Method for assembling a connector to the edge of a circuit board

摘要

A method for assembling an electrical connector (10) to the edge (18) of a printed circuit board (12). A machine (50) incorporates an actuating mechanism that requires only a single input motion to achieve a variety of functional motions within the machine. The machine includes a carriage assembly (54) that moves substantially vertically within the frame of the machine to sense the thickness of the circuit board and then to align the centerline of the connector held on fixture (280) with the exact center plane (44) of the board. A slide member (140) then moves toward the connector, causing a pair of comb members (252,254) to close into position in front of the moving connector. The solder tails (38,40) of the connector (10) then enter spaced slots (260) in the edges of the comb members for support and the connector housing engages the face (272) of the combs, pushing them toward the circuit board. Angled free ends of the solder tails (38,40) of the connector then engage the corners of upper and lower board surfaces (14,16) at the board edge (18), and the center row of ground bus posts (32) are forced into apertures (26) in the edge of the board by a pusher member (174) until they contact plated through holes (24) in the board while the outer rows of tails cam out to and bear against and along the two opposite major board surfaces and into contact with solder pads thereon.