Abstract:
A card edge connector includes a longitudinal insulative housing having a receiving slot formed therein and extending in a longitudinal direction for insertion of a module; a set of contacts retained in the insulative housing and protruding into the receiving slot for mating with the module; an ejector rotatably attached to one longitudinal end of the insulative housing for latching with or ejecting the module; and a spring member retained in the other longitudinal end of the insulative housing and having a pair of resilient locking arms for locking with the module.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a card edge connector, more particularly to a card edge connector having a spring member for locking with a module. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Card edge connectors are employed widely in computers to receive a memory module, graphic card, network interface et al. The card edge connector usually includes an elongated insulative housing defining a receiving slot for receiving the memory module, a plurality of contacts retained in the housing and projecting into the receiving slot for electrically mating with the memory module, and a pair of ejectors rotatably attached to two elongated ends of the insulative housing for ejecting and latching with the memory module. 
     When the memory module is being pushed into the receiving slot, the ejectors must be rotated simultaneously outwardly for the memory module being inserted into the receiving slot. When the module is being pulled out of the receiving slot, the ejectors must be rotated simultaneously outwardly so as to eject the memory module out of the receiving slot. The two ejectors which must be rotated simultaneously will be complicated for operating. 
     Hence, an improvement over the prior art is required to overcome the disadvantages thereof. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to one aspect of the present invention, a card edge connector comprises: a longitudinal insulative housing having a receiving slot formed therein and extending in a longitudinal direction for insertion of a module; a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and protruding into the receiving slot for mating with the module; an ejector rotatably attached to one longitudinal end of the insulative housing for latching with or ejecting the module; and a spring member retained in the other longitudinal end of the insulative housing and having a pair of resilient locking arms for locking with the module. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention, a card edge connector for insertion of a module comprises: a longitudinal insulative housing having a receiving slot formed therein and extending in a longitudinal direction for insertion of the module; a plurality of contacts retained in the insulative housing and protruding into the receiving slot for mating with the module; an ejecting means located at one longitudinal end of the insulative housing, the ejecting means comprising an ejector defining a latching portion protruding inwardly along the longitudinal direction for latching with the module and an ejecting portion for ejecting the module out of the receiving slot; and a locking means located at the other longitudinal end of the insulative housing, the locking means comprising a U-shaped spring member defining a pair of resilient locking arms protruding sidewardly along a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction for locking with the module. 
     The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the features and technical advantages of the present invention in order that the detailed description of the invention that follows may be better understood. Additional features and advantages of the invention will be described hereinafter which form the subject of the claims of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  is an assembled, perspective view of a card edge connector according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is similar to  FIG. 1 , but viewed from another aspect; 
         FIG. 3  is a partly enlarged view of a circle portion of the  FIG. 1  showing an end of the card edge connector; 
         FIG. 4  is a partly cross-sectional view of the card edge connector shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a partly exploded view of the card edge connector shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a partly enlarged view of a circle portion of the  FIG. 1  showing the other end of the card edge connector; 
         FIG. 7  is a partly cross-sectional view of the card edge connector shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a partly exploded view of the card edge connector shown in  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIGS. 9A and 9B  are schematic views showing a module going to be inserted into the card edge connector; 
         FIGS. 10A and 10B  are schematic views showing the module being inserted into the card edge connector; and 
         FIGS. 11A and 11B  are schematic views showing the module having been inserted into the card edge connector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without such specific details. In other instances, well-known circuits have been shown in block diagram form in order not to obscure the present invention in unnecessary detail. For the most part, details concerning timing considerations and the like have been omitted inasmuch as such details are not necessary to obtain a complete understanding of the present invention and are within the skills of persons of ordinary skill in the relevant art. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-3 , A card edge connector  100  according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises an longitudinal insulative housing  1 , a set of contacts  2  retained in the insulative housing  1 , an ejecting means  3  located at one end of the insulative housing  1  in a longitudinal direction X, and a locking means  4  located at another end of the insulative housing  1  in the longitudinal direction X. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1-11B , the insulative housing  1  includes a main body  11  extending along the longitudinal direction X, a pair of first and second tower portions  12 ,  13  raised up from the two longitudinal ends of the main body  11 . The main body  11  has a receiving slot  14  recessed downwardly from an upper surface  111  thereof for receiving a module  800  and extending along the longitudinal direction X, a set of contact cells  15  located at two sides of the receiving slot  14  for receiving the contacts  2  and arranged along the longitudinal direction X, and a protrusion  144  located in the receiving slot  14  for engaging with a notch  806  of the module  800  so as to prevent the module  800  from mismatching. The contact cells  15  pass through the upper surface  111  and a lower surface  112  of the main body  11  and communicate with the receiving slot  14  thru holes  151  formed on inner surfaces  143  of the receiving slots  14 . The contacts  2  have contacting portions  22  protruding into the receiving slot  14  by passing through the holes  151  and soldering portions  21  extending out of the insulative housing  1  for being soldered to a printed circuit board. The main body  11  has four projections  16  extending downwardly from the lower surface  112  thereof and defining a mounting surface  101  for resisting the printed circuit board. 
     The ejecting means  3  includes the first tower portion  12  and an ejector  6  pivoting at the first tower portion  12 . The first tower portion  12  has an accepting slot  122  formed at an outer side thereof, a trench  141  formed at an inner side thereof and communicating with the receiving slot  14  and the accepting slot  122  for retaining the module  800 , a pair of pivot slots  1211  located at two lateral sides of the accepting slot  122  in a transverse direction Y perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and communicating with the accepting slot  122 , and a pair of mounting slots  1212  formed at two lateral sides of the accepting slot  122  in the transverse direction Y and located upon the pivot slots  1211  for the ejector  6  being assembled to the first tower portion  12  easily. The ejector  6  has a base portion  61 , a latching portion  621  extending inwardly and horizontally from an upper side of the base portion  61  for latching into an upper gap  804  formed on one side of the module  800 , an actuating portion  622  extending outwardly and upwardly obliquely for being griped easily, and an ejecting portion  63  extending inwardly from a lower end thereof for ejecting the module  800 . The base portion  61  has a pair of posts  611  pivotally retained in the pivot slots  1211  so that the ejector  6  could rotate at the posts  611 , and a pair of embossments  612  being movably retained in the mounting slot  121  when the ejector  6  rotate so as to prevent the ejector  6  from over rotation. 
     The locking means  4  includes the second tower portion  13 , an U-shaped spring member  7  made of metallic material and retained in the second tower  13 , and a securing member  8  retained in the second tower  13  for holding the spring member  7 . The second tower portion  13  includes a pair of extending walls  131  spaced away from each other along the transverse direction Y, a connecting wall  133  connecting the extending walls  131 , a receiving cavity  142  formed among the extending walls  131  and the connecting wall  133  and communicating with the receiving slot  14  for retaining the module  800 , and a pair of retaining cavities  135  formed in the extending walls  131  and located at two sides of the receiving cavity  142  to communicate with the receiving cavity  142 . The second tower portion  13  has grooves  136  formed on a lower surface  134  thereof and outer surfaces of the extending walls  131 . The spring member  7  is inserted into the retaining cavities  135  from the lower surface  134  of the second tower portion  13  by passing through the groove  136  on the lower surface  134 . The spring member  7  comprises a pair of extending arms  71  extending in a vertical direction and received in the retaining cavities  135 , a connecting arm  74  connecting lower ends of the extending arms  71  and extending in a horizontal direction, and a pair of resilient locking arms  72  bending inwardly and extending downwardly from upper ends of the extending arms  71 . Each locking arm  72  has a locking portion  721  protruding inwardly into the receiving cavity  142  for locking with a lower gap  805  formed on the other side of the module and located lower than the upper gap  804  in the vertical direction, and a supporting portion  722  bending outwardly from the locking portion  721  and received in the respective retaining cavity  135 . The securing member  8  in this embodiment is made of plastic material, and present as U-shaped. The securing member  8  comprises a resisting portion  81  received in the groove  136  of the lower surface  134  for resisting the connecting arm  74  upwardly, a pair of arm portions  82  extending upwardly from the resisting portion  81  and received in the grooves  136  of the extending walls  131 , and a pair of clasping portions  83  protruding from the arm portions  82  and clasped on blocks  137  formed in the grooves  136  of the two outer surfaces of the extending walls  131 . Therefore, the spring member  7  could be retained in the insulative housing  1  firmly via being resisted by the securing member  8 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 9A-11B , when the module  800  has not been inserted into the receiving slot  14 , the supporting portions  722  keep spaces with the respective extending arms  71  so that the locking arm  72  could be deflected easily, when the module  800  is being inserted into the receiving slot  14 , the ejector  6  is rotated outwardly, the locking arms  72  are deflected by the module  800 , the supporting portions  722  move outwardly and abut against the extending arms  71  respectively so as to prevent the locking arms  72  from over deformation, when the module  800  has been inserted into the receiving slot  14 , the locking arms  72  go back to their original positions, and the locking portions  721  lock with the lower gap  805  of the module  800 , the module  800  push the ejecting portion  63  of the ejector  6  downwardly so as to rotate the ejector  6  inwardly, and the latching portion  621  of the ejector  6  latches into the upper gap  804  of module  800 , therefore, the module  800  could be retained in the insulative housing  1  firmly. In this invention, it should be noted that when the module  800  is inserted into the receiving slot  14 , each locking arm  72  extends in a simple supported manner rather than a cantilevered manner. 
     When the module  800  is ejected from the insulative housing  1 , the ejector  6  is rotated outwardly, the one side of the module  800  is pushed upwardly by the ejecting portion  63  and ejected from the insulative housing  1 , therefore, the other side of the module  800  which is locked by the locking arms  72  will be ejected from the insulative housing  1  easily. 
     It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous, characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set fourth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosed is illustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of number, 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.