Robinson Nugent, Inc.

Robert J Tondreault

James F DePriest

Robert W Rollings

Samuel C Ramey

An electrical interconnect device includes an elongated socket for releasably holding a module in an engaged position therein and an ejector for ejecting at least a portion of the module from the socket. The device also includes a lever arm for rotating the module ejector means about an axis of rotation extending in the direction of elongation of the socket to move the module ejector against a module held in the socket. This action causes at least a portion of the module to be disengaged from the socket means to enable a user to extract the module from the socket means. The rotatably actuated module ejector is mounted on the device to lie between two modules that are held in side-by-side relation in the socket. The lever arm is pivotable about an axis of rotation either in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction to permit a technician to remove more than one module from the socket.

Electrical interconnect device with module ejection means

An electrical connector is provided for receiving a daughtercard having an end edge formed to include a notch therein and having a plurality of conductive surfaces formed thereon. The connector includes a socket formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the daughtercard therein and including a plurality of electrical terminals for engaging the plurality of conductive surfaces formed on the daughtercard for electrically coupling the daughtercard to the socket. The connector also includes an ejector coupled to an end of the socket. The ejector includes first and second side panels defining a slot therebetween for receiving the end edge of the daughtercard therein, and first and second raised surfaces formed on the first and second side panels of the ejector, respectively, for engaging opposite sides of the daughtercard to apply a retention force directed normal to the daughtercard upon insertion of the daughtercard into the socket. The ejector also includes a locking head formed integrally with the first side panel and configured to engage the notch formed in the daughtercard to provide a vertical retention force to the daughtercard.

Electrical connector socket with daughtercard ejector

An electrical connector is provided for receiving a daughtercard having an end edge formed to include a notch therein and having a plurality of conductive surfaces formed thereon. The connector includes a socket formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the daughtercard therein and including a plurality of electrical terminals for engaging the plurality of conductive surfaces formed the daughtercard for electrically coupling the daughtercard to the socket. The connector also includes an ejector coupled to an end of the socket. The ejector includes first and second side panels defining a slot therebetween for receiving the end edge of the daughtercard therein, and first and second raised surfaces formed on the first and second side panels of the ejector, respectively, for engaging opposite sides of daughtercard to apply a retention force directed normal to the daughtercard upon insertion of the daughtercard into the socket. The ejector also includes a locking head formed integrally with the first side panel and configured to engage the notch formed in the daughtercard to provide a vertical retention force to the daughtercard.

An electrical connector apparatus is provided for electrically coupling a module having an end edge including a keyway and a plurality of conductive pads to a plurality of conductive traces on a mother printed circuit board. The apparatus comprises an insulative housing formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the end edge of the module, a plurality of contacts located in the slot for engaging the conductive pads on the module, and a key formed integrally with the insulative housing. The key has first and second side walls which are formed to include first and second recessed slots, respectively. The apparatus also includes an alignment clip coupled to the key. The alignment clip includes a body portion and first and second spring beams positioned in the first and second slots of the key. The first and second spring beams each have a head portion which extends outwardly from the first and second recessed slots, respectively, and beyond the first and second walls of the key to engage the keyway during insertion of the module into the elongated slot of the housing.

Module alignment apparatus for an electrical connector

A connector apparatus is provided for electrically coupling a module having an end edge including a plurality of conductive pads to a plurality of conductive traces on a printed circuit board. The apparatus includes an insulative housing formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the end edge of the module, a plurality of contacts located in the slot for engaging the conductive pads on the module, and a side arm having an integrally formed split peg for engaging the module to secure the module to the housing. The apparatus also includes a separate clip coupled to the side arm of the housing. The clip includes an actuator section located adjacent the split peg. The actuator section is configured to engage the split peg and to release the split peg from the module to permit removal of the module from the housing.

Connector having a memory module locking apparatus

An electrical connector is provided for receiving a daughtercard having an end edge formed to include a notch therein and having a plurality of conductive surfaces formed thereon. The connector includes a socket formed to include an elongated slot for receiving the daughtercard therein and including a plurality of electrical terminals for engaging the plurality of conductive surfaces formed the daughtercard for electrically coupling the daughtercard to the socket. The connector also includes an ejector coupled to an end of the socket. The ejector includes first and second side panels defining a slot therebetween for receiving the end edge of the daughtercard therein, and first and second raised surfaces formed on the first and second side panels of the ejector, respectively, for engaging opposite sides o daughtercard to apply a retention force directed normal to the daughtercard upon insertion of the daughtercard into the socket. The ejector also includes a locking head formed integrally with the first side panel and configured to engage the notch formed in the daughtercard to provide a vertical retention force to the daughtercard.

An ejector is provided for ejecting a daughtercard from an elongated slot formed in an electrical connector socket housing. The ejector includes a body having a mechanism for ejecting an end of the daughtercard adjacent the ejector out of the elongated slot upon movement of the ejector relative to the socket housing. The body is also formed to include first and second crimp surfaces for engaging an end edge of the daughtercard to stabilize the daughtercard in the socket. A mechanism is also provided for biasing the ejector body in a direction toward the daughtercard to hold the first and second crimp surfaces against the daughtercard. The first and second crimp surfaces are preferably convergent to accommodate daughtercards having various lengths and thicknesses.

A terminal is provided which includes includes an a non-movable L-shaped base and a swan neck contact coupled to one end of the base. The terminal also includes a split dimple formed on a base of the terminal to provide a front-to-back alignment of the terminal inside terminal-receiving cavities formed in a socket housing. The split dimple also provides the terminal with a strong retention to the plastic body of the connector housing. The terminals are particularly useful in a SIMM socket. Adjacent terminals on opposite sides of the edge card are electrically isolated or independent from each other. By incorporating electrically independent contacts into a SIMM socket, the present invention permits twice as many I/O leads in the same amount of space compared to a conventional SIMM socket and doubles the number of pads per module.

Terminal for low profile edge socket

An electrical connector is provided for receiving a daughtercard having a plurality of conductive surfaces formed thereon. The connector includes a socket having a first end and a second end. An ejector is coupled to the first end of the socket. The ejector includes spring arms for retaining the daughtercard in the socket upon insertion of the daughtercard into the socket. A post is coupled to the second end of the socket in a fixed position relative to the socket to guide insertion of the daughtercard into the socket. The post is formed to include a pair of spring arms for engaging opposite sides of the daughtercard adjacent the post to retain the daughtercard within the socket. The ejector ejects an end of the daughtercard adjacent the ejector out of the socket upon movement of the ejector relative to the socket while leaving an opposite end of the daughtercard adjacent the post in the elongated slot of the socket.

A retainer clip is provided for securing a printed circuit board to a socket having an elongated slot for receiving the board therein. The retainer clip includes a retention section for engaging the socket to retain the retainer clip within the socket and a spring section extending upwardly away from the retention section and having an upper distal end. The spring section extends into a plane defined by an edge of the elongated slot. The retainer clip also includes a contoured section formed at the distal end of the spring section. The contoured section is configured to engage an aperture formed in the board to retain the board within the socket.

Board to socket retainer clip

A low insertion force edge card connector having preloaded conductive spring arms that establish an electrical contact between the preloaded spring arms and the edge card. The edge card connector has an insulative housing consisting essentially of a dielectric material, a spring arm coupled to the insulative housing, a contact arm extending from the spring arm, the contact arm having a contact surface to engage the edge card in electrical connection, and a preload tab appended to a junction between the spring arm and the contact arm to engage the insulative housing and establish a preloaded position for the spring arm with respect to the insulative housing.

Growing community of inventors

Louisville, KY, United States of America

Robert J Tondreault