Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Including retainer or joiner
Reexamination Certificate
2001-10-31
2003-07-29
Vu, Hien (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Including retainer or joiner
C439S160000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06599142
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card edge connector, and particularly to a card edge connector having ejector mechanisms for ejection of an inserted card therefrom.
2. Description of Related Art
Card edge connectors are used in computers and other electronic devices for establishing an electrical connection between a main printed circuit board (usually called a mother board) and a card (usually called a daughter board). Referring to
FIG. 4
, a conventional card edge connector
1
′ comprises an insulative housing
2
′, a plurality of terminals
3
′ retained in the housing
2
′ for electrically connecting with a card
5
′, and a pair of ejector mechanisms
4
′ pivotally attached to opposite ends of the housing
2
′ for ejection of the card
5
′ from the connector
1
′. Each ejector mechanism
4
′ includes a body portion
40
′, an abutment
42
′ at one end of the body portion
40
′, and a handle
45
′ at an opposite end of the body portion
40
′. The body portion
40
′ has a pair of pivots
400
′ formed on opposite sides thereof for engaging with a corresponding pair of holes
212
′ defined in the housing
2
′. The body portion
40
′ also defines a channel
46
′ having a certain wide width for providing sufficient flexibility to facilitate mounting of the ejector mechanism
4
′ to the housing
2
′. The channel
46
′ is equal in width along a longitudinal axis thereof. To eject the card
5
′ from the connector
1
′, an external force is exerted on the handles
45
′ to rotate outwardly the ejector mechanisms
4
′ about the pivots
400
′. During the rotation of the ejector mechanisms
4
′, the abutments
42
′ push the card
5
′ to move upwardly until the card
5
′ is completely ejected from the terminals
3
′ of the connector
1
′.
However, the abutment-to-pivot distance is smaller than the handle-to-pivot distance, which results in a relatively small moment arm. According to the principle of leverage, the smaller the moment arm is, the larger the force is. Therefore, when ejecting the card
5
′ from the connector
1
′, a relatively large force is applied to a lower body portion located between the pivot
400
′ and the abutment
42
′. Because the width of the channel
46
′ is large, the mechanical strength of the lower body portion is weak due to its reduced thickness. As a result, the lower body portion of the ejector mechanism
4
′ is easy to be broken during the process of ejecting the card
5
′.
Hence, a card edge connector with improved ejector mechanisms is required to overcome the disadvantages of the related art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector having improved ejector mechanisms, the ejector mechanism having large mechanical strength for preventing breakage.
In order to achieve the object set forth, a card edge connector in accordance with the present invention comprises an insulative housing defining a slot for receiving a daughter board therein and a plurality of terminal-receiving passageways each in communication with the slot, a plurality of terminals received in the passageways each including a mating portion extending into the slot for electrical connection with the daughter board and a tail portion extending beyond a mounting face of the housing for electrical connection with a motherboard, and a pair of ejector mechanisms pivotally, attached to the housing. Each ejector mechanism includes a body portion, a handle at one end of the body portion, and an abutment at an opposite end of the body portion. The body portion defines a channel between the handle and the abutment to divide the body portion into a first and a second body portions. A lower section of each of the first body portion and the second body portion has a larger thickness than that of an upper section thereof.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5302133 (1994-04-01), Tondreault
patent: 5443394 (1995-08-01), Billman et al.
patent: 5690499 (1997-11-01), Howell et al.
patent: 6200149 (2001-03-01), Chi-Chung
Chung Wei Te
Hon Hai - Precision Ind. Co., Ltd.
Vu Hien
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