Terminator board holder

Details Terminator board holder Terminator board holder

1999-07-15

2001-01-23

Sircus, Brian (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

With coupling movement-actuating means or retaining means in...

Retaining means

C439S327000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06176727

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a terminator board holder for mounting a terminator board to a card edge connector, and in particular to a low profile terminator board holder for facilitating connection of a terminator board with a card edge connector.
2. The Prior Art
A terminator board holder mounts a terminator board or a memory module to a card edge connector. An example of a terminator board holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,712 that teaches a holder structure as shown in
FIG. 1
of the attached drawings. The conventional holder structure comprises a rigid beam
94
to which a circuit board
36
is mounted. The rigid beam
94
has a pair of latching arms
92
extending from a bottom face thereof and a pair of arcuate projections
96
formed on a top face thereof corresponding to the latching arms
92
. Each latching arm
92
has a barbed end
98
for engaging with a corresponding opening defined in a card edge connector (not shown) thereby securing the circuit board
36
to the card edge connector. To remove the circuit board
36
from the card edge connector, the projections
96
are depressed to drive the barbed ends
98
outward thereby releasing the barbed ends
98
from the card edge connector.
The latching arms
92
of the conventional terminator board holder are elongate whereby the terminator board holder occupies a significant amount of space. However, shortening the latching arms
92
to reduce the size of the terminator board holder would require a large force to release the terminator board holder from the card edge connector. Furthermore, due to manufacturing tolerances, a gap exists between the barb
98
and the corresponding opening of the card edge connector which may result in relative movement of the terminator board mounted therein with respect to the card edge connector.
It is thus desired to have a low profile terminator holder that overcomes the above-discussed problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a low profile terminator board holder.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a terminator board holder that facilitates mounting/dismounting of the terminator board to/from a card edge connector.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a terminator board holder that effectively reduces potential relative movement of a terminator board mounted therein with respect to a card edge connector.
To achieve the above objects, a terminator board holder in accordance with the present invention comprises a beam and two support arms extending from opposite ends of the beam to form a U-shaped configuration defining an interior space for receiving a circuit board therein. Retaining members are formed on the beam and support arms in the interior space for retaining the circuit board. Each support arm has a reduced thickness for enhancing the resiliency thereof. A manipulating arm extends from each support arm, and is substantially parallel thereto and spaced therefrom. A barb is formed on each manipulating arm for engaging with an opening defined in a card edge connector thereby securing the terminator board holder in the connector. The barb has an arcuate engaging surface for accommodating a gap defined between the barb and the opening resulting from manufacturing tolerances. The manipulating arms have free ends extending beyond the beam and being connected by a flexible connection member whereby deflecting the flexible connection member causes the manipulating arms to deflect simultaneously to release the barbs from the openings of the connector.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5943218 (1999-08-01), Liu
patent: 6045385 (2000-04-01), Kane
patent: 6056579 (2000-05-01), Richards, III et al.

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