Patent ID: 8157576

Claim:
A card edge connector for insertion of an electronic card with a first side edge defining at least one notch, comprising: an elongated housing having a pair of opposed side walls extending along a lengthwise direction thereof, a central slot located between the side walls for receiving a lower edge of the electronic card, a first tower portion upwardly extending from one end thereof, the central slot extending into the first tower portion along the lengthwise direction to define a trench for receiving the first side edge of the electronic card; a plurality of contacts retained in the housing, and exposed into the central slot for mating with the electronic card; and a latch mechanism retained in the first tower portion, and having a locking projection protruding into the trench to lock with the electronic card; wherein the latch mechanism is a bent rod, and can be posited at a first position when the locking projection is in the trench or alternatively at a second position when the locking projection is deformed away from the trench; wherein during inserting the electronic card into the central slot, the first side edge of the electronic card presses the locking projection to the second position, and when the electronic card is inserted in the central slot completely, the locking projection correspondingly buckles the notch of the first side edge of the electronic card so that the locking projection returns to the first position, wherein the latch mechanism is made of metallic material, and includes a pair of inclined portions above the locking projection, during the electronic card inserting into the slot, the first side edge presses the incline portions, wherein the locking projection presents as a V-shaped viewed from a top side, the pair of inclined portions extending slantly and downwardly toward each other, then intersecting with each other to form the locking projection therebetween.