Patent Publication Number: US-7713079-B2

Title: Card edge connector

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
   This application claims priority of Taiwanese Application No. 097211684, filed on Jul. 1, 2008. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The invention relates to an electrical connector, more particularly to a card edge connector. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a conventional card edge connector for en electronic card  6 , such as a memory card, is shown to include an insulating body  7  and two metallic pieces  5 . 
   The insulating body  7  can be mounted on a circuit board (not shown), and has a top surface  70  formed with an insertion groove (not shown) that permits insertion of an insertion side of the electronic card  6  thereinto. When the insertion side of the electronic card  6  is inserted into the insertion groove, a plurality of conductive terminals (not shown) on the insertion side of the electronic card  6  contact electrically and respectively terminals (not shown) mounted in the insulating body  7 . 
   The metallic pieces  5  are mounted respectively on opposite lateral side framed  71  on the top surface  70  of the insulating body  7 . Each metallic piece  5  includes an upright main plate body  50  having front and rear sides  501 ,  500 , a bent anchoring portion  52  extending from the front side  501  of the main plate body  50  and disposed distal from the insulating, body  7 , and an L-shaped stop  51  extending from the rear side  500  of the main plate body  50  and disposed between the anchoring portion  51  and the insulating body  7 . 
   When the electronic card  6  is inserted into the insertion groove in the insulating body  7 , the anchoring portions  52  of the metallic pieces  5  engaged respectively notches  60  in opposite lateral sides of the electronic card  6 . Upon vibration of an assembly of the conventional card edge connector and the electronic card  6 , disengagement between the notches  60  in the electronic card  6  and the anchoring portions  52  of the metallic pieces  5  may occur. Therefore, the conventional card edge connector cannot ensure electrical contact between the conductive terminals  70  of the electronic card  6  and the terminals of the conventional card edge connector. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a card edge connector that can overcome the aforesaid drawback of the prior art. 
   According to the present invention, there is provided a card edge connector adapted for electrically connecting an electronic card to a circuit board therethrough. The electronic card has a rectangular card body. The card body has an insertion side formed with a plurality of conductive terminals, and opposite lateral sides each formed with a notch distal from the insertion side. The card edge connector comprises: 
   an insulating body adapted to be mounted on the circuit board, and having a side surface formed with an insertion groove which permits insertion of the insertion side of the card body of the electronic card thereinto, and two lateral side frames opposite to each other in a first direction and extending from the side surface; 
   a plurality of terminals mounted in the insulating body, each of the terminals having a contact portion extending into the insertion groove in the insulating body, and a solder portion opposite to the contact portion, extending outwardly of the insulating body and adapted to be electrically connected to the circuit board, the contact portions of the terminals being adapted to contact electrically and respectively the conductive terminals of the electronic card when the insertion side of the card body of the electronic card is inserted into the insertion groove in the insulating body; and 
   two metallic pieces each including
         a base mounted on a corresponding one of the lateral side frames of the insulating body,   a first resilient arm extending from the base in a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, and having first and second sides opposite to each other in a third direction that is perpendicular to the first and second directions,   a curved anchoring member extending from the first side of the first resilient arm portion, disposed distal from the base, and having an outer convex guiding surface, and   a second resilient arm extending from the base and disposed adjacent to the second side of the first resilient arm, the second resilient arm having a free end portion opposite to the anchoring member in the third direction and formed with a projection projecting toward the anchoring member.       

   When the insertion side of the card body of the electronic card is inclinedly inserted into the insertion groove in the insulating body such that each of the lateral sides of the card body of the electronic card abuts against the guiding surface of the anchoring member of a corresponding one of the metallic pieces, the card body of the electronic card is pushed to move toward the second resilient arms of the metallic pieces through guiding of the guiding surfaces of the anchoring members of the metallic pieces such that each of the lateral sides of the card body of the electronic card is clamped between the anchoring member and the free end portion of the second resilient arm of the corresponding one of the metallic pieces and that the notch in each of the lateral sides of the card body of the electronic card engages the projection of the free end portion of the second resilient arm of the corresponding one of the metallic pieces, thereby ensuring electrical contact between the conductive terminals of the electronic card and the contact portions of the terminals. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventional card edge connector for an electronic card; 
       FIG. 2  is an exploded view showing the preferred embodiment of a card edge connector according to the present invention and an electronic card; 
       FIG. 3  is a fragmentary, partly exposed perspective view showing the preferred embodiment; 
       FIG. 4  is an assembled perspective front side view showing the preferred embodiment and the electronic card; 
       FIG. 5  is an assembled perspective rear side view showing the preferred embodiment and the electronic card; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic rear side view showing an assembly of the preferred embodiment and the electronic card; and 
       FIG. 7  is an enlarged schematic view showing an encircled portion of  FIG. 6 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , the preferred embodiment of a card edge connector according to the present invention is adapted for electrically connecting an electronic card  3  to a circuit board  8  therethrough. The electronic card  3  can be a single in-line memory module (SIMM) card, a dual in-line memory module (DIMM) card, a double data rate (DDR) card or an expansion card, such as a video card, a sounds card and an interface card. The electronic card  3  has a rectangular card body  30 . The card body  30  has an insertion side  32  formed with a plurality of conductive terminals  33  (see  FIG. 2 ), and opposite lateral sides  31  each forced with a notch  310  distal from the insertion side  32 . In this embodiment, the notch  310  in each lateral side  31  is defined by a concave wall  34  that has a first end  341 , and a second end  342  opposite to the first end  341  and closer to the insertion side  32  than the first end  341 . The card edge connector includes an insulating body  1 , a plurality of terminals  4 , and two metallic pieces  2 . 
   The insulating body  1  is adapted to be mounted on the circuit board  8 , and has a side surface  12  formed with an insertion groove  120  (see  FIG. 3 ) which permits insertion of the insertion side  32  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3 , and two lateral side frames  11  opposite to each other in a first direction (X) and extending from the side surface  12 . In this embodiment, as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the side surface  12  is a top surface, and the insulating body  1  further has a front surface  13 , and a rear surface  14  that is adapted to be mounted on the circuit board  8 . 
   The terminals  4  are mounted in the insulating body  1 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , each terminals has a contact portion  41  extending into the insertion groove  120  in the insulating body  1 , and a solder portion  42  opposite to the contact portion  41 , extending outwardly of the insulating body  1  and adapted to be electrically connected to the circuit board  8 . In this embodiment, the solder portions  42  of the terminals  4  are disposed adjacent to the rear surface  14  of the insulating body  1 , as shown in  FIG. 5 . The contact portions  41  of the terminals  4  are adapted to contact electrically and respectively the conductive terminals  33  of the electronic card  3  when the insertion side  32  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  is inserted into the insertion groove  120  in the insulating body  1 . 
   Each metallic piece  2  includes a base  21 , a first resilient arm  23 , a curved anchoring member  24 , and a second resilient arm  22 . For each metallic piece  2 , the base  21  is mounted on a corresponding lateral side frame  11  of the insulating body  1 . The first resilient arm  23  extends from tee base  21  in the second direction (Y) that is perpendicular to the first direction (X), and has first and second sides  231 ,  232  opposite to each other in a third direction (Z) that is perpendicular to the first and second directions (X, Y). The anchoring member  24  extends from the first side  231  of the first resilient arm  23 , is disposed distal from the base  21 , and has an outer convex guiding surface  241 , as best shown in  FIG. 2 . The second resilient arm  22  extends from the base  21  and is disposed adjacent to the second side  232  of the first resilient arm  23 , as best shown in  FIG. 5 . In this embodiment, the second resilient arm  22  has a free end portion  221 , and a U-shaped end portion  222  connected between the free end portion  221  and the base  21 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , the U-shaped and portion  222  of the second resilient arm  22  has a first arm section  2221  extending in the second direction (Y) and having two ends opposite to each other in the second direction (Y), a second arm section  2222  extending in the third direction (Z) and connected between one end of the first arm section  2221  and the base  21 , and a third arm section  2223  extending in the third direction (Z), opposite to the second arm section  2222  in the second direction (Y) and connected between the other end of the first arm section  2221  and the free end portion  221 . The free end portion  221  is opposite to the anchoring member  24  in the third direction (Z), and is formed with a projection  25  projecting toward the anchoring member  24 . The projection  25  is forced by pressing in this embodiment. 
   In use, initially, the insertion side  32  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  is inclinedly inserted into the insertion groove  120  in the insulating body  1  each that each lateral side  31  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  abuts against the guiding surface  241  of the anchoring member  24  of a corresponding metallic piece  2 . Thereafter, the carp body  30  of the electronic card  3  is pushed to move toward the second resilient arms  22  of the metallic pieces  2  through guiding of the guiding surfaces  241  of the anchoring members  24  of the metallic pieces  2  such that each lateral side  31  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  is clamped between the anchoring member  24  and the free end portion  221  of the second resilient arm  22  of the corresponding metallic piece  2  and that the notch  310  in each lateral side  31  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  engages the projection  25  of the free end portion  221  of the second resilient arm  22  of the corresponding metallic piece  2 , thereby ensuring electrical contact between the conductive terminals  33  of the electronic card  3  and the contact portions  41  of the terminals  4 . It is noted that, when each lateral side  31  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  is clamped between the anchoring member  24  and the free end portion  221  of the second resilient arm  22  of the corresponding metallic piece  2 , the projection  25  of the free end portion  221  of the second resilient arm  22  of the corresponding metallic piece  2  is adapted to abut against the second end  342  of the concave wall  34  at a respective lateral side  31  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3 , as best shown in  FIG. 7 , thereby preventing movement of the insertion side  32  of the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  away from the insertion groove  120  in the insulating body  1 . 
   In sum, since the card body  30  of the electronic card  3  can be stably positioned relative to the card edge connector by the metallic pieces  2 , the card edge connector of the present invention can ensure electrical contact between the conductive terminals  33  of the electronic card  3  and the contact portions  41  of the terminals  4 . 
   While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment bat is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent arrangements.