Electrical connector and method for making the same

Claim 1

An electrical connector comprising: an insulative housing having a base, a pair of side walls and a pair of retention blocks formed on opposite ends thereof, each side wall defining a plurality of upwardly exposed openings in a top surface thereof, an elongate groove in an outer surface thereof substantially extending the length of the side wall, a plurality of holes exposed to a bottom surface thereof and a plurality of downwardly exposed recesses between each pair of adjacent holes, the elongate groove having a plurality of ribs formed therein, each pair of adjacent ribs defining a channel therebetween; and a plurality of terminals insert molded in the insulative housing, each terminal comprising a straight contact portion, an end portion formed on one end thereof, a solder tail formed on an opposite end thereof and a retention portion interconnecting the contact portion and the solder tail, the straight contact portion abutting against the corresponding ribs of the housing, the end portion being engaged with the corresponding side wall proximate to and in alignment with the corresponding opening of the housing, the retention portion being securely embedded in the housing, the solder tail being received in corresponding hole of the housing and outwardly extending therefrom for being soldered to a printed circuit board, the solder tail having a transient section interconnecting the solder tail with the retention portion; wherein the housing is formed by the steps of: positioning a row of terminals on a lower mold, the lower mold having a plurality of strips formed on an upper surface thereof arranged in two arrays proximate opposite ends thereof to form corresponding downwardly exposed recesses of the housing, each strip being disposed between each pair of adjacent solder tails of the terminals for preventing the solder tails from moving in a longitudinal direction of the lower mold during molding; attaching a side mold to the lower mold, the side mold including a central portion and a lower portion, the central portion having a plurality of spaced engaging ribs to form corresponding channels of the elongate groove of the housing, each pair of adjacent engaging ribs defining an engaging channel therebetween for retaining the straight contact portions of the terminals in position thereby preventing the straight contact portions from moving in a longitudinal direction of the side mold during molding, the engaging channels forming corresponding ribs of the elongate groove of the housing, the lower portion of the side mold having a plurality of spaced engaging fingers to form corresponding holes of the housing, the engaging fingers together with the lower mold retaining the solder tails of the terminals therebetween thereby preventing the solder tails of the terminals from moving in a vertical direction of the side mold during molding; setting an upper mold over the side mold, the upper mold having a protruding portion and two rows of engaging posts formed adjacent to opposite sides of the protruding portion to form corresponding upwardly exposed openings of the housing, the protruding portion being inserted between rows of the straight contact, portions of the terminals, the end portions of the terminals being sandwiched between the corresponding engaging posts and a side surface of the protruding portion to prevent the end portions of the terminals from moving in a transverse direction of the side mold during molding; and injecting molten plastic within the assembled molds around the terminals to form the housing.