CN219303988U - Card edge connector - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a card edge connector. The card edge connector includes: an insulating housing including a base extending in a longitudinal direction and a tower base extending from an end of the base in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a card slot for receiving an edge of an additional card extending from the base into the tower base; the tower cover body is a split piece with the insulating shell, the tower cover body is connected to the tower base body, and the clamping groove extends to the tower cover body. The tower cover body and the insulating shell can be manufactured respectively, and the weak position of the tower cover body can not be provided with a bonding line affecting the strength due to the structural change. Thus, when the card edge connector works under vibration and impact conditions or when a user inserts and withdraws the additional card, the tower cover body is not easy to crack. In addition, the tower cover body and the insulating shell are manufactured respectively, so that the manufacturing difficulty of the tower cover body and the insulating shell can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Description

Card edge connector

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of connector technology, and in particular, to a card edge connector.

Background

Electrical connectors are used in many electronic systems. It is generally easier and more cost effective to manufacture a system on several circuit boards connected to each other by electrical connectors than to manufacture the system as a single component. Conventional arrangements for interconnecting several circuit boards typically use one circuit board as a motherboard. In servers and other powerful computers, it may be desirable to electrically connect an add-in card (add-on card) as a daughter card to a motherboard.

The card edge connector (card edge connector) is widely used as an electrical connector for electronic products such as computers, and can be used for connecting additional cards such as memory cards, video cards, sound cards and the like to a main board, so that the additional cards provide capacity for the electronic products and enhance the operation speed of the electronic products. The card edge connector includes an insulative housing and a plurality of conductors, the insulative housing may have a mating interface with a card slot sized to receive an edge of an add-on card. The conductors are in electrical contact with the gold fingers on the edge of the add-on card on both sides of the card slot. The plurality of conductors are fitted into a plurality of fitting grooves formed in the insulating housing in a one-to-one correspondence by insertion. The insulating housing of a typical card edge connector is an integrally molded injection molded piece. The insulating housing may also be provided with a latch that securely locks the add-on card to the card edge connector. Thus, the stability of the insulating housing determines the quality of the card edge connector and the stability of the connection of the add-on card to the card edge connector.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to at least partially solve the problems in the prior art, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a card edge connector is provided. The card edge connector includes: an insulating housing including a base extending in a longitudinal direction and a tower base extending from an end of the base in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a card slot for receiving an edge of an add-on card extending from the base into the tower base; and the tower cover body and the insulating shell are split pieces, the tower cover body is connected to the tower base body, and the clamping groove extends to the tower cover body.

Illustratively, the card edge connector further includes a latch pivotally connected to the tower base between a latched position and an unlatched position.

The tower cover is illustratively located within the space enclosed by the catch in the locked position and the tower base.

Illustratively, the tower cover is provided with a stop portion that engages the latch in a lateral direction when the latch is in the latched position, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction.

The limiting portion includes a limiting protrusion protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from a middle portion of the tower cover, a heat dissipation hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction is formed in the lock catch, and the limiting protrusion is engaged with the heat dissipation hole in the lateral direction when the lock catch is in the locked position.

The limiting portion includes a first limiting wing portion and a second limiting wing portion protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from both sides of the tower cover, the first limiting wing portion and the second limiting wing portion sandwiching the latch therebetween in the lateral direction when the latch is in the latched position.

Illustratively, a latch receiving cavity is provided in a portion of the tower base remote from the base, the tower cover is connected to a portion of the tower base proximate to the base, and the latch is received in the latch receiving cavity at its lower portion and abuts against the tower cover at its upper portion when in the latched position.

Illustratively, the lock catch accommodating cavity is provided with a locking concave part on the inner side wall, locking protrusions are arranged on two sides of the lock catch, and the locking protrusions are engaged with the locking concave part when the lock catch is in the locking position.

Illustratively, the tower cover is connected to a connection face of the tower base, the connection face being perpendicular to the vertical direction, the locking recess extending to the connection face.

Illustratively, the tower base and the tower cover are disposed sequentially in the vertical direction along a direction away from the base.

Illustratively, a first positioning pin and a second positioning pin are respectively arranged on two sides of the clamping groove on the tower cover body, a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole are respectively arranged on two sides of the clamping groove on the tower base body, the first positioning pin is engaged with the first positioning hole, and the second positioning pin is engaged with the second positioning hole.

Illustratively, the insulating housing is an injection molded part.

Illustratively, the tower cover is an injection molded piece.

Illustratively, the mechanical strength of the tower cover is equal to or higher than the mechanical strength of the insulated housing.

Illustratively, the tower cover is made of one or more of metal, ceramic, polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and liquid crystal polymer.

The insulating housing is a separate injection-molded part, and no injection-molded bonding line is formed on the tower base and in the middle of the clamping groove.

Illustratively, the card edge connector further includes a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating contact bent into the card slot and a mounting tail extending out of the insulative housing.

In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the tower cover and the insulating housing may be manufactured separately, and the weak position of the tower cover may not have a bonding line affecting the strength due to the structural change. Thus, when the card edge connector works under vibration and impact conditions or when a user inserts and withdraws the additional card, the tower cover body is not easy to crack. The mechanical strength of the whole tower is enhanced. In addition, the tower cover body and the insulating shell are manufactured respectively, so that the manufacturing difficulty of the tower cover body and the insulating shell can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost is reduced.

In the summary, a series of concepts in a simplified form are introduced, which will be further described in detail in the detailed description section. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Advantages and features of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The following drawings of the present disclosure are included as part of the disclosure herein for purposes of understanding the same. Embodiments of the present disclosure and descriptions thereof are shown in the drawings to explain the principles of the disclosure. In the drawings of which there are shown,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a card edge connector in connection with an add-on card according to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a card edge connector according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of the card edge connector shown in FIG. 2 with the latch removed;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the card edge connector shown in FIG. 2 with the tower cover removed;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of the card edge connector shown in FIG. 2 with the latch and tower cover removed;

FIGS. 6A-6B are perspective views of the tower cover shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the shackle shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of a card edge connector according to another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

9A-9B are perspective views of the tower cover shown in FIG. 8;

fig. 10 is a partial perspective view of a card edge connector according to yet another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

11A-11B are perspective views of the tower cover shown in FIG. 10; and

FIG. 12 is a simulated view of a tower cover according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein bonding wires are schematically illustrated.

Wherein the above figures include the following reference numerals:

100a, 100b, 100c, card edge connector; 200. an insulating housing; 201. a butt joint surface; 202. a mounting surface; 203. a pivot hole; 210. a clamping groove; 211. a first portion; 212. a second portion; 212a, a first side; 212b, a second side; 212c, middle; 213. a third section; 213a, a first side; 213b, a second side; 213c, middle; 230. a base; 250. a tower section; 270. a tower base; 271. a latch accommodating chamber; 273. a locking recess; 275. a connection surface; 277. a first positioning hole; 279. a second positioning hole; 290a, 290b, 290c, tower cover; 291. a limit protrusion; 293. a first limit wing; 295. the second limiting wing part; 297. a first positioning pin; 297a, annular projection; 297b, a reduction section; 299. a second positioning pin; 300. a conductive element; 310. a mating contact portion; 320. mounting a tail part; 400. locking; 410. a latch head; 430. the tail part of the lock catch; 450. locking the protrusion; 470. a heat radiation hole; 490. a pivot; 500. a bonding wire; 900. an add-on card.

Detailed Description

In the following description, numerous details are provided to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the following description illustrates preferred embodiments of the present disclosure by way of example only and that the present disclosure may be practiced without one or more of these details. Furthermore, some technical features that are known in the art have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

The card edge connector may be a DDR (double data rate) connector. Card edge connectors are widely used for interconnection with additional cards in electronic systems. Additional cards include, but are not limited to, graphics cards or memory cards, etc. DIMMs (Dual in-line memory modules) are currently widely used for memory in computers. DIMMs may be interconnected with the motherboard of a computer through a card edge connector. The card edge connector is secured to the motherboard and conductive elements on the card edge connector interconnect with circuitry on the motherboard. The DIMM may be electrically connected to the card edge connector to electrically connect the gold fingers on the DIMM with the conductive elements on the card edge connector to thereby interconnect the gold fingers on the DIMM with the circuitry on the motherboard.

The edge of the additional card is plugged onto the insulating housing of the card edge connector, thereby achieving an electrical connection with the card edge connector. The insulating housing is typically manufactured by an injection molding process. The inventors have recognized and appreciated that, subject to the limitations of the injection molding process, the middle of the tower of the insulating housing, which is exactly the location of the card slot corresponding to the edge receiving the additional card, is often formed with a bond line after cooling, and thus the thickness at that location is thinner. The bond line may cause a decrease in mechanical strength at this location, and the insulating case may be more likely to crack at the bond line when subjected to an external force.

The inventors have further recognized and appreciated that when the card edge connector is operated under vibration and shock conditions, or when a user inserts or removes an add-on card, the insulative housing is subjected to a laterally directed force, causing the insulative housing to split from the location of the bond line, thereby rendering the card edge connector unusable. A typical insulated housing includes a base and a tower extending in a vertical direction from an end of the base. The vertical dimension of the tower part is larger, and the longitudinal dimension is smaller, so that the phenomenon of cracking is more easy to occur at the joint line.

In some embodiments of the present disclosure, a tower cover is disposed on the tower base of the insulated housing, and the clamping slot extends from the insulated housing to the tower cover. The tower cover and the insulating housing may be manufactured separately and then assembled together. The position of the bond line on the tower cover and the insulating housing changes due to the structural changes. The weak position in the middle part of tower lid can not appear the joint line to the problem of fracture is restrained. Thereby further improving the mechanical strength of the card edge connector.

The following describes some embodiments of the card edge connector in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

For clarity and conciseness of description, the vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y are defined. The vertical direction Z-Z, the longitudinal direction X-X and the transverse direction Y-Y may be perpendicular to each other. The vertical direction Z-Z generally refers to the height direction of the card edge connector. The longitudinal direction X-X generally refers to the length direction of the card edge connector. The transverse direction Y-Y generally refers to the width direction of the card edge connector.

As shown in fig. 1-4, the card edge connector 100a may include an insulating housing 200 and a tower cover 290a.

The insulating housing 200 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic. The plastic may include, but is not limited to, liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), high temperature nylon or polyphenylene oxide (PPO), or polypropylene (PP), or other materials may be used. In some cases, the plastic may be a thermoset. In some cases, the insulating plastic may comprise an insulating material such as fiberglass reinforced. The insulating housing 200 may generally be a single piece. The insulating housing 200 may be an injection molded piece. The insulating housing 200 may have a mating face 201 and a mounting face 202. The card edge connector 100a is shown as a vertical connector, and the mating surface 201 and the mounting surface 202 may be disposed opposite to each other along the vertical direction Z-Z. In other embodiments, not shown, the card edge connector may also be configured as a right angle connector, with the mating and mounting surfaces thereof being perpendicular to each other, e.g., the mounting surface being perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z and the mating surface being perpendicular to the lateral direction Y-Y. Regardless of the type of card edge connector 100a, however, the roles of the mating face 201 and the mounting face 202 in the various card edge connectors are substantially identical.

The abutment surface 201 may be provided with a clamping groove 210 extending in the longitudinal direction X-X. Card slot 210 may be recessed from mating surface 201 in a vertical direction Z-Z for receiving an edge of add-on card 900. The edge of the add-on card 900 may be inserted into the card slot 210.

The insulated housing 200 may include a base 230 and a tower base 270. The housing 230 may extend in the longitudinal direction X-X. The tower foundation 270 may be attached to an end of the housing 230. The tower foundation 270 may extend in a vertical direction Z-Z. The tower base 270 may protrude from the end of the housing 230 in the vertical direction Z-Z above the housing 230. The card slot 210 may extend from the housing 230 into the tower foundation 270. Specifically, the card slot 210 may include a first portion 211 and a second portion 212 that are in communication with each other. The first portion 211 may be disposed on the seat 230. The second portion 212 may be disposed on the tower foundation 270.

As shown in fig. 3-4, the card edge connector 100a may also include a plurality of conductive elements 300. Adjacent conductive elements 300 may be spaced apart to ensure electrical isolation between adjacent conductive elements 300 from one another. The conductive element 300 may be made of a conductive material such as metal. Each conductive element 300 is generally an elongated, unitary piece. The conductive element 300 may extend into the card slot 210. Specifically, each conductive element 300 may include a mating contact portion 310 at a front portion thereof and a mounting tail portion 320 at a rear end thereof. The mating contact 310 is located within the insulating housing 200. The mating contact portion 310 may be located at a side of the card slot 210. Typically, the mating contact portion 310 is bent toward the inside of the card slot 210 to protrude into the card slot 210. The mounting tail 320 may be located outside of the insulating housing 200. Typically, the mounting tail 320 may extend beyond the mounting face 202. The mounting tail 320 may be connected to the motherboard by Surface Mount Technology (SMT) and/or through-hole interposer technology (THT), etc. In this manner, the card edge connector 100a can be electrically connected to the circuit board.

The mating contacts 310 of the conductive element 300 may be arranged in two rows on either side of the card slot 210 in the transverse direction Y-Y, each row extending in the longitudinal direction X-X. Alternatively, the two rows of conductive elements 300 may be aligned with each other along the longitudinal direction X-X. Optionally, the two rows of conductive elements 300 are staggered in the longitudinal direction X-X to increase the spacing between the conductive elements 300 to reduce cross-talk. Of course, if necessary, the conductive element 300 may also be located on one side of the card slot 210.

In practical applications, when the edge of the add-on card is inserted into the card slot 210, the gold finger of the add-on card 900 can electrically contact the mating contact portion 310, thereby achieving electrical connection. The mounting tails 320 may be soldered to pads on a circuit board to make electrical connection to the circuitry of the motherboard. In this manner, card edge connector 100a may enable interconnection of add-on card 900 with circuitry on a motherboard.

The tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 may be separate pieces. In other words, the tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 may be manufactured separately. Illustratively, the tower cover 290a may also be injection molded. In this way, the tower cover 290a can be easily implemented in a complex structure.

The tower cap 290a may be coupled to the tower foundation 270 by welding, adhesive, or a connector connection, among other suitable means. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 5 and 6A-6B, a first detent 297 and a second detent 299 may be provided on the tower cover 290a. The first and second positioning pins 297 and 299 may be disposed at both sides of the lateral direction Y-Y of the card slot 210. The tower base 270 may be provided with a first positioning hole 277 and a second positioning hole 279. The first and second positioning holes 277 and 279 may be disposed at both sides of the lateral direction Y-Y of the card slot 210. The first positioning pin 297 may be inserted into the first positioning hole 277 to be engaged with the first positioning hole 277. The second positioning pin 299 may be inserted into the second positioning hole 279 so as to be engaged with the second positioning hole 279. So configured, the tower cap 290a can be easily coupled to the tower foundation 270 with a high coupling strength. In addition, in the embodiment where the tower cover 290a is made of a material with higher strength, the first positioning pin 297 and the second positioning pin 299 may further strengthen the top of the tower base 270 at both sides of the clamping groove 210, so as to prevent the tower base 270 from opening to both sides under the action of external force along the transverse direction Y-Y.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 6A-6B, an annular protrusion 297a may be provided on the outer sidewall of the first locating pin 297. The annular protrusion 297a may abut against the wall of the first positioning hole 277 so as to be engageable with the wall of the first positioning hole 277. By providing annular projection 297a, material consumption of tower cover 290a may be reduced, thereby reducing the cost of card edge connector 100 a. Moreover, the abutting area of the tower cover 290a and the first positioning hole 277 can be reduced, so that friction can be reduced in the plugging process, and the installation is convenient; and the possibility of the non-adaptation of the abutting surface caused by the non-flatness of the abutting surface can be reduced, and the requirement on the machining precision is reduced. In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 6A-6B, the bottom of the first locating pin 297 may be provided with a tapered section 297B. The diameter of the reduced section 297b is gradually reduced. The reduced section 297b may act as a guide to facilitate insertion of the first locating pin 297 into the first locating hole 277. The second positioning pin 299 may have the same structure as the first positioning pin 297, but may have a different structure from the first positioning pin 297.

The tower cover 290a and the tower base 270 may form the tower section 250 of the clip edge connector 100 a. The tower 250 may meet joint electronics engineering council (Joint Electron Device Engineering Council, JEDEC) specifications. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the tower foundation 270 and the tower cap 290a may be disposed sequentially in a vertical direction Z-Z, in a direction away from the base 230. The tower base 270 forms a lower portion of the tower 250, and the tower cover 290a forms an upper portion of the tower 250. The tower 250 is configured to be detachable up and down, so that the two parts are relatively simple in structure and convenient to connect. The card slot 210 may extend in a vertical direction Z-Z to the tower cover 290a. Specifically, the card slot 210 may further include a third portion 213. The third portion 213 may be disposed on the tower cover 290a. The second portion 212 may be in communication between the first portion 211 and the third portion 213. The third portion 213 may extend in a vertical direction Z-Z from the second portion 212. Thus, the card slot 210 may be generally U-shaped.

For example, the tower 250 may be provided only on one end of the seat 230 in the longitudinal direction X-X. Desirably, the tower portions 250 may be provided on both end portions of the seat body 230 in the longitudinal direction X-X. The tower portions 250 may be located at opposite sides of the housing 230 in the longitudinal direction X-X, respectively. The tower 250 may serve as a longitudinal end of the insulating housing 200.

In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 may be manufactured separately, and the weak position of the tower cover 290a does not have a bonding line affecting the strength due to the structural change. Thus, the tower cover 290a is not easily broken when the card edge connector 100a is operated under vibration and impact conditions, or when a user inserts and removes the add-on card 900. The mechanical strength of the entire tower 250 is enhanced. In addition, the tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 are manufactured separately, so that the manufacturing difficulty of the tower cover and the insulating housing can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

The position of the bond line on the tower cover 290a and/or the bond line on the insulated housing 200 is more easily controlled based on the reduced manufacturing difficulty. In the case where the tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 are both formed of plastic material and using an injection molding process, the tower cover 290a is manufactured in a simulation by using a mold simulation analysis (moldflow), and the bottom of the third portion 213 (i.e., where the thickness of the tower cover 290a is the thinnest) has no bonding line, as shown in fig. 12. The bonding wire 500 may be adjusted to a position on the tower cover 290a and/or the insulating housing 200 where mechanical strength is high. The location of higher mechanical strength is less prone to cracking, thereby inhibiting the negative effects of the bond line 500. Moreover, if the tower cap 290a is made of a stronger material or other processes, the tower cap 290a may also have a higher strength.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, the second portion 212 may be formed by surrounding the first side portion 212a, the second side portion 212b, and the middle portion 212 c. The first side 212a and the second side 212b may be oppositely disposed in the lateral direction Y-Y. The middle portion 212c may be connected between the first side portion 212a and a side of the second side portion 212b near the longitudinal end of the card edge connector 100 a. It will be appreciated that the middle portion 212c is thinner and weaker than the first and second side portions 212a, 212b due to the need to form the second portion 212. By manufacturing the tower foundation 270 by injection molding, the bond line may be avoided from the middle portion 212c, i.e., the middle portion 212c is not formed with the injection molded bond line. The bond line may be tuned to the first side 212a and/or the second side 212 b. In this way, the mechanical strength of the middle portion 212c is not further reduced by the bond line. Also, the first side 212a and/or the second side 212b may inhibit the negative effects of the bond line.

As shown in fig. 6A, the third portion 213 may be formed by surrounding the first side portion 213a, the second side portion 213b, and the middle portion 213 c. The first side 213a and the second side 213b may be disposed opposite in the lateral direction Y-Y. The middle portion 213c may be connected between the first side portion 213a and a side of the second side portion 213b near the longitudinal end of the card edge connector 100 a. It will be appreciated that the thickness of the wall of the middle portion 213c is thinner relative to the first and second side portions 213a, 213b, and the middle portion 213c is weaker due to the need to form the third portion 213. By manufacturing the tower cover 290a by injection molding, the bonding line can be avoided from the middle portion 213c, i.e., the middle portion 213c is not formed with the bonding line formed by injection molding. The bonding lines may be adjusted to the first side 213a and/or the second side 213 b. In this way, the mechanical strength of the middle portion 213c is not further reduced by the bonding line. Also, the first side 213a and/or the second side 213b may inhibit the negative effects of the bond line.

Illustratively, the mechanical strength of the tower cover 290a may be equal to or higher than the mechanical strength of the insulated housing 200. The tower cover 290a may be made of a material having higher mechanical strength. In this way, the tower cover 290a is less prone to cracking and may provide better support for the insulated housing 200. Also, by using different materials, the location of the bond line on the tower cover 290a will naturally change. Thus, the bonding line of the tower cover 290a and the insulating housing 200 does not extend continuously without any additional adjustment. Further, since the tower cover 290a is manufactured separately from the insulating housing 200, the tower cover 290a may be manufactured by other processes, and the manufacturing process of the tower cover 290a may be related to the material thereof, and one skilled in the art may select the manufacturing process of the tower cover 290a according to the need.

Illustratively, the material of the tower cover 290a may be the same as or different from the material of the insulated housing 200. The tower cover 290a may be made of one or more of metal, ceramic, polycarbonate (PC), acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), and Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP). The material has high mechanical strength and low cost, and the tower cover 290a with the material can prolong the service life of the card edge connector 100 a.

Illustratively, as shown in FIGS. 1-2, 4 and 7, the card edge connector 100a may further include a latch 400. The catch 400 may be pivotally connected to the tower foundation 270 between a locked position and an unlocked position. In the embodiment shown in the figures, the latch 400 may be provided with a pivot shaft 490 (see fig. 7) and the tower base 270 may be provided with a pivot hole 203 (see fig. 5). The latch 400 may be pivoted relative to the tower foundation 270 by inserting the pivot shaft 490 into the pivot hole 203. The latches 400 may be provided in pairs. The latches 400 provided in pairs may be connected to both ends of the insulating housing 200, respectively. The latch 400 may be molded from an insulating material such as plastic using a molding process. The latch 400 is typically a single piece. The materials of the latch 400 and the insulating housing 200 may be the same or different. The latch 400 may be used to latch and release an add-on card 900 that is plugged into the card slot 210.

As shown in fig. 7, latch 400 may have a latch head 410 and a latch tail 430 disposed opposite in a vertical direction Z-Z. When the latch 400 is in the locked position, the transverse ribs of the latch head 410 may extend into the notch in the add-on card 900 and thereby may be retained with the edge of the notch, so that the latch 400 may lock the add-on card 900 to the insulating housing 200. The latch head 410 may have one or more of anti-slip stripes, grooves, and steps thereon. The latch head 410 assists the user in pivoting the latch 400 between the latched and unlatched positions, particularly to the unlatched position.

When the latch 400 is in the unlocked position, the latch 400 pivots outwardly and the transverse rib may exit the notch in the add-on card 900. During outward pivoting of the latch 400 to the unlatched position, the latch tail 430 may tilt toward the mating surface 201 so as to abut an edge of the add-on card 900 to lift the add-on card 900 within the card slot 210. The add-on card 900 may thereby be removed from the dielectric housing 200.

For example, as shown in fig. 4, the latch 400 may be configured to engage the tower foundation 270 in the latched position. Thus, the tower base 270 may act as a stop for the latch 400. As shown in fig. 3-4, a latch receiving cavity 271 may be provided on the tower base 270. The tower cover 290a may be coupled to a portion of the tower foundation 270 proximate the base 230. When the latch 400 is in the locked position, a lower portion of the latch 400 may be accommodated in the latch accommodating chamber 271; the upper portion of the latch 400 may abut against the tower cover 290a.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 7, both sides of the latch 400 in the lateral direction Y-Y may be provided with latch projections 450. As shown in fig. 5, a locking recess 273 may be provided on an inner sidewall of the locking receiving chamber 271. The locking protrusion 450 may engage with the locking recess 273 when the latch 400 is in the locked position. In this way, the tower base 270 may provide better retention of the latch 400, thereby allowing the latch 400 to provide greater retention of the add-on card 900.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 4, a tower cover 290a may be coupled to the coupling surface 275 of the tower foundation 270. The locking recess 273 may extend to the connection surface 275. In this manner, the insulating housing 200 can be conveniently processed using an injection molding process. Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 5, the connection face 275 may be perpendicular to the vertical direction Z-Z. The connection surface 275 is a planar surface that forms the top surface of the tower foundation 270. In this manner, the bottom surface of the tower cover 290a that mates with the mating surface 275 may also be formed to be planar to facilitate the processing of the tower cover 290a and the tower foundation 270.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 2, when the latch 400 is in the latched position, the tower cover 290a may be positioned within the space enclosed by the latch 400 and the tower base 270. Specifically, in the longitudinal direction X-X, the tower cover 290a may be positioned inside the latch 400 when in the latched position. In the vertical direction Z-Z, the tower cover 290a may be positioned on the upper side of the tower foundation 270. The latch 400 does not contact the tower cover 290a during pivoting. By this arrangement, the tower cover 290a does not hinder the pivoting of the latch 400, and therefore, the processing accuracy requirements for the tower cover 290a and the latch 400 are low.

Illustratively, the tower cover may be provided with a stop. The stop portion may engage the latch 400 in the lateral direction Y-Y when the latch 400 is in the latched position. The limiting portion includes, but is not limited to, a baffle or a catch. The stopper portion may improve the mechanical strength of the latch 400 in the lateral direction Y-Y, so that the latch 400 may be restrained from shaking.

Illustratively, as shown in FIG. 7, the latch 400 may be provided with a heat sink 470 extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction X-X. The heat sink 470 is generally aligned with the card slot 210. Under the condition of high data processing speed, the heat generated by the electronic system during operation is higher. But the circuits on the motherboard are becoming denser, and the gaps between adjacent electrical connectors are small or hardly provided, which is disadvantageous for heat dissipation. In particular, a plurality of card edge connectors are typically arranged side-by-side and closely adjacent along the transverse direction Y-Y on the motherboard, so that heat dissipation is primarily dependent on the longitudinal direction X-X for ventilation. In this case, the larger the heat radiation hole 470 is, the better, but the mechanical strength of the latch 400 tends to be lowered.

Based on this, fig. 8 and 9A to 9B show a card edge connector 100B according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in fig. 9A to 9B, on the basis of the tower cover 290a of the card edge connector 100a of the first exemplary embodiment, a stopper projection 291 may be provided on the tower cover 290B of the card edge connector 100B. The stopper may include a stopper protrusion 291. The limit projection 291 may protrude outward in the longitudinal direction X-X from the tower cover 290 b. The same or similar reference numerals are used for the same or similar components in the card edge connector 100b as the card edge connector 100a, and will not be further described herein for brevity. As shown in fig. 8, the limit projection 291 may engage the heat sink 470 in the lateral direction Y-Y when the latch 400 is in the latched position. In this way, the limit projection 291 can improve the mechanical strength of the latch 400, so that the latch 400 can be restrained from rattling.

Fig. 10 and 11A-11B illustrate a card edge connector 100c according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, and as shown in fig. 11A-11B, a first limit wing 293 and a second limit wing 295 may be provided on a tower cover 290c of the card edge connector 100c on the basis of a tower cover 290a of the card edge connector 100a of the first exemplary embodiment. The limit may include a first limit wing 293 and a second limit wing 295. The first and second stopper wing parts 293 and 295 may protrude outward in the longitudinal direction X-X from both sides of the tower cover 290 c. The same or similar reference numerals are used for the same or similar components in the card edge connector 100c as the card edge connector 100a, and will not be further described herein for brevity. When the latch 400 is in the locked position, the first and second retaining wings 293 and 295 may clamp the latch 400 therebetween in the lateral direction Y-Y. In this way, the first and second stopper wings 293 and 295 may improve mechanical strength of the latch 400, thereby suppressing shaking of the latch 400.

Thus, the present disclosure has been described in terms of several embodiments, but it will be appreciated that numerous variations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art in light of the teachings of the present disclosure, and are within the spirit and scope of the disclosure as claimed. The scope of the disclosure is defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof. The foregoing embodiments are provided for the purpose of illustration and description only and are not intended to limit the disclosure to the embodiments described.

In the description of the present disclosure, it should be understood that the azimuth or positional relationships indicated by the azimuth terms such as "front", "rear", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "transverse", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", etc., are generally based on the azimuth or positional relationships shown in the drawings, merely to facilitate description of the present disclosure and simplify the description, and these azimuth terms do not indicate and imply that the apparatus or elements referred to must have a specific azimuth or be configured and operated in a specific azimuth, and thus should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present disclosure; the orientation terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer relative to the outline of the components themselves.

Various changes may be made to the structures illustrated and described herein. For example, the tower base and tower cover described above may be used with any suitable electrical connector, such as a backplane connector, a daughter card connector, a stack connector (stacking connector), a mezzanine connector (mezzanine connector), an I/O connector, a chip socket, a Gen Z connector, and the like. The tower base and tower cover may provide improved mechanical properties for these connectors, thereby improving the stability of the connection with the add-on card.

Moreover, while many inventive aspects are described above with reference to vertical connectors, it should be understood that aspects of the present disclosure are not limited thereto. As such, any one of the inventive features, either alone or in combination with one or more other inventive features, may also be used with other types of connectors, such as coplanar connectors, orthogonal connectors, right angle connectors, and the like.

Spatially relative terms, such as "above … …," "above … …," "upper surface at … …," "above," and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one or more components or features' spatial positional relationships to other components or features as illustrated in the figures. It will be understood that the spatially relative terms are intended to encompass not only the orientation of the elements in the figures but also different orientations in use or operation. For example, if the element in the figures is turned over entirely, elements "over" or "on" other elements or features would then be included in cases where the element is "under" or "beneath" the other elements or features. Thus, the exemplary term "above … …" may include both orientations of "above … …" and "below … …". Moreover, these components or features may also be positioned at other different angles (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or other angles), and all such cases are intended to be encompassed herein.

It is noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of example embodiments in accordance with the present application. As used herein, the singular is also intended to include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, and furthermore, it is to be understood that the terms "comprises" and/or "comprising" when used in this specification are taken to specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, components, assemblies, and/or combinations thereof.

It should be noted that the terms "first," "second," and the like in the description and claims of the present application and the above figures are used for distinguishing between similar objects and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the data so used may be interchanged where appropriate such that embodiments of the present application described herein may be implemented in sequences other than those illustrated or described herein.

Claims (16)

1. A card edge connector, comprising:

an insulating housing including a base extending in a longitudinal direction and a tower base extending from an end of the base in a vertical direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a card slot for receiving an edge of an add-on card extending from the base into the tower base; and

the tower cover body and the insulating shell are split pieces, the tower cover body is connected to the tower base body, and the clamping groove extends to the tower cover body.

2. The card edge connector of claim 1, further comprising a latch pivotally connected to the tower base between a latched position and an unlatched position.

3. The card edge connector of claim 2, wherein the tower cover is located in a space surrounded by the latch in the latched position and the tower base.

4. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein the tower cover is provided with a stopper portion which engages with the latch in a lateral direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction when the latch is in the latched position.

5. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stopper portion includes a stopper protrusion protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from a middle portion of the tower cover, the latch being provided with a heat radiation hole penetrating in the longitudinal direction, the stopper protrusion being engaged with the heat radiation hole in the lateral direction when the latch is in the latch position.

6. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 4, wherein the stopper includes first and second stopper wings protruding outward in the longitudinal direction from both sides of the tower cover, the first and second stopper wings sandwiching the latch therebetween in the lateral direction when the latch is in the latched position.

7. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 2, wherein a latch receiving cavity is provided in a portion of the tower base remote from the base, the tower cover being connected to a portion of the tower base adjacent to the base, the latch being received in the latch receiving cavity at a lower portion thereof and abutting against the tower cover at an upper portion thereof in the latched position.

8. The card edge connector as claimed in claim 7, wherein the lock receiving cavity is provided with locking recesses on an inner side wall thereof, locking protrusions are provided on both sides of the lock, and the locking protrusions are engaged with the locking recesses when the lock is in the locked position.

9. The card edge connector as defined in claim 8, wherein the tower cover is connected to a connection face of the tower base, the connection face being perpendicular to the vertical direction, the locking recess extending to the connection face.

10. The card edge connector of claim 1, wherein the tower base and the tower cover are disposed in sequence in the vertical direction in a direction away from the base.

11. The card edge connector of claim 1, wherein the tower cover is provided with a first positioning pin and a second positioning pin on both sides of the card slot, the tower base is provided with a first positioning hole and a second positioning hole on both sides of the card slot, the first positioning pin is engaged with the first positioning hole, and the second positioning pin is engaged with the second positioning hole.

12. The card edge connector of claim 1, wherein the insulative housing is an injection molded piece.

13. The card edge connector of claim 1, wherein the tower cover is an injection molded piece.

14. The card edge connector of claim 1, wherein the mechanical strength of the tower cover is equal to or higher than the mechanical strength of the insulating housing.

15. The card edge connector of any one of claims 1-14, wherein the insulating housing is a single injection molded piece, and no injection molded bond line is formed on the tower base and in the middle of the card slot.

16. The card edge connector of any one of claims 1-14, further comprising a plurality of conductive elements, each of the plurality of conductive elements including a mating contact bent into the card slot and a mounting tail extending out of the insulative housing.

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