required for manufacturing a two-piece header design. The preferred one-piece side-lock header design of the invention also reduces the tolerance stack-up associated with the nose piece typically used with prior tangless terminals, thereby improving plastic-to-terminal alignment. The improved design of header
100
and that of the cooperative terminal
118
allows a terminal to be packaged with similar header/shroud constraints as that applicable to a symmetric two-blade style terminal, such as that manufactured by Kostal of Germany under their model MLK 1.2.
Although the disclosed example of header
100
has the cavities
104
of row A offset longitudinally from those of row B, it is to be understood that this staggered orientation is merely that required for a given electronic module construction. The cavities of row A thus can be aligned laterally with those of row B, if desired. In either event, the side flex lock arm feature eliminates the need for by-passing cores which create windows in the mating face of the header. It thus will be seen that building the flex lock arms
120
into the header
100
rather than into the terminals
118
also allows for reduction of the cavity package size while allowing tighter centerline spacing of the cavities
104
,
106
and hence the terminals captured therein.
Claims
- 1. An electrical header connector engaged electrically between a control module and a printed circuit board, the electrical header connector being juxtaposed to a planar mounting surface of the printed circuit board, engaged electrically through a plurality of receptacles carried by the printed circuit board, and engaged electrically to a plurality of male terminals of the control module, the electrical header connector comprising:a longitudinal axis disposed parallel to the planar mounting surface of the printed circuit board; a plurality of female terminals, each one of the plurality of female terminals engaged electrically to a respective one of the plurality of male terminals of the control module; a one-piece injection molded header having; a generally rectangular cross sectional configuration taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, front and rear longitudinal mating faces, and opposite longitudinal side faces, the header being elongated longitudinally so as to have a high aspect ratio to thereby provide the low-profile connector when mounted with the longitudinal axis of the header connector disposed parallel to the planar mounting surface of the associated printed circuit board, a plurality of terminal-receiving cavities, each one of the plurality of terminal-receiving cavities housing a respective one of the plurality of female terminals and extending transversely to the terminal-receiving cavities communicate longitudinally through the header front end face juxtaposed to the printed circuit board, a plurality of bores carried by the header and wherein each one of the plurality of bores communicated transversely with a respective one of the plurality of cavities and communicates through the longitudinal side face of the header, and a plurality of flex lock arms engaged unitarily to the header, wherein each one of the plurality of flex lock arms project into a respective one of the plurality of cavities and is adapted to be flexed by a respective one of the plurality of female terminals when the plurality of female terminals are telescopically inserted into the plurality of cavities and then snap locked to hold the plurality of female terminals in the plurality of cavities; and wherein said terminal is provided with a protruding locking tab along one side wall and an adjacent space in said one side wall for receiving therein the free end of the flex lock arm of the associated header cavity in assembled position, said tab providing a locking abutment edge for cooperation with said free end of said flex lock arm in locked position.
- 2. The header connector of claim 1 wherein said flex lock arms are recessed within said header body and hence are not subject to damage by handling during inventory, shipping or manufacturing operations or during terminal assembly thereto or during installation on the printed circuit board, said lock arms also being constructed and arranged to insure that the terminals are securely locked in place into said header for handling of the terminal pre-loaded header until final installation and soldering into the circuit board.
- 3. An electrical header connector comprising:an elongated terminal having a leading end cross section, a tab, and a space communication laterally outward; an elongated header having a longitudinal axis, a front mating face and a rear mating face, the front and rear mating faces disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis; a cavity carried by and extending through the header between the front and rear mating faces and disposed perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the terminal being disposed within the cavity; a receiving port carried by the rear mating face and communicating with the cavity, the receiving port defining a cross section equal to the leading end cross section of the terminal; a bore carried by the header and communicating with the cavity, the bore being disposed perpendicular to the cavity; an elongated flex lock arm engaged unitarily to the header, disposed between the front and rear mating faces and projecting toward the front mating face, the flex lock arm having an engaged end, a free end, a retracted position and a locked position, the engaged end being engaged unitarily to the header within the bore, the free end disposed within the cavity when the flex lock arm is in the locked position and disposed within the bore when the flex lock arm is in the retracted position, wherein the flex lock arm is resiliently flexed from the locked position to the retracted position when the terminal is inserted through the rear mating face, and wherein the free end snaps into the space of the terminal back into the locked position when the terminal is fully inserted into the cavity; and wherein said terminal is provided with the protruding locking tab along one side wall and the adjacent space in said one side wall for receiving therein the free end of the flex lock arm of the associated header cavity in assembled position, said tab providing a locking abutment edge for cooperation with said free end of said flex lock arm in the locked position.
- 4. The electrical header connector set forth in claim 3 wherein the header is made of a glass filled material.
- 5. The electrical header connector set forth in claim 4 wherein the header is a molded, one-piece, unitary design.
- 6. The electrical header connector set forth in claim 3 comprising:the combination of the terminal, the cavity, the receiving port, the bore, and the flex lock arm being a cell; and the cell being one of a plurality of cells aligned in a row disposed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the header.
- 7. The electrical header connector set forth in claim 6 wherein the row is one of two rows aligned side-by-side and parallel to one another.
- 8. The electrical header connector set forth in claim 7 wherein the terminals of the plurality of cells are engaged electrically between an electronic module and a printed circuit board.
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A |
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