This invention generally relates to electrical component connectors and contacts. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inventive three point contact design that may be used to connect varied electrical components to circuit boards such that the components may be assembled or installed on the circuit board and removed from the board without the need for time consuming soldering and desoldering of the component leads. The inventive contacts use flexible integral spring elements and appropriate contact element shaping to ensure a solid electrical connection between the printed circuit board and the electrical component leads. With the use of the inventive spring contacts, components may be easily installed on a board and tested, and, if necessary, may later be removed or replaced without the need for time consuming soldering and desoldering of the component. The inventive contacts are designed to ensure sound electrical connection with component leads of different cross sections, shapes and sizes.
As the size of electrical components used in electronic circuitry continues to decrease in size, the density of circuitry placed on printed circuit boards increases. With these two trends, a decrease in overall size and an increase in circuitry density, the value of space or real estate on circuit boards has similarly significantly increased. In addition to the importance and value of space on the board, equally important is need to ensure sound electrical connections between the component leads, which are decreasing in size and structure, and the circuit board.
Another trend in the design and manufacture of circuit boards that kept pace with the complexity and number of circuits and components included on boards, is the need to test, and potentially replace, the fabricated circuits and installed components as they are fabricated or installed on the board and tested. The need to disassemble or replace components on circuit boards has become an important issue. For example, it is inefficient and costly to install a component on a board, to only find out, after the board assembly is complete, that the component is not functionally performing. The time and effort to disassemble, remove and replace the component is expensive and fraught with the potential for creating or causing additional problems in the circuit.
One aspect of this problem is exemplified with electrical components that are installed on a board by soldering of the component leads to the board contacts. The time and effort to install a component, solder the leads to the contacts, test the component and, if the component is not functionally operable, desolder the leads and replace the component is very inefficient and expensive. As noted, in each of the desoldering, disassembly, reassembly and resoldering steps, there is the potential for creating additional problems in the board fabrication.
The current designs for installing electrical components to a board are similar to integrated circuit sockets, where the electrical component leads are bent 90 degrees so that the lead may be inserted into the socket and soldered in place. Again, the soldering of the leads to ensure a sound electrical connection does not allow for quick or easy disassembly and removal of the component.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device or contact that allows an electrical component to be easily installed onto a circuit board without the need for solder connections, that ensures sound electrical connections and paths between the component leads and the circuit board, that allows the component to be tested through the board electrical connections, and also allows the component to, if necessary, be easily removed from the board and replaced with the need for desoldering the component leads.
Such a device and contact would greatly increase the efficient assembly and fabrication of circuit boards necessary for mass production of electrical component packages used in various electronic devices.
In view of the shortcomings of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electrical contact that allows an electrical component to be easily and quickly installed on a circuit board and has sound electrical connections between the component and the board without the need for soldering of the component leads to the board contacts. It is a further object of the present invention that the electrical contact allows an electrical component to be easily and quickly removed from a circuit board without the need for desoldering of the component leads or without damaging the board contacts.
To achieve this and other objects, and in view of its purposes, the present invention provides an electrical spring contact for use with varied electrical components, the spring contact comprising a body section, where the body section is attachable at one end to a circuit board; two arms attached to opposite sides of the body section, the two arms defining a separation between the arms; the two arms each having an elbow section extending each arm towards the opposite arm; and a center section attached to the body section between the two arms whereby an electrical component lead can be held by and between, and be in electrical contact with the center section and the two arms.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical spring contact for use with varied electrical components, the spring contact comprising a body section having a first and second end and two opposing sides, the body section being attachable at the first end to a circuit board; two arms attached to the opposing sides of the body section and extending away from the second end of the body section, the two arms defining a separation between the arms, the arms each having an elbow section such that the separation between the two arms is reduced downstream of the elbow sections; and a center section attached to the body section between the two arms whereby an electrical component lead can be held by and between, and be in electrical contact with the center section and the two arms.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical spring contact for use with varied electrical components, where the electrical spring contact can hold an electrical component lead having a diameter approximately in the range of 0.010 inches to 0.025 inches.
Another aspect of the present invention is an electrical component assembly, having at least one electrical component, the electrical component having at least one electrical lead, and the connector assembly comprising a housing into which the electrical component fits and is held; and at least one electrical spring contact held within the housing, said electrical spring contact comprising, a body section, the body section being attachable at one end to a circuit board; two arms attached to opposite sides of the body section, the two arms defining a separation therebetween, the arms each having an elbow section extending each arm towards the opposite arm; and a center section attached to the body section between the two arms whereby the at least one electrical component lead can be held by and between, and be in electrical contact with the center section and the two arms.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an electrical contact assembly, having at least one electrical component, the electrical component having at least one electrical lead, the contact assembly comprising a first housing into which the electrical component fits and is held; a second housing; at least one electrical spring contact seated within the second housing, the electrical spring contact comprising, a body section, the body section being attachable at one end to a circuit board; two arms attached to opposite sides of the body section, the two arms defining a separation therebetween, the arms each having an elbow section extending each arm towards the opposite arm; and a center section attached to the body section between the two arms whereby the at least one electrical component lead can be held by and between, and be in electrical contact with the center section and the two arms.
These and other aspects of the present invention are set forth below with reference to the drawings and the detailed description of certain preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are not intended to be or should be considered restrictive of the invention.