PCMCIA strain relieved electrical connector assembly

摘要

A PCMCIA electrical connector for assembly to a printed circuit board is disclosed which includes a C-shaped connector with a strain relief for the contact tails to prevent stress fracturing of soldered connections. The connector is circumjacent the front edge and the side edges of the printed circuit board and snap engages the side edges of the board for precise alignment of the contact tails for soldering to a corresponding conductive pad on a surface of the board. The connector has opposed channel shaped legs which receive the side edges of the circuit board therebetween. The strain relief may include a flex beam formed on one side wall of the channel shaped leg which has a locating pin engaging a corresponding hole in the edge portion of the circuit board. Alternatively, each channel shaped leg may have a notch in the base of the channel adapted to receive an outwardly projecting tab on each side edge of the printed circuit board. When the electrical connector is utilized in a PCMCIA device having a cover and a base plate, the connector of either embodiment may be further strain relieved by being captured between the cover and the base plate by interlocking tabs on the cover and base plate engaging corresponding recesses in the connector housing. The connector, cover, and base plate are then fastened together to make an integral unit which is entirely strain isolated from the printed circuit board.