Duplex connector assembly for use with plural cards

Details Duplex connector assembly for use with plural cards Duplex connector assembly for use with plural cards

2000-02-08

2001-01-23

Abrams, Neil (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With supporting means for coupling part

Supporting plural, independent coupling parts

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176737

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to card edge connector assembly, and particularly to the connectors arrangement in both vertical and horizontal directions simultaneously for being adapted to receive four cards within a dense space.
2. The Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,514,002 discloses a so-called Mini SIMM connector, of which a variation is a so-called SO DIMM connector, both of which are receiving memory modules therein. It can be appreciated that it is desired to have plural memory modules in the computer, so it is required to use the limited space in the computer while providing as many connectors as possible to receive such plurality of modules.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,697,802, 5,755,585 and 5,833,478 disclose the so-called stacked type connector assembly regardless of whether the connector housings thereof are of the integral type or the separate type, whereby only the minimum region is required on the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated. Differently, U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,211 discloses one regular type simplex connector and one reverse type simplex connector face to face mounted on the mother board with a plurality of parallel circuit traces each connected between one contact of the regular type connector and another contact of the reverse type connector. It can be understood that the former sacrifices the height of the computer to achieve the smaller horizontal dimension of the computer, while the latter sacrifices the horizontal area to achieve the thinner size of the computer. Understandably, regardless of whether either the former or the latter has its own advantages and disadvantages, both these two kinds of arrangement are essentially of one dimensional extension for expansion, i.e., either the vertical way or the horizontal way.
It is also noted that in U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,211, the two horizontally lying opposite connectors are sharing the same circuit traces on the mother board, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,697,802, the two vertically stacked connector units are sharing the same unitarily formed contacts and the corresponding circuit traces on the mother board, so that the manufacturing may become easy.
Based on increasing of the functions and speed requirements of the computer, there is a desired to have more than two memory modules installed in the computer, for example, four memory modules being required thereof, so it is critical for the computer designer to efficiently arrange the multiple connectors/modules in such a limited space in the computer.
Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide the connector assembly which is adapted to receive more than two memory modules in a dense space in the computer case wherein the connector assembly is arranged to extend in both the vertical and horizontal directions wherein the arrangement along the vertical direction is of a stacked type which is generally disclosed in the copending application having the title “DUPLEX PROFILE CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY” filed Feb. 4, 2000 with a Ser. No. 09/498,828, and having the same assignee with the invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention, a connector assembly includes a first connector and a second connector generally reverse to the first connector. The first connector includes an unitary housing defining an upper and a lower central slot for receiving respectively two memory modules. A row of first passageways and another row of second passageways respectively formed in the front half portion and the rear half portion of the housing of the first connector. The first passageways and the second passageways are alternately arranged in a staggered manner along the lengthwise direction of the housing of the first connector. A first contact is received within the corresponding first passageway and a second contact is received within the corresponding second passageway, wherein each of the first contact and the second contact includes spring arms respectively extending into both the upper and the lower central slots, while the first contact includes the solder tail extending forwardly beyond the front face of the housing and the second contact includes the solder tail extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the housing.
Similarly, the second connector includes another unitary housing defining upper and lower central slots therein. A row of third passageways and another row of fourth passageways are respectively formed in the front half portion and the rear half portion of the housing of the second connector. The third passageways and the fourth passageways are alternately arranged in a stagger manner along the lengthwise direction of the housing of the second connector. A third contact is received within the corresponding third passageway and a fourth contact is received within the corresponding fourth passageway, wherein each of the third contact and the fourth contact includes springs arms respectively extending into both the upper and lower central slots, while the third contact includes the solder tail extending forwardly beyond the front face of the housing of the second connector, and the fourth contact includes the solder tail extending rearwardly beyond the rear face of the housing of the second connector.
A plurality of parallel circuit traces are provided on the mother board on which the connector assembly is seated, each of the circuit traces is connected between either the two solder tails of the two aligned first contact and fourth contact, or the two solder tails of the two aligned second contact and third contact.
Each of some of the aligned first contacts and fourth contacts, and the aligned second contacts and third contacts, is replaced by two contact members instead of the integral type contact thereof. The two contact members include an outer contact member and an inner contact member wherein the outer contact member includes an SMT (Surface Mount Technology) type solder tail and the inner contact member includes a through hole type solder tail. Under this situation, a circuit trace is connected between the SMT type solder tails of the two outer contact members, and another circuit trace is connected between the through hole type solder tails of the two inner contact members, even though all the two outer contact members and two inner contact members are aligned together.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5514002 (1996-05-01), Cheng et al.

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