Connector with open-ended boardlock

Claim 1

An electrical connector assembly for mounting to a printed circuit board comprising: a dielectric housing defining a mating face adapted for mating with a complementary connector, said housing having a plurality of terminal receiving passages extending from the mating face with terminals secured therein, said housing having an integral flange having a mounting face, an opposed holding face, and a aperture extending therebetween; and a metallic rivet having an axis, said rivet comprising a hollow tubular shank and a frustoconical tip having an open end, said frustoconical tip tapering from the shank to the open end remote therefrom, the shank and frustoconical tip having elongate slots therein, the slots substantially parallel to the axis of the shank and extending along the frustoconical tip, the slots defining in the shank spring means integral at one end with the shank and extending to free ends remote from said one end, the shank being closely received in the aperture, the spring means extending beyond the mounting face to the open end, said spring means gradually diverging from the outer periphery of the shank between the mounting face and the free ends of said spring means to form a substantially frustoconical shape through a first portion of the spring means to form a substantially frustoconical shape, thence gradually converging toward the axis of the shank through a second portion of the spring means between said first portion and the free ends of said spring means, whereby the rivet provides a gradually diverging taper such that upon stuffing of the rivet into a printed circuit board the rivet passes into a rivet receiving aperture of the printed circuit board, and the spring means deflect radially inwardly to pass through a constriction defined by the rivet receiving aperture, then resiliently deflect radially outwardly to secure the connector assembly to the printed circuit board prior to soldering.