Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-29
2004-11-16
Nguyen, Truc T. T. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
C439S157000, C439S327000, C439S092000, C439S101000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06817875
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a card edge connector, more particularly to a card edge connector that relies on a lug of a support arm to serve as a point of application of force to sever electrical connection between an electronic card and the card edge connector.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Initially, reference is made to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, which show a conventional card edge connector
6
. The card edge connector
6
is electrically connected to a circuit board (not shown) for insertion of an electronic card
7
therein, such that the electronic card
7
can establish electrical connection with the circuit board. The card edge connector
6
mainly includes an insulating housing
8
having a plurality of conductive terminals
84
mounted thereon, and a pair of support members
9
. The insulating housing
8
has an elongated body
81
. A front side of the body
81
is formed with an elongated insert groove
82
for insertion of a connecting end
71
of the electronic card
7
therein. Two lateral walls of the insert groove
82
of the insulating housing
8
along the longer side thereof are respectively provided with a plurality of terminal receiving slots (not shown) that extend through the insulating housing
8
, and that respectively receive conductive terminals
84
. Each conductive terminal
84
has a contact end disposed in the insert groove
82
, and a soldering end projecting outwardly of the insulating housing
8
so as to establish electrical connection with the circuit board. When the connecting end
71
of the electronic card
7
is inserted into the insert groove
82
, a plurality of contacts
72
on the connecting end
71
will establish electrical connection with the contact ends of the conductive terminals
84
. Two sides of the electronic card
7
are each provided with a recess
73
. Two ends of the side of the insulating housing
8
provided with the insert groove
82
extend integrally and forwardly in the same direction to form respective support arms
83
. Each support arm
83
has a horizontal portion
831
disposed on the inner side, and a vertical portion
832
extending vertically from the horizontal portion
831
and disposed on the outer side. An elastic extension portion
833
extends horizontally and forwardly from the vertical portion
832
. The two extension portions
833
have respective lugs
834
projecting from their respective inner sides toward each other within the range of length thereof. The lugs
834
are respectively received in the corresponding recesses
73
in left and right sides of the electronic card
7
so as to secure the electronic card
7
in the card edge connector
6
. Electrical connection between the electronic card
7
and the card edge connector
6
can be cut off by pulling a free end portion (the portion which is denoted by the reference numeral
838
in the FIG. and which is hereinafter referred to as the force applying portion
838
for the sake of facilitating illustration) of the extension portion
833
, thereby facilitating removal of the electronic card
7
from the card edge connector
6
by the user.
The pair of support members
9
are respectively mounted on the two support arms
83
, and are each formed with a press-in portion
91
by punching a malleable metal sheet for insertion into the horizontal portion
831
of the respective support arm
83
, a soldering portion
92
extending horizontally from the press-in portion
91
, and a limiting portion
93
extending integrally to form a substantially C-shape so as to surround and limit deviation of the respective support arm
83
. The limiting portion
93
has an enlarged head end
931
that can cover the surface of the respective lug
834
.
The support members
9
are disposed to limit deviation of the support arms
83
. The force applying portion
838
of each support arm
83
is the point of application of force to cause the lugs
834
of the two support arms
83
to displace in a direction away from each other so as to cause the lugs
834
to disengage from the corresponding recesses
73
in the electronic card
7
, thereby permitting removal of the electronic card
7
from the card edge connector
6
. Therefore, the force applying portions
838
are not and cannot be surrounded by the limiting portions
93
.
When the electronic card
7
is inserted into the card edge connector
6
, the front end
71
of the electronic card
7
is inserted into the insert groove
82
of the insulating housing
8
, the contacts
72
at the front end thereof correspondingly contact the contact ends of the plurality of conductive terminals
84
in the insert groove
82
, the electronic card
7
is located between the two support arms
83
, and the lugs
834
are respectively disposed in the corresponding recesses
73
at the left and right sides of the electronic card
7
.
However, upon removal of the electronic card
7
from the card edge connector
6
, a force has to be applied to the force applying portions
838
. Since the force applying portions
838
are narrow strips, they may easily break at the lugs
834
of the support arms. Since the other parts of the support arms
83
are surrounded by the support members
9
, once the force applying portions
838
break, the user cannot apply a force to the other parts of the support arms
83
. Hence, the electronic card
7
cannot be removed from the card edge connector
6
. Moreover, during removal of the electronic card
7
from the card edge connector
6
, to exert a force on the force applying portion
838
, the user's fingers must be disposed in the space cooperatively defined by the body
81
and the two support arms
83
and located in front of the electronic card
7
. In other words, the support arms
83
of the card edge connector
6
must be long enough that there is a sufficient length to permit manipulation by the fingers when the electronic card
7
is disposed in the card edge connector
6
. Therefore, the conventional card edge connector
6
occupies a relatively large place, which is against the current trends towards lightness, thinness, shortness and smallness of electronic devices.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention is to provide an edge card that effectively overcomes the drawbacks associated with the easy breaking of the force applying portions of the support arms of the conventional card edge connector.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector to prevent breaking of support arms of an insulating housing when interference with a circuit board received therein is being removed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector having interference devices that are also points of application of force, that are provided on support arms, and that are integrally formed with the support arms.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector having interference devices that are also points of application of force and that are formed from a plastic material.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector that has a grounding device for connecting a circuit board received therein to ground.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector that has support arms with a shorter length and occupying a less amount of space.
The card edge connector of the present invention is provided with a grounding device on the support arm to connect the circuit board received therein to ground.
Accordingly, the card edge connector of the present invention is electrically connected to a first circuit board, and comprises: an insulating housing having an elongated body, the body having one face formed with an elongated insert groove for insertion of a second circuit board therein, the body being provided with a plurality of slots for receiving terminals, respectively, such that each of the terminals has a contact disposed in the insert groove, and a coupling end projecting outwardly of the insulating housing to electr
Chang Wei-Sheng
Chen Chien-Feng
Molex Incorporated
Nguyen Truc T. T.
Zeitler Robert J.
LandOfFree
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