Abstract:
An electrical connector ( 100 ) include an insulating housing, one row of contact disposed in the housing, a key ( 6 ) and a position member ( 67 ). The housing defines an elongated slot ( 12 ) extending longitudinally along a first direction while communicating with an exterior in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The key is inserted into the slot in the second direction and the position member encounters the key in a third direction to prevent the key from fall off in the second direction.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION 
   The instant application is a Division of a mother U.S. patent application entitled “CARD EDGE CONNECTOR WITH DURABLE KEY” filed on Jan. 22, 2007, Ser. No. 11/656,058, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,364,467, which is assigned to the same assignee with this application. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a card edge connector, and more particularly to a card connector for receiving a daughter card. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   A card edge connector usually includes an elongated insulating housing defining an elongated slot for receiving a card, and a plurality of contacts received along two opposite inner walls of the slot. A key is positioned in the slot, and is integrally formed with the housing. The card is inserted into the slot with its notch nicely aligning with the key. 
   The key is made from the same material that the housing is made from, which is usually plastic or resin material. During continual insertion/removal of the card, the key might become thin or be broken, which will result in non-precise-position-function to the card. 
   Hence, an improved card edge connector is desired to overcome above problems. 
   BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an object of the present invention to provide a card edge connector with a durable key capable of preventing from abrasion or breakage. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a card edge connector nicely positioning a card received therein. 
   In order to obtain the objective above, an electrical connector comprises an insulating housing, one row of contact disposed in the housing, a key and a position member. The housing defines an elongated slot extending longitudinally along a first direction while communicating with an exterior in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The key is inserted into the slot in the second direction and the position member encounters the key in a third direction to prevent the key from falling off in the second direction. 
   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. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front side perspective view of a card edge connector according to a first embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a bottom perspective view of the card edge connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a right portion of the card edge connector of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the card edge connector shown in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a front side perspective view of a card edge connector according to a second embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective views of a right portion of the card edge connector of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-section view of the card edge connector showing in  FIG. 6  taken along  7 - 7 , wherein the position member is not inserted into the cavity; 
       FIG. 8  is a cross-section view of the card edge connector showing in  FIG. 6  taken along  7 - 7 , wherein the position member is inserted into the cavity; 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective views of a right portion of a card edge connector according to a third embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 10-11  are cross-section views of the card edge connector of the third embodiment, which are similar to  FIGS. 7-8 , only the configuration of the position member is different; 
       FIG. 12  is a front side perspective view of a card edge connector according to a forth embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 13  is a front side perspective view of a card edge connector according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention; and 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention discloses a card edge connector receiving a daughter card and five embodiments are given in detail hereinafter. 
     FIGS. 1-4  shows a card edge connector of the first embodiment. Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , the card edge connector  100  includes an insulating housing  1 . The housing includes an elongated base  10  defining a card-receiving slot  12  along the length thereof and a pair of guiding arms  11  respectively extending forwards from two opposite ends of the base  10 . The pair of guiding arms  11  and the base  10  commonly form a card-receiving space therebetween and defines a card-inserting direction. Each guiding arm  11  has a guiding groove  13 , which communicates with and is at the same plane with the card-receiving slot  12 . The front-end opening  131  of the guiding groove  13  slants upwardly and downwards respectively to form a bugle configuration. Two rows of contact-receiving channels  14  are defined along upper and lower inner walls of the card-receiving slot  12  to receive conductive contacts, each contact comprising a retaining section  21  ( 21 ′) retained in the housing, a resilient contact section  20  ( 20 ′) extending into the slot  12  and a leg, i.e. a soldering section  22  ( 22 ′) extending out the bottom surface of the housing. 
   The guiding arm  11  defines an opening  15  at its front face adjacent the bottom and a first-metal ear  3  is partially received in the opening. The metal ear  3  includes a retaining portion  31  with tabs retained in the opening  15  and a soldering portion  32 , nearer to the bottom than the retaining portion  31 , to be soldered on PCB (not shown). 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the soldering sections  22 ,  22 ′ of the contacts extend out of the bottom face of the housing  1  along opposite direction. The housing includes two positioning post  16 ,  16 ′ at the bottom thereof, the two posts being of different configuration to prevent the connector  100  from being assembled to the PCB in a wrong direction. And an end  531  of a key  5  positioned at a predetermined place also forms a positioning post, which will be described hereinafter. A row of openings  17  are defined in the bottom, which ensure the bottom face of the housing in a complete plane in molding process. A pair of flanges  19  are defined on two opposite ends of the base  10  to assemble the connector  100  with other electrical connector or other electrical component. 
   The housing has three retaining channels  18  according to the positioning post  16 ,  16 ′,  531  on the rearward wall thereof and three second-metal ears  4  is retained in the retaining-channels  18 . The metal ear  4  includes a retaining portion  41  with tabs and a soldering portion  42  perpendicularly extending from one end of the retaining portion  41 . The retaining portions  41  are inserted into the retaining-channels  18  and then retained in the retaining-channel  18 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 3 , there are no contact-receiving channels  14  near to the right guiding arm  11 , approximate ⅓ of the base  10 , to form a portion P to accord with a notch (not shown) of the daughter card. A retaining hole  51  is defined throughout the upper and lower sidewalls of the slot and adjacent to the front face of the slot  12 . A metal column  5  is inserted into the retaining hole  51  from the bottom face, forming said metal key  5  as  FIG. 4  shown. A partition  52  is unitarily formed between the upper and lower inner sides of the slot  12  with an arch front portion  521  to accommodate the metal column  5 , which will enhance stability of the metal column  5  in the housing. The bottom end  531  of metal column  5  exposes out of the bottom of the housing  1  to form said positioning post. An extending portion  53  is formed in front of the retaining hole  51 , which will enlarge area with which the retaining opening positioned. 
   Diameter of the metal column  5  is larger than the retaining hole  51  to interference with each other. Alternatively, the metal column may be replaced with an elliptic post. The end  531  of the metal post may be flush with the bottom face of the housing to press on the PCB to prevent it from fall off from the retaining hole  51 . 
   Other embodiments will be given hereinafter and similar parts are designated by like reference numbers for simplicity. 
     FIGS. 5-8  shows a connector of a second embodiment of the present invention. The structure of a card edge connector is similar to the connector  100  of the first embodiment, but with a different key. Now construction of a metal key  6  will be described in detail. A retaining opening  70  is recessed into the slot  12  to receive the metal key  6 . The metal key  6  is of a cross shape and includes an elongate base  61 , flanges  62 ,  63  on opposite two edges of the base  61  and a recess  64  on a lower edge of the base  61 . The recess  64  is defined with a semicircle shape and throughout the base  61  transversely. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 7-8  showing assembly process of the cross metal  6  to the housing, the cross metal  6  is inserted into the retaining opening  70  with the flanges  62 ,  63  or ribs (not shown) on the base  61  retained in the housing and then mass of stickiness material is injected into a cavity  71  communicating with the retaining opening  70 . The material fills with the recess  64  and the cavity  71  and forms a positioning member  66  after the material cooling. The position member  66  is of a configuration as shown in  FIG. 6 . Alternatively, the recess  64  might be other shape. Therefore the metal key  6  is fitly held in the slot  12 , the positioning member  6  can prevent the metal key  6  from pulling out or falling off from the retaining opening  70  along the card-inserting direction. 
     FIGS. 9-11  shows a connector of the third embodiment of the invention. The housing and cross metal  6  of this embodiment are similar to the second embodiment, which will not describe again. The recess  64  is of rectangular shape and the housing has a rectangular cavity  72  communicating with the retaining opening  70 . The cross metal  6  is inserted into the retaining opening  70  and a board-shaped member  67  is inserted into the cavity  72  and the recess  64 . The board-shaped member  67  is fitly retained in the cavity  74  and the recess  74  to function as a position member similar to the position member  66  in the second embodiment. 
     FIG. 12  shows a connector of the forth embodiment of the invention. The housing and the metal key of the forth embodiment is similar to the second or the third embodiment, but the metal key is closer to the left of the guiding arm, which is named as a reversed connector generally. 
     FIG. 13  shows a connector of the fifth embodiment of the invention. The connector of the fifth embodiment defines a pair of guiding arm  11 ′ at opposite ends of the housing, a board lock  3 ′ on the front end of the bottom of the guiding arm  11 ′ and a pair of through-holes  4 ′ on the opposite ends adjacent where the guiding arms  11 ′ extend. The board locks and the through-hole functions as the first and second metal ear  3 ,  4 . 
   The key of this invention is separately formed from the housing and is capable of preventing from abrasion or breakage, especially the metal key. Therefore, the card can be precisely positioned in the slot of the connector. 
   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.