Information
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Patent Grant
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6558173
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Patent Number
6,558,173
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Date Filed
Tuesday, January 8, 200222 years ago
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Date Issued
Tuesday, May 6, 200321 years ago
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Inventors
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Original Assignees
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Examiners
Agents
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CPC
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US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 439 108
- 439 101
- 439 637
- 439 636
- 439 567
- 439 571
- 439 572
- 439 189
- 439 507
- 439 510
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International Classifications
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Abstract
A card edge connector includes an insulative housing defining a central slot along a longitudinal direction thereof. Two rows of passageways are disposed by two sides of the central slot, respectively. An elongated slit is formed in an outer side of each corresponding row of the passageways. A contact strip is retained in the corresponding slit and laterally communicating with some corresponding designated passageways. A plurality of discrete first contacts are retainably received within such some designated passageways, respectively, and a plurality of second contacts are respectively retainably disposed in the remaining passageways.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of The Invention
The invention relates to card edge connectors, and particularly to the card edge connector with individual signal contacts and commoning power contacts and the method making the same.
2. The Related Arts
Card edge connectors are popularly used in the computer industry, for example, Micro Channel connectors (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,326,276), EISA connectors (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,766) and DIMM connectors (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,404), etc. The contacts used in the card edge connectors generally include two types of which one is the so-called forming type in which the curved contact portion is successively bent/formed after the individual contact has been stamped from the metal sheet, and the other is the so-called blanking type in which the curved contact portion generally is directly formed when the individual contact is being stamped from the metal sheet.
The advantage of the former is to own the superior resiliency and the contacts on the same side of the connector housing can be commonly formed on the same carrier and simultaneously inserted into the corresponding passageways. For example, the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,766 discloses a card edge connector, i.e., the EISA connector, with two level contacts which are of the so-called forming contacts arranged on the same contact carrier and adapted to be inserted into the corresponding passageways of the housing at one time.
Oppositely, the advantage of the latter is to own the more precise shape of the contacts than the forming type, and have only one step, i.e., direct stamping, to form each individual contact rather than two steps, i.e., one stamping plus one forming, required by the forming type one. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,102 discloses the so-called blanking type in which the odd configuration of the curved contact portion or even the dual-beam contact portion can be achieved. The presently preferred embodiment of the invention depicted later is related to the blanking type contact. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the conventional blanking type contacts
1
in the card edge connector
2
, e.g. the DIMM connector, generally are symmetrically located by two sides of the central slot
3
where the daughter board (not shown) is received.
From another viewpoint, in some applications some of the individual contacts in the connector are expected to be electrically connected. Under such a condition, the jumper strip(s) or the shunting bar(s) is/are intentionally applied to the connector for implementation of commoning such specific contacts, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,487,464 (the card edge connector) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,024,597 (the cable connector).
The invention is to provide a card edge connector with some commoned designated contacts in an easy manufacturing way.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to an aspect of the invention, a card edge connector includes an insulative housing defining a central slot along a longitudinal direction thereof. Two rows of passageways are disposed by two sides of the central slot, respectively. An elongated slit is formed in an outer side of each corresponding row of the passageways. The slit is configured to laterally communicate with some designated passageways in the corresponding row. A contact strip includes a elongated strip retention portion retained in the corresponding slit. A plurality of discrete first contacts are respectively retainably disposed in such some designated passageways with engagement sections mechanically and electrically engaged with the contact strip. A plurality of discrete second contacts are respectively retainably disposed in the remaining passageways. A pair of metal hold-downs are positioned at two opposite longitudinal ends of the housing and mechanically and electrically engaged with the contact strip.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a cross-sectional view of the conventional connector with the blanking type contacts therein.
FIG. 2
is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the invention where in such a specific cross-section the right side shows the first contact electrically and mechanically engaged with the corresponding contact strip while the left side shows the second contact isolated from the slit and the corresponding contact strip (not shown).
FIG. 3
is a cross-sectional view of the connector of the invention to show the metal hold-down mechanically and electrically engaged with the contact strips.
FIG. 4
is a plan view of the contact strip to show the retention embossments thereon.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
References will now be in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention. While the present invention has been described in with reference to the specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by appended claims.
It will be noted here that for a better understanding, most of like components are designated by like reference numerals throughout the various figures in the embodiments. Attention is directed to
FIGS. 2-4
, wherein a DIMM connector
10
includes an insulative housing
12
with a central slot
14
extending along a longitudinal direction thereof. The basic structures of the DIMM connector could be referred to the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,113,404. Two rows of passageways
16
are formed by two sides of the central slot
14
. A pair of ejectors (not shown) are disposed at two opposite longitudinal ends of the housing
12
for ejection of the inserted daughter board (not shown) out of the central slot
14
.
An elongated vertical slit
20
is formed on an outer side of each row of the passageways
16
. The slit
20
are arranged to laterally communicate with some designated passageways
16
. A contact strip
22
with the retention embossments
26
thereon is retainably received in each corresponding elongated slit
20
.
A plurality of first contacts
28
are respectively individual retainably received within the corresponding passageways
16
. Each of the first contacts
28
includes a first base
29
with first barbs
30
and protrusions
31
thereon for interferential engagement within the corresponding passageway
16
. A first contact portion
32
upwardly extends from the first base
29
and into the central slot
14
for engagement with the inserted daughter board (not shown). A resilient engagement section
33
extends from the first base
29
and mechanically and electrically engages the contact strip
22
. A first tail
27
downwardly extends from the first base
29
.
Differently, a plurality of discrete second contacts
34
are respectively and individually retained and disposed in the corresponding remaining passageways
16
. Each second contact
34
includes a second base
35
with second barbs
39
thereon for interferential engagement within the corresponding passageway
16
. The second contact portion
37
upwardly extends from the second base
35
and a second tail
36
downwardly extend from the second base
35
. The second contact
34
is isolated from the slit
20
and the corresponding contact slit
22
aside.
A pair of metal hold-downs
40
are disposed at two opposite longitudinal ends of the housing with resilient engaging device
42
to mechanically and electrically engage with the two opposite longitudinal ends of the contact strip
22
for establishing electrical connection among the first contacts
28
and the hold-downs
40
.
It is also noted that only few first contacts
28
are disposed in the housing
12
in comparison with the second contacts
34
, wherein the contact portions
32
of the first contacts
28
and the contact portions
37
of the second contacts
34
still keep the same contour with each other as the traditional DIMM connector, and that all the tails regardless of the first tails
27
and the second tails
36
, are still arranged in a staggered manner for compliance with the layout of the printed circuit board on which the DIMM connector
10
is mounted. In other words, the first tails
27
may be either in an inner position or in an outer position, depending upon the odd numbers or the even numbers of the positions the first contacts
28
are disposed at along the longitudinal direction of the housing
12
, and similarly the second tails
36
follow the same rule.
In this invention, the first contacts
28
are different from the second contacts
34
for compliance with the corresponding passageways
16
which are somewhat different from those for the second contacts
34
to mechanical and electrical engage the plate-like contact strip
22
wherein the contact strip
22
is not exposed toward an exterior once the connector
10
is mounted on the printed circuit board (not shown).
While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.
Therefore, person of ordinary skill in this field are to understand that all such equivalent structures are to be included in the scope of the following claims.
Claims
- 1. A card edge connector comprising:an insulative housing defining a central slot along a longitudinal direction thereof; two rows of passageways formed by two sides of said central slot; a slit formed by at least one of said rows of passageways; a contact strip including an elongated retention portion retainably received within said slit; a plurality of first contacts retainably received within some designated passageways, respectively, and mechanically and electrically engaged with said contact strip; and a plurality of second contacts respectively and retainably received within the remaining passageways; wherein said first contacts are structurally different from said second contacts, and each of said first contacts includes a resilient engagement section to engage the contact strip in a lateral direction.
- 2. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein said slit is positioned in an outer side of said at least one of said rows of passageways.
- 3. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein a pair of metal hold-downs are located at two opposite longitudinal ends of the housing, and said contact strip mechanically and electrically engages at least one of said pair of metal hold-downs.
- 4. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein said slit laterally communicates with said some designated passageways.
- 5. The connector as described in claim 1, wherein the remaining passageways other than said some designated passageways are isolated from the corresponding contact strip.
- 6. An electrical connector comprising:an insulative housing defining a central slot along a longitudinal direction thereof; a plurality of passageways arranged in said housing along said longitudinal direction; a contact strip disposed beside said passageways and defining a lengthwise dimension, along said longitudinal direction, substantially equal to that of said housing; a plurality of discrete first contacts retainably received within some corresponding passageways, respectively; and a plurality of discrete second contacts disposed in the remaining passageways, respectively; wherein said first contacts and said second contacts are mutually exclusively in the corresponding passageways, respectively, and said contact strip is of a plate-like configuration parallel to said central slot.
- 7. The connector as described in claim 6, wherein said contact strip is not exposed to an exterior for being seen after the connector is mounted on a printed circuit board.
- 8. The connector as described in claim 6, wherein a slit is defined in the housing along said longitudinal direction to receive said contact strip, and in communication with said passageways.
- 9. The connector as described in claim 6, wherein each of said discrete first contacts is of a unitary piece.
- 10. The connector as described in claim 6, wherein each of said discrete second contacts is of a unitary piece.
- 11. A card edge connector comprising:an insulative housing defining a central slot along a longitudinal direction thereof; two rows of passageways formed by two sides of said central slot; a slit formed by at least one of said rows of passageways; a contact strip including an elongated retention portion retainably received within said slit; a plurality of first contacts retainably received within some designated passageways, respectively, and mechanically and electrically engaged with said contact strip; a plurality of second contacts respectively and retainably received within the remaining passageways; and a pair of metal hold-downs located at two opposite longitudinal ends of the housing; wherein said contact strip mechanically and electrically engages at least one of said pair of metal hold-downs.
US Referenced Citations (8)