Patent Publication Number: US-6709283-B2

Title: Card connector device having daughter board retainer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a connector device, and more particularly to a card connector device having a retainer for solidly and effectively retaining or latching daughter boards to mother boards. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical card connector devices have been provided for securing daughter boards to mother boards. One of the typical card connector devices is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,368,124 to Wang, and comprises a retention arm having a latch projection for engaging with and for locking the daughter board to a housing of the card connector device. 
     However, the retention arm is formed integral with the housing with molding processes. When the card connector device is formed or manufactured with a softer material, the retention arm will have no suitable resilience to retain or to latch the daughter board to the housing. 
     On the contrary, when the card connector device is formed or manufactured with a relatively harder or stronger material, the daughter board may not easily move over or beyond the retention arm, and the retention arm may have a good chance to be broken by the users when the retention arm is bent relative to the housing. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional card connector devices. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector device including a retainer for solidly and effectively retaining or latching daughter boards to mother boards. 
     The other objective of the present invention is to provide a card connector device including a retainer for allowing daughter boards to be secured or latched to mother boards by users. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a connector device comprising a mother board, an elongate housing mounted on the mother board, and including an elongate slot formed therein, a daughter board selectively engageable into the slot of the housing, and a retainer for securing the daughter board to the housing. The retainer includes a support having a channel formed therein for receiving the daughter board, and including a base having a bore formed therein, and including a latch slidably received in the bore of the base. The retainer includes a maintaining device for selectively maintaining the latch at a working position to engage with the daughter board, and at a non-working position to disengage from the daughter board. 
     The selectively maintaining device includes a plurality of seats provided in the base, for selectively supporting the latch at the working position. The base includes a plurality of grooves and passages alternatively formed therein and having different depths, and the seats are aligned with the passages of the base. 
     The base includes a plurality of swellings defined between the grooves and the passages thereof. The swellings each includes a first end having an inclined surface formed therein, and inclined toward the seats of the base respectively. 
     The selectively maintaining device includes a rotary member provided on one end of the latch, and having at least one rib extended therefrom and slidably receivable in the grooves of the base when the latch is maintained at the non-working position, and seated on one of the seats when the latch is maintained at the working position. 
     The rib includes one end having an inclined surface formed therein for engaging with the inclined surfaces of the swellings. 
     The rotary member includes a bore formed therein for receiving the one end of the latch. 
     The selectively maintaining device includes a knob engaged with the rotary member for moving the latch to the working position when the knob is depressed into the base. The rotary member includes a first end having a plurality of teeth formed therein, and the knob includes a first end having a plurality of teeth formed therein and engaged with the teeth of the rotary member. The knob includes a plurality of juts extended therefrom and slidably received in the grooves and the passages of the base respectively. 
     A spring biasing device may be used for biasing the latch away from the daughter board. 
     A cap may be secured to a first end of the base for retaining the latch in the base. The base includes at least one depression formed in the first end thereof, the cap includes at least one projection extended therefrom and engaged into the depression of the base. The base includes at least one protrusion bendable to engage with the projection of the cap, and to secure the cap to the base. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of a card connector device in accordance with the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a partial exploded view of the card connector device; 
     FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  3 — 3  of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a partial plan view illustrating the spread out of the inner peripheral surface of a base of the card connector device; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial cross sectional view taken along lines  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 6,  7  are partial plan views illustrating the spread out of the outer peripheral surfaces of two actuator members of the card connector device; 
     FIG. 8 is a partial exploded view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the operation of the card connector device; 
     FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken along lines  9 — 9  of FIG. 8; 
     FIGS. 10,  11 ,  12  are partial plan views illustrating the operation of the card connector device; 
     FIGS. 13,  14  are partial cross sectional views taken along lines  13 — 13 , and  14 — 14  of FIGS. 10 and 12 respectively; and 
     FIG. 15 is a partial exploded view illustrating another embodiment of the card connector device. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGS. 1-3, a card connector device in accordance with the present invention comprises a daughter board  10  to be attached to a mother board  7  with an elongated housing  20  and a retainer  3 . For example, the elongated housing  20  is mounted onto the mother board  7  and includes an elongate slot  21  formed therein for receiving the daughter board  10  therein. 
     The elongated housing  20  includes a number of typical conductive members (not shown) for electrically coupled to the corresponding conductive members  12  of the daughter board  10 . 
     However, the coupling of the conductive members  12  of the daughter board  10  and of the elongated housing  20  is not related to the present invention and will not be described in further details. 
     The retainer  3  is further provided for retaining or securing the daughter board  10  to the housing  20  and/or to the mother board  7 . For example, the retainer  3  may be formed integral or attached or secured to one end of the elongated housing  20 , or secured to the mother board  7 , and for securing the daughter board  10  to the housing  20  and/or the mother board  7 . 
     The retainer  3  includes a support  23  either secured to the elongated housing  20  or directly secured to the mother board  7 , and having a channel  24  formed therein for receiving a portion or an edge of the daughter board  10  (FIGS. 1,  2 ,  8 ). The retainer  3  includes a base  30  provided or secured on the support  23 , and having a bore  31  formed therein. 
     The base  30  includes one end having one or more depressions  37  formed therein, and communicating with the bore  31  thereof, and having one or more protrusions  38  extended therefrom and located beside the depressions  37  thereof respectively; and includes a peripheral flange  39  extended radially into the bore  31  thereof from the other end thereof (FIGS. 3,  9 ,  13 ,  14 ). 
     The base  30  includes an inner peripheral surface  310  formed therein for defining the bore  31  thereof, and includes a number of grooves  32  and passages  33  having different depths, and alternatively formed in the inner peripheral surface  310  thereof, best shown in FIGS. 4,  5 , for forming or defining a number of swellings  331  between the grooves  32  and the passages  33  thereof. 
     The swellings  331  each includes a straight side or edge  36  formed on one side thereof, and each includes a free end having an angled or inclined surface  35  formed therein and inclined toward the other side thereof. As best shown in FIG. 5, the passages  33  of the base  30  each includes a shallower or smaller depth than that of the grooves  32  of the base  30 , such that a seat  34  may be formed in one end of each passage  33  of the base  30  or aligned with the passage  33  of the base  30 , and located in the bottom or the root portion of the inclined surface  35  of the respective swelling  331 , or located closer to the channel  24  of the support  23 . 
     A latch  50  is slidably received in the bore  31  of the base  30 , and includes one end  51  extendible out of one end of the base  30 , and extendible into the channel  24  of the support  23  or of the elongate housing  20  (FIGS. 8,  9 ), for engaging into an opening  11  of the daughter board  10 , and thus for latching and securing the daughter board  10  to the housing  20  and thus to the mother board  7 . 
     A cap  80  is engaged into one end of the bore  31  of the base  30 , and includes one or more projections  81  radially extended therefrom and engaged into the depressions  37  of the base  30  respectively. The protrusions  38  of the base  30  may then be bent or forged relative to the base  30  to engage with the respective projections  81  of the cap  80 , in order to secure the cap  80  to the base  30  (FIGS. 3,  9 ). 
     As also shown in FIGS. 3,  9 , a spring  60  is engaged onto the latch  50  and engaged between a peripheral stop  52  of the latch  50  and the cap  80  or the base  30 , for biasing the one end  51  of the latch  50  into the bore  31  of the base  30 , and for disengaging the one end  51  of the latch  50  from the channel  24  of the support  23  of the retainer  3  or of the housing  20  (FIG.  3 ). 
     As best shown in FIGS. 2,  4  and  5 , the other end  53  of the latch  50  is rotatably engaged into a bore  44  of a rotary member  40  which is rotatably received in the bore  31  of the base  30  (FIGS. 3,  9 ). As shown in FIGS. 6,  7 , the rotary member  40  includes a number of teeth  41  formed in one end  45  of the rotary member  40 , and a number of longitudinal ribs  42  formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof. 
     The ribs  42  are aligned with one side or one half of the respective teeth  41 , best shown in FIGS. 6,  7 , and each includes an inclined surface  43  formed in one end or free end thereof and aligned with or flush with the corresponding inclined surfaces of the teeth  41 , for engaging with the inclined surfaces  35  of the swellings  331  of the base  30  (FIGS. 11,  12 ). 
     A knob  70  is slidably received in the bore  31  of the base  30 , and has one end extendible out of the base  30  (FIGS. 2,  3 ), and has a bore  73  formed in the other end thereof for rotatably receiving the end  45  of the rotary member  40 . The knob  70  includes a number of teeth  71  formed or provided on the other end thereof for engaging with the teeth  41  of the rotary member  40 , and includes a number of juts  72  extended out from the outer peripheral portion thereof, and slidably received in either the grooves  32  or the passages  33  of the base  30 . 
     As best shown in FIG. 6, the juts  72  of the knob  70  are aligned with the middle or center portions of the respective teeth  71  of the knob  70 , and thus may be offset from the ribs  42  of the rotary member  40  respectively when the teeth  41 ,  71  of the rotary member  40  and the knob  70  are engaged with each other. It is preferable that the ribs  42  include a width greater than that of the juts  72 , for allowing the inclined surfaces  43  of the ribs  42  to be engaged with the inclined surfaces  35  of the base  30  (FIG.  11 ). 
     In operation, as shown in FIGS. 3,  6 , and  10 , the one end  51  of the latch  50  may be biased into the bore  31  of the base  30  by the spring  60  (FIG.  3 ), and the ribs  42  of the rotary member  40  and the juts  72  of the knob  70  may be engaged into or received in the grooves  32  of the base  30  (FIG.  10 ), and the teeth  41 ,  71  of the rotary member  40  and the knob  70  may be biased to engage with each other by the spring  60  (FIG.  6 ). 
     At this moment, the latch  50  is moved into the base  30  in a storing or non-working position, such that the daughter board  10  may be easily engaged into the slot  21  of the housing  20  and the channel  24  of the support  23  or of the housing  20 . 
     As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when the knob  70  is depressed toward or into the base  30  against the spring  60 , the ribs  42  of the rotary member  40  may be moved along the straight edges  36  of the swellings  331  until the ribs  42  are disengaged from the swellings  331 , as shown in FIG.  11 . 
     When the inclined surfaces  43  of the ribs  42  are aligned with the inclined surfaces  35  of the base  30 , the rotary member  40  may be biased, by the spring  60 , toward the peripheral flange  39  of the base  30 , such that the inclined surfaces  43  of the ribs  42  may be forced to move along the inclined surfaces  35  of the base  30 , until the ribs  42  are supported or seated on the respective seats  34  of the base  30 , as shown in FIGS. 12,  14 . 
     At this moment, or when the ribs  42  are supported on the respective seats  34  of the base  30 , the end  51  of the latch  50  is moved or extended out of the base  30  in a working position (FIG. 9) and may thus be engaged into the opening  11  of the daughter board  10 , such that the daughter board  10  may be secured or locked to the support  23  and/or the housing  20 , and thus be locked to the mother board  7 . 
     When the daughter board  10  is required to be disengaged from the housing  20 , the knob  70  may be depressed toward or into the base  30  against the spring  60 , until the ribs  42  are disengaged from the swellings  331  again, as shown in FIG.  11 . The rotary member  40  may then be biased, by the spring  60  again, toward the peripheral flange  39  of the base  30 , and the inclined surfaces  43  of the ribs  42  may also be forced to move along the inclined surfaces  35  of the base  30 , until the ribs  42  are engaged into the respective grooves  32  of the base  30  again, as shown in FIGS. 10,  11 . 
     At this moment, the latch  50  may be moved into the base  30  again in the storing or non-working position, such that the daughter board  10  may be easily engaged into the slot  21  of the housing  20  and the channel  24  of the support  23  or of the housing  20 . 
     It is to be noted that the ribs  42  may be engaged into the respective grooves  32  of the base  30 , and the latch  50  may be moved into the base  30  at the storing or non-working position, such that the daughter board  10  may be easily engaged into or disengaged from the slot  21  of the housing  20  and the channel  24  of the support  23  or of the housing  20 , without actuating the knob  70 , such that the user may have both of his hands to engage the daughter board  10  into the housing  20 . 
     Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 15, the rotary member  40  may be formed integral with the latch  50 , such that the latch  50  may be rotated in concert with the rotary member  40  relative to the base  30 . 
     Accordingly, the card connector device in accordance with the present invention includes a retainer having a latch slidably relative to the base or the housing for solidly and effectively retaining or latching daughter boards to the housing and/or to the mother boards. The latch may be maintained in either a working or a non-working position relative to the housing or the daughter board. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.