Card edge connector incorporating hot plug switch

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to a connector, and particularly to a card edge connector incorporating a hot plug switching mechanism therein.

[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0005] Electronic cards, such as sound cards and graphic cards, are usually used in computer systems for expansion of resources. The electronic cards are connected to microprocessors of the computer systems via various types of card edge connectors.

[0006] An electronic card is conventionally not immediately recognized by an operating system of a computer if it is inserted into a card edge connector of the computer while the computer is running, and the computer needs to be rebooted/restarted in order to utilize information stored in the electronic card. The rebooting/restarting procedure is cumbersome, as is known. Thus, hot plug type electronic cards have been developed in recent years, which are recognized by computers without rebooting/restarting the computer so that they can be inserted into the card edge connectors and initialized while the computer is running.

[0007] A hot plug type electronic card requires a hot plug switching mechanism to aid in controlling the electronic card-to-computer interface. Conventional hot plug switching mechanisms are separate from the card edge connectors and are disposed on mother circuit boards to which the card edge connectors are mounted. A hot plug switching mechanism occupying a separate space on the mother circuit board is obviously unfavorable from the standpoint of miniaturization.

[0008] Therefore, an electrical card edge connector incorporating a hot plug switching mechanism therein to save space on a mother circuit board is desired.

[0009] A major object of the present invention is to provide an electrical card edge connector which incorporates a hot plug switching mechanism therein to save space on a mother circuit board.

[0010] An electrical card edge connector includes an elongated insulative housing, a plurality of engaging terminals mounted in the insulative housing and a pair of switching modules received in the insulative housing.

[0011] The insulative housing comprises a card receiving slot for receiving an electronic card therein, a plurality of terminal cavities at two longitudinal sides of the card receiving slot for accommodating the engaging terminals, and a pair of module cavities for receiving the switching modules.

[0012] The switching modules each comprise a printed circuit board portion retained in one of the module cavities and a plurality of switching terminals retained by the printed circuit board portion. A plurality of electronic components are attached to the printed circuit board portion, thereby together defining hot plug switching logic circuits therein.

[0013] The engaging terminals and the switching terminals are similar in shape and each comprises a contact portion exposed to the card receiving slot. The contact portions of the switching terminals extend relatively higher than the contact portions of the engaging terminals with respect to a slot bottom face of the card receiving slot.

[0014] Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present embodiment when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a partially exploded view of an electrical card edge connector in accordance with the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a switching module of the electrical card edge connector of FIG. 1;

[0017] FIG. 3 is similar to FIG. 2 but taken from a different perspective;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a top planar view of the completely assembled electrical card edge connector of FIG. 1;

[0019] FIG. 5 is a front planar view of FIG. 4;

[0020] FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of FIG. 4;

[0021] FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view taken along line VII—VII of FIG. 5; and

[0022] FIG. 8 is a cross section view taken along line VIII—VIII of FIG. 5.

[0023] Referring to FIG. 1, an electrical card edge connector 1 in accordance with the present invention comprises an elongated insulative housing 10, a plurality of electrical engaging terminals 11 received in the housing 10, and a pair of switching modules 2 received in the housing 10.

[0024] Referring specifically to FIGS. 1 and 4-6, the elongated insulative housing 10 comprises a mating face 12 and a mounting face 14 opposite to the mating face 12. A card receiving slot 16 is defined from the mating face 12 toward the mounting face 14, and terminates at a slot bottom face 160 (FIGS. 7 and 8) that lies substantially at a middle portion between the mating and mounting faces 12, 14. A plurality of juxtaposed terminal cavities 20 and a pair of juxtaposed module cavities 18 are defined in the housing 10 along two longitudinal sides of the card receiving slot 16 and are in communication with the card receiving slot 16.

[0025] Referring specifically to FIG. 7, each of the electrical engaging terminals 11 comprises a connection portion 110 in the form of a pin for insertion into a contacting hole (not shown) of a mother circuit board (not shown) or the like, a mounting portion 112 having barbs (not shown) for securely retaining the terminals 11 within the insulative housing 10, a spring arm 114, a contact portion 116 in the form of an arcuate contact protrusion, and a free end 118. The mounting portions 112 of the terminals 11 are slightly wider in the longitudinal direction of the housing 10 than the terminal cavities 20.

[0026] Referring specifically to FIGS. 1-3 and 7-8, the switching modules 2 each comprise a printed circuit board portion 22 and a plurality of alternately arranged first and second electrical switching terminals 13, 15 retained in the printed circuit board portion 22. The printed circuit board portion 22 defines a first side face 24 and a second side face 26 opposite to the first side face 24. A plurality of electronic components 30 having hot plug switching circuits therein are attached to the first side face 24. The printed circuit board portion 22 further comprises a retention section 21 and a support section 23 having a width relatively smaller than that of the retention section 21. The printed circuit board portion 22 defines a plurality of through holes 28 extending from the first side face 24 to the second side face 26 of the retention section 21.

[0027] The first and second electrical switching terminals 13 and 15 are similar in shape to the electrical engaging terminals 11 and each comprises a connection portion 130, 150, a mounting portion 132, 152, aspring arm 134, 154, a contact portion 136, 156, and a free end 138, 158. The number of the switching terminals 13, 15 corresponds to that of the through holes 28 of the printed circuit board portion 22.

[0028] In assembly, the electrical engaging terminals 11 are inserted from the mounting face 14 into the terminal cavities 20. The mounting portions 112 provide a secure and stable support of the terminals 11 in the housing 10 because they are relatively larger than the terminal cavities 20. The spring arms 114 partially protrude into the card receiving slot 16, the contact portions 116 are exposed in the card receiving slot 16 and the free ends 118 are still accommodated in the terminal cavities 20. A first distance H1 (FIG. 7) is defined between the contact portions 116 and the slot bottom face 160. The connection portions 110 are arrayed in four rows below the mounting face 14, as conventional.

[0029] The first and second alternately arranged switching terminals 13, 15 are assembled to the printed circuit board portion 22. The mounting portions 132, 152 extend through the through holes 28, and are mounted to the printed circuit board portion 22 in plated through hole manner. The spring arms 134, 154 extend slantingly and upwardly beside the second side face 26 from the through holes 28, with the contact portions 136, 156 and the free ends 138, 158 being above the support section 23 of the printed circuit board portion 22. The connection portions 130, 150 of the first and second switching terminals 13, 15 extend downwardly beside the first side face 24. The connection portions 130 of the first switching terminals 13 further have sideward bends 131 under a bottom of the retention section 21 to be biased below and beside the second side face 26, thereby defining two rows of connection portions 130, 150 below the retention section 21. The switching terminals 13, 15 are electrically connected with the electronic components 30.

[0030] The assembled switching modules 2 are inserted into the module cavities 18, the retention sections 21 of the printed circuit board portions 22 interferentially engaging with the module cavities 18, thereby retaining the switching modules 2 in the housing 10. The contact portions 136, 156 of the first and second switching terminals 13, 15 are exposed to the card receiving slot 16. The connection portions 130, 150 are aligned with the connection portions 110, all the connection portions 110, 130, 150 thereby being arrayed in four longitudinal rows under the mounting face 14 of the insulative housing 10. There is a second distance H2 between each contact portion 136/156 and the slot bottom face 160, which is a little larger than the first distance H1 between each contact portion 116 of the engaging terminals 11 and the slot bottom face 160.

[0031] In use, when an electronic card (not shown) is inserted into the card receiving slot 16, the contact portions 136, 156 of the switching terminals 13, 15 make electrical contact with the electronic card before the contact portions 116 of the engaging terminals 11 due to the relatively larger distance H2 over H1. The switching circuits between the electronic components 30 and the electronic card and power needed by the electronic card to work are thus prepared before full connection of the electronic card with the card edge connector 1.

[0032] The electrical connector 1 incorporates the hot plug switching modules 2 therein and saves space on the mother circuit board, while at the same time providing a hot plug convenience for the electronic card.

[0033] It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.