Electrical connectors – With coupling separator – Nonconducting pusher
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-02
2001-06-26
Paumen, Gary F. (Department: 2833)
Electrical connectors
With coupling separator
Nonconducting pusher
C439S152000, C439S153000, C439S346000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06250938
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a circuit board connector having an ejector.
Circuit board connectors are widely used in electronic devices utilizing circuit boards. Typically, such a connector is used for mounting a daughter circuit board to a primary circuit board. The connector includes an elongated insulative housing which forms a slot dimensioned to receive an edge of the daughter circuit board. The daughter circuit board may be, for example, a memory module, interface card, or some other auxiliary circuit card.
The housing includes a plurality of conductive terminals with contact portions located in the slot for contacting correspondingly located contacts on the daughter circuit board. The housing is mounted to the primary circuit board so that tail ends of the conductive terminals, which extend from a bottom of the housing, are held in electrical contact with respective electrical contacts on the primary circuit board.
Known connectors further include a pair of ejectors for manually ejecting the daughter board from the slot in the connector housing. Each ejector has a handle portion and an engaging portion. The ejector is pivotally mounted to the housing within a slot therein, such that when the ejector handle is moved, the ejector pivots to move the engaging portion of the ejector. The engaging portion thereby pushes an inserted daughter circuit board from the slot in the connector housing. By pivoting both of the end-mounted ejectors, the daughter circuit board is ejected from the slot.
To mount the connector to the primary circuit board, the connector typically includes a pair of fasteners mounted to the respective ends the housing, in the same vicinity of the housing as the ejectors at the end of the slot. Each of the fasteners has a U-shaped anchoring portion having two upwardly-extending barbed beams for affixing the fastener to the housing, and a mounting portion that projects downwardly from the housing for insertion through a respective mounting hole in the circuit board.
To prevent the fastener from obstructing or impeding the pivotal movement of the ejector, the fastener is configured to not touch the ejector. In particular, the conventional connector is configured so that a gap or clearance exists between the ejector and the upwardly extending beams of the U-shaped anchoring portion of the fastener. Also, in a conventional connector, the fastener is not aligned with the ejector. These features require the housing to have a substantial width, occupying substantial space. A connector design is desirable which is more compact.
Moreover, the pivot holes formed in the walls of the housing typically extend completely through the housing. This undesirably sacrifices the structural strength of the housing. Additionally, such pivot holes must be formed during manufacturing, thereby increasing costs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, an electrical connector is provided having an improved structure for pivotally mounting the ejector within the housing. For example, in an embodiment of the invention, an electrical connector is provided to connect conductive pads on a daughter circuit board to conductors on a mother circuit board. The connector includes an insulative housing having side walls defining an elongated slot for receiving the daughter circuit board therein. The housing includes an ejector recess at one end of the elongated slot, and a fastener-receiving opening in communication with said recess. The housing holds a plurality of conductive terminals, each having a contact portion extending into the elongated slot for engaging a respective conductive pad on the daughter circuit board and a tail portion extending out of the housing for engaging a respective conductor on the mother circuit board. A fastener having an anchoring section for anchoring the fastener in the housing is mounted in the fastener-receiving opening of the housing. The fastener also has an engaging section for engaging the mother circuit board to fasten the connector to the mother circuit board. Furthermore, the connector includes an ejector mounted in the ejector recess. The ejector has a body section pivotally retained on the ejector-retaining section of the fastener and an ejection surface for engaging the daughter circuit board when the ejector is moved to urge the daughter circuit board in a direction away from the elongated slot.
An advantage of the present invention is to provide a connector which occupies a minimal amount of space.
A further advantage of the present invention is to provide a connector wherein the ejector and the fastener are linearly aligned.
Another advantage of the present invention is to provide a connector wherein the fastener is fashioned to pivotally hold the ejector.
A still further advantage of the present invention is to provide a connector which eliminates a need for a pivot hole in the connector housing for the ejector, thereby enhancing strength of the housing connector.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the following detailed description, the claims and the Figures.
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patent: 5520545 (1996-05-01), Sipe
patent: 5540598 (1996-07-01), Davis
patent: 0 281 296 (1988-09-01), None
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patent: WO 98/53654 (1998-05-01), None
Gilman Alexander
Molex Incorporated
Paumen Gary F.
Yesukevich Robert A.
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