Card Edge Connector With Ejector

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates particularly to the card edge connector having at least one ejector at its one lengthwise end of releasably locking a module or a card with the card edge connector.

2. The Related Art

The parent application Ser. No. 08/420,478 filed Apr. 12, 1995, discloses a card edge connector with an ejector at one lengthwise end for ejecting the fully inserted card therefrom. FIG. 1 generally, which substantially is FIG. 5(A) of the parent application, shows the basic structures of the ejector itself and the corresponding connector housing thereabout. In FIG. 1, the ejector 1 is positioned in a cavity 2 at one end of the housing 3 of the connector 4 wherein the inner surface 5 of the ejector 1 abuts against an alignment wall 6 of the housing 3. FIG. 2, which substantially is FIG. 5(B) of the parent application, shows how the ejector 1 rotates to eject the inserted card 7 out of the housing 3. In this embodiment, it can be seen that the inner surface 5 of the ejector 1 keeps its straight configuration without the need to reshape itself for not interfering with the corresponding side edge 8 of the card 7 during rotation of the ejector 1. The situation generally results from the position of the spindle 9 with regard to the ejector 1. It can be understood that because there is a significant distance D between the center of the spindle 9 and the inner surface 5 of the ejector 1, the track of the inner surface 5 during rotation of the ejector 1 will not improperly invade the card area defined behind the side edge 8 of the card 7.

While, recently the connector 4 is required to reduce its whole lengthwise dimension for miniaturization. Because the main body of the housing 3 should keep the standard dimension for meeting arrangement of the pitch and the number of the contacts in the housing 3, it can not help but decrease the area of the end portion of the housing 3. One approach is to reduce the distance D between the center of the spindle 9 and the inner surface 5 of the ejector 1. Unfortunately, under this situation, the inner surface 5 is too close to the center of the spindle 9, thus tending to result in an interference occurring between the lower portion of the inner surface 5 and the bottom portion of the side edge 8 of the card 7 during rotation of the ejector 1 with regard to the housing 3.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to provide means on the ejector for avoidance of any interference with regard to the inserted card during rotation of the ejector.

According to an aspect of the invention, a card edge connector includes an insulative housing defining a central slot for receiving a card therein. A cavity section is provided at one end of the housing with an alignment end wall for aligning the inserted card in a lengthwise direction. An ejector is rotatably received within the cavity section by means of a spindle, a center of which is relatively closer to an inner surface of the ejector, wherein the inner surface of the ejector includes at least a first plane-like section generally coplanar with the outer surface of the end wall, a second arc-like section generally conformable with the periphery of the spindle, and a third plane-like section spaced from the outer surface of the end wall in a substantial distance, when such ejector is in a vertical locked position with regard to the housing.

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a presently preferred embodiment of a card edge connector according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the assembled card edge connector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the ejector of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3(A) is an enlarged perspective view of the ejector of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4(A)-4(D) are fragmentary cross-sectional views of the card edge connector of FIG. 1 with an inserted card to show no interference between the ejector and the inserted card during rotation of the ejector with regard to the housing.

FIGS. 5(A) and 5(B) are cross-sectional view of a card edge connector of the parent application.

References will now be in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention. While the present invention has been described in with reference to the specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by appended claims.

It will be noted here that for a better understanding, most of like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures in the embodiments. Attention is directed to FIGS. 1-3 wherein a card edge connector 10 includes an insulative housing 12 defining a central slot 14 along its lengthwise direction for receiving therein a card 100 (FIG. 4(A)-4(D)). A plurality of passageways 16 are positioned by two sides of the central slot 14 for receiving therein a corresponding number of contacts (not shown) wherein each contact partially projects into the slot 14 for engagement with the corresponding circuit pads 101 on the bottom portion of the card 100.

A pair of cavity sections or ejector-receiving sections 18 are respectively positioned at two elongated ends of the housing 12 for each receiving a corresponding ejector 20 therein. The ejector 20 includes a main body 22 defining a vertical slot 24 therealong for providing proper resiliency thereof for ease of installation of the ejector 20 into the cavity section 18 and ease of rotation of the ejector 20 with regard to the housing 12.

The ejector 20 further includes a kicker 26 extending from the bottom portion of the main body 22 toward the central slot 14, and a locking lug 28 extending from the top portion of the main body 22 toward the central slot 14. A lever portion 30 extends in an opposite direction to the locking lug 28. A pair of spindles 32 extend laterally on the lower portion of the two side surfaces 34 of the main body 22 of the ejector 20 for being receivably disposed in the corresponding pair of holes 36 in the cavity section 18 of the housing 12. Moreover, a pair of bumps 38 are formed about the midpoint of the two side surfaces 34 of the ejector 20 for providing the ejector with retention when the ejector is in a locked vertical position, or with retardation when the ejector is during rotation.

An alignment end wall 40 are provided on the cavity section 18 to confront the side edge 102 of the inserted card 100 for confinement of the inserted card 100 in the lengthwise direction along the housing 12. Correspondingly, the ejector 20 includes an inner surface 42 along its main body 22 wherein a first plane-like section 44 may abut against the outer surface 45 of the end wall 40 when the ejector 20 is in a locked vertical position. The inner surface 42 of the ejector 20 further includes a second arc-like section 46 in compliance with and sharing the same surface with a portion of the periphery of the spindle 32, and a third plane-like section 48 which is substantially outward offset from the first section 44. Also, a chamfer section 50 below the third section 48 is provided around the intersection of the main body 22 and the kicker 26.

Please refer to FIGS. 4(A)-4(D). FIG. 4(A) shows the inserted card 100 can be stably seated on the kicker 26 when the card 100 is fully embedded within the slot 14 whereby the contacts are mechanically and electrically engaged with the corresponding circuit pads 101 on the bottom portion of the card 100. Referring to FIG. 4(B), the ejector 20 is actuated to be rotated about the spindle 32 and the tip 27 of the kicker 26 rapidly moves upward to push the bottom edge 104 of the card 100 wherein the bottom corner 106 of the card 100 faces closely to the chamfer section 50 but does not interfere therewith.

Referring to FIG. 4(C), the ejector 20 rotates further outward and the tip 27 of the kicker 26 further more upward lifts the card 100 wherein the corner 106 of the card 100 closely faces to the third section 48 but without any interference occurring therebetween.

Last, referring to FIG. 4(D), the ejector 20 rotates to its final widest slanted position wherein the stopper face 25 of the kicker 26 beside the tip 27, abuts against the stop surface 23 of the housing 12 for preventing the ejector 20 from further outward rotating. Under this situation, the tip 27 of the kicker 26, which is aligned with and extends into the central slot 14, lifts the card 100 to a releasable position whereby the card 100 is disengaged from the contacts of the connector 10, thus allowing easy upward withdrawal of the card 100 therefrom. At this stage, the corner 106 of the card 100 faces to the third section 48 of the ejector 20 but without any interference.

It is appreciated that because the c enter of the spindle 32 is relatively so close to the first section 44 in the horizontal direction, i.e., the horizontal distance being under 1 mm in this embodiment, the second ark-like section 46 and the third plane-like section 48 are designed to form an offset section spaced from the outer surface 45 of the end wall 40 or the first section 44 of the main body 22 in the horizontal direction, thus preventing any interference occurring between the bottom corner 106 of the card 100 and the inner surface 42 of the ejector 20 during rotation of the ejector 20. From another viewpoint, the "projection point" 60 of the side edge 102 of the card 100 on the third section 48 or the chamfer section 50 of the main body 22 of the ejector 20 should be always lower than the tip 27 of the kicker 26 in the vertical direction during the whole process of the rotation of the ejector, thus assuring that the bottom corner 106 of the card 100 always is higher than its vertical corresponding "projection point" 60 on the ejector 20 for preventing any improper interference occurring therebetween.

It should be contemplated that to efficiently achieve the aforementioned non-interference object, two ways can be taken. One is to extend the kicker 26 inwardly in its horizontal direction for having its tip 27 position in a higher level than that of the common length kicker during rotation. Therefore, the card 100 can be lifted higher and its bottom corner 106 will be far away from the main body 22 of the ejector 20 thereunder. The other way is to have the third section 48 of the main body 22 of the ejector 20 much more offset from the first section 44 in the horizontal direction so as to reduce the possibility of interference with the bottom corner 106 of the card 100. Anyhow, in the first approach, excessively increasing the horizontal dimension of the kicker 26 may disadvantageously influence the mutual movement relationship between the rotation of the ejector and the lifting of the card 100, and in the second approach, excessively increasing offset of the third section 48 in the horizontal section 48 may disadvantageously jeopardize the structural strength of the ejector 20. In the present embodiment, for not jeopardizing smooth withdrawal of the card from the connector and also not jeopardizing the required structure strength of the ejector, the kicker 26 and the third section 48 of the ejector 20 keep their best dimensions presently believed, and thus there is only a very minor space remaining between the bottom corner 106 of the card 100 and the chamfer section 50 or the third section 48 of the main body 22 of the ejector 20 during each stage of the rotation of the ejector 20.

While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

Therefore, person of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that all such equivalent structures are to be included within the scope of the following claims.